Renewable Energy Systems
Driven by electrification and digitalisation, the green transition has huge priority in society. The specialisation in Renewable Energy Systems will teach you to integrate electrical systems that can promote a sustainable transition of our energy supply.
You will work with technologies within the production, distribution and storage of electrical energy, as well as the development of smart grids and optimisation of energy consumption. This specialisation combines basic engineering disciplines such as electrical circuits, regulation, simulation and energy conversion with the latest digitalisation opportunities.
You will learn to integrate renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power into existing energy systems, and you will use digital twins and other technologies to simulate and optimise the performance of energy systems. You will also gain a solid understanding of energy markets, storage technologies and the regulatory frameworks that shape the energy solutions of the future and support the development of sustainable energy systems.
Structure
The following provides an example of a specialisation within Renewable Energy Systems: 20 ECTS mandatory courses; 40 ECTS specialisation, 30 ECTS elective courses & 30 ECTS MSc. thesis.
Schedule for Winter Start
| 1(F) | Systems Engineering | Innovation in Engineering | Energy system policies, economics & markets | Wind Energy | Energy Storage Systems | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2(S) | Research Methodology | Security & Privacy | Dynamic modeling and control of electrical systems | Renewable Energy Technologies | Numerical Methods & High Performance Computing | |
| 3(S) | Elective | Elective | Energy Systems Integration | Elective | Elective | |
| 4(F) | Master Thesis | |||||
Schedule for Summer Start
| 1(F) | Research Methodology | Security & Privacy | Dynamic modeling and control of electrical systems | Renewable Energy Technologies | Numerical Methods & High Performance Computing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2(S) | Systems Engineering | Innovation & Entrepreneurship | Energy system policies, economics & markets | Energy System Integration | ||
| 3(F) | Elective | Elective | Elective | Elective | Elective | Elective |
| 4(S) | Master Thesis | |||||
Specialisation Electives
The specialisation is comprised of 40 ECTS core courses.
The specialisation defines three core specialisation courses of 30 ECTS and several specialisation elective courses from which you must select 10 ECTS. You may take some or all the remaining of these courses as your normal elective courses if you desire.
More information
This specialiation Renewable energy systems provides a comprehensive foundation in the technologies, economics, and system integration of renewable energy. You will learn to model and control modern power systems, understand energy markets and policies, and explore solutions for storage, sector coupling, and grid flexibility. The specialisation programme consists of the following courses:
Core courses
Energy System Policies, Economics & Markets (10 ECTS)
Learn to understand and apply key principles of energy economics and market design. This course gives you the ability to analyse how markets function, how policies shape energy systems, and how to model simplified economic problems using analytical tools and software simulations.
Dynamic Modeling and control of Electrical Systems (10 ECTS)
Modern electric power systems have experienced a significant transformation, by the increased penetration of power electronic converter interfaced systems and will be dominated by these technologies.
After the completion of the course, you can understand and apply control concepts of modern electrical energy systems energy as well as build dynamic models and perform dynamic system analysis studies on complex electrical energy systems.
Energy Systems Integration (10 ECTS)
Energy Systems Integration (ESI) defines the process of designing, operating, and planning an energy system across multiple pathways - electricity, heat, cold, gas, and solid and liquid fuels – coordinated between each other and concerning end-use sectors, such as buildings, transport or industry. Due to the rapid decrease in cost and environmental concerns, the increased penetration of variable renewable energy is driving the transformation of the existing electricity system.
The integration of the different energy systems may address some of these concerns. Energy systems integration addresses the interaction and interconnection between technical, physical, organisational, and legal actors to design and build a sustainable, reliable, and cost-effective energy system realised through sector coupling of power grids, etc.
Specialisation elective courses
Renewable Energy Technologies (5 ECTS)
In this course, you will be introduced to a wide range of renewable energy technologies and discuss how these can be used to decarbonise energy demands for electricity, heating, cooling, transportation and industry. The emphasis will be on the basic technical and economic potential as well as on the constraints of each technology.
Wind Energy (5 ECTS)
In this course, you will be introduced to the fundamentals, design and operation of wind turbines and wind power plants, to the resulting engineering challenges, and to some of the current and possible future solutions to these. The emphasis will be on the generic physical principles and the mathematical methods more than on the details of the technological implementations.
Energy Storage Systems (5 ECTS)
The development of sustainable energy systems requires efficient management of energy storage across production, distribution, and consumption. To ensure reliability and flexibility in future power grids, energy storage systems – from batteries to thermal storage – play a crucial role. This course provides you with a deep understanding of the operating principles of storage systems, their integration into the power grid, and the necessary conversion methods using power electronics.
Numerical Methods & High-Performance Computing (5 ECTS)
This course focuses on applying numerical methods to model and solve equations for energy systems. You will learn to set up, implement, and solve computational models, developing practical skills in high-performance computing for electrical energy applications.
Specialisation study contract recommendations
Based on your background and primary interests, relevant courses from other study programmes may be selected to provide specialisation in areas such as digital energy solutions, energy markets, or high-power engineering.
If you are particularly interested in Renewable Energy Systems, the following elective courses from ECE may be relevant:
- Digital Twins in Engineering
- Advanced Control Systems
- Wind power summer school
- PtX - summer school
- Optimisation of Power Production in Wind Turbines
You can tailor the study direction by including additional courses, such as “Research and Development Projects in Electrical Engineering” or the “Electrical Engineering Study course”.
You can also choose additional courses from other study directions of departments depending on your prequalification and interest.
