Green Technology & Renewable Energy

Program Overview

This program examines the environmental and social impacts of green technology, evaluating its potential and limitations. It explores the main drivers for green technology development, scientific innovations to meet challenges, and potential conflicts arising from its implementation. Students can choose to complete an academic assessment for postgraduate-level academic credits.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

In the context of global climate change and the consequent need to phase out use of fossil fuels, the development of renewable energy sources has become one of the main drivers of the green economy. Developments in green technology can also improve efficiency and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, while reducing the ecological footprint of human activities. As a result, development and implementation of green technology has become a major political priority. However, such technologies can also have negative environmental impacts and become the focus of social concern, as illustrated by the public, political and media reaction to the development of wind farms. This course will examine the environmental and social impacts of different technologies, to evaluate critically which approaches might truly be considered ‘green’. You will consider the main environmental, political and socio-economic drivers for the development of green technology, and examine how these challenges are being met through scientific and technological innovation. In addition, the potential conflicts that can arise through the implementation of such technology will be examined. This unit is one of six taught units on the MSc Green Economy. You can choose to study the individual units as CPD with or without academic assessment. If you chose the assessed option, you can accrue academic credits towards a PGCert, PGDip or a Masters qualification. On successful completion of this assessment you will gain 20 academic credits at postgraduate level (Level 7). However, such developments are also often controversial. For example, will the widespread development of wind farms make a significant contribution to our energy needs, or are the environmental costs too high? Should nuclear power be considered as a green technology? Other key issues relate to the adoption of green technologies, analysis of their relative costs and benefits, and the creation of an enabling environment for scientific and technological innovation. Together, consideration of such issues enables the principal overarching question to be addressed: to what extent can the transition to sustainable development be achieved through technological means? The course will also enable you to understand the process of green technological development and its relationship to broader society. Key themes include:

• Motivations for using green technology and renewable energy
• Nuclear energy, Biomass and hydroelectric energy
• Solar and wind energy
• Wave, tidal and geothermal energy
• Life cycle analysis and Environmental Impact Assessment
• Energy efficiency technologies
• Green buildings and transport
• Sustainable waste management
• Carbon capture and geoengineering
• Green chemistry, green nanotechnologies and biomimicry

The course fee is £600.