Managing Energy Resources

The annual global electricity consumption is estimated at 200 trillion kWh and continues to grow rapidly. Since there is a finite quantity of fossil fuel remaining, our existing patterns of energy supply and usage are obviously unsustainable. How can we survive with limited energy resources?

The course will give details of the global energy status, including energy resources and energy technology. The concepts of ‘Energy Network’ will be introduced and explained, along with the state-of-the-art breakthroughs in Energy Conversion and Storage. Discussions based on EU Energy Roadmap 2050 will allow you to gain insight of the Global Energy Strategy and lead you to explore the future energy solutions.

The course includes the following topics:

· Sustainable Energy Resources

This session will cover various sustainable energy resources, including solar, wind, hydro, marine and biomass, to provide an understanding of the physical principles, current and future strategies and policies, the position of these sources of energy in the current and future global energy requirements.

· Sustainable Energy Technology

This session will cover technologies and systems associated with sustainable energy generation from solar, wind, hydro, marine and biomass. Technical challenges and future technical development strategies will be analysed in details, including potential job markets related to sustainable energy technology.

· Fundamentals of Electrical Engineering

This session will introduce basic principles and fundamental concepts of electrical engineering, providing a foundation facilitating understanding of electrical aspects of sustainable energy and further quantitative analysis of the techniques and equipment used in the generation, transmission, distribution and utilisation of electrical power. General theory, principles of electrical machines will be used for the analysis of power supply systems with sustainable resources and for discussion some of the problems facing electricity utilities.

·        Power Generation and Transmission

Both conventional and advanced methods of power generation and transmission related to how to connect sustainable energy to the grid will be presented in this session. The concept of forming energy network through global electricity power network will be introduced and discusses. Attendees can learn technical principles of power generation and transmission, UK and international electricity market reform plan, future development streams, and skills requested by the job market.

·        Energy Conversion and Storage

This session will provide an understanding of the need to and the efficiency of conversion of energy from one form to another and the need to store energy in distinct forms while minimising energy losses. In particular, electromagnetic energy conversion and storage, which is the most promising future technology, will be introduced and discussed in details, including its position in international energy strategy.

·        Future – Superconducting Power Grid

This session will introduce the most frontier technology development on establishing the global power grid through new projects on superconducting technology. Long distance power transmission and energy trading becomes practical with this technology. Attendees will learn the key superconducting techniques and how to apply them to the future power grid.