Sustainable Energy - Technologies and Management MSc

About the Course

Energy management using sustainable technologies and implementation of environmental initiatives play a rapidly increasing role in many public organisations and industry.

There is an urgent need for trained personnel to advise, implement and deliver strategies and management for sustainable practices. This programme empowers graduates with a sound knowledge of sustainable technologies and skills for effective energy management with regard for environmental protection. It will enable them to create new opportunities for their employers by bringing an appreciation for current research into industrial use.

See what the students have said about this course.

Aims

This programme will give graduates the sound knowledge and skills required for effective energy management and environmental protection.

Enquiries

Marketing and Recruitment Officer
School of Engineering and Design
Email sed-pg-admissions@brunel.ac.uk
Tel +44 (0)1895 265814/266633

Course Director: Dr Zahir Dehouche

Related Courses

• Building Services Engineering with Sustainable Energy MSc
• Sustainable Electrical Power MSc

Special Features

Building Services Engineering courses awarded the Happold Brilliant Award for teaching excellence by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers.

Links with industry are a key part of the programme, including guest speakers from various industry sectors.

Accreditation

Sustainable Energy – Technologies and Management is accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineering (IMechE), The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) and the Energy Institute (EI).

Course Content

Students will develop themes of expertise facilitated by an MSc project and dissertation, which also provides a useful introduction to students thinking of embarking on a doctoral research degree.

Modules (all core)

Energy Conversion Technologies
This element includes: principal fuels for energy conversion, production of thermal energy, conversion of thermal to mechanical energy, environmental impacts of power plant operation, conversion of thermal and chemical energy to electricity, cooling and heating equipment and thermal energy storage for heating and cooling

Sustainable Built Environment
This element includes: energy demand and consumption by building type and services, environmental conditions and thermal comfort theory, introduction to energy use for lighting and lighting systems, fundamentals of heat transfer, condensation in buildings, solar radiation, thermal response of buildings,, introduction to air conditioning, basic principles of air conditioning system design, air conditioning system selection criteria and design.

Renewable Energy Technologies
This element includes: energy sources, economics and environmental impact, energy storage technologies, the role of renewables, solar thermal, solar electricity, wind power generation, hydro, tidal and wave power, biofuels, building integrated renewables.

Sustainable Energy Development
This element includes: concepts of sustainable energy development, energy efficiency, energy savings and emission reductions, clean energy production, energy as business issue, introduction to ventilation, energy efficiency in ventilation, basic principles of natural, forced and hybrid ventilation system design, selection criteria, industrial processes and energy use, energy use by transport systems and travel, advanced transport systems, zero emission vehicles and fuel cell developments.

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

Environmental Hazards and Risk
Main topics of study: probability and the concepts of hazard, exposure, risk and uncertainty; approaches used in for characterising hazard and exposure in human health risk assessment and environmental risk assessment; case studies of human and environmental risk assessment in relation to chemical contaminants; PCBs and remediation; environmental impact assessment; managing risks presented by climate change – mitigation and adaptation; risk communication: the nuclear power industry and risk in energy economics; geohazards and risk; flooding and desertification – risk mapping in response to climate change; risk perception, uncertainty, and the precautionary principle: genetically modified organisms, food shortage and agricultural practice, biofuels and the organic devolution.

Research Methodology and Innovation
This element includes: Practical research issues: research processes and strategies; researcher/supervisor roles and relationships; writing, communicating and disseminating research; principles of good research practice. Information retrieval, Risk management: Risk analysis and decision support, financial indicators; and Innovation: Brainstorming, value engineering, intellectual property protection.

Strategic Management and Enterprise
This element includes: Financial ownership issues, Human resources management, Organisation of a business, Marketing concept, Ethical business, Marketing Communications: market research, marketing mix, branding, advertising and sponsorship.

Dissertation
The dissertation is a stimulating and challenging part of each MSc course. Dissertations may be carried out on any approved topic related to sustainable energy technologies and/or management. 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.  Companies that sponsor the dissertation project are: Trumpf Maschinen GmbH, National Grid, Kodak Limited (UK), BRE Group, Buro-Happold, Techniplan Advisors, BDSP Partnership, Diamond Detectors Ltd, Edesa, Revolution Karting.

Assessment

Each module is assessed either by formal examination, written assignments or a combination of the two. Cut-off dates for receipt of assignments are specified at the beginning of each stage. Examinations are normally taken in May/June. Successful completion of the taught modules allows the student to proceed to the dissertation stage. To qualify for the award of the MSc degree, the student must submit a satisfactory dissertation. Where the dissertation is judged not to meet the MSc standard the student may be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma.

Careers

The course fully prepares you for work in the energy field where environmental and their management is a consideration. It is expected that graduates will be attracted by environmental consultancies, energy agencies and facilities managers such as county councils within their energy and environmental management departments. This course builds on our successful MSc in Building Services Engineering and Building Services Engineering Management. Former full-time recent graduates now work in building services and construction related consultancies such as Hoare Lea, WSP Group, Faber Maunsel and Hilson Moran. The course also prepares you to carry out related academic research. A number of students have stayed on to carry out a PhD at Brunel University – on average one student per year is offered a PhD position.

Fees for 2013/14 entry

UK/EU students: £5,800 full-time

International students: £15,000 full-time

Read about funding opportunities available to postgraduate students

Fees quoted are per annum and are subject to an annual increase.

Entry Requirements

Applicants to the MSc programme should possess or hope to obtain a good UK first or second class Honours degree or equivalent internationally recognised qualification usually in Power Systems; Electrical or Electronic Engineering; Physics; Mathematics; or a related subject. Other qualifications and relevant experience will be assessed on an individual basis.

English Language Requirements

Brunel also offers our own BrunELT English Test and accept a range of other language courses. We also have a range of Pre-sessional English language courses, for students who do not meet these requirements, or who wish to improve their English.