Renewable Energy Engineering MSc Distance learning

The taught element of the course (September to April) includes eight modules; delivery will be by a combination of lectures, tutorials and group/seminar work. A further four months (May to September) is spent undertaking the dissertation.

• Renewable Energy Technologies I-Solar Thermal and electricity systems
  The module covers the details related to solar energy including concentrating solar power, solar water heating, solar space heating and cooling, solar desalination, photovoltaic, and modelling of solar thermal power systems.

• Renewable Energy Technologies II-Wind, Tidal, Wave, Hydroelectricity
  The module covers the present situation and potential development of power generation with wind, tidal and wave, fundamental principles related to these renewable energies, technologies for the selection, design and operation of systems related and integration with national grid.

• Renewable Energy Technologies III-Geothermal, Biomass, Hydrogen
  This module covers: Environmental and economic benefits of these renewable energies; the present situation and potential development of these renewable energies; fundamental principles related to these renewable energies; technologies for the selection, design and operation of systems related to these renewable energies.

• Power Generation from Renewable Energy

  This module covers the principles and practice of modern energy conversion technologies and their application to power generation; the essential appreciation and understanding of electrical services design and power distribution in building services applications with particular reference to local energy conversion and utilisation in buildings.

Renewable Energy Systems for the Built Environment : This module covers:

• Sustainable Energy in the Built Environment: Carbon Impact of the Built environment; targets and performance; processes for delivering energy to buildings; patterns of energy usage in buildings; methods of energy demand assessment and reduction; introduction to the design process; design strategies for carbon mitigation; effect of climate change; energy and environmental criteria for design; tools for building energy and environmental appraisal; methods of subjective and objective assessment of environmental conditions and energy demand for optimal performance.
• Energy demand and building services design: introduction to building services engineering, thermal load calculations; space planning for services; systems analysis and evaluation; Thermal Energy Distribution Systems; Electrical Systems, Controls and Metering system selection and cost analysis; Design Integration and statutory Legislation; Power system load assessment; Space planning and co-ordination.
• Renewable system integration: Tools for selection of suitable renewable technologies for various types and building use, use of marginal abatement curves (MAC) for technology cost evaluation, design of selected systems, integration with thermal and electrical services systems and equipment.

Energy Conversion Technologies
This module provides a broad introduction to the principles of energy conversion and thermodynamic machines and demonstrates their application to energy conversion and management in buildings. Emphasis is placed on refrigeration plant, energy conversion plant and energy management.

• Refrigeration: Covers the basic principles and components of vapour compression systems, heat pumps and absorption systems
• Energy Conversion: Considers power cycles, combined heat and power, combustion processes, boiler plant, thermal energy storage and environmental impacts.

Environmental Legislation: Energy and Environmental Review and Audit
This module includes: environmental regulations, hands-on environmental review and audit, environmental management systems, energy audit and management, establishing a monitoring and targeting scheme.

Advanced Heat and Mass Transfer
This module presents theory and practical concepts of single and two-phase heat transfer and applies this to actual heat and mass transfer equipment. Main topics include: concepts of heat transfer; boiling; condensation; heat exchangers; mass transfer concepts and equipment.

Dissertation
The dissertation is a stimulating and challenging part of each MSc course. Dissertations may be carried out on any approved topic related to the renewable energy industry. Essentially the dissertation gives the student the opportunity to apply the techniques and disciplines covered in the taught course to a topic of their own interest, of interest to a sponsoring or industrial organisation, or of research interest.

Read more about the structure of postgraduate degrees at Brunel and what you will learn on the course.