Renewable Energy
Overview
This unit aims to introduce engineering students to renewable energy. This unit will introduce different types of renewable and alternative energy sources, discuss their basic principles of operation, achievable efficiency, cost, and their effect on the environment. The impact of the new energy technologies on the environment, obstacles to their wide implementation in industrial and consumer applications, and the role of social attitudes and government planning, financial investments and incentives will also be discussed.
Requisites
31-May-2026
Unit learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Appraise and apply the principles of the renewable energy and sustainability to generate electrical power (K2, K5, K6, S1, S2, S3, S4, A4, A5, A6)
- Assess and justify different renewable energy systems and their suitability based on the locations and their geological environmental (K2, K5, K6, S1, S2, S3, S4, A2, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7)
- Design and integrate energy storage systems (K2, K5, S1, S2, S3, A4, A5, A7)
- Design and analyze renewable energy systems using solar, wind, geothermal, fuel cell, hydro and tidal waves (K2, K5, S1, S2, S3, A4, A5, A7)
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Online Lecture |
1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| On-campus Lab |
2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| On-campus Workshop |
1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| Online Directed Online Learning and Indepedent Learning |
1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| Unspecified Activities Independent Learning |
7.5 | 12 weeks | 90 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULOs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Individual | 20 - 30% | 2,3,4 |
| Laboratory Practicals | Individual | 20 - 30% | 1 |
| Project | Individual/Group | 30 - 40% | 1,2,3,4 |
| Research Assignment | Individual | 10 - 20% | 1,2,3,4 |
Hurdle
As the minimum requirements of assessment to pass a unit and meet all ULOs to a minimum standard, an undergraduate student must have achieved:
(i) an aggregate mark of 50% or more, and(ii) at least 40% in the final exam.Students who do not successfully achieve hurdle requirement (ii) will receive a maximum of 45% as the total mark for the unit.
Content
- Introduction to the basics of renewable energy and energy crisis
- Hydroelectric power
- Wind power
- Solar energy
- Wave energy
- Fuel cells
- Biomass
- Integration, economic considerations and environmental significance
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.