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  4. Smart Grids and Energy Systems MSc/PGDip/PGCert

Smart Grids and Energy Systems

MSc / PGDip / PGCert


Full-time

Duration

Start date

Location

Suitable for applications.

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Overview

The smart grid is a modern form of the traditional power grid, which brings computer technology to a standard electricity grid; allowing easier communication between energy retailers, distributors, and customers.

Smart grids can help to integrate an increasing amount of renewable energy sources (RES) into the grid. RES present a challenge to traditional electricity grids because they are often both intermittent and difficult to predict. Smart grids help network companies to remotely anticipate and respond to problems so repair crews from your local distributor can fix power outages faster.

Energy companies and businesses are already exploring how to adopt RES into the grid but they lack Smart Grids management skills and knowledge among employees. This new MSc programme therefore offers a unique advantage to its graduates in an increasingly competitive job market with highly-sought expertise, giving you the skills you need to launch a career in this fast-growing sector.

The teaching on the course is research-led, and you will have opportunity to learn from the real-world, cutting-edge live projects. You'll also have the opportunity to undertake placements / internships with leading companies in the energy and smart grids sector, both in the UK and internationally 

I did my dissertation at the International Energy Research Centre (IERC), Ireland. From this I gained industrial experience, and it enriched my CV. Gideon Nkwai Nchubo, MSc Smart Grids and Energy Systems graduate.

Entry requirements

  • 2:2 or above, or an equivalent overseas qualification, in an area relevant to your proposed programme of study, for example: Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Civil Engineering, Maths, or Physics

  • Applicants with lesser academic qualifications but have substantial (approx. 5 years) relevant work experience may also be considered 

English language requirements

IELTS 6.0 or equivalent.

If you do not meet the IELTS requirement, you can take a University of Bradford pre-sessional English course. See the Language Centre for more details. For further information on English Language requirements please see the dedicated international entry requirements page.

What you will study

All module information is for 2021 entry, and is subject to change.

Learning and assessment

The programme utilises a range of learning methods to offer a personalised, research-led, and digitally rooted learning experience with a holistic, international focus.

At the centre of this strategy is the focus on problem-solving through the use of creative, analytical, logical and innovative thinking, and through networking and communicating effectively with peers.

The teaching delivery team includes internationally-renowned researchers and practitioners from all the relevant smart grids and energy systems areas, including power systems, control system design, modelling and optimisation, wireless and communication systems, big data analytics and artificial intelligence and IoT. We have secured several funded projects, ensuring students will be exposed to cutting-edge knowledge and case studies. 

This programme is supported through placement and internship and industry and advisory board by several well-known industries and research centres within the UK and internationally.

Formal lectures will facilitate your acquisition of knowledge and understanding, discipline specific skills, and apply this learning to industry practices. Laboratory sessions, using state-of-the-art laboratories run in conjunction with the theoretical components, give the student opportunity to enhance their understanding of particular topics.

The unique teaching content and delivery on the course is extremely well supported with several industries and special purpose labs including IoT Innovation lab and Electrical Engineering Lab. These will also help develop discipline-specific skills and personal transferable skills.

In addition, the research and development carried out in these labs and the case studies from the publicly-funded high profile projects, ensures that the content is fresh and cutting-edge. We also integrate knowledge and experience from Industrial partners through both our Industry Advisory Board and these research projects through challenging case studies, lab-based activities and invited talks, ensuring that research findings are at the heart of our curriculum.

This new programme will also involve invited external speakers from various industry sectors. This ensures that you will be exposed to the very latest and future developments.

Official programme specification

Fees, finance and scholarships

Tuition fee 2021

Home: £8,784 per year

International: £20,885 per year

Additional costs

There may be additional costs that you may incur as a student. Though these are not essential to your programme of study you need to be aware of them as a student of the University. A list of the sort of costs you might expect can be found on our fees and finance section.

Financial support

See our fees and financial support section.

Scholarships

Every year we award numerous non-repayable scholarships to UK, EU and international students on the basis of academic excellence, personal circumstances or economic hardship. For full details, visit our scholarships section.

Facilities and Placements

The unique teaching content is supported by state-of-the-art facilities, including software programmes GAMS & MATLAB, and hardware contained in dedicated laboratories:

  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering lab
  • IoT Innovation lab

The research and development carried out in these labs, along with case-studies from publicly-funded high profile projects, ensures that course content is fresh and cutting-edge, and that you as a student will be exposed to the very latest and future developments.

