Bachelor of Science in Energy

General Information

In 2009, the University of Limerick launched a BSc degree programme in Energy that will provide students with the scientific and technical expertise to address the largest issues of the 21st century: energy sustainability, energy control and climate change.

Energy requirements will double, perhaps even quadruple, by the end of the 21st century. Ireland is one of the most dependent countries in the world on imported energy, importing more than 85% of its fuel needs. However, we also occupy the windiest location in Europe, we are surrounded by water, with waves and tides, we can exploit solar and local geothermal sources, and we can even generate energy from our biowaste. In other words, there is an abundance of renewable energy that we can harness and we can be world leaders in the development of the science and technology to do so.

Making this a reality will take time, so we also need to use our existing energy supplies efficiently, by looking for ways to reduce consumption, reduce emissions, store energy and manage its use effectively.To tackle all these issues and more, we need trained energy graduates.The aim of the new BSc in Energy is to meet current and anticipated demand for such graduates by providing an interdisciplinary training for careers in energy provision, energy control, energy research, energy management, energy planning, energy consultancy, energy assessment, and energy and carbon trading services.

Course Structure

The programme is of four years duration. The first year provides students with an appropriate academic foundation in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and electronics/electrical science, in addition to introductory energy and sustainable development.

From 2nd year onwards students have a choice of specializing in one of four key areas (streams): namely Energy Markets, Power (Energy Control), Energy Management and Energy Science. In all four streams students will, in the 2nd year and 3rd years take additional modules in physics, chemistry, and electronics/electrical science, together with subjects such as Earth Science, and Energy and the Environment that build on the foundation year to provide a thorough understanding of energy.

Stream 1
Energy Markets: Energy markets have grown to become one of the biggest and most important 'financial markets' in today's global financial system, and like their financial counterparts, they have grown to become just as volatile. In this stream you will take courses in economics, and in the mathematics necessary to understand the operation of markets. In final year, you will take specialised science courses in alternative and traditional energies together with advanced financial and economics courses to provide a rigorous treatment of the economic rationale and financial workings of energy markets. Delivery of the stream's capstone module 'Energy Markets' will be based in the campus-based Trading Floor located in the Kemmy Business School.

Stream 2
Power (Energy Control)
In the future, there will increasingly be a mixture of wind, solar, ocean, wave and other renewables on the supply grid. This will mean increasing levels of independent and small scale local production. The Power stream focuses on the electrical energy systems of the future and the design and control of future distributed energy production networks.

Stream 3
Energy Management:There needs to be a complete re-invention of our concept of energy management. This will enable industrial organisations to improve their operating efficiencies, organise their activities in harmony with renewable energies, guarantee their security of supply and significantly reduce their exposure to energy costs with consequent competitive advantages. In developing your specialisation you will acquire the technical skills necessary to monitor and control energy consumption and look at how automation can be used to leverage the full benefits of sustainable energy sources. You will also study building services and the factors that determine the energy efficiency of buildings, and take courses in environmental management and project planning.

Stream 4
Energy Science:This specialisation is focused on the core science of energy, with a view to working in a research environment.Therefore you will study a broader range of science subjects that underpin energy, and cover certain subjects in more depth, such as Physical Chemistry which is critical to being able to develop the Fuel Cells and Energy Storage facilities of the future.You will also acquire the skills necessary to develop fuels from renewable sources, materials essential to renewable energy applications (combustion systems, fuel cells, solar cells etc.) and technologies that minimize environmental damage.

During the spring semester of the third year, a period of cooperative education (placement in industry) provides students on each stream with practical experience in a relevant work environment to complement their course work. This is organized by the University's Cooperative Education Department in collaboration with representatives from various industries, both in Ireland and abroad. During the final year, a project is undertaken that allows students to analyse a particular energy problem in depth. This also gives students interested in postgraduate research an opportunity to carry out an exploratory investigation of a potential research topic.

From Second Year, students specialise in either Markets; Power;Management; Science.
Examples of Electives

Entry Requirements

Applicants are required to hold, at the time of enrolment, the established Leaving Certificate (or an approved equivalent) with at least Grade C3 in two Higher Level subjects and Grade D3 in four Ordinary or Higher Level subjects (including Mathematics; Irish or another language; and English).

In addition, applicants are required to hold at least the following in the Leaving Certificate or an approved equivalent: Grade C3 in Higher Level Mathematics and a Grade D3 in a Higher, Common or Ordinary Level paper in any one of the following: Physics, Chemistry, Physics with Chemistry, Engineering,Technical Drawing/Design & Communication Graphics, Technology, Agricultural Science, Biology.
OR Grade B3 in Ordinary Level Mathematics (Grade D3 in Higher Level Mathematics also suffices) and Grade C3 in one of the following Higher Level papers:Applied Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Physics with Chemistry,Agricultural Science, Biology. Students can also enter this programme of study via the Science Choice degree LM117

A Special Mathematics Examination will be offered at UL following the Leaving Certificate results for those students who did not achieve the Mathematics requirement.

Career Prospects

Ireland’s energy providers will need trained personnel in current and new technologies.There will be employment opportunities with companies involved in energy production from wind, wave, solar and biofuel sources as well as in energy storage. In the future, energy will be a much more important consideration in planning roads, infrastructure and buildings to minimise energy costs while maintaining and enhancing the quality of life. Planners and consultants will require a knowledge of the energy costs associated with the manufacture, transport, use and disposal of products, and of avoidance measures such as conservation and renewable energy.There will be a need for consultants to analyse the energy and other lifetime resource costs associated with products and activities.They will have to be knowledgeable in techniques, principles and practices for analysing the environmental and economic impacts of projects in energy usage and energy development.

There will be energy challenges in designing the cities, towns and buildings of the future so Energy auditors will be required. They will need the skills and knowledge to monitor energy usage within the industrial sector and to modify and design processes and products for more efficient energy consumption.A variety of financial-technical roles in energy trading companies are also anticipated, for example in asset management companies with an alternative investment focus on energy and in financial institutions such as banks or risk-management consultancies. Finally, there will be a growing demand for energy researchers both on an international scale and on a national level in Ireland’s move towards the knowledge economy.At the newly established Charles Parson’s Institute at the University of Limerick, research is already being conducted on a wide range of ground-breaking areas. These include energy sources such as wind, ocean, solar and geothermal, electronic devices for energy control, electrochemical energy storage and next generation biofuels.