Overview

About the course

The world is recognising that buildings need to consume less energy in the future – and this course develops your building services engineering knowledge with a focus on sustainable design.

You will learn about renewable energy technologies, efficient ventilation, air conditioning and energy conversion technologies in the programme, and can choose from a broad range of dissertation topics.

The course is available on either a one-year, full-time or three-to-five-year, distance-learning basis.

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

Aims

The era of zero emission building is within grasping distance of the mass construction industry – creating a huge demand for specialists with the skills to design and project manage effectively.

The aim of this programme is to respond to the worldwide demand for building services engineers and managers who have a sound knowledge of engineering principles and the ability to apply this knowledge to the complex situations prevailing within the building services industry.

Course content

Modes of Study

1-Year Full-Time

The taught element of the course (September to April) includes seven 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.

3-to-5-Years Distance-Learning

The distance learning programme is designed to enable you to conduct most of your studies at home, in your own time and at your own pace.

• There is no requirement to attend lectures at Brunel University and there is no set timetable of lectures, instead you follow a structured programme of self-study at home or at work. This gives you the freedom to arrange a work programme to suit yourself and you should usually allow about twelve hours each week for study.
• There are set submission dates for assignments but we have tried to design the programme so that they are well-spaced, giving you the maximum flexibility in your study plans.
• You can take between three and five years to complete the course. The average is three years, with students taking four modules in the first year, four modules in the second year and the dissertation in the third year. However, depending on your other commitments you can take longer up to a maximum of five years.
• You are supplied with a study pack in the form of textbooks and CD-ROMs; you have assignments to submit and exams to sit each year.
• Examinations can be taken either at Brunel University or in the country you are resident in. We have an extensive network of organisations (universities, colleges and British Council offices) throughout the world who will provide invigilation services.
• The cost of invigilation away from Brunel is your responsibility. Examinations are held in May each year.

Typical Modules

Building Heat Transfer and Air Conditioning

• Building Heat Transfer: Analyses the various mechanisms of heat transfer appropriate to buildings and the principles of heating and cooling load calculations. Areas covered include solar gains, fabric heat transmission, infiltration, effects of moisture content, methods of heating and cooling load calculations, CIBSE admittance procedure, condensation and finite difference techniques.
• Air Conditioning: Covers the principles of psychometrics and the design of air conditioning systems. Emphasis is placed on the properties of humid air, thermal comfort, inside and outside design conditions. Air Conditioning design includes air and water, all water systems and unitary equipment.

Electrical Services and Lighting Design

• Electrical Services: Covers aspects of electrical energy supply, electricity tariffs, switchgear and the design of electrical installations to satisfy lEE wiring regulations. Also covered are the principles of electrical machines and power electronic devices used in building services applications.
• Lighting Design: Considers the human visual system, the nature and control of light, photometric units, lighting calculations, interior lighting design, daylighting, lamps and luminaires and energy efficiency aspects of lighting systems.

Acoustics, Fire, Lifts and Drainage

• Acoustics: Covers the basic terms and physical principles, sound power and intensity, the ear and hearing, propagation of noise, legal requirements and noise standards, room acoustics, sound generation in services systems, and vibration isolation.
• Fire, Drainage and Lifts: Considers fire and smoke control, sanitation and waste disposal, industrial ventilation and exhaust requirements, lift and escalator design, space allowance for building services, commissioning and testing.

Energy Conversion Technologies

• This element 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 of plant operation.

Building Services Design and Management

This module consists of three elements:

1. Sustainable Design: Considers the effects of engineering design solutions on the internal and external environments.
2. Project Management: Considers management of physical assets, maintenance standards, health and safety and risk assessment.
3. Building Services Design: Provides specialist knowledge of the building services design organisation process.

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.

Energy Efficient Ventilation for Buildings

This module considers current regulations on energy efficiency in buildings in relation to natural, hybrid and mechanical ventilation and explains the principles of energy efficient ventilation services applications. It includes sections on ventilation and impact on energy consumption and environmental impact, requirements of indoor air quality and climate, criteria for ventilation rates, mechanisms and approaches for natural and hybrid ventilation systems, incorporating controls, calculation guidelines, ventilation for urban buildings, energy efficient mechanical ventilation, room air distribution, ventilation efficiency and assessment of building ventilation including measuring ventilation and comfort parameters, commissioning and balancing of ventilation systems, commissioning of controls and sensors and measurement of air tightness.

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 building services industry and/or sustainable energy technologies and environmental issues. 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.

Typical dissertations

• Feasibility Study for Tri-Generation Serving a Telecom Switching/Data Centre
• Energy Performance Assessment of the Michael Sterling Building at Brunel University
• Investigation of CO2 heat pumps for hot water use in Greece
• Energy Optimisation & Utilisation of Efficient A/C Systems for Buildings in Hot & Humid Climates
• Thermal Analysis of Phase Change Material
• Modelling the Energy Consumption and Thermal Control in Supermarket
• Energy modelling of a building in Sri Lanka
• The Implementation of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Technologies in Scotland's Largest City
• Utilisation of Solar Energy for Sea Water Desalination in Cyprus.

