Surveying and data analysis services for QLD solar farm
Energy transition
Solar energy
Supporting solar success stories
As energy consumption continues to increase, there is growing demand from across our communities, industries and governments to decarbonise global economies. As a preferred mainstream energy source for many markets, solar is playing a major role.
But within this context of high demand and rapid growth, solar farm developers face the challenges of finding and acquiring suitable space (on- and offshore), navigating complex legislative and planning pathways, environmental permitting requirements and community expectations.
Our team can support you to navigate these challenges. We guide you throughout the solar asset lifecycle from investment and technical advisory services to environmental permitting and compliance, planning, site selection and survey, environmental management, stakeholder and community engagement, and project and program management.
As the industry evolves and matures, we can also support you to explore new investment opportunities such as the integration of solar farms with battery energy storage systems (BESS) and pumped hydro installations, and the potential for solar to fuel green hydrogen production.
Why choose RPS?
- We employ a fully integrated, multi-disciplinary team with decades of experience in renewable energy projects right around the world.
- We bring local experience and presence in key solar development locations, a detailed understanding of local, state and federal planning regulation, and strong relationships with regulatory bodies, and network operators.
- We have technical experts to guide you through the entire asset lifecycle including environmental scientists, approval and consenting specialists, community engagement experts, project managers and more.
- RPS is part of an international network of more than 28,000 consultants and technical specialists. Together, we have the capability and geographic diversity to support you commercially, technically and environmentally.
Ideas for a faster energy transition
Across RPS, our consultants are supporting energy clients to navigate complexity and propel projects forward through improvement across all phases of the project lifecycle. Discover our insights on how project owners can accelerate across five key aspects of energy project delivery:
Global solar expertise – delivered locally
We offer a range of technical consultancy, operational support and advice to renewable energy investors, developers, governments, advisors, and contractors, including:
Strategy and commercial advisory
How we help
RPS can help you develop your business case and project scope to align with local regulatory frameworks, market and financial feasibility conditions and preferred models of funding and delivery. We offer the advice and guidance you need to define what success looks like for your solar project and develop a clear plan for achieving your goals.
Due diligence
How we help
Offering specialist technical, operational and commercial due diligence services and advice, we support strategic infrastructure investment in solar.
Our consultants focus on key investor concerns including future investment requirements and plans (Capex), expected future operating costs (Opex) and potential areas of operational improvement. Using this information and analysis, we build compelling business cases and provide evidence-based advice to guide renewable energy investment and enhancing performance.
Planning, environmental permitting and compliance
How we help
RPS is a leading provider of environmental planning, impact assessment, regulatory engagement and compliance support. We support and guide clients to navigate complex environmental approval pathways to help them achieve sustainability and resilience through solar projects. Our consultants have extensive experience in approval processes and regulatory regimes across many markets, and we specialise in renewable energy projects delivered in environmentally sensitive locations.
MetOcean services
How we help
RPS is in the business of big environmental data. We work with clients across energy and other industries to measure, monitor and understand environmental patterns (wind, wave, tides and more), with a focus on diverse and extreme environments. Using state-of-the-art technologies such as floating LiDAR, directional wave buoys, terrestrial scanning, aerial and UAV survey, we provide critical information for renewable project site selection, design and performance analysis.
Environmental impact assessment
How we help
From ecological assessment to the negotiation of offsets and conditions, we scope and manage complex technical studies and prepare environmental assessment documentation to support the successful development of solar projects. Working collaboratively with project owners, regulators and the community, we develop the evidence needed to develop practical environmental mitigation and management strategies for solar projects. Our expertise includes terrestrial and marine ecology, contamination, flood management and site hydrology and more.
Visual impact assessment
How we help
We use smart technologies to assess the impact of solar development options and shape design outcomes that integrate projects appropriately with existing built form and natural features. Our visual impact specialists can assist you to manage key community concerns about the visual impact of solar development proposals.
Spatial data acquisition, analysis and visualisation
How we help
Using state-of-the-art surveying and mapping technologies, we help solar project engineers, designers and contractors to understand their operational environment, design with confidence, and deliver solar projects on time and on budget. From aerial LiDAR mapping that offers detailed information about site topography, to the ongoing condition assessment of assets to support efficient operations and asset maintenance, we can customise a spatial data solution to fit your project requirements.
Site investigation and survey
How we help
Site selection and characterisation for solar projects requires an ideal balance to be struck between existing environments and land/ocean uses, energy potential, geotechnical conditions, installation and maintenance considerations, and the ease of connection to transmission infrastructure. Through survey, metocean and geotechnical investigation, route selection and site planning, we can help you achieve confidence in your assets’ location while defining your engineering design criteria, optimising yield, and accommodating environmental and operational constraints.
Communications and stakeholder engagement
How we help
Energy projects are by nature intensely ‘public’ and their success hinges on public trust and a shared understanding of positive project intent and post-completion benefits. RPS can help you maintain public support for your projects long before physical construction work begins through meaningful engagement with project stakeholders and end-users. We can advise and assist with everything from project branding and communications strategy, to community engagement activities, graphic design, public relations and more.
Data management and visualisation
How we help
Combining data science capabilities with broader technical expertise spanning economics, communications, investment advisory and more, RPS can help you uncover insights and communicate critical information clearly and simply. We interrogate and analyse spatial data and can develop intuitive dashboards and data simulations to help you compare performance variables for your solar asset such as generation capacity and yield.
Program and project management
How we help
RPS supports your team to deliver projects on time and on budget while managing risk. From tendering and contractor engagement, to program management and contract administration, we can assist you to select the consultants and contractors that best suit your project’s location and needs.
Expertise for other renewables asset classes
-
Offshore wind consultants
RPS has become an established, leading provider of professional services to the offshore wind industry since its inception in Europe in the early 2000s. -
Alternative fuels: hydrogen
A low/no emissions alternative to traditional fossil fuels, hydrogen has diverse applications for transportation, manufacturing, household energy, and other uses. -
Geothermal energy
We use our deep expertise across multiple disciplines to provide commercial and technical advice to our clients to advance geothermal projects around the globe. -
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is widely accepted to be a major contributor to global climate change. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) refers to the process of capturing CO2, transporting it to a storage sit... -
Electricity grid and transmission networks
RPS transmission infrastructure experts offer a range of strategic and technical consultancy services to energy network project investors, developers and governments.
Related services
-
Project and program management
Project management solutions for the most complex building, infrastructure, organisational change, and systems projects.
-
Environmental permitting and compliance
Permitting services and advice to help you navigate environmental regulation and licensing requirements and develop sustainably.
-
Communications and engagement
Services and advice to help you make meaningful connections with your stakeholders including community engagement, social research project branding and more.
-
Environmental Impact Assessment
Technical studies and assessment documentation to help you understand impact and secure environmental approvals.
-
Planning consultancy
Expert development and town planning services including portfolio assessment, site identification, yield advice, masterplanning, approvals and more.