Renewable Energy

Overview

Climate change, growing populations and limited fossil fuel resources mean that demand for renewable energy continues at an ever-increasing rate. Use of renewable resources and application of renewable energy technologies will play a major role in future energy supply.  

Renewable energy is now at the heart of every informed discussion concerning energy sustainability, security and affordability.

On the engineering route, you will have the opportunity to learn state-of-the-art technical skills required to design renewable energy systems including Finite Element Analysis (FEA).  The management route allows you to focus on aspects such as health and safety, environmental aspects and asset management

Why this Renewable Energy course at Cranfield University?

Evidence is growing that production from conventional oil resources has already peaked and that, at current usage rates, similar peaks will occur in the foreseeable future for natural gas and coal.

Developed economies now face a number of challenges in procuring energy security and responding to energy pricing and affordability issues, as well as dealing with contributions to carbon emissions in line with the UK Government’s ambitious targets of an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Students benefit from dedicated state-of-the-art facilities including unique engineering-scale facilities for the development of efficient technologies with low CO2 emissions. In addition to management, communication, team work and research skills, each student will attain at least the following learning outcomes from this degree course:

• Critically evaluate the key concepts and issues appertaining to the availability and use of renewable energy resources, together with the engineering principles and technologies that underpin the production, distribution and use of these energy resources
• Systematically assess the technical and economic issues involved in the design and/or operation of renewable energy conversion systems.

Career

With the current worldwide focus on addressing low carbon energy production and renewable energy technologies, graduates of this course can expect to be highly sought after by employers. Successful graduates will have the skills and knowledge to be able to analyse current and future energy needs, and design and implement appropriate solutions, taking into account the social, environmental, technical, regulatory and commercial issues. 

Graduates can expect to go on to a wide range of careers as professional scientists or engineers in energy production, distribution and demand management across the full breadth of industrial and public sector organisations.