New and Renewable Energy Durham University

Overview

The New and Renewable Energy MSc course offered by Durham University aims to enable students to develop the capacity to solve problems across the traditional Engineering boundaries and to have an appreciation of complete energy systems from source to the end-user, to have knowledge of the relevant technologies and to understand the interactions between them. The course also provides students with the opportunity to develop skills in research, development, design and project management through individual and team-based project work.

Course Structure

The course consists of five core modules to provide advanced engineering education in New and Renewable Energy technologies alongside an optional module that allows students to increase their understanding in an area suited to their interests and needs. In addition to these taught modules, you will also complete a group design project and a major, individual research and development project working closely with an academic in your chosen subject area.

This is a 12-month full-time course beginning at the start of the academic year and finishing with submitting a report and completing an oral examination on your chosen research and development project. The course consists of four core modules to provide a solid education in a broad range of New and Renewable Energy technologies. A choice of one from two optional modules allows you to choose a study course most suited to your interests and needs. The modules include lecture courses, a group design project and an individual research and development project.

You will select one of two optional modules. These modules typically include 38 hours of lectures in addition to coursework and laboratory experiments, allowing you to develop research skills in parallel with lectures. The modules are designed to increase your understanding in either thermodynamics and fluid mechanics or electrical engineering. You are advised to select the module which you feel would best support your learning needs.

The core lecture modules typically involve 38 hours of lectures and cover topics such as electricity generation from renewable and conventional sources, transmission and distribution (including smart networks), electricity markets and optimisation, and low carbon technologies (including electrical vehicles).