Core - Loughborough University, UK

The Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology (CREST) at Loughborough University has been a member of EUREC Agency since 1998. Housed in the Angela Marmont Renewable Energy Laboratory, CREST has gained a world wide reputation in the field of renewable energy research and education. Administratively, CREST is part of the Electrical Engineering Department of Loughborough University.
CREST has run its own Masters of Science (MSc) postgraduate course on Renewable Energy Systems Technology since 1994. Students attending the core section of the European Master at Loughborough University will follow the lectures, tutorials and laboratories alongside CREST’s own MSc students. Upon their arrival at Loughborough, students register with Loughborough University as full time postgraduate students. They remain registered as Loughborough University students throughout the duration of the programme and their degree is awarded by Loughborough University. The course structure is module-based: each module lasts two weeks and covers a specific Renewable Energy discipline: Solar, Wind, Bioenergy and Water, in that order. The first week of each module consists of lectures, tutorials and the laboratory. The second week generally consists of self-studying and tutorials and provides time for writing up the laboratory report. Field trips are arranged at a convenient time.

Description of the European Master in RE at Loughborough (.doc)

Practical Information

Accommodation

Accommodation at loughborough is dealt with by the accommodation services. Since the European Master students will only be at Loughborough for four months, the accommodation service will arrange for limited short-term accommodation to be available. Students which do not manage to benefit from this service are advised to look for accommodation well in advance (at least one week ahead of the start of the semester). The price of a room in a shared house is typically between 300 and 400€/month.

Accommodation Services' contact numbers:
(On Campus): +44 (0) 1509 222259
(Off Campus): +44 (0) 1509 222258
Email: SAS@lboro.ac.uk

Health Insurance

Students from the European Economic Area are entitled to receive healthcare from the National Health Service. Students from outside the European Economic Area should take their own health insurance. There is a compulsory 10£ fees for all students: this is to allow them to benefit from non-NHS healthcare on the campus such as phisiotherapy. More information on health insurance are found on the registration pack sent to students.

International Students

International students can visit the International Students Home Page for information on town location, finances, help & support, etc.
Please note that the currency is the British Pound, whereas in the other countries where the course takes place it is the Euro.

Scholarships

Loughborough University offers a range of scholarships although not many will suit EU Masters students: Loughborough University Scholarships. You can also refer to the 'sponsorships' section of this web site.

Contact Persons

For specific queries regarding Loughborough please contact Julie Allen. For general inquiries please contact the EUREC Agency.

Julie Allen
PA/Executive Officer
Tel: +44 (0) 1509 227087
Fax: +44 (0) 1509 227118
E-mail: j.d.allen@lboro.ac.uk
CREST Website: www.lboro.ac.uk/crest
Postal Address of CREST: Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Loughborough University
Loughborough
Leicestershire LE11 3TU
United Kingdom

Research Activities

Research at CREST is focused on electricity generation from wind and solar energy and their integration into networks and systems. The research activities are structured into five groups:

A. Networks and Systems

Group leader: Murray Thomson
Research within this group covers:

• Network integration – embedded generation
• Deployment planning tools
• Stand-alone systems
• Desalination by reverse osmosis

B. Wind Power Systems Energy Research Group

Group leader: Dr Simon Watson
Research within this group covers:

• Wind forecasting and integration of wind energy
• Energy storage technology
• Wind resource modeling
• Condition monitoring of wind turbines
• Control and system integration of wind turbines
• Structural dynamics of wind turbines
• Wind turbine aerodynamics and design

C. Applied Photovoltaic Systems

Group leader: Ralph Gottschalg
Research within this group covers:

• Grid integration of photovoltaics (PV)
• Performance characterisation of thin-film PV
• Spectral effects on thin film PV devices
• Combined heat & power concentrator systems

D. Renewable Energy in the Built Environment

Group leader: Dr Paul Romley

Most of the research in this field is focused on whole system analysis, building energy modelling, monitoring and evaluation, energy storage, heat pump technologies and the charactersiation of photovoltaics for building applications.

E. PV Materials and Devices

Group leader: Professor Mike Walls

Research within this group is primarily concerned with thin film PV devices, on a range of substrates, although the use of thin films to enhance the performance of crystalline silicon is also an active area of interest. The latter work is supported by EPSRC and BP Solar. The PV materials cover CdTe, CIS and thin film micro-crystalline silicon. The primary aim is to reduce the cost of PV cells, and active collaboration with manufacturers and equipment manufacturers is important. More information on research activities carried out at CREST can be found on www.lboro.ac.uk/crest

F. Reading List

The following references are useful for students wishing to gain some elementary knowledge on renewable energies

• An excellent introduction to wind energy is to be found on the web page of the Danish Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association. Take the guided tour and look at references.
• Renewable Energy: Power for a sustainable Future. Boyle, G. Oxford University Press ISBN No. 0-19-856451-1
• Renewable Energy. Johansson, J. B. Island Press Earthscan/Kogan Page ISBN No. 1-85383-155-7

Prior to the start of the course, students should have a certain number of pre-requisites. The following books should help the student acquire these fundamentals:

• Engineering Mathematics. Croft, A., Davison R., Hargreaves, M. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company. ISBN No 0-201-87744-9
• Circuits Devices & Systems. Smith J. Wiley International Press. ISBN 0-471-80167-4
• Energy, Society and Environment, Elliot D. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-14507-4
• Electrical Technology, Hughes, Revised by I.McKenzie Smith, Seventh Edition. Longman Scientific & Technical

Course foundation open learning package which is available at:

• http://crestdl.lboro.ac.uk/inside/foundations/foundationsHome.php
• Students are encouraged to study as much of this package as time allows prior to the start of term, it will obviously be most beneficial for students to concentrate on their weakest areas of knowledge. The foundation package requires students to take responsibility for their own learning programme, they are NOT expected to work through all of it, some of the material will be best used as reference as they go through the course

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