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Faculty of Mathematics and Natural SciencesInstitute of Geophysics and Meteorology

MN-GM-METEN

Specialisation Module: Energy Meteorology
Identification number
MN-GM-
METEN		 Workload

180 h		 Credit Points

6		 Term
1st - 3rd Semester		 Offered Every

on special announcement		 Start

on special announcement		 Duration

1 semester
1 Course types
a) Lecture
b) Project		 Contact time
45 h
45 h		 Private study
50 h
40 h
2 Module objectives and skills to be acquired
  • Understanding the meteorological requirements for a meaningful generation of electricity from wind and solar power
  • Gaining insight into the operation of an electrical grid with weather-dependent renewable energies
  • Project and seminar give the opportunity to deepen knowledge in one of the three fields “wind power”, “solar power”, or “grid operation”
3 Module content
  • Physical basics of energy supply
  • Economic and regulatory framework in the energy system
  • On- and off-shore wind parks
  • Photovoltaic and concentrating solar thermal energy systems
  • Site auditing – including complex terrain and cloudy and aerosol-loaded locations for wind and solar technologies
  • Wind and solar forecasting – deterministic and probabilistic approaches
  • Possible impact of climate change
Recommended literature:
Emeis, S., Wind Energy Meteorology, Springer, 2012
Kaltschmitt, M., W. Streicher, A. Wiese (Eds.), Erneuerbare Energien - Systemtechnik, Wirtschaftlichkeit, Umweltaspekte. 5th edition, Springer, 2013
Heinemann, D. (Ed.), 2015: Meteorologische Aspekte der Nutzung erneuerbarer Energien. promet 39(3/4), 133-244.
van Kuik, G.A.M. + 26 co-authors, 2016: Long-term research challenges in wind energy – a research agenda by the European Academy of Wind Energy. Wind Energ. Sci., 1, 1-39. DOI: 10.5194/wes-1-1- 2016 (Open Access)
Jan Kleissl; Solar Energy Forecasting and Resource Assessment, Elsevier
M. Sengupta, A. Habte, S. Kurtz, A. Dobos, S. Wilbert, E. Lorenz, T. Stoffel, D. Renné, D. Myers, S. Wilcox, P. Blanc, and R. Perez, Best Practices Handbook for the Collection and Use of Solar Resource Data for Solar Energy Applications, Technical Report, NREL/TP-5D00-63112, prepared in collaboration with the International Energy Agency, Solar Heating and Cooling Programme Task 36 and 46 (open access)
4 Teaching methods

Lectures and project. The lectures may be offered as a block course.
The student is assigned a project with a duration of about one week. They then present the results of this project in a seminar talk.
5 Prerequisites (for the module)

Formal: None.
The content of the course requires the undergraduate knowledge of meteorology (e.g. atmospheric dynamics, boundary layer physics, radiation, remote sensing).
6 Type of examination

Oral examination (graded)
7 Credits awarded

The module is passed, and the credit points will be awarded, if
  1. the oral examination is passed, and
  2. the seminar talk (concluding the project) is passed.
8 Compatibility with other curricula

Suitable as an elective course for mathematics, physics or geoscience students.
9 Proportion of final grade

Weight of the module grade in the overall grade: 6/150 (4 %)
10 Module coordinator

Bernhard Pospichal, Ulrich Löhnert
11 Further information

Version: 2023-03-28