RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES - 2025/6

Module Overview

Expected prior learning:  None.

Module purpose:  To inform students as to the importance of renewable energy in the energy mix required for generation within nations. This is now becoming law in developed countries following the Kyoto agreement and green energy obligations. Students will learn as to the various energy generation options available from power scavengers for handheld calculators to energy generation to power the world’s energy need. Furthermore, an appreciation for the need for energy storage at all power levels will be discussed, with special emphasis on the materials requirements. Students will be able to examine next generation materials being proposed for meeting world's demand based on green energy.

 

Module provider

Computer Science and Electronic Eng

Module Leader

SILVA Ravi (CS & EE)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None.

Module content

Indicative content includes the following.

In each of the topics below the fundamental scientific, technological or engineering principles on which they are based will be discussed and extended to practical device and technology applications.
 

1. Solar energy technology (Prof. R Silva): Energy challenges, energy mix, renewables, legislation landscape. Different technologies and key drivers associated with developing new technologies with illustrative examples.


2. Solar cell materials (Prof. R. Silva):  fundamentals of solar cell materials, common solar materials including c-Si, a-Si, organic materials, nanomaterials and nanostructures. The connectivity between developing materials and it being used for energy generation and building of supply chains to provide technology solutions will be examined


3. Solar cell devices (Dr M Shkunov):  fundamentals of solar cell (photovoltaic devices) structure and operation, efficiency, common solar cell structures, organic and inorganic heterostructures, multi-junction devices. Nanotechnology applications for efficient photons management


4. Energy storage (Dr M Shkunov:  Structure and operation of fuel cells. Supercapacitors, batteries for Internet–of-Things devices and remote sensors. Current and future challenges in nanotechnology applications


5. Energy scavenging (Dr I. Jayawardena):  Thermoelectric and piezoelectric energy harvesters, solar thermal energy capture. Triboelectric energy harvesters. Role of nanomaterials for sustainable future technologies.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

 

The assessment strategy for this module is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate the learning outcomes. The written examination will assess the knowledge and assimilation of terminology, concepts and theory of the different parts of the module.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of the following.

·     INVIGILATED (OPEN BOOK) EXAMINATION    

Formative assessment and feedback

For the module, students will receive formative assessment/feedback in the following ways.

·         During lectures, by question and answer sessions

·         During tutorials/tutorial classes

·         By means of unassessed tutorial problem sheets (with answers)

Module aims

• Provide students with an appreciation for the current energy mix used to power the world.
• Provide students with the need for renewable energies to be developed in order to allow for a sustainable solution to the world power supplies.
• Help students discover how novel energy scavenging techniques and new materials are needed to help provide power for day-to-day operations.
• Provide students with an oversight as to the power and energy storage needs that will enable the Internet-of-Things (IoT) to operate in the future.
• The module also aims to provide opportunities for students to learn about the Surrey Pillars listed below.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to achieve the module aims by exposing students to key areas that are needed for a modern energy mix. Renewable energies will be a key focus point. We will focus on next generation technologies which will be based on nano-materials, but give students an appreciation of the current dominant technologies and what is required for sustainable solutions of the future.

Learning and teaching methods include the following.
 

• Lectures. Teaching delivery will normally consist of at least two hours and a maximum of three hours of live learning sessions (lectures or tutorials/problem classes or a mix) in each teaching week with at least one hour of captured digital content per teaching week. A mixture of pre-recorded lectures and problem classes can be used reflecting the content of the module.


• Tutorials 

• In class discussions (as part of lectures)

• Private study of specified articles 

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: EEEM058

Other information

Logged in: S Silva (9001347) Logout

• The module shows how energy efficient electronic devices (e.g. low-cost solar cells) can be developed once an understanding of the factors that influence electrical transport are understood; this will contribute to students’ understanding of sustainability for affordable and clean energy especially via UNSDG no. 7 which states “Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all". Students will learn about the material quality factor than influences the resultant electrical transport characteristics for different new materials and the efficiency of devices and their geometry.

• The student’s digital capabilities will be enhanced via the use of advanced modelling software, such as MATLAB, to perform advanced calculations and analysis which will be related the material’s structural and electronic properties to the resultant transport characteristics.  

• Students’ resourcefulness and resilience will be enhanced as the they will need to think critically and exercise engineering judgment underlying the some of the assumptions they would need to employ in an energy storage system.

• The module provides ample opportunity for students to demonstrate their mastery of advanced calculations which will aid the student’s employability as the student will be able to call upon examples of where they have performed calculations, discussed the approach taken and also the assumptions and limitations used in their calculations.  

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.