Consulting
Student consulting for businesses in the energy transition.
HSG students working on your market and strategy questions. We combine structured problem solving, research and interviews to deliver recommendations you can act on.
Who we work with.
Energy companies
Installers, contracting providers and energy service companies looking to grow or reposition.
Energy startups
Market entry, segmentation and positioning before the next funding round.
Associations and research
Market studies and stakeholder analyses that inform programmes and policy.
Utilities and cities
Business model innovation for public energy services, customer journey and acceptance.
Services.
Grouped by the question a client usually arrives with.
Market intelligence
- Market studies and sizing
- Competitor analysis
- Customer and stakeholder interviews
- Regulatory and subsidy landscape
Positioning
- Customer segmentation
- Positioning and value proposition
- Pricing and offer design
Go-to-market
- Go-to-market strategy
- Channel and partnership strategy
- Customer journey and sales process
Business analysis
- Business model innovation
- Business case and scenario modelling
- Feasibility and roadmap
We provide decision-oriented analysis and recommendations. Legal interpretation and formal compliance should be validated with qualified experts.
Reference projects.
Published with the client's permission.
Public utility St.Galler Stadtwerke
- Challenge
- Grow the solar contracting service line in a market where households and businesses compare offers from many installers.
- Work
- Market study of the regional solar contracting market, customer journey mapping from first contact to signing, and business model options for the service line.
- Outcome
- Decision-ready recommendations on positioning, contract structure and conversion friction points, plus a follow-on project evaluation tool.
Startup Inova Energy
- Challenge
- Enter the Swiss market with a clear target segment and a credible route to first customers.
- Work
- Competitor and market analysis, customer segmentation, and a go-to-market strategy with channel priorities.
- Outcome
- A prioritised segment list, positioning against named competitors, and a phased go-to-market plan the founders now execute.
How an engagement works.
From the first email to the handover in about ten weeks.
- 01Week 0
Email and intro call
You write two sentences about your question. We call back within three working days and say honestly whether a student team adds value.
- 02Week 1
Scoping
A one-page proposal: deliverables, timeline, team, and a fixed fee that covers our costs.
- 03Weeks 2 to 9
Project
3 to 5 consultants with weekly check-ins. Research, interviews, modelling, drafts.
- 04Week 10
Handover
Final presentation, written report, and the models or tools we built for you.
Your questions, answered.
What does a project cost?
We are a not-for-profit. Fees cover the time of our consultants and are agreed per project in the scoping phase, as a fixed amount you know before we start.
In which languages do you consult?
German, English, French and Italian. Reports are typically delivered in German or English.
Who is on the project team?
Three to five students from different HSG programmes, coordinated by our Head of Consulting, who is your single point of contact from scoping to handover.
What makes oikos Solar different?
We combine academic rigour with practical implementation. Our consultants work on real projects with measurable impact in Switzerland's energy transition.
One email is enough.
Tell us who you are and what question you are trying to answer. Two or three sentences. We reply within three working days with a proposal for an intro call.
Write to us partnerships-sol@stgallen.oikos-international.org