MSc in Sustainable Energy Systems
Course Information Package
Course Unit Title | SUSTAINABLE BUILT ENVIRONMENT | ||||||
Course Unit Code | MES521 | ||||||
Course Unit Details | |||||||
Number of ECTS credits allocated | 6 | ||||||
Learning Outcomes of the course unit | By the end of the course, the students should be able to:
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Mode of Delivery | Face-to-face | ||||||
Prerequisites | NONE | Co-requisites | NONE | ||||
Recommended optional program components | NONE | ||||||
Course Contents | Module A - Urban microclimate and buildings · Microclimate, urban climate, and their interactions · The effects of current designing, planning and construction practice. · Urbanisation and the heat island effect · Street canyons and their impact on cooling loads Module B - Sustainability in the built environment: Use of materials and resources. · Environmental impact of building materials · Ecological footprint of cities · Water and domestic waste management infrastructures and schemes · Demolition practices and waste management schemes Module C - Energy and environmental performance of buildings · Measuring energy efficiency, evaluating environmental performance. · Energy audits, energy and environmental certification of buildings. Module D - Utilization of renewable energy sources in the urban built environment. · Solar, wind and geothermal energy. · Centralized RES systems Module E - Sustainability policies · The European legal framework · Legislation on the management of the building stock · Legislation on building materials · Strategies and aims for future developments. Module F - Energy renovation strategies · Effective renovation policies for the building stock · Incentives, barriers and the utilisation of the energy conservation potential · Optimizing the use of restricted resources | ||||||
Recommended and/or required reading: | |||||||
Textbooks |
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References |
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Planned learning activities and teaching methods | The course is presented through theoretical lectures in class. The lectures present to the student the course content and allow for questions. The material is presented using visual aids (i.e. PowerPoint presentation slides, documentaries, etc.). The aim is to familiarize the student with the different and faster pace of presentation and also allow the instructor to present related material that would otherwise be very difficult to do. The learning process is enhanced with the requirement from the student to carry in-class discussions and tackling of hypothetical scenarios in small-group exercises. A final project, which is required as part of the students assessment for the course, allows students the opportunity to carry out independent research, synthesize basic concepts presented in class, as well as hone their writing and presentation skills. Besides from the notes taken by students in class, all of the course material is made available through the class website which is available through the University’s E-learning platform (“Moodle”). The instructors are available to students during office hours or by appointment in order to provide necessary guidance. | ||||||
Assessment methods and criteria |
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Language of instruction | English | ||||||
Work placement(s) | NO |