Every renewable energy project starts with a physical resource: sunlight, wind, falling water, waves, tides or biomass. Understanding where that resource comes from, how it varies and how it can be measured and quantified is the foundation of credible project assessment. This course explores the natural resources that the main renewable technologies draw on, starting with the wider energy system and moving through site measurement and resource assessment to the engineering of wind turbines. It emphasises the governing equations, assessment methods and worked calculations used in professional renewable resource analysis. Topics include energy sources, demand, climate and electricity networks; sun-earth geometry, solar radiation and tilted surfaces; wind origins, wind shear, Weibull analysis and site assessment; hydro head and flow; wave propagation and power; tide mechanics, barrages and tidal currents; biomass conversion routes; and wind turbine rotor aerodynamics, Betz and blade element momentum theory, control, structural dynamics, fatigue, materials and offshore economics. Three practice papers consolidate the learning.
Course at a glance: Duration 20 hours · Self-paced online · 12 sections, 41 lessons, a 223-page downloadable course book
What you will learn
- Describe global energy use, climate drivers and the role of different generation sources within electricity networks.
- Explain the physical origin and geographical distribution of solar, wind, hydro, wave, tidal and bioenergy resources.
- Apply standard methods and governing equations to estimate renewable resource potential at candidate sites.
- Interpret measurements, datasets and assessment workflows used in solar, wind, hydro, wave and tidal resource evaluation.
- Explain sun-earth geometry and how radiation on tilted surfaces is estimated.
- Use wind shear profiles and Weibull statistics to characterise a wind resource.
- Analyse wind turbine engineering concepts including aerodynamics, control, structural loading, fatigue, offshore engineering and project economics.
Inside the course: a high-level summary, section by section.
Energy systems context
The course opens with the energy sources that power society, fossil fuels, nuclear fuels and renewables, and the limitations of each, including finite reserves, polluting by-products and political control issues for conventional fuels. Demand and climate link energy use to emissions and climate change, establishing the case for low-carbon generation. Electricity networks are introduced to explain how generation, transmission, distribution and balancing work, and why variable renewable generation poses particular challenges for grid operators.
Solar resource
Solar resource assessment starts with sun-earth geometry. The course explains solar declination, hour angle, solar altitude and azimuth and how they change with time of day, season and latitude. Solar radiation is described in terms of extraterrestrial radiation, atmospheric attenuation and the split between direct and diffuse components. Radiation on tilted surfaces is estimated by combining these components with collector orientation, which is essential for photovoltaic and solar thermal design. Solar measurements, including the instruments used and how datasets are interpreted, complete the section.
Wind resource
Wind originates from uneven solar heating of the earth and is modified by pressure systems, the earth’s rotation and terrain. Wind shear describes how wind speed increases with height above the ground, and the course explains the profiles used to extrapolate measurements to hub height. Weibull analysis provides a statistical description of wind speed distributions, allowing engineers to estimate the energy available at a site. Site assessment brings these together with measurement campaigns and data analysis.
Hydro resource
Hydropower depends on head and flow. The course explains the principles of converting potential energy of water into electricity, how head and flow are measured at a site and how they determine available power. A discussion of the hydro debate examines the environmental and social trade-offs of large and small schemes.
Wave and tidal resources
Waves are generated by wind and carry energy across oceans. The course explains wave basics, wave propagation in deep and shallow water and how wave power per unit crest length depends on wave height and period. Tides arise from the gravitational interaction of the earth, moon and sun; tide mechanics, the way coastlines and estuaries can enhance tidal range, barrage power and tidal stream currents are explained, showing how range and stream technologies exploit different aspects of the same phenomenon.
Bioenergy
Biomass stores solar energy through photosynthesis. Biomass origins, conversion routes, combustion, gasification, anaerobic digestion and biofuels, and a district heating case study show how bioenergy can be used effectively.
Wind turbine engineering
The final technical section examines wind turbines in depth. Rotor aerodynamics explains how blades extract energy from the wind through lift. Betz theory sets the theoretical limit on energy extraction, and blade element momentum theory links blade geometry to performance. Control systems, pitch and yaw control and variable speed operation, regulate power and limit loads. Structural dynamics and fatigue are crucial because turbines experience millions of load cycles, and materials selection for blades and towers addresses these demands. Offshore economics considers the costs and benefits of offshore wind, including foundations, installation and operations.
