Energy Systems

Full course description

All products and processes consume or produce energy and use the existing energy infrastructure. Engineers often assume that this energy system exists without any limitations when developing or improving products and processes. We are becoming increasingly aware that there are limitations to the current energy system. We also know that the transition towards more sustainable energy requires major changes to the energy system, leading to new challenges to assure a stable and reliable energy supply. These challenges and discussions are not only influenced by technical abilities, but also by economics, markets, policies and regulations.

Energy is an integral part of many courses with the BSc Circular Engineering, because it plays a key role in the making of products and operation of processes. In some of the courses, e.g. Engineering in a Circular Economy and Chemical Engineering, alternative sustainable energy options have been discussed, but none of the courses have yet dealt with the complex energy system itself and how it can be transformed from a fossil-based system towards a sustainable and circular system. This course focusses on the energy system itself. It introduces you to the importance of energy for society while focusing on the urgency of the transition towards renewable energy and the related challenges to obtain a stable and reliable energy system. This makes the course useful for students aiming at any of the concentrations.