PHY-20041 - Module Specification
School of Chemical and Physical Sciences
Faculty of Natural Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2025/26

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2025/26

Fossil fuels are struggling to keep up with the increasing energy demands and the related CO2 emissions are too high so a transition to new sustainable energy sources is urgently needed. This module will review the physics behind sustainable energy generation as well as cover how physics is applied in the generation of energy. You will gain an understanding of renewable energy generation, the underlying physics, along with the advantages, limitations and negative impact of various methods including wind, hydro, solar and nuclear fusion power generation. You will also conduct experimental work and write a renewable energy report for a specific region as part of this module.

The module aims to introduce the main renewable energy generation sources, methods and facilities. For this purpose the module will:
- Briefly review the energy generation sources,
- Review the underlying physics to extract the energy from these sources,
- Explain how physics is applied in each of the energy generation methods,
- Discuss the advantages, limitations and negative impact of each method.
The module will also give the students practical experience with a subset of energy generation methods in the lab component of this module. The module will also train the students to apply what they learnt in this module to real life examples and develop their writing skills via a report on the renewable energy potential of a region (e.g. county or country).
Along with a companion module on the storage and transmission of renewable energy, this module aims to furnish students with the core knowledge and skills to analyse, evaluate, articulate and design 21st century energy networks that incorporate a significant or even dominant renewable energy component.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Describe and explain the significance of, and the physics behind, renewable energy generation.: 1,2
Solve problems, perform calculations and make approximations using appropriate mathematical and computational tools.: 1,2
Execute and report on laboratory work within the context of energy generation.: 2
Critically evaluate primary and secondary literature relating to energy generation.: Clearly communicate the real-life relevance and applications of renewable energy generation by means of a written report.: 2

Study hours

Active learning hours:
18 x 1-hour classroom sessions
2 x 2-hour tutorials/problem classes
4 x 1-hour for introduction, supervision and feedback on written assignments and ethical issues
18 hours of Laboratory sessions
Independent Study:
1-hour class test
Laboratory reports - 12 hours
50 hours of research and preparation of the report
Self-study and revision - 43 hours

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment