MSc RENEWABLE ENERGY AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Course Summary
The course places the topic of renewable energy within the political, economic and social background of energy issues, including global examination of energy provision, consumption, climate change and local environmental considerations. The theory and practice of renewable energies are examined through both practical work and the lecture programme enabling students to critically analyse the benefits and drawbacks of renewable energy systems.
Taught lectures from field experts, practical exercises and individual research, combined with tutorials and seminars among supportive staff and enthusiastic peers allow students to develop a wide breadth of skills and knowledge whilst giving the flexibility to investigate areas of interest in more depth. ach month (except July) five day residential modules are run at CAT. Students choose to take 60 credits from ten modules (some worth 15 credits, some double modules worth 30 credits) plus a thesis (60 credits) to gain an MSc. A full programme of lectures, seminars, tutorials and practicals runs throughout the five days. There is however, still time for lively discussions with staff, guest lecturers and fellow students from a fascinating array of backgrounds. All food and accommodation is provided within CAT and the surrounding area, offering a captivating learning environment.
Modules cover the major renewable energy technologies: biomass, solar photovoltaics, wind power, solar thermal and hydro electricity; as well as building physics and design, energy conservation and basic electrical theory.
The programme is intended to cater for those with an engineering background.
Programme Operation The programme is delivered by staff from CAT and specialist visitors from the profession, and runs as a series of eleven five-day residential events, which all take place at CAT. This brings the advantage of combining an academic programme with the practical application of research and development that has established CAT as Europe 's leading Eco-centre.
The programme comprises of a total of 11 modules. Most modules are 15 credits; some are 30 credits. Each 15 credit module is a five-day residential teaching event which takes place every month except May and July at CAT; 30 credit modules consist of two of these five day sessions. The thesis is a 60 credit module. There are a number of options available ie modules that run at the same time and students choose which to follow.
After acquiring 120 credits from the available teaching modules and associated coursework, students are eligible for a Postgraduate Diploma; those who wish to obtain an MSc then complete the Thesis Module which is the culmination of the work done on the programme. A formal start to the thesis is made around the sixth module. Modules 1 - Introduction
Main Topics of Study:
Environment and energy in world context
How buildings use energy
Heat Transfer
Thermal Comfort
Cooling Strategies
Electrical Theory
Lectures:
Environment and Energy
World Resources
How buildings use energy (Energy Audit)
Heat transfer and calculation of building heat loss
Building Heating strategies
Thermal Comfort
Energy and Nuclear power
Building cooling strategies
AC and DC electrical theory
Practicals:
Energy Calculations
Environmental Impact calculations
Energy Audit
2 - Photovoltaics
Main Topics of Study:
Solar geometry and resource
Photovoltaic technologies, types and characteristics
Standalone and grid linked systems
Mounting systems
Modelling
Building integration
Lectures:
Solar resource, solar data, solar geometry, sun path diagrams, shading, clearness index
History, world markets, costs, PV technologies, types and characteristics
Affects of changes in environmental conditions, limitations on efficiency, environmental benefits
Standalone systems
Grid linked systems
Controllers and inverters, batteries: types, principles of operation, safety
Design of systems: guidelines, specifications regulations and safety
Mounting systems: how do roofs work. PV modelling: model available, different approaches to models
Methods of building integration, impacts on the building structure and on the PV system.
Practicals:
Assessment of the performance of a PV system
Constructing and assessing the efficiency of a PV system
3 - Hydro electricity
Main Topics of Study:
Hydro electric site assessment, turbines water wheels and civil engineering
Hydro electric generators, electric controls and grid connection
Ventilation and infiltration
The Passive house
Modelling building energy performance
Lectures:
Basic physics of hydro electricity
Measurement of head and flow
Types of turbines and their characteristics
Selection of turbines
Civil engineering: Design and specification of turbine layouts, forebays and penstocks
Environmental impact: affects on flooding, fish, flora and fauna
Environment Agency guidance
Generators: different types and their characteristics; specification and controls
Hydraulic rams and water wheels: basics of design and evaluation.
Ventilation strategies: sizing of components and evaluation of different approaches.
The Passive House concept: key issues in achieving this standard.
Mdelling of building energy performance: types of models and strategies, effectiveness and limitations.
Practicals:
Visit to hydro electric plant
Tour of CAT Hydro electric systems
Designing a hydro electric system
4 - Biomass wood heating (Two part practical module)
Main Topics of Study:
A mixture of practical and theoretical sessions evaluating the performance of real life biomass heating systems over two months and working in groups.
Site visits to larger scale wood chip boiler systems.
5 - Windpower (Two part practical module)
Main Topics of Study:
A mixture of practical and theoretical sessions evaluating the performance of real life windpower systems over two months and working in groups.
Feasibility and impact assessment of a wind farm development
Wind monitoring and data used to evaluate the performance of an existing wind turbine. Wind data gathered in December analysed and cross referenced against known site.
Standalone and Grid connection assessed. Results compared with the actual performance of a nearby wind turbine
6 - Biomass: Space Heating Systems
Main Topics of Study:
Wood fuel types, characteristics and combustion
Fuel supply storage and delivery. Regulations and flues
Hydraulic systems
Combined Heat and Power, overview
Gasification
Lectures:
Wood fuel types and characteristics
Combustion technologies and systems
Assessing of annual fuel consumption
Fuel supply storage and delivery; implications of site structure
Biomass Regulations: Clean Air act, emissions limits Waste incineration directive, Building Regulations
Basic flue calculations
Hydraulic systems
Combined Heat and Power: evaluation of technology types, heat distribution systems, operational requirements
Gasification: operational parameters such as fuel quality, operating efficiency, different technologies.
