Renewable Energy Engineering
Renewable energy engineering is the discipline of designing, building and operating the systems that generate power from sustainable natural sources, including wind, solar, hydropower, tidal energy and biomass. As the world transitions away from fossil fuels, the demand for engineers who can work across these technologies has grown significantly, and the scale of investment in the energy transition means that graduates with real technical capability are entering a field of genuine importance and opportunity. At the University of Portsmouth this three-year programme provides the engineering foundations to work across the sector.
You will study the fundamental principles of electrical and mechanical engineering alongside specialised content in renewable energy technologies, power systems, energy conversion and sustainability. Laboratory work and design projects develop your practical skills and your ability to apply theory to real engineering challenges. The programme includes a sandwich year, giving you a substantial period of industry experience before you complete your degree, as well as work placements and the option of a year abroad.
This structure means you graduate with both a strong academic foundation and meaningful professional experience, which employers in the energy sector consistently identify as a differentiator when recruiting graduate engineers.
Graduates go on to work with energy companies, engineering consultancies, government agencies and international development organisations on projects spanning offshore wind, solar photovoltaic installation, grid integration, energy storage and building efficiency. Chartered engineer status, available through institutions such as the Institution of Engineering and Technology, is a common professional aspiration, and the BEng provides the academic foundation for that pathway. Some graduates go on to postgraduate study or research in renewable energy, power engineering or sustainable development, particularly if they want to specialise further or move into technical leadership roles.