There are several placements/internships available for home and international students with leading companies in energy and smart grids sector in the UK and internationally, including:

  • Electricity North West Limited (ENWL)
  • N-ERGY
  • Nortech Online in the UK, and Elin BioFuel, Greece
  • International Energy Research Centre, Ireland
  • Wilson Power Solutions
  • City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council
  • DEPsys


Electricity North West Limited (ENWL) logo           N-ERGY logo         Nortech logo   


IERC logo          Elin logo           Wilson Power Solutions logo

City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council logo

DEPsys logo           

Career support

The University is committed to helping students develop and enhance employability and this is an integral part of many programmes. Specialist support is available throughout the course from Career and Employability Services including help to find part-time work while studying, placements, vacation work and graduate vacancies.

Students are encouraged to access this support at an early stage and to use the extensive resources on the Careers website.

Discussing options with specialist advisers helps to clarify plans through exploring options and refining skills of job-hunting. In most of our programmes there is direct input by Career Development Advisers into the curriculum or through specially arranged workshops.

Working in the smart grids and energy systems sector

As a smart grid and energy systems engineer you can be involved in designing, constructing, commissioning and lifecycle maintenance of complex energy production, smart distribution and transmission grids.

Your work can include renewable energy integration into the grid, planning and operation of smart grids, controlling energy systems, energy storage systems, management and efficient use of energy in building, manufacturing and processing systems. You can also be involved in work relating to the environmental and economic impact of energy usage.

Examples of the types of jobs you could be doing include:

  • Designing new smart transmission and distribution systems
  • Managing maintenance and repair
  • Managing operations and planning of existing systems
  • Managing operations of a wind farm and solar photovoltaics
  • Analysing the efficiency of hydroelectric power systems
  • Evaluating the economic viability of new solar/wind power installations
  • Assessing the environmental impact of energy systems.

Career prospects

Integrating renewable energy sources into the existing power systems in order to meet the governmental targets worldwide introduces several challenges for network operators.

This new programme aims to deliver skilled graduates able to meet these challenges, with the required knowledge and expertise in smart sustainable energy systems and the Internet of Things (IoT).

This programme is unique in its focus on the multi-disciplinary aspect of smart grids (i.e. combination of power and energy systems, Big-Data analytics, IoT, Artificial Intelligence, and economics of smart grids).

The shortage of smart grids and energy systems expertise among employees and management is viewed by the industry as the biggest obstacle to integrate renewable sources more extensively.

There are thousands of vacant positions available for power system engineers across the UK. There is also a shortage of power systems and smart grids engineers in the UK according to the Home Office website (code 2123 for power system engineers). This also applies internationally, with most parts of the world actively looking to adopt renewable energy integration into the grid, and make the existing grid smart, secure, affordable, efficient and reliable.

Therefore, this programme offers tremendous job prospects for graduates, with a wide range of businesses, start-ups, governments, councils /municipalities and large conglomerates wanting to invest in the use of smart grids and renewable energy sources integration into the existing grids but struggling to find skills.

The programme offers unique advantages to its graduates in an increasingly competitive job market with highly sought skills. For example: power system and smart grid analysis, smart grids operation and economics, artificial intelligence, big-data analytics, control systems, environmental law, and sustainability in the built environment.

Study support

We have a commitment to strong pastoral care for all of our students, which includes a Personal Tutor for all students, regular contact hours for tutor groups and our supportive student service teams who are always ready to help with any questions and provide the advice that you need.

In addition to standard study support through taught sessions, our Virtual Learning Environment allows students to access resources, participate in group work and submit work from anywhere in the world 24/7.

University central services are rich with support teams to assist students with every aspect of their journey through our degree programmes.
From our Career and Employability Service, through our strong Students' Union, to our professional and efficient Student Finance team, there are always friendly faces ready to support you and provide you with the answers that you need.

Research

The University of Bradford has a strong presence in Smart Grids, IoT, Big Data analytics, smart technologies, and network management as part of several national and EU research projects.

These projects include:

  • British Council SITARA project for smart grids operation using IoT and Big-Data analytics

  • CASAGRAS 2 project on IoT and Big-Data analytics

  • British Council BLESS U project for enhanced smart health services

Meet our academics

Meet our academics

This is the current course information. Modules and course details may change, subject to the University's programme approval, monitoring and review procedures. The University reserves the right to alter or withdraw courses, services and facilities as described on our website without notice and to amend Ordinances, Regulations, fees and charges at any time. Students should enquire as to the up-to-date position when applying for their course of study.