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Renewable Energy Engineering at University of Portsmouth - UCAS

Course options

There are other course options available which may have a different vacancy status or entry requirements – view the full list of options

Course summary

This is a Connected Degree Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course. Overview On this Renewable Energy Engineering degree, you'll study a branch of engineering that focuses on powering the world sustainably. From energy conversion and storage technology, to low carbon heating systems, electrical circuit analysis and large network grids, you'll develop the engineering skills and technical knowledge you need to design, assess and improve electrical, renewable and alternative energy systems that benefit the climate and society. BEng or MEng? You can study this course as a 3-year Bachelor's degree (BEng – H892) or a 4-year integrated Master's degree (MEng – H893). The MEng allows you to achieve a Master’s level degree with just one extra year of undergraduate study, further enhancing your career prospects. Course highlights

  • Learn about many aspects of electrical engineering, including grid management automation and the flow of high-voltage electricity
  • Get a better understanding of energy-efficient buildings, via energy conservation and undertaking energy audits
  • Use cost analysis to compare renewable energy technologies with traditional fuel systems from the points of view of business, industry and maintenance
  • Develop your skills in computer-aided design (CAD) and learn computer code to programme a system or device
  • Work in industry on optional modules or your optional placement year, networking with and working work alongside established experts and prospective employers
Careers and opportunities When you graduate, you'll be ready for a career working at the forefront of the technology responsible for renewable energy. Not only is the work rewarding, but you'll be working in a highly skilled area, which is always in-demand, and get to be part of the solution to one of the most pressing issues facing society. Ares you could work in include:
  • energy generation – such as in solar or wind power
  • energy conversion and storage – in areas such as batteries and hydrogen fuel cell technologies.
  • sustainable transport systems – in fields such as electric vehicles, charging infrastructure, as well as hydrogen and biomethane vehicles
  • low carbon heating systems – such as in solar, thermal, hydrogen energy, as well as biomethane and heat pumps
  • energy-efficient buildings – in areas such as energy conservation, new materials, smart energy management and energy audits
  • security – working to improve national security by working on new technologies and infrastructure
Placement year (optional) Possible placement destinations:
  • solar energy project developers
  • fuel cell and battery manufacturers
  • smart grid service providers
  • energy storage and energy management businesses
  • local councils
  • sustainable transportation businesses
  • energy research and development companies
Work experience and career planning The Group Design Project module you take in year 2, the Individual Project module you take in year 3, and the Multidisciplinary Group Project you take in year 4 (MEng only), give you the opportunity to get work experience as part of your study. Your project work will be on an industry-related or industry-sponsored subject related to renewable energy, or its application. You'll plan your project with consultation from your tutors and, where necessary, external industrial supervisors. Your project will contain elements that boost your future employability, such as a financial analysis of different energy options for a particular business.

Modules

Year 1 Core modules:

  • Energy Conversion and Storage Technology – 20 credits
  • Introduction to Algorithms and Programming – 20 credits
  • Introduction to Analogue Circuits – 20 credits
  • Introduction to Energy Systems – 20 credits
  • Mathematical Principles – 20 credits
  • Principles of Digital Systems – 20 credits
There are no optional modules in Year 1. Year 2 Core modules:
  • Group Design Project – 20 credits
  • Innovation and Enterprise – 20 credits
  • Low Carbon Heating Systems – 20 credits
  • Solar Energy Systems – 20 credits
Optional modules:
  • Control Systems Analysis – 20 credits
  • Engineering Mathematics – 20 credits
  • Instrumentation and Measurements – 20 credits
  • Microcontrollers and Programmable Logic – 20 credits
Year 3 Core modules
  • Bio Energy with CO2 Capturing – 20 credits
  • Energy Efficient Buildings – 20 credits
  • Sustainable Transport Systems – 20 credits
  • Wind Energy – 20 credits
  • Individual Project – 40 credits
Year 4 Core modules:
  • Advanced Battery and Fuel Cell Technologies – 20 credits
  • Electrical Power Systems Technology – 20 credits
  • Engineering Management, Economics and Risk Analysis – 20 credits
  • Multidisciplinary Group Project – 20 credits
  • Renewable and Alternative Energy – 20 credits
  • Smart Grid and Sustainable Power Systems – 20 credits
Placement year After your second or third year, you can do an optional work placement year to get valuable longer-term work experience in the industry. We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your aspirations. You’ll get mentoring and support throughout the year. We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies. Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.

Assessment method

You'll be assessed through

  • Written examinations
  • Coursework
  • Practical tests
  • Project work
* Presentations

Professional bodies

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

  • Engineering and Technology, Institution of

How to apply

Application codes

Course code:
H893
Institution code:
P80
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3
  • Year 4

Entry requirements for advanced entry (i.e. into Year 2 and beyond)

We welcome applications for advanced entry. If you’d like to apply for advanced entry, you need to select the required year when you complete your UCAS application.

This course may be available at alternative locations, please check if other course options are available

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements


English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)6English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.
PTE Academic54An overall score of 54 with a minimum of 51 in each skill.
TOEFL (iBT)7979 with a minimum of 18 in Reading, 17 in Listening, 20 in Speaking and 17 in Writing.
Cambridge English AdvancedCambridge English: Advanced (CAE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162.
Cambridge English ProficiencyCambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 169 with no component score less than 162.
Trinity ISEPassTrinity College Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Level III with a Pass in all 4 components

Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
50%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
80%
Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

EU £9535 Year 1
England £9535 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9535 Year 1
Scotland £9535 Year 1
Wales £9535 Year 1
Channel Islands £9535 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £9535 Year 1
International £19200 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Students who are resident in EU countries: please note that the net fee is inclusive of the Transition Scholarship Placement Year and Year abroad (at the time of publishing for 2024/25): UK/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £1,385 EU – £1,385 (including Transition Scholarship) International (Non-EU) – £2,875. Fees are accurate at the time of publishing and are subject to change at any time without notice. All fees are subject to annual increase. For more information about fees, go to port.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/undergraduate-fees-and-student-finance/tuition-fees-living-costs-and-other-study-costs
Renewable Energy Engineering at University of Portsmouth - UCAS