Practicals:
Evaluation of the performance and output of a biomass system
Site visits to larger scale wood chip boiler systems
7 - Windpower
Main Topics of Study:
Standalone and Grid connected wind system
Wind analysis and turbine siting
Generators
Rotor design and speed control
Lectures:
Wind availability and variability, velocity and power duration curves
Wind turbine parameters
Turbine types and efficiency
Standalone systems: anatomy of wind/battery systems, integration of wind wit other energy sources, assessing energy requirements, system design and sizing, siting of machines, affects of height and roughness, power loss in cables
Grid connected systems: basic principles, evaluation of system types, regulations and economics
Analysis of wind energy extraction, efficiency considerations (the Betz limit) Statistical analysis of wind speed and energy availability, the Weibull and Rayleigh distributions
Rotor design and generators: basic aerodynamics, calculation of blade width etc.
Types of generator and evaluation of their characteristics
Speed governing and overspeed protection, yaw drive and control
Practicals:
Visit to local wind farm, Tour of CAT small wind turbine, generator types and characteristics, wind loggers and data analysis.
8 - Solar Thermal
Main Topics of Study:
Solar resource, geometry and theory
Collectors and systems
Large scale systems
System modelling
Design standards and regulations
Roofs, mounting and installation
Ground source heat pumps
Lectures:
Solar resource: measuring techniques, solar geometry, shading, sun path diagrams
Theory of solar collectors and heat storage
Types of solar collectors and different system approaches, system and sizing, control strategies
Solar system design: estimation of annual performance, an over view of models available and evaluation of performance
Calculation of roofing loads: mounting techniques good practice
Introduction to ground source heat pumps: evaluation of types design consideration, impacts, benefits and performance case studies.
Practicals:
Sun path diagrams, Solar collector efficiency, Tour of solar thermal plant
Solar thermal design exercise, Heat pump design exercise
9 - Buildings Related
Main Topics of Study
Energy distribution, storage, conservation and related technologies
Energy consumption by building types
Energy markets in the UK
Lectures
Heat Pumps, District heating
Energy storage strategies
Energy conservation and related technologies
Energy consumption by building types
Energy markets and distribution in the UK
Computer Simulation of Energy Performance
Practicals
Building Evaluation Exercises
Computer evaluation.
10 - Solar Thermal (Two part practical module)
Main Topics of Study:
A mixture of practical and theoretical sessions evaluating the performance of real life solar thermal systems over two months and working in groups
Design, build and model the performance of a solar thermal subsystem
Systems are constructed and left in operational state with monitoring systems running
Analysis the data gathered and the effectiveness of the models examined determined
11 - Solar Electric (Two part practical module)
Main Topics of Study:
A mixture of practical and theoretical sessions evaluating the performance of real life solar electric systems over two months and working in groups
Design, build and model the performance of a PV system. Design parameters considered are different inverter sizes, the benefits of different cooling strategies or novel PV applications. System is constructed and monitored using an system designed by the students
The evaluation of data collected from test rigs constructed in June. Extensive use of PV modelling packages is involved
Thesis
The Thesis (of 15,000 to 20,000 words) gives the student an opportunity to apply the discipline and skills of the programme to an individually selected research topic, requiring a measure of original development, providing a vehicle for conducting an in-depth investigation, analysis and critical review of relevant material. The thesis is the culmination of work done on the programme and is considered to be of prime importance. The process of producing the thesis consists of a number of Thesis Workshop day long events which consist of research methods, aspects of structure and organisation etc.
After attendance at the appropriate Thesis Workshop, students are encourages to attend informal thesis discussions which take place every module. These consist of a number of students and staff with initial ideas for an individual thesis subject being discussed and commented on. At the sixth attended modules students are requested to make a formal presentation of their thesis proposal. This is registered by the thesis coordinator who then allocates an appropriate supervisor and continues to track the student performance until hand in. All students are encouraged to produce a publishable paper based on the thesis material.
The thesis is read by two members of staff and the external examiner. Assessment Coursework for each module usually consists of an essay, a presentation and a practical report. Students also complete a Thesis at the end of the course.
In order to be eligible for the award of a Postgraduate Diploma, a student must pass each Module (a total of eight 15 credit modules or seven 15 credit + one 30 credit modules etc) at level M (gaining a total of 120 credits) with a minimum mark in any one module of 50%. Course Fees
The course can be taken as one year full time or two years part time.
Course fees for 2008 are as follows:
One Year Full Time:
The course can be started in September 2008.. REBE will be £5000
Home student total fees - £5000
Overseas student total fees - £10000
Two Years Part Time:
The course can be started in September and payments made in two installments.
Year 1 (September) - £2500
Year 2 (September) - £2500
Total cost - £5000
Career Prospects There is a significant skill shortage in the area of renewable energy, particularly where it relates to the built environment. There are significant employment opportunities in Local Government, Private Industry, Architectural Practices, NGO's associated with the Environment, and in Private Practice. The many skills acquired and areas considered during this programme are excellent preparation for work in any of the above areas.
The programme is suitable for those students with an interest in developing expertise in an area of renewable energy. The part played by renewable energy in the wider environmental agenda and resource management is rapidly increasing in importance and skill shortages are being reported with increasing specialist knowledge required.
There is an increasing public concern over the problem of climate change resulting from increasing increase in the consumption of fossil fuels. One of the best solutions to this problem is the development of renewable energy technology and in particular how this can be integrated with buildings. The escalating nature of climate change makes need for renewable energy urgent but expertise in this area is not able to meet this need.
This programme is being developed to meet the specific demands of the industry in its quest to provide much needed expertise in this important area.
