Accessibility statement

Renewable Energy Project - ELE00180M

« Back to module search

  • Department: Electronic Engineering
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Mahmoud Dhimish
  • Credit value: 60 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2024-25
  • Notes: This is an independent study module

Module summary

This module will challenge students to work in a group on a complex renewable energy technology problem and produce a design and implementation of a renewable energy solution to be tested in the York Renewable Energy Laboratory. This approach will equip you not only with hands-on experience on renewable energy technology, but also you will develop project management, teamwork, and communication skills while contributing your individual expertise to this major project, which is worth 60/180 credits towards your MSc award. By the end of the module, you will produce a comprehensive report outlining your contribution to the project, providing you with valuable experience and a tangible asset for your future career in the renewable energy sector.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Summer Semester 2024-25

Module aims

Subject Content aims:

  • To develop technical skills in the development and design of renewable energy system.
  • To understand a complex problem formulation and provide a suitable design and implementation of a renewable energy system.
  • Present a practical solution to a complex renewable energy system problem at York Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Graduate Skills aims:

  • To provide a context for the application of taught knowledge in an renewable energy engineering setting.
  • To demonstrate the appreciation of scientific and engineering methods and techniques
  • To demonstrate effective group working skills.
  • Decision making – students will need to make choices and decisions throughout their project.

Module learning outcomes

Subject content learning outcomes:

After successful completion of this module, students will:

  • Have developed transferable group working skills such as communication and collaboration. Examined by group documentation and individual report.
  • Have achieved a professional standard of design, reasoning and implementation skills in a specialist area of renewable energy systems. Examined by individual report and a demonstration.
  • Have developed scientific and engineering skills that allow for the analysis of results from a developed system. Examined in the individual project report.
  • Have contributed in an original way to an established area of research or development, demonstrating a practical understanding of how established techniques of research and inquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge. Examined in the individual project report.
  • Have skills to formulate a moderate sized problem, to select and justify an appropriate approach in the context of wider research literature, and to follow the approach systematically. Examined in the group documentation and individual report.
  • Recognise alternatives, selecting and justifying the approach taken at each point in the report, identifying parts of the project area that are feasible within the time (etc.) constraints of the project. Examined in the group documentation and individual report.
  • Appreciate the latent issues of the subject area (for example, they might have to alter experimental work to take into account new findings). Examined in the group documentation and individual report.
  • Be able to prepare a report the structure and presentation of which is uncontentious, and that demonstrates the ability to critically reflect on their own performance and details the development and deployment of a renewable energy system.
  • Be able to accurately summarise work plans and demonstrate a solution in an oral presentation format.

Graduate skills learning outcomes:

After successful completion of this module, students will be able to:

  • Express advanced technical concepts concisely and accurately and comment on their applications, limitations and implications
  • Select, adapt and apply a range of theoretical and practical techniques to solve advanced renewable energy problems

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Individual Report		 N/A 60
Essay/coursework
Individual presentation and viva		 N/A 20
Essay/coursework
Initial Report		 N/A 20

Special assessment rules

Other

Reassessment

None

Module feedback

'Feedback’ at a university level can be understood as any part of the learning process which is designed to guide your progress through your degree programme. We aim to help you reflect on your own learning and help you feel more clear about your progress through clarifying what is expected of you in both formative and summative assessments. A comprehensive guide to feedback and to forms of feedback is available in the Guide to Assessment Standards, Marking and Feedback.

The School of PET aims to provide some form of feedback on all formative and summative assessments that are carried out during the degree programme. In general, feedback on any written work/assignments undertaken will be sufficient so as to indicate the nature of the changes needed in order to improve the work. The School will endeavour to return all exam feedback within the timescale set out in the University's Policy on Assessment Feedback Turnaround Time. The School would normally expect to adhere to the times given, however, it is possible that exceptional circumstances may delay feedback. The School will endeavour to keep such delays to a minimum. Please note that any marks released are subject to ratification by the Board of Examiners and Senate. Meetings at the start/end of each term provide you with an opportunity to discuss and reflect with your supervisor on your overall performance to date.

Providing timely and constructive feedback to students is an important aspect of the assessment process as it enables them to identify areas for improvement and to learn from their mistakes.

In the MSc in Renewable Energy Project module, students can expect to receive feedback on their assessments within a reasonable timeframe after submission. The specific turnaround time will depend on various factors such as the size and complexity of the assignment, the number of submissions, and the availability of the markers.

For the initial report, students can expect to receive feedback within 2-3 weeks of submission. This will allow them to make necessary adjustments to their work before the final report.

For the individual final report, students can expect to receive feedback within 3-4 weeks of submission. The feedback will include constructive comments on the content, structure, and presentation of the report, as well as suggestions for improvement.

For the individual presentation and viva, students can expect to receive feedback immediately after the assessment. The feedback will be provided in the form of verbal comments during the viva session, as well as written feedback within 1-2 weeks of the assessment.

It is important to note that students are encouraged to engage with their tutors throughout the module and to seek feedback on their work in a timely manner. This will allow them to make necessary adjustments and to improve their work before submission.

Indicative reading

Students are expected to use all the skills they have previously learned in the course but may want to refer to the following for supplementary information:

  • "Renewable Energy: Power for a Sustainable Future" by Godfrey Boyle
  • "Wind Energy Explained: Theory, Design and Application" by James F. Manwell, Jon G. McGowan, and Anthony L. Rogers
  • "Solar Energy Engineering: Processes and Systems" by Soteris A. Kalogirou
  • "Hydrogen and Fuel Cells: Emerging Technologies and Applications" by Bent Sørensen
  • "Bioenergy: Biomass to Biofuels and Waste to Energy" by Anju Dahiya
  • "Geothermal Energy: An Alternative Resource for the 21st Century" by Harsh K. Gupta and Sukanta Roy


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.