Employability

The course fully prepares you for work in the building services engineering field - or for further academic research. A number of students have stayed on to carry out a PhD at Brunel University and on average, one student per year is offered a PhD position.

This course is based on our successful MSc in Building Services Engineering which began in the mid 1970s.

Careers

This course is based on our successful MSc in Building Services Engineering which began in the mid 1970s. 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. Other employers include several county councils within their building management and environmental departments, EDF Energy, Scanska and Honeywell Control Systems.

The course fully prepares you for work in the building services engineering field – and prepares you to carry out related academic research. A number of students have stayed on to complete a PhD at Brunel University – on average one student per year is offered a PhD position.

At Brunel we provide many opportunities and experiences within your degree programme and beyond – work-based learning, professional support services, volunteering, mentoring, sports, arts, clubs, societies, and much, much more – and we encourage you to make the most of them, so that you can make the most of yourself.

Entry criteria 2019/20

• A 2:2 (or above) UK Honours degree, or equivalent internationally recognised qualification, in an engineering; appropriate science or technology subject. Other qualifications and relevant experience will be assessed on an individual basis.

Entry to this programme requires all students who are not nationals of the European Economic Area (EEA) and have temporary immigration permission to remain in the UK to obtain an ATAS certificate.  If you are made an offer to join this course and you are not an EEA national, you will be required to obtain an ATAS certificate as a condition of your offer.

Entry criteria are subject to review and change each academic year.

International and EU entry requirements

Teaching and learning

Students are supplied with a study pack in the form of textbooks and CD-ROMs; you have assignments to submit and exams to sit each year. Examinations can be taken either at Brunel University or in the country you are resident in.

We have an extensive network of organisations (Universities, Colleges and British Council Offices) throughout the world who will provide invigilation services. The cost of invigilation away from Brunel is your responsibility. Examinations are held in May each year.

Assessment and feedback

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.

Special features

Award-winning teaching, research and graduates

There are numerous advantages in choosing the Brunel Building Services programme:

• Award-winning courses: Building Services Engineering courses have been awarded the Happold Brilliant Award for teaching excellence by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers.
• Relevance: It is well established within the building services industry, with sponsors of students that include major design and contracting organisations, area health authorities, local authorities and the British Council, as well as several national governments.
• Applicability: Emphasis on applications enables students and employers to benefit immediately from the skills and knowledge gained.
• Responsiveness: Brunel's proximity to London, where large and innovative building developments have been taking place over the last decade, enables rapid infusion of new ideas and technological innovations into the programme content.

We have extensive and well-equipped laboratories, particular areas of strength being in fluid and biofluid mechanics, IC engines, vibrations, building service engineering, and structural testing. Our computing facilities are diverse and are readily available to all students. The University is fully networked with both Sun workstations and PCs. Advanced software is available for finite and boundary element modelling of structures, finite volume modelling of flows, and for the simulation of varied control systems, flow machines, combustion engines, suspensions, built environment, and other systems of interest to the research groups.

Collaborative research

Engineering at Brunel benefits from research collaboration with numerous outside organisations including major oil companies, vehicle manufacturers, and other leading industrial firms and governmental laboratories. We have links with at least six teaching hospitals and work with universities in China, Poland, Egypt, Turkey, Denmark, Japan, Brazil, Germany, Belgium, Greece, Italy and the US.

Women in Engineering and Computing Programme

Brunel’s Women in Engineering and Computing mentoring scheme provides our female students with invaluable help and support from their industry mentors.

Accreditation

This course is approved by the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) as appropriate additional academic study (further learning) for those seeking to become qualified to register as Chartered Engineers (CEng). Additionally we are seeking reaccreditation with the Energy Institute.

Facts and figures

In recent years it has become increasingly recognised that the design and operation of buildings need to take greater account of energy consumption.

One of the explicit strategies identified in the UK Government's white paper, 'Our Energy Future - Creating A Low Carbon Economy,' is the achievement of higher standards within new and existing buildings.

The aim of this programme is to respond to the worldwide demand for building services engineers who have a sound knowledge of engineering principles and the ability to apply this knowledge to the complex situations prevailing within the building services industry taking into account energy consumption by end use.

Fees and funding

Fees for 2019/20 entry

UK/EU students: £9,100 full-time

International students: £18,720 full-time

Some courses incur additional course related costs. You can also check our on-campus accommodation costs for more information on living expenses.

Distance learning students: £845 per 15 credit module, plus £3,380 for a 60 credit dissertation

Read about funding opportunities available to postgraduate students.

UK/EU students can opt to pay in six equal monthly instalments: the first instalment is payable on enrolment and the remaining five by Direct Debit or credit/debit card.

Overseas students can opt to pay in two instalments: 60% on enrolment, and 40% in January for students who commence their course in September (or the remaining 40% in March for selected courses that start in January).