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- Offer Profile
- CREST’s research is focused on electricity generation
from wind and solar energy and its integration into networks and systems.
Systems integration often involves the application of advanced power
electronic interfaces where the School of Electronic, Electrical and Systems
Engineering has considerable expertise, helping to keep CREST at the leading
edge of research in this competitive and fast moving field.
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Profile
- CREST was established in
1993, using funds made available by Professor Tony Marmont. The primary
activity of the centre is to undertake research and education in renewable
energy technology so as to provide substantial and benign energy options for
present and future generations.
Today, CREST is firmly established as one of the leading international
groups working in the field of renewable energy. The centre holds an
excellent track record in research and education, with growing numbers of
staff members and external contracts currently exceeding £1.5 million.
The CREST MSc programme in Renewable Energy Systems Technology (with both
on-campus and distance learning study options) is well established as the
leading course of its type in the UK and internationally, with over 300
graduates working in industry worldwide. The UK's premier professional
Engineering Institutions (IET, IMechE and Energy Institute) have approved
the CREST's MSc in Renewable Energy Systems Technology as Further Learning
Requirements of the Engineering Council's UK SPEC. This means that graduates
who have already completed accredited 3-year undergraduate degrees can use
the CREST MSc as a direct route to Chartered Engineering status.
Research activities at CREST cover a range of technical applications,
including wind power, solar PV, energy in buildings, grid connection &
integration and energy storage (including hydrogen). CREST is a member of
the European Renewable Energy Centres Agency. This is a network of over 40
of the top renewable energy research centres. CREST regularly collaborates
on projects with many of these organisations
The CREST Team are guided by an Advisory Committee comprising experts from
industry, academia and government whose role is to provide strategic input
for the Centre.
Renewable Energy Systems Technology MSc
- The EU’s target of 20% renewable energy by 2020 will
involve the creation of up to one million new jobs.
Recent reports in the UK, EU and by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change indicate that the contribution toward electricity generation made by
renewables will substantially increase over the coming decades to mitigate
against the effects of climate change. Factors driving this increase are the
environmentally benign nature of renewables as low-carbon technologies, and
their increasing cost effectiveness due to recent technological advances.
We have one of the world’s leading centres of expertise in renewable
energy.
The development and effective integration of renewable energy systems into
electricity supply networks of both industrial and developing countries
poses new challenges that require expert technical knowledge.
There is already a substantial unmet demand for engineers with expertise in
this area. The purpose of this programme is to help meet this demand.
Indeed, the great majority of our graduates have taken jobs in the growing
renewable energy sector.
This course is taught by recognised experts in the field who are active in
both research and industrial collaboration. It is available as a 1-year
full-time or typically 3-year distance learning programme.
It focuses on renewable energy technologies to give graduate engineers and
scientists the technical knowledge and skills to deliver secure, sustainable
energy supplies to people in a low carbon world.
Projects
- Examples of projects CREST is currently involved in:
SUPERGEN Wind Energy Technologies
The SUPERGEN Wind Energy Technologies Consortium (SUPERGEN Wind) was
established by the EPSRC on 23 March 2006 as part of the Sustainable Power
Generation and Supply (SUPERGEN) programme. The SUPERGEN Wind Consortium is
led by Strathclyde and Durham Universities and consists of 9 research groups
including CREST at Loughborough University, with expertise in wind turbine
technology, aerodynamics, hydrodynamics, materials, electrical machinery &
control, and reliability & condition monitoring. The Consortium has the
active support of 10 industrial partners, including wind farm operators,
manufacturers and consultants.
The Consortium's principal objective is:
To undertake research to improve the cost-effective reliability and
availability of existing and future large-scale wind turbine systems in the
UK.
Advancing the efficiency and production of excitonic solar cells (APEX)
This project is centred on the development of the materials, device
structures, materials processing and PV-panel engineering of excitonic solar
cells. These have the potential to greatly reduce both materials and also
manufacturing costs where the materials, such as organic semiconductors,
dyes and metal oxides, can be processed onto low-cost flexible substrates at
ambient temperature through direct printing techniques. A major cost
reduction is expected to lie in much-reduced capital investment in large
scale manufacturing plant in comparison with conventional high vacuum, high
temperatures semiconductor processing. Skills range from material synthesis
and processing, device fabrication and modelling, wet processing of large
area thin films, and PV panel manufacture and testing.
RCUK and the Indian Department of Science and Technology have each awarded
£2.5 million for this project: EPSRC Grant Details - APEX
Stability and performance of photovoltaics (STAPP)
This programme aims to deliver improvements in understanding of the
ustability and long-term performance of photovoltaic modules; develop methods
to describe holistic system performance; and reduce the uncertainty in
life-time energy yield prediction from PV systems. A multidisciplinary,
cross-national project, working across Universities in the UK and India and
with the support of industry and charitable organisations, this presents an
opportunity to determine and map the potential for photovoltaic energy in
varying climates and operating environments and propose solutions that will
form a platform for step change in photovoltaic technology.
RCUK and the Indian Department of Science and Technology have each awarded
£2.4 million for this project: EPSRC Grant Details - STAPP
Research
- CREST’s research is focused on electricity generation
from wind and solar energy and its integration into networks and systems.
Systems integration often involves the application of advanced power
electronic interfaces where the School of Electronic, Electrical and Systems
Engineering has considerable expertise, helping to keep CREST at the leading
edge of research in this competitive and fast moving field.
CREST research operations are structured in five groups:
- Networks and Systems (Murray Thomson)
- Wind and Water Power Systems (Simon Watson)
- Applied Photovoltaic Systems (Ralph Gottschalg)
- Photovoltaic Materials and Devices (Mike Walls)
- Renewable Energy in the Built Environment (Paul Rowley) Education
- Renewable Energy Systems Technology MSc Full-Time or
Distance Learning
Energise your future! The world-renowned post-graduate programme is
delivered by international experts and benefits from strong industrial links
across the renewable energy industry. You study the main renewable energy
technologies, solar, wind, water and biomass along with electrical
integration of renewables and policy issues.
The Renewable Energy Systems Technology MSc is also available for flexible
online study. We have over 300 students enrolled on this successful
part-time programme. Please visit the CREST Flexible Learning Web Site for
further information, including the Quick Guide and FAQ sections. This is the
same award as the full-time programme, but enables you to study for new
career opportunities whilst working.
Both programmes are approved by the Institute of Energy Technology,
Institute of Mechanical Engineers and the Energy Institute for those seeking
Chartered Engineer status.
Wind Power Summer School
- The popular five-day wind power summer school has been offered for over ten
years, regularly being updated to ensure currency. It covers key aspects of
the wind power industry to meet the needs of engineers and project
developers, but is also suited to non-specialists.
For details of the 2011 Summer School click here.
Short Courses
-
Each of our short courses is a module on our MSc Programme with places
subject to availability.. As a short course delegate, you may attend a
module purely for your knowledge and skills needs, but if you would like to
work towards a Postgraduate qualification, you may elect to take the
appropriate assessment as a temporary student.
European Masters in Renewable Energy
-
CREST is a partner in the European Master of Science in Renewable Energy led
by the EUREC Agency. Students can attend the first semester at Loughborough
University. They then study at one of the partner institutions where they
can specialise in particular renewable energy technologies.