Renewable Energy EngineeringBEng Hons / MEng

The UK Government has committed £12 billion of funding for a Green Industrial Revolution. Join the fight against climate change, find solutions to society's reliance on fossil fuels and be part of the next great energy transformation.

On this Renewable Energy Engineering degree, you'll study a branch of engineering that focuses on powering the world sustainably. From energy conversion and storage technology, to low carbon heating systems, electrical circuit analysis and large network grids, you'll develop the engineering skills and technical knowledge you need to design, assess and improve electrical, renewable and alternative energy systems that benefit the climate and society.

Follow in the footsteps of engineers who worked on radical advancements such as solar-powered drones and the hydrogen fuel used to heat and power green homes.

BEng or MEng?

You can study this course as a 3-year Bachelor's degree (BEng) or a 4-year integrated Master's degree (MEng). The MEng allows you to achieve a Master’s level degree with just one extra year of undergraduate study, further enhancing your career prospects.

Accreditation

This course is accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). The MEng meets in full the academic requirement for registration as CEng (Chartered Engineer), while the BEng partially meets these requirements.

When you graduate, you'll be ready for a career working at the forefront of the technology responsible for renewable energy. Not only is the work rewarding, but you'll be working in a highly skilled area, which is always in-demand, and get to be part of the solution to one of the most pressing issues facing society.

When you graduate you'll also be able to pursue further studies at postgraduate level, or set up your own businesses with help and support from the University.

Placement year (optional)

After your second year, you can do an optional paid work placement year to get valuable longer-term work experience in the industry. You might work in the UK, or take on a role with a company abroad.

Possible placement destinations

• solar energy project developers
• fuel cell and battery manufacturers
• smart grid service providers
• energy storage and energy management businesses
• local councils
• sustainable transportation businesses
• energy research and development companies

We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your aspirations. You’ll get mentoring and support throughout the year.

Work experience and career planning

The Group Design Project module you take in year 2, the Individual Project module you take in year 3, and the Multidisciplinary Group Project you take in year 4 (MEng only), give you the opportunity to get work experience as part of your study.

Career development activity

You'll set up and run a new engineering business as part of your second year study on this course. Do well on this module, and you'll be eligible to apply for a grant from the SENE start-up fund, a pot set up by our School of Energy and Electronic Engineering, and run a business that provides both income and credits toward your degree. 

You'll also have access to extracurricular activities, run by the school and by your fellow students, in which you might work on a nationwide drone competition, the Engineers Without Borders Design Challenge, or the Formula Student racing car competition. Our Badges framework gives you a way to demonstrate professional recognition of what you've achieved in and outside your study. 

We'll also help you to identify additional internships, voluntary roles and opportunities that will further complement your studies, throughout the course.

Each module on this course is worth a certain number of credits.

In each year, you need to study modules worth a total of 120 credits. For example, 4 modules worth 20 credits and 1 module worth 40 credits.

Changes to course content

We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.

Therefore, course content is revised and regularly reviewed.  This may result in changes being made in order to reflect developments in research, learning from practice and changes in policy at both national and local levels.

Teaching

Teaching on this course includes:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Tutorials
• Laboratory work
• Computer-aided engineering system activity

There's an emphasis on problem solving and project work to reflect the challenges experience in your career. Tasks will often begin with you researching a problem or project brief, before moving on to lab sessions to identify, then implement, practical solutions.

Teaching staff are all members of the IET (Institute of Engineering and Technology), and many are Chartered Engineers. The teaching staff on this course also have a range of professional experience, including working as a team leaders, and in higher management, in industry.

You can access all teaching resources on Moodle, our virtual learning environment, from anywhere with a web connection.

How you're assessed

You'll be assessed through:

• Written examinations
• Coursework
• Practical tests
• Project work
• Presentations

You'll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark. For example, you can take online quizzes on theory-related skills, such as electrical circuit network parameters, to get automatic feedback. You also get feedback on lab-related skills through the submission of the logbook you've recorded the details of practical sessions in.

You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments, so you can improve in the future.

Every Tuesday in term time you'll also attend a 1-hour feedback and support session.

One of the main differences between school or college and university is how much control you have over your learning.

We use a blended learning approach to teaching, which means you’ll take part in both face-to-face and online activities during your studies.  As well as attending your timetabled classes you'll study independently in your free time, supported by staff and our virtual learning environment, Moodle.

A typical week

We recommend you spend at least 35 hours a week studying for your degree. You’ll be in timetabled teaching activities such as lectures, practical classes and workshops for about 20 hours a week. As you progress through the course, there's a shift in emphasis from lectures and theory to lab work and implementations. The rest of the time you’ll do independent study such as research, reading, coursework and project work, alone or in a group with others from your course. You'll probably do more independent study and have less scheduled teaching in years 2 and 3 (and 4 if you do the MEng), but this depends on which modules you choose.

Most timetabled teaching takes place during the day, Monday to Friday. Optional field trips may involve evening and weekend teaching or events. There’s usually no teaching on Wednesday afternoons.

Term dates

The academic year runs from September to June. There are breaks at Christmas and Easter.

See term dates

The amount of timetabled teaching you'll get on your degree might be less than what you're used to at school or college, but you'll also get support via video, phone and face-to-face from teaching and support staff to enhance your learning experience and help you succeed. You can build your personalised network of support from the following people and services:

Tuition fees (2023 start) 

• UK/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £9,250 per year (may be subject to annual increase)
• EU students – £9,250 a year (including Transition Scholarship)
• International students – £19,200 per year (subject to annual increase)

Tuition fees (2024 start)

• UK/Channel Islands and Isle of Man students – £9,250 per year (may be subject to annual increase)
• EU students – £9,250 a year (including Transition Scholarship)
• International (non-EU) students – £20,200 per year (subject to annual increase)

Funding your studies

Find out how to fund your studies, including the scholarships and bursaries you could get. You can also find more about tuition fees and living costs, including what your tuition fees cover.

Applying from outside the UK? Find out about funding options for international students.

Tuition fees terms and conditions

Additional course costs

These course-related costs aren’t included in the tuition fees. So you’ll need to budget for them when you plan your spending.

Admissions terms and conditions

When you accept an offer to study at the University of Portsmouth, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.