Renewable & Alternative Energy - a fundamentals programme

Economic stability and sustainability require energy supplies that are cleaner, readily available, reliable and cost-effective. Renewable energy is now mainstream in most energy markets, with every sign of significant growth. A major factor is that most governments have support mechanisms for renewables to mitigate climate change and increase energy security.

What are ‘renewables’? Understanding requires knowledge of the basic scientific and engineering principles, and application includes awareness of the complex planning and financing arrangements involved in renewable energy projects. As markets open worldwide, an appreciation of the ongoing technological developments in all aspects of renewables will assist in wise investment decisions.

There are many types of renewable energy; all have different benefits and downsides in different circumstances. This distance education course takes a thorough and unbiased look at each type, explaining technologies, geographic applicability and market opportunities. It gives you the insight needed to understand the complex drivers and issues behind the viability of renewable and alternative energies.

This programme is ideal for anyone looking for a comprehensive understanding and increased knowledge of renewable and alternative energies - and is particularly suitable for commercial, technical, financial, planning, legal and educational professionals. The course content includes:

Renewable Energy: Analysis of Science, Markets, Drivers of Demand and Growth
• Understanding energy
• Energy and power; their units and relationships
• Energy supply examples
- Variation of supplies by country
- Similarity of functions by country
• Why we need energy
• Classification, definitions and impacts of energy types
- Fossil fuels
- Nuclear
- Renewables
• Renewable energy in the environment
- Different forms
- Energy fluxes and availability
- The ‘big three’: solar, wind, biomass
- The other renewables
• Uses of renewable energy with examples
- Power and electricity
- Heating
- Transport
• Drivers of renewable energy demand
- Pros and cons of renewable energy
- Bio-carbon and fossil-carbon (excess fossil-carbon emissions, climate change)
- Fossil-carbon reduction, obligations and trading
- Depletion of traditional energy sources e.g. peak oil
- Energy security
- Institutional factors, portfolio standards, obligations, certificate trading, feed-in tariffs, etc.
• Electricity delivery
- Liberalised market structure, microgeneration
• Market growth in renewables
• Energy efficiency

Solar for Heat and Electricity: Technologies and Implementation
• Solar radiation
• Solar water heating
- The technologies
- The markets
• Solar-conscious buildings
- Orientation and design
- Passive solar heat (thermal capacity, insulation)
- Solar cooling
• Concentrated solar thermal power
- Principles
- Implementation
• Photovoltaic (PV) electricity
- Elementary theory
- Technologies
- PV modules and integrated systems
• Ground and air sourced heat pumps

Wind Energy: from Onshore and Offshore to Small Scale; Impacts and Challenges
• Introduction to wind energy
- International market growth
• Wind meteorology
• Wind turbine technology
- Mechanical and aerodynamic criteria
• Electricity generation
• Onshore
- Applications
- Local grid connection
• Offshore
- Applications
- National grid connection
• Small-scale
- Stand-alone
- Individual grid connection
• Environmental impact
- Visual, sound, ecological etc.
• Challenges e.g. variability, planning process

Biomass: Technologies for Heat, Electricity and Transport
• Biocarbon and climate change
• Photosynthesis
- Research and development
- Simulation and nanotechnology
• Biomass classification, yield and production
• Thermochemical processes
- Direct combustion
- Fuelwood, wastes
- Pellet and chip stoves and burners
- Co-firing
- Biofuels (solids, liquids, gases)
- Pyrolysis and gasification
- Biodiesel
• Biochemical processes
- Aerobic and anaerobic digestion
- Biogas; landfill and sewage gas
- Fermentation, bioethanol
• Agrochemical processes
• Biofuels for transport (biodiesel, bioethanol)
- Engines and mixed fuel (e.g. Brazil flexifuels and engines)
• Research and development (e.g. cellulosic ethanol, microbial fuel cells)

The Other Renewables: Hydro, Marine, Geothermal and Beyond
• Hydropower
- The Earth’s hydrologic cycle
- Energy transformation in hydropower
- From waterwheels to modern turbines
- Small hydro installations
- Pumped hydro storage
- International hydroelectric power capacity
- Environmental impact
• Wave power
- Wave power analysis
- Wave energy devices
• Tidal range power
- Tidal rhythms and enhancement
- Tidal range power plants
• Tidal current/stream power
- Technologies
• Geothermal power
- Classification of geothermal heat sources and supplies
- Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) and Hot Dry Rock (HDR)
• Other renewable energy technologies and possibilities
- Solar ponds
- Ocean thermal energy
- Osmotic pressure energy conversion

Storage, Distribution, Market Mechanisms and Regulation
• Introduction to energy storage and integrating new renewables
- Thermal and phase change storage principles
• Types of energy storage
- Chemical (fuel cells, hydrogen)
- Mechanical
- Electrical
• Electricity systems and regulation (transmission, distribution, microgeneration etc.)
• Institutional factors and regulation
- Government and consumer motivation
• Financial support mechanisms
- Taxation policies
- Research, development and demonstration (RD&D)
- Quotas and certificates
- Feed-in tariffs (FITs)
• Environmental impact
• External costs
• Renewables in the future

For a full course outline, download the Fundamentals of Renewable & Alternative Energy brochure

http://www.informaglobalevents.com/event/renewable-energy-distance-learning/Course-content

Country Ranking

The Renewable Energy Olympics

Country Ranking

The Renewable Energy Olympics

See the global leaders in the production of renewable energy. (Source: Allianz)