Course Title: Renewable Energy Systems

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Renewable Energy Systems

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
MIET2032	Bundoora Campus	Undergraduate	115H Aerospace, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering	Distance / Correspondence or Face-to-Face	Sem 2 2010
MIET2032	Bundoora Campus	Undergraduate	115H Aerospace, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering	Face-to-Face	Sem 2 2006, Sem 2 2007, Sem 2 2009, Sem 1 2011, Sem 1 2012, Sem 1 2013, Sem 1 2014, Sem 2 2014, Sem 1 2015, Sem 2 2015, Sem 2 2016
MIET2032	Bundoora Campus	Undergraduate	172H School of Engineering	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2017, Sem 2 2017, Sem 2 2018, Sem 1 2019, Sem 1 2020, Sem 1 2021, Sem 1 2022, Sem 1 2023, Sem 1 2024
MIET2062	City Campus	Undergraduate	115H Aerospace, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering	Distance / Correspondence or Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2010
MIET2062	City Campus	Undergraduate	115H Aerospace, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2006, Sem 1 2007, Sem 1 2009, Sem 2 2011, Sem 2 2012, Sem 2 2013
MIET2082	SHAPE, VTC	Undergraduate	115H Aerospace, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering	Face-to-Face	Offsh2 14
MIET2082	SHAPE, VTC	Undergraduate	172H School of Engineering	Face-to-Face	Offsh1 17
MIET2359	Stansfield College	Undergraduate	115H Aerospace, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering	Face-to-Face	Offsh 3 09, Offsh 4 09, Offsh 1 10

Flexible Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
MIET2082	SHAPE, VTC	Undergraduate	172H School of Engineering	Face-to-Face	OFFMay2020 (VM7)
MIET2082	SHAPE, VTC	Undergraduate	172H School of Engineering	Face-to-Face	OFFSep2020 (VM10), OFFSep2020 (All)
MIET2082	SHAPE, VTC	Undergraduate	172H School of Engineering	Face-to-Face	OFFSep2021 (All)
MIET2082	SHAPE, VTC	Undergraduate	172H School of Engineering	Face-to-Face	OFFSep2022 (All)
MIET2082	SHAPE, VTC	Undergraduate	172H School of Engineering	Face-to-Face	OFFSep2023 (All)
MIET2480	Kaplan Singapore	Undergraduate	172H School of Engineering	Face-to-Face	OFFMay2019 (All)
MIET2480	Kaplan Singapore	Undergraduate	172H School of Engineering	Face-to-Face	OFFMay2021 (KA3)
MIET2480	Kaplan Singapore	Undergraduate	172H School of Engineering	Face-to-Face	OFFMay2023 (XXXX)
MIET2480	Kaplan Singapore	Undergraduate	172H School of Engineering	Internet	OFFMay2020 (KA3)

Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Stefania Castelletto

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 4466

Course Coordinator Email: stefania.castelletto@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: RMIT Bundoora East Campus, Building 251, Level 3, Room 41A

Course Coordinator Availability: by appointment

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

The following two courses or their equivalents are required as prior study:
MIET2421 –Applied Thermodynamics, and
MIET2422 – Fluid Mechanics of Mechanical Systems 

Course Description

The use of renewable energy for power generation and heating is growing rapidly, the main drivers being fear of depletion of present world energy resources, security of energy supplies, reduction of pollution and CO2 emission of conventional power plants and the need to supply electricity in remote areas. Additionally, alternative energy systems based on emerging technologies are relevant within the future energy targets of many OECD countries requiring a high share of renewable energy in the energy mix. 
In this course, you will learn about the operation and performance of three renewable energy technologies: grid-connected wind turbines; photovoltaic systems; and solar thermal systems and energy storage. The emphasis will be on the sizing, design, selection, and performance evaluation of renewable energy equipment for given applications.       

Please note that if you take this course for a bachelor honours program, your overall mark in this course will be one of the course marks that will be used to calculate the weighted average mark (WAM) that will determine your award level. (This applies to students who commence enrolment in a bachelor honours program from 1 January 2016 onward. See the WAM information web page for more information. 

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

This course contributes to the following Program Learning Outcomes:
• In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge within the engineering discipline
• Knowledge of contextual factors impacting the engineering discipline.
• Understanding of the scope, principles, norms, accountabilities and bounds of contemporary engineering practice in the specific discipline.
• Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources.
• Professional use and management of information and data.
 

On completion of this course, you should be able to:

1. Identify different types of renewable energy systems and current deployment and industry impact.
2. Describe wind resources for wind power generation
3. Analyse wind speed data and wind turbine performance in a given wind regime.
4. Identify the various components of a wind turbine and their functions and types.
5. Identify planning and environmental issues related to wind power systems.
6. Determine solar radiation resources and harvesting.
7. Describe main features and operation of solar thermal systems.
8. Describe main features of and analyse residential photovoltaic systems.
9. Evaluate the financial costs and levelized cost of electricity of a renewable energy project. 

Overview of Learning Activities

The course is delivered through a combination of face-to-face lectorials and tutorials, and online pre-recorded lecture components. Via the various assignments provided during the course, you will learn how to approach an engineering project in terms of evaluation of its benefits, based on technical knowledge and social impact. You will improve your written communication skills by analysing a specific system and contextualise it within the current geopolitical and economic impact. This will be achieved by writing engineering reports building on a critical analysis of analytical and system design methods as well as data mining. You will improve specifically your skills in applying theoretical concepts to data analysis and data mining via assignments. You will learn in practise how solar systems can be used and are sized for grid applications.

Overview of Learning Resources

You will have access to online books available via RMIT library. Specific journal papers will be suggested and available via RMIT library to enter in depth of a specific subject/topic. Lecture notes for each topic will be available via Canvas, as well as lecture PowerPoint presentations. In addition, worked examples, excel spreadsheets to aid in design will be provided via Canvas. Online activities will be available for practice. Major assessment have a marking rubric. 

Overview of Assessment

X This course has no hurdle requirements.

Assessment Tasks

Schedule A

Assessment Task 1: Wind energy assessment and production case study Weighting 30% This assessment task supports CLOs: 2, 3, 4, 5 & 9   Assessment Task 2: Solar photovoltaics design and sizing case study Weighting 35% This assessment task supports CLOs: 6, 8 & 9   Assessment Task 3: Mid-Semester Knowledge base online test and problem-solving Weighting 15% This assessment task supports CLO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 9    Assessment Task 4: Final Semester Knowledge base online test and problem solving Weighting 20% This assessment supports CLOs 6, 7, 8 & 9

Tasks 3 and Task 4 are online time limited tests to be taken at any time within a time window of at least 24 hours.

Schedule B (Offshore)

Assessment Task 1:  Wind data analysis and wind turbine performance
Weighting 20%
This assessment task supports CLOs: 2, 3, 4 & 5

Assessment Task 2:  Solar system project design and sizing
Weighting 20%
This assessment task supports CLOs: 6, 8, 4 & 9

Assessment Task 3: Quizzes
Weighting 20%
This assessment task supports CLOs: 5 & 6

Assessment Task 4: Problem solving
Weighting 40% 
This assessment supports CLOs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9