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Critical Evaluation of Renewable Energy Systems - ELE00182M

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  • Department: Electronic Engineering
  • Module co-ordinator: Dr. Mahmoud Dhimish
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2024-25

Module summary

This module is designed to allow students to engage with the current literature in the area of renewable energy and apply the knowledge gained during the taught component of the MSc to critically evaluate a particular area of renewable energy technology.

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Semester 2 2024-25

Module aims

Subject content aims:

  • To introduce students to the latest research and development in the field of sustainable energy systems, covering a broad range of topics such as solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower, bioenergy, and emerging technologies.
  • To provide students with an opportunity to engage with leading researchers in the field of sustainable energy systems, ask questions, and participate in discussions, developing critical thinking and communication skills.
  • To encourage students to develop an understanding of the challenges and opportunities involved in the innovation and development of renewable energy technologies, preparing them to contribute to the field as professionals.

Graduate skills aims:

  • To facilitate the development of academic and graduate skills, such as independent learning, critical analysis, and research skills, through the review and discussion of academic research papers and presentations.
  • To foster a culture of innovation and creativity among students, encouraging them to think outside the box and come up with new and exciting ideas for sustainable energy research and development.
  • To support students in their personal and professional development by providing opportunities for networking, collaboration, and engagement with industry professionals and research organisations in the field of sustainable energy.

Module learning outcomes

Subject content learning outcomes:

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

  • Demonstrate that they have acquired appropriate knowledge of literature and existing specialist knowledge in a particular part of the subject area that builds on taught theory and practice of sustainable systems engineering. Examined in the report.
  • Demonstrate that they have engaged in research and critical understanding of advanced scholarship in their chosen area. Examined in the report.
  • Formulate a moderate sized problem in the chosen area; select and justify an appropriate approach to that problem and be able to evaluate ethical issues related to a specific sustainable energy application/system. Examined in the proposal section of the report, in which the student uses their research to identify a specific substantive (e.g. development) project or “further work” and "ethical issues".

Graduate skills learning outcomes:

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

  • Prepare a report the structure and presentation of which is uncontentious, that demonstrates the ability to critically reflect on their own performance and details the development and deployment of a sustainable energy system. Examined in the presentation aspect of the report mark.

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Continuous assessment		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

The assessment is for students to write a guided (by academic supervisors) literature review and critical analysis of the state of the art with proposed future directions to address identified knowledge gaps, and prepare a 2000 words report to IEEE formatting standards.

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.

The feedback process for assessments and reassessments in this module will be transparent and timely to ensure that students have the opportunity to reflect on their performance and improve their skills and knowledge.

For formative assessments such as presentations and discussion participation, students will receive verbal feedback during the class or immediately after the session. For summative assessments such as research papers and critical reviews, students will receive written feedback through the University's virtual learning environment (VLE) within 15 working days of the submission deadline.

Feedback will be detailed, providing constructive comments on the strengths and weaknesses of the work submitted, and offering suggestions for improvement. Additionally, the feedback will be aligned with the learning outcomes of the module, allowing students to clearly understand how their work has met or fallen short of the expected standards.

In case students require reassessment, they will be provided with detailed feedback on their original submission and specific guidance on how to improve their work to meet the required standard.

The module convenor and other module staff will be available for consultation and further feedback throughout the module, both in person and through the VLE, to address any concerns or queries that students may have about their performance or the feedback provided.

Indicative reading

  • Renewable Energy: Power for a Sustainable Future (3rd Edition) by Godfrey Boyle
  • Fundamentals of Renewable Energy Processes (3rd Edition) by Aldo V. da Rosa
  • Renewable Energy Integration: Practical Management of Variability, Uncertainty, and Flexibility in Power Grids by Lawrence E. Jones


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.