MSc Renewable Energy and Sustainable Building in Global Context [RESBGC]

"The world is facing its biggest challenge in the history of mankind"

Programme Context

The world is facing its biggest challenge in the history of mankind. Increased industrial and agricultural activity and the unprecedented urban growth had led - among other things - to environmental degradation and global change including global warming. This is taking a toll on communities around the world with the poorest suffering the most from soaring energy prices and scarcity of water.

Building industry consumes a considerable percentage of the earth’s valuable resources and energy produced around the world leading by such to increased levels of greenhouse gases. This makes it one of the major contributors to global warming and environmental depletion. Humans spend most of their times inside and around buildings that are - in many cases – not ecological, unhealthy and socially unresponsive.

Sustainable Building process, including the generation and use of renewable energy, promises to respond to the need for economic growth without jeopardising the social needs of our societies and in a benign manner to our natural environment. This is the core value of the MSc Renewable Energy and Sustainable Building in a Global Context (RESBGC).

Aims of the Programme

The MSc RESBGC aims to provide its students with the learning environment that allows them to study the subjects of sustainable building and renewable energy use in buildings, two topics that are on the highest level of priority of the majority of governments around the world. Students will acquire advanced knowledge and skills in the fields of Renewable Energy use in buildings and Sustainable Building Practice and Research that is relevant to their own country.

Intended Learning Outcomes of the Programme

Upon successful completion of this programme, students will have acquired knowledge and developed skills that allow them to, for example: design or contribute to the design process of sustainable buildings; conduct post occupancy evaluation of buildings including monitoring the performances of built environments; run computer simulations; conduct physical modelling; specify micro-renewable energy systems for buildings; manage small research projects; write a research proposal; and conduct small research projects.

What makes RESBGC unique?

There are two things that make RESBGC unique and different from many programmes across the UK. First, it gives the chance for international students coming from different geographic, climatic, social and economic backgrounds to focus on the issues related to their own countries, giving them by such a competitive edge in their employment context. Second, the programme will focus on renewable energy production and use in buildings as well as sustainable building design, construction and management. This diversifies the skills you will acquire and will thus open up more job opportunities.

Who can apply?

The MSc: Renewable Energy and Sustainable Building in a Global Context is open to a wide range of specialities related to building industry including for example:

• Architects
• Building surveyors
• Building technologists
• Civil engineers
• Construction managers
• Environmental scientists
• Energy specialists
• Interior designers
• Mechanical engineers
• Physicists
• Planners
• Quantity surveyors
• Urban designers

If you do not have a university degree or practical experience in any of the above specialities but still believe this is the right programme for you, please contact the programme director for informal discussion before you make an application.

Programme structure

The programme consists of five core modules, and one elective. Two core modules will be delivered in first semester, one core module in semester two plus the elective module, and one core module spanning the first two semesters. The mandatory research project will be carried out in the third semester.

Core modules

• Sustainable Building in Context (30 credits)
• Sustainability Monitoring, Prediction and Assessment (30 credits)
• Ways to Study Built Environments (15 credits)
• Renewable Energy in Buildings (30 credits)
• Research Project (45 credits)

Elective modules

(Students to choose one of the following modules)

• Zero-Carbon and Low Energy Housing Development (30 credits)
• Intelligent Buildings: Strategic Design and Management (30 credits)
• Sustainability in Contemporary Cities (30 credits)