Patrick Creed

For the second in my series of reports on studies in the area of Renewable Education in Ireland, I had the good fortune to meet up with Mr. Larry Staudt who is the Course Director of post graduate Renewable Education studies at Dundalk Institute of Technology.

Masters of Science in Renewable Energy Systems

The course is, like the course at The University of Ulster, a Post Graduate qualification: Masters of Science in Renewable Energy Systems. It’s taken as a two year full time option, or four year part-time option. The material is licensed from Loughborough University in The UK and is expecting its first graduates in 2008.

The course consists of a choice of eight taught modules from a total of nine delivered over two semesters, in the first year (or over two years for part-time students). Candidates must do each of the following six modules but can choose two further modules from Solar, Wind and/or Biofuels options;

• Solar (2 modules)
• Wind (2 modules)
• Biofuels (2 modules)
• Water and wave
• Grid Integration
• Social and Economic policy

The second assessed component of the course is a thesis which must be completed in the second year for the full time students, and over two years for the part-time candidates.

Course Delivery
Lectures are delivered on a Monday and Friday to help students who are following the part time stream of study.

Why choose Dundalk IT?
One of the things that struck me in my interview with Mr. Staudt was his own interest and motivation to be involved in renewable energy studies. He has come through a career of working in the electricity production business, to later working directly in a renewable energy company and then to education. The importance of having a background in industry cannot be overstated and struck me as one of the many good reasons to choose Dundalk as a place of study for Renewable Education.

Another reason to study at DKIT is the Centre for Renewable Energy at Dundalk Institute of Technology (CREDIT). The centre has a number of on- site technologies including;
• A commercial (850kW) wind turbine
• One small wind turbine
• Two heat pumps
• Four solar hot water heating systems
• Three wood-pellet boilers
• One wood-chip boiler
• Ninety-five photovoltaic panels

...all of which are very useful for students who need hands on experience with different renewable technologies.

Costs:
The overall cost of the course fees come in the €8000 to €10,000 range, which is quite high for students who are paying for themselves and may in fact be prohibitive for many post-graduates, without an external source of funding.

Job Prospects:
Like all graduates from Post Graduate Renewable Energy Study programmes, looking for work in the field is not easy. If students are combining their post-graduate renewable qualification with a degree in engineering, then work opportunities will present themselves, perhaps more readily than those who are looking to work in related fields, e.g. education. It is indeed a very new area of study and research and one which will hopefully grow and absorb those of us who have studied in the near future!!

Next Time:
In the next issue I’ll be looking at short term courses in Dublin, Galway and Leitrim for people who want some information in a day or a weekend.

Mini Bio: Patrick Creed is married and lives in Athenry. He has a BSc in Applied Physics and Electronics at NUIG(Galway) and also completed a one year Masters MSc. in Occupational Health and Ergonomics. Last year he attained an MSc in Renewable Energies at The University of Ulster. Presently by day, he is a TEFL teacher-trainer and by night a freelance teacher of Renewable Energies, in Galway. He would like to work full time in Renewables Education and Research, and hopes to set up a Renewables Education Consultancy. (We still decided not to print the photograph he sent us for the previous issue as we couldn’t agree on whether he looked like a dashing playboy or a pirate) LP.
For further information about the course listed above please check out Dundalk Institute of Technology’s website at http://www.dkit.ie/index.asp?id=891 or contact me at www.renewableeducationireland.com.