Type of lessons

Lectures

Project

Seminar

Contact times

40 h

40 h

10 h

Self-study times

50 h

20 h

20 h

Aims of the module and acquired skills

• 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”

Contents of the module

• 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

Teaching/Learning methods

Lectures (block course)

The student is assigned a project after the block course has finished. The duration of the project is about one week.

The student presents the results of this project in a seminar.

Formal: None

Undergraduate knowledge of meteorology (e.g. atmospheric dynamics, boundary layer physics, radiation, remote sensing) is presupposed.

Type of module examinations

Seminar (ungraded)

Oral examination (graded)

Requisites for the allocation of credits

Participation in the project, passing the ungraded seminar, passing the examination.

The module mark is the mark of the examination.

A failed examination may be repeated twice. Additional possibilities to repeat an examination exist according to the examination regulation (§ 20 section1).

• Other modules of equal value can be admitted and announced by the examination board after agreement.
• Suitable as an elective course for mathematics, physics and geoscience students

Additional information

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)