Practice papers
Three practice papers allow learners to apply the methods across the full syllabus under exam-like conditions, reinforcing calculation skills and conceptual understanding. Working through mixed papers is particularly valuable because it forces learners to recognise which resource model and which governing equation apply to an unfamiliar problem, rather than simply repeating the method from the lesson they have just studied. It also builds the habit of checking units, assumptions and orders of magnitude, which is essential when resource estimates feed directly into investment decisions.
From resource to energy yield
A theme that connects the sections is the path from a physical resource to a credible estimate of delivered energy. For each technology the course follows the same logic: understand what drives the resource, measure it at the site, describe its variability statistically, convert it into available power using the governing equations, and then account for the limits of the conversion technology. Comparing technologies in this way highlights why some resources are more predictable than others, why capacity factors differ, and why measurement quality and record length matter so much to the confidence of a resource assessment.
Why this matters in practice
Renewable energy projects depend on accurate resource assessment and sound engineering. Engineers who understand resource physics, measurement and quantification can evaluate sites, review consultants’ assessments, contribute to feasibility studies and understand the engineering challenges of wind turbines and other technologies.
Because the same reasoning, from resource physics to quantified yield, is applied to each technology in turn, the course also makes it easier to compare very different renewable options on a consistent basis.
Key takeaways
You leave able to explain the energy systems context, estimate solar, wind, hydro, wave and tidal resource potential, interpret measurement datasets, describe bioenergy conversion routes and analyse wind turbine aerodynamics, control, structures and economics.
How you study
The course is delivered fully online and is self-paced, so you can fit roughly 20 hours of study around professional commitments. Lessons combine clear explanation with examples, diagrams and short interactive checks, and the main sections end with graded quizzes (9 in total) so you can confirm you can apply each method before moving on. A 223-page course book can be downloaded and printed for offline reading and later reference.
Course contents
- Energy Fundamentals: Energy History; Energy Sources; Demand and Climate; Electricity Networks
- Solar Resource: Sun-Earth Geometry; Solar Radiation; Tilted Surfaces; Solar Measurements
- Wind Resource: Wind Origins; Wind Shear; Weibull Analysis; Site Assessment
- Hydropower: Hydro Principles; Head and Flow; Site Measurement; Hydro Debate
- Wave Resource: Wave Basics; Wave Propagation; Wave Power
- Tidal Resource: Tide Mechanics; Range Enhancement; Barrage Power; Tidal Currents
- Bioenergy and Biomass: Biomass Origins; Conversion Routes; District Heating Case
- Wind Turbine Engineering: Rotor Aerodynamics; Betz and BEM; Control Systems; Structural Dynamics; Fatigue and Materials; Offshore Economics
- Practice Examinations: Practice Paper A; Practice Paper B; Practice Paper C
- Summary: Key Takeaways
Who this course is for
This course is for engineering graduates and early-career engineers in renewable energy, power, mechanical, civil and environmental engineering, as well as professionals moving into the renewables sector. Basic engineering mathematics and physics are assumed.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Renewable Energy Technologies take?
The course is designed for about 20 hours of study. It is self-paced and fully online, so you can spread it over a few weeks or complete it more quickly.
What is covered?
The course is organised into 12 sections with 41 lessons, moving from foundations to applied methods, as summarised above.
Is there material to keep after the course?
Yes. A downloadable 223-page course book accompanies the lessons for offline reading and later reference.
How is progress checked?
Each main section closes with a graded quiz (9 in total). The quizzes test understanding of the concepts and methods explained in the lessons rather than memorisation, and you can review the relevant lessons before attempting them.
Can I record this study for my own professional development?
Yes. The course notebook includes a self-assessment of the course objectives before and after study, a reflection page and a learning log, which you can use to keep your own record of professional development.
Duration: 20 hours
Related courses: H02 – Energy Policy and Economics; D05 – Offshore Hydromechanics; D14 – Design of Fixed and Floating Offshore Systems; B07 – Propeller-Engine Matching & Ship Resistance
Enrol
Study at your own pace and work through the full course material, worked examples and section quizzes. Enrol in H01 – Renewable Energy Technologies →
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