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PHY-20057 - Module Specification
School of Chemical and Physical Sciences
Faculty of Natural Sciences

For academic year: 2026/27 Last Updated: 17 March 2026

PHY-20057 - Renewable Energy: Generation, Storage and Transmission
Coordinator: Raphael Hirschi Room: LJ2.09 Tel: +44 1782 7 33324
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 5
Credits: 30
Study Hours: 300
School Office: 01782 734921

Programme/Approved Electives for 2026/27

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2026/27

Key challenges for decarbonisation are not only generating clean energy but getting it to where it's needed and storing it. You will investigate, through theory and practical work, the physics behind wind, water, solar and geothermal power sources and the electricity distribution network, discovering the key factors influencing their design and effectiveness. You will grapple with the practical difficulties of incorporating renewable energy sources and research how novel storage methods and smart networks can harness and increase their value.

Aims
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. The module will review the underlying physics to extract, store and transport the energy from these renewable sources and discuss the advantages, limitations and negative impact of each source. The module will also give the students practical experience with a subset of energy generation methods in the lab component of this module.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Discuss and explain, in quantitative detail, the significance of renewable energy and apply the key concepts of, and the physics behind, renewable energy generation, storage and transmission.: 1,2,3
Solve problems, perform calculations and make approximations using appropriate mathematical and computational tools.: 1,2,3
Work in a team on a short technical practical project and write a report on it within the context of renewable energy.: 3
Clearly communicate the physics and applications of renewable energy by means of written or oral assignments.: 1,2,3

Study hours

Active Learning:
- 72 hours of class room activities
- 24 hours of laboratory work
Independent Study:
- 48 hours work on exercises
- 50 hours work on producing laboratory presentation
- 101 hours self-study
- 2 exams of each 2.5 hour duration

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Exam weighted 60%
Unseen written examination
The topics of the module will be tested in separate exams worth 100 marks, one at the end of each semester. The durations of each exam is 150 min.

2: Problem Sheets weighted 20%
Problem-solving worksheets and activities
Students are set exercises and tasks for them to complete at specific times during the academic year, pertaining to the material covered until that point. These will be a mixture of traditional problem sheet questions and in-class activities. Equivalent to ~ 2000 words

3: Group Assessment weighted 20%
Laboratory group work
Laboratory work (comprising experiment development/set-up, measurements and analysis) will be assessed through group presentations. Group size is typically four students. Each student will contribute to the presentation by their group in a meaningful way. Each presentation typically lasts ten minutes.

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 17 March 2026