Renewable Energy Engineering

The MEng in Renewable Energy Engineering offers you a unique opportunity to gain grounded and critical Engineering skills with a focus on clean energy systems and industries (solar, wind, marine, biomass etc).  You will emerge as fully skilled and qualified engineers, having had access to a unique programme, linking world-class and active research in clean energy to the teaching modules on offer. The spectacular study location of Cornwall offers coasts, harbours, topography and environment particularly suited to the practical application of clean energy expertise.

The MEng degree programme is designed to deliver all of the required learning outcomes as set out in UK-SPEC for an integrated MEng degree and hence contributes towards graduates becoming professionally qualified engineers in the UK, with international recognition.  This programme is accredited as fully satisfying the educational base for a Chartered Engineer (CEng). Graduates may apply for CEng registration through membership of an appropriate Professional Engineering Institution following an assessment of their subsequent professional development and experience

The UK SPEC output standards statement also serves as Subject Benchmark Statement for Engineering (QAA Subject Benchmark Statement for Engineering 2006).

This programme aims to produce graduates who can practice professionally in renewable energy engineering roles with a renewable energy focus.  This is dependent upon appropriate training: broad engineering principles, applied and environmental sciences, project management and energy policy; and exposure to the renewable energy industry.  This programme aims to provide core knowledge and understanding across all these areas, but also, through the options you select, the programme will provide you with the opportunity to acquire in-depth knowledge and understanding in specific areas of the discipline.  Whilst enrolling upon the programme you may regard it as a vocational degree, however, the scientific, engineering and socio-economic training received will facilitate careers in many fields outside the energy sector.  In addition, the programme aims to develop the transferable skills frequently sought by potential employers, such as those associated with verbal and written communication and teamwork.

This programme aims to develop:

• a pragmatic and rational outlook to design and problem solving;
• that encourages and capitalises on the use of creativity and innovation, properly founded on engineering and scientific principles;
• an ability to formulate the practical steps required for a concept to become a reality;
• levels of numeracy and computer literacy commensurate with full command of state-of-the-art design and analysis tools;
• cost, value and quality consciousness and understanding of business;
• full commitment to social, cultural and environmental issues and a responsibility to deal with these both ethically and professionally;

Through this programme, the Department will provide you with: learning opportunities to match your abilities and aspirations, personal academic support and pastoral support through your university career, appropriate methods of teaching and assessment and a programme of study that you find demanding, interesting and intellectually stimulating, while allowing you to enjoy other aspects of university life.  The Department will also seek to promote the role of industry and engineering institutions and the benefits that they can provide to you by promoting student membership of and active participation within said engineering institutions, and particularly the Energy Institute.

Through this, the programme aims to enable you to become:

a) flexible and autonomous renewable energy specialist equipped to adopt key roles within multi-disciplinary industrial teams, research and development groups, legislative and financial organisations.

b) sought after for your leadership contributions, capacity for analytical and original thought and discipline specific expertise. This includes a holistic understanding of the context within which you work, ability and innate desire to support the work of others and take full responsibility, demonstrating self-motivation for your own personal and professional development.

c) socially and personally responsible, reflective and accurate decision makers and problem solvers, whether working individually or as part of a group.

d) academically qualified to become chartered engineers within the appropriate engineering industry at the earliest opportunity.

e) aware of the environmental, economic, social and sustainability issues that are an integral part of the professional engineer's role in society.

You will have also benefited from employability skills acquired through participation in industrial visits, field trips and the work placements between Stage 2 and Stage 3, as well as Stages 3 to 4.

A Bachelors degree with the same programme title is offered by the Department. In comparison with the Bachelors programme (NQF level 6), the MEng programme provides an increased breadth and depth of study and an increased emphasis on industrial relevance.  Project work within the MEng programme is much more extensive and includes both an individual research/design project with strong industrial involvement and a more wide-ranging group project.  At MEng level these projects will be more concerned with the development and application of new technologies, concepts, techniques and services, rather than concerned with the application and management of current technology.  The increased breadth is provided by study of additional technical subjects within key thematic areas and by study of, for example, business, management and industrial topics.  Increased depth can be provided by both specific study at Masters level and integrative study of work already undertaken at Level 6.  These components are distributed mostly in the last stages of the integrated programme.  The mode of study is also quite distinct from that engaged upon at Level 6.  There is additional emphasis on team/group working, an increase in the use of industrially-relevant applications of engineering analysis, and enhanced capacity for independent learning and work.

Your MEng Renewable Energy Engineering programme is a 4 year programme of study at National Qualification Framework (NQF) level 7 (as confirmed against the FHEQ). This programme is divided into 4 ‘Stages’. Each Stage is normally equivalent to an academic year of full time study. The programme is also divided into units of study called ‘modules’ which are assigned a number of ‘credits’. The credit rating of a module is proportional to the total workload, with 1 credit being nominally equivalent to 10 hours of work. Part time study over a longer period is possible by negotiation with the Department.

You will be located at the Penryn Campus of the University of Exeter for the duration of your study.

Field trips are associated with all stages of the programme, with a compulsory assessed field trip in Stage 3.  These have been designed as an essential component of the programme to provide exposure to practical case studies.  The compulsory Stage 3 field trip typically runs in May but may be run over the Easter vacation.

During the Summer vacation between Stages 2 and 3 students may undertake a work placement.  To comply with the assessment requirements of the 15 credit work placement module the placement should be of a duration of no less than 6 weeks.  Students are primarily responsible for securing and organising the placement, with assistance from the Department and the University's Career Zone.  Wherever possible, students should take advantage of the additional support and kudos offered by operating the placements as part of the STEP programme, Unlocking Cornish Potential or the Graduate Placement Scheme.  A report on the work placement is prepared, submitted and assessed as part of the Stage 3 curriculum.

MEng students, during the summer vacation between Stages 3 and 4 must undertake project activity with an industry project placement provider, for a duration of no less than 6 weeks (however working throughout the vacation period is strongly recommended).  Students are primarily responsible for securing and organising the placement, with assistance from the Department and the University’s Career Zone.  There will be greater intervention from the Department in organisation of these placements to ensure that the employability activity is suited to the needs of the Industry Placement Project module.  Wherever possible, students should take advantage of the additional support and kudos offered by operating the placements as part of the STEP programme, Unlocking Cornish Potential or the Graduate Placement Scheme.  Students activity with the provider on the industry project extends through Term 1 of Stage 4 with a deadline for submission of assessment components around mid-February each academic year (at the end fo Term 1).

If you have mobility or health disabilities that prevent you from undertaking intensive fieldwork and/or practical engineering exercises, reasonable adjustments and/or alternative assessment will be considered in agreement with the Director of Education and Studnet Experience.

The following tables describe the programme and constituent modules. Constituent modules may be updated, deleted or replaced as a consequence of the annual programme review of this programme. Details of the modules currently offered may be obtained from the College web site

https://intranet.exeter.ac.uk/emps/

You may take Option Modules as long as any necessary prerequisites have been satisfied, where the timetable allows and if you have not already taken the module in question or an equivalent module. Descriptions of the individual modules are given in full on the Faculty web site.

Full details of assessment regulations for UG programmes can be found in the Teaching Quality Assurance Manual (TQA) on the University of Exeter website.  Generic marking criteria are also published here.

Please see the Teaching and Quality Assurance Manual for further guidance.

This programme is accredited by a PSRB under licence from the Engineering Council. Therefore, the latest Engineering Council regulations on condonement apply to this programme. Please find further details in the TQA Manual here: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/about/governance/tqa/spec/

Academic and personal tutors. It is University policy that all Faculties should have in place a system of academic and personal tutors. The role of academic tutors is to support you on individual modules; the role of personal tutors is to provide you with academic advice and support for the duration of the programme and extends to providing you with details of how to obtain support and guidance on personal difficulties such as accommodation, financial difficulties and sickness. You can also make an appointment to see individual teaching staff.

Computing and library facilities. Students have access to good computing and library facilities on the Penryn campus. Computer-based exercises and web-based learning materials are a feature of the programme, which can be accessed via the internet. IT Services provide a range of central services, including open and training clusters of PCs (available on a 24/7 basis) within the Centre. Wireless network access is available from all rooms in the hall of residence on site. On the Penryn campus in Cornwall, the Learning Resource Centre contains a library of 70,000 volumes and some specialist collections. In addition, students have full access to the central University of Exeter library, including the electronic library resources.

Online study resources available through the Exeter Learning Environment (ELE) provide materials for modules that you are registered for, in addition to useful subject and IT resources. Generic study support resources, information on library and research skills, past exam papers, and the Academic Honesty and Plagiarism module are also available through ELE (https://ele.exeter.ac.uk/)

Engineering Teaching Laboratory (ETL). The ETL supports teaching in renewable energy-focused modules and is located on the top floor of the Du Maurier building at the Penryn campus. In addition to providing experimental rigs and demonstration space to support Renewable Energy Engineering modules, it also provides a suite of computers with specialist software for clean energy technologies, space for group and project work, and a dedicated digital maker space shared with other STEM disciplines. Access to these facilities will be available to all Renewable Energy undergraduates, including out of hours on request.

Renewable Energy Engineering Facility (REEF). In 2018, the department opened a new-build specialist energy engineering workshop, REEF. This new facility provides an opportunity for students to get hands-on experience studying the performance of renewable energy equipment in the real environment as well as energy efficiency analysis of the building itself. All students are fully inducted in the use of the workshop equipment, and a dedicated technician is available to support individual and group design and build project work.

Student/Staff Liaison Committee enables students & staff to jointly participate in the management and review of the teaching and learning provision.
 

Undergraduate applicants must satisfy the Undergraduate Admissions Policy of the University of Exeter.

Specific requirements to enrol on this programme are available at the Undergraduate Study Site webpages.

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Each academic programme in the University is subject to an agreed College assessment and marking strategy, underpinned by institution-wide assessment procedures.

The security of assessment and academic standards is further supported through the appointment of External Examiners for each programme. External Examiners have access to draft papers, course work and examination scripts. They are required to attend the Board of Examiners and to provide an annual report. Annual External Examiner reports are monitored at both College and University level. Their responsibilities are described in the University's code of practice.  See the University's TQA Manual for details.

Certain programmes are subject to accreditation and/ or review by professional and statutory regulatory bodies (PSRBs).

The MEng Renewable Energy Engineering is accredited by the Energy Institute (EI) and Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) as fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng). See www.energyinst.org & www.theiet.org for further information.

Accreditation is a mark of assurance that the degree meets the standards set by the Engineering Council in the UK Standard for Professional Engineering Competence (UK-SPEC).

Accreditation is awarded for a maximum of 5 years under each assessment exercise. The dates applicable to the current accreditation of this degree programme can be viewed on the Engineering Council list of accredited degrees: www.engc.org.uk

Students on programmes accredited by the Energy Institute and Institution of Engineering and Technology will be assessed throughout their programme against the Engineering Council’s Accreditation of Higher Education Programmes (AHEP4) Learning Outcomes.

Further information about the AHEP4 Learning Outcomes is available on the Engineering Council’s website and relevant AHEP4 codes are included in the ILO section on module descriptors.