Courses

Renewable Energy Sources

General

Course Contents

• Introduction: RES types, their importance for the environment and economy, current status of the international market.
• Distributed generation systems, development and use in modern electrical power production, transmission and distribution systems.
• Solar energy: basic principles of solar radiation, solar cell, PV panel (I-V, P-V characteristics), basic equations
• Wind energy: basic description, quantitative assessment, part of wind generators
• Hydroelectric stations: basic description, types of hydroturbines and operational principles
• Biomass energy: types of biomass and energy content
• Electrical energy storage systems: basic battery types, other systems (supercapacitors, flywheels, hydrogen storage)
• PV electrical energy production systems: panels, mounting systems, balance of plant (BOS), basic design, examples, applications
• Wind generator systems: mounting, balance of plant systems, basic design, examples, applications
• Hydroelectric stations: basic parts, grid connection, examples
• Biomass based systems: basic parts of a station, thermodynamic cycles, examples
• Geothermal energy: basic parts, examples.
• Combination of RES systems: autonomous power systems, design, examples.

Educational Goals

The course aims to provide basic practical knowledge as regards the applications of renewable energy sources (RES), as these currently represent an important part of the development of electrical power production technologies, with significant importance due to their environmental friendly nature and the introduction of distributed generation systems. Furthermore, their application is more and more present in industrial processes units, aiming to save resources, reduce the operational cost and the environmental impact (or equivalently improve the environmental profile) of a unit.
The course focuses on basic principles of electrical energy production systems using solar photovoltaics (PV), wind generators (WG), hydroelectric systems and biomass/biogas systems, giving emphasis on study, design and control issues.
As an elective course it provides valuable experience and expertise to the new industrial and management engineer as regards a developing field of electrical energy systems technology, with increasing penetration level and various applications that require study, design, operation, monitoring and maintenance from well trained application engineers. The consistent and successful completion of the course, has the expected outcome to enable the student to:
a) be in a position to understand the importance of RES systems for the environment and the economy
b) possess knowledge as regards new developments in electrical energy production and use systems as well as distributed generation systems
c) be acquainted with the basic parts of a RES-based electrical production system
d) be in a position to perform basic design of a RES-based electrical production system.

General Skills

Practical application of knowledge, search, analysis and synthesis of information and data using appropriate technologies; Adjustment  to new situations; Decision making; Autonomous work; Team work; Work in an interdisciplinary environment. Design and project management; promotion of free, creative and inductive thinking; priorities setting; production of new research ideas; compliance to guidelines of good practices.

Teaching Methods

Class theory, teaching in discussion groups and students’ active participation. The lectures are supported by presentations of the total content, while the whiteboard is used: a) for further elaboration of selected thematic sections, b) for the promotion of the students’ active participation in step-by-step problems solving and examples process.

Students Evaluation

The course grade is formulated by a final written exam which may contain: multiple choice questions, problems solving based on knowledge acquired, short answers’ questions, comparative assessment of theoretical principles.

Recommended Bibliography

1. Boyle G., “Renewable Energy: Power for a Sustainable Future”, ISBN-13: 978-0199545339, Oxford University Press.
2. Jenkins N, Ekanayake J., “Renewable Energy Engineering”, ISBN-13: 978-1107680227, Cambridge University Press
3. Masters J. M., “Renewable and Efficient Electric Power Systems”, ISBN: 978-1-118-63350-2, IEEE Press