ENCN623-23S2 (C) Semester Two 2023

Energy Systems Modelling and Analysis

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 17 July 2023
End Date: Sunday, 12 November 2023
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 30 July 2023
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 1 October 2023

Description

System analysis for planning renewable energy systems; advanced energy system modelling; application of selected software.

This course will deliver the fundamentals to plan (model/design) the energy transition of the power, heat, and transportation sectors. In other words, you will develop skills in modelling and analysing energy systems. This includes understanding concepts from optimisation, economics, and decision-making theory and applying them to energy systems. This is a class with many hands-on experiences, including the application and development of modelling tools.

This is a core course in the Masters of Civil Engineering and Masters of Engineering Studies with endorsements in Renewable Energy. Students from a range of engineering, science, economics, social science, and other backgrounds with an understanding of quantitative methods are also welcome.

Learning Outcomes

  • At the end of this course, you will be able to:
  • Understand how to model the energy transition
  • Create an advanced model of an energy system in which combinations of generation, conversion, and energy storage technologies are optimised based on energetic and financial criteria
  • Critically evaluate energy transition plans and scenarios
  • Understand the concepts of optimisation, multi-objective decision-making, making decisions under uncertainty, energy management systems, and more, applied to energy systems

Prerequisites

ENCN423 or subject to approval of the Head of Department

Timetable Note

This course includes a combination of lectures and interactive applications. Each weekly session meets for 2 hours. Below is the proposed course timetable.

Week 1 What is energy systems analysis – overview and introduction into optimisation
Week 2 Green field and transitions planning – linear optimisation, our first toy model
Week 3 Green field and transitions planning – linear optimisation, going country-wide
Week 4 Green field and transitions planning – calculating a microgrid
Week 5 From nature to electricity - modeling a renewable power plant
Week 6 Planning for an uncertain future – scenarios, Monte-Carlo and more
Week 7 Planning for an uncertain future – robust and adaptive decisions
Week 8 Deciding beyond costs – multi-objective optimization
Week 9 Smart heating – modeling a building energy management system
Week 10 Sustainable transportation – modeling future modes of transportation
Week 11 The integrated energy system – planning the power, heat and transport sectors
Week 12 Project presentations

Note: This is a general guide for the course and is subject to change. Up-to date information will be available on Learn.


This course will use flipped/interactive classrooms as much as possible. This implies preparing each class by reading the corresponding material at home. Each class will then start with a summary given by the lecturer, and then application of the content to a concrete numeric example.

Course Coordinator

For further information see Civil and Natural Resources Engineering Head of Department

Assessment

The assessment for this course has four major components: reading before class, calculation (sizing or applications) assignments, a project and its corresponding presentation.

The readings, often a journal publication or book chapter, will be available on Learn and quizzed (open book, no time limit) before class to enable a flipped/interactive classrooms as much as possible. The assignments are three quantitative applications of the material seen in class. A major assessment for this course is a research project and its associated presentation, on modelling an energy system. You will receive the details of the research project after the first two weeks of the course, and you are expected to integrate your learning from the entire semester in your final report. On the final day of class, you will present your research to the class.

Notes

Entry to this course is subject to completing ENCN423 or via approval from the Director of Studies of the Renewable Energy Programme.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,164.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

Minimum enrolments

This course will not be offered if fewer than 8 people apply to enrol.

For further information see Civil and Natural Resources Engineering .

All ENCN623 Occurrences

  • ENCN623-23S2 (C) Semester Two 2023
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