What can I study?

Renewable Energy Development (RED) MSc/Diploma

Overview

The 12-month full time MSc course is available at our Orkney Campus. It is based on the successful completion of seven core modules, three elective modules and a dissertation. While the core and elective modules provide a broad sweep of knowledge the individual research dissertation gives time for in-depth specialization in a particular area of interest. The modular structure is summarised below:-

Course Modules

Each student must successfully complete the following core modules:-

Energy in the 21st century - Sets the context for the rest of the course. Patterns of energy use and demand, energy resources. Politics of energy, policy initiatives and global warming.
Economics of Renewable Energy - The pricing mechanism and energy. Economics of extracting energy. Economic instruments for the environment: pollution taxes, tradable pollution permits, and environmental valuation. Economic incentives or renewables ROCs. The cost-efficiency of renewable technologies.
Renewable Technology I: Generation - Energy converters: wind; wave; tidal; solar; biomass. Energy and transport. The measurement of energy resources. (Recommended Elective Module)
Environmental Processes - Environmental and ecosystem processes. Energy in the environment: its origins and estimation. Environmental disturbance associated with energy use.
Environmental Policy and Risk - Principles of international law. Property rights and energy resources. Environmental impact assessment, risk assessment methods and techniques. Environmental risk assessment contexts and constraints.
Renewable Technology II: Integration - Technical aspects of generation and integrating renewable energy into distribution networks. Including generation; integration (electricity, heat or fuel networks), distribution and energy use; storage of renewable energy. (Recommended Elective Module)
Development Appraisal - Development constraints and opportunities: EIA; landscape assessment, Strategic environmental assessment, capacity studies and the planning system. Valuation of capital assets (discounting, years purchase valuation) and developer's budget.
Development project - Team project completing the pre-development planning for a hypothetical development. Including resource assessment, site selection, development layout, consents licensing, planning, economic appraisal, development plan; economic social and environmental impact assessment.
As well as these there is an optional design project module and a dissertation selected with agreement of supervisor.

Entry Requirements

The MSc in Renewable Energy is a conversion course of relevance to recruits with a wide variety of academic backgrounds and work experience. It is anticipated that students will use the MSc to complement existing subject specialism. Exemption pathways allow students to avoid repeating subjects where they have existing subject expertise and provide opportunity for more in-depth study.

The basic entry requirement for the course will be a good honours degree or equivalent in engineering, environmental sciences, economics, finance, construction or related disciplines.