PH32057: Sustainable energy technologies
[Page last updated: 28 April 2025]
| Academic Year: | 2025/26 |
| Owning Department/School: | Department of Physics |
| Credits: | 5 [equivalent to 10 CATS credits] |
| Notional Study Hours: | 100 |
| Level: | Honours (FHEQ level 6) |
| Period: |
- Semester 2
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| Assessment Summary: | EXOB 100% |
| Assessment Detail: |
- Written examination (EXOB 100%)
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| Supplementary Assessment: |
- Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
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| Requisites: |
Before or while taking this module you must take PH32013 AND take PH32046
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| Learning Outcomes: |
After taking this unit, the student should be able to:
芒锟铰escribe the challenges related to energy consumption and generation that must be addressed to reverse global warming and climate change;
芒锟铰escribe sources of energy consumption and passive ways in which they can be reduced;
芒锟铰escribe the generation of energy using photovoltaic and harvesting technologies;
芒锟铰escribe current battery technologies and energy storage devices and discuss emerging developments in these areas.
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| Synopsis: | You will be introduced to topics in materials physics that underpin our understanding of sustainable energy technologies. You will learn about the operational principles of structures and devices that are key in reducing our carbon emissions, from currently used solar cells and batteries to new technologies based on piezoelectricity, electret materials and supercapacitors.
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| Content: | General introduction: energy, global warming, energy scenarios, the possible role of solar energy, and other sources of energy that are proposed to solve our energy crisis.
Review of technologies to reduce energy consumption, e.g., low thermal conductivity building materials, heat pumps etc.
Review of the fundamental physics of solar cells and materials; description of how solar cell modules and systems are made. Discussion of the financial and energetic costs of solar cells. Introduction to various photovoltaic (PV) technologies based on both organic and inorganic materials including the chemistry and synthesis of PV materials and purification of silicon.
Review of modern technologies to harvest energy from various omnipresent sources such as mechanical vibration. Introduction to new concepts such as piezoelectricity, and electret materials. Physical principles for various energy harvesting concepts for low-power electronic devices as well as approaches to evaluate such complex systems.
Review of battery technologies, in particular Li-ion batteries, their advantages and limitations. Alternatives to Li-ion batteries, including solid-state batteries, and the chemistry and physics challenges posed by such systems. Advantages and limitations of capacitors and super-caps as alternative energy storage media.
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| Course availability: |
PH32057 is Optional on the following courses:
Department of Chemistry
- USSC-AFB10 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics) (Year 3)
- USSC-AFB10 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Physics) (Year 3)
- USSC-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Physics stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
- USSC-AFB10 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology) (Year 3)
- USSC-AFB10 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Chemistry) (Year 3)
- USSC-AAB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Chemistry stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- USSC-AKB01 : BSc(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Chemistry stream) with Year long work placement (Year 4)
- USSC-AFM10 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics) (Year 3)
- USSC-AAM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Biology with Physics stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- USSC-AFM10 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Physics) (Year 3)
- USSC-AAM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Physics stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- USSC-AKM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Chemistry with Physics stream) with Professional Placement (Year 4)
- USSC-AFM10 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology) (Year 3)
- USSC-AAM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- USSC-AKM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Biology stream) with Professional Placement (Year 4)
- USSC-AFM10 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Chemistry) (Year 3)
- USSC-AAM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Chemistry stream) with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- USSC-AKM01 : MSci(Hons) Natural Sciences (Physics with Chemistry stream) with Professional Placement (Year 4)
Department of Physics
- USPH-AFB26 : BSc(Hons) Mathematics and Physics (Year 3)
- USXX-AAB04 : BSc(Hons) Mathematics and Physics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- USXX-AKB04 : BSc(Hons) Mathematics and Physics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
- USPH-AFB20 : BSc(Hons) Physics (Year 3)
- USPH-AAB02 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- USPH-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
- USPH-AFB22 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics (Year 3)
- USPH-AAB10 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- USPH-AKB10 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
- USPH-AFB24 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Theoretical Physics (Year 3)
- USPH-AAB16 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Theoretical Physics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- USPH-AKB16 : BSc(Hons) Physics with Theoretical Physics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
- USPH-AFM20 : MPhys(Hons) Physics (Year 3)
- USPH-AAM12 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- USPH-AKM03 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Professional Placement (Year 4)
- USPH-AKM04 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Professional and Research Placements (Year 4)
- USPH-AFM22 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics (Year 3)
- USPH-AAM14 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- USPH-AKM10 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Professional Placement (Year 4)
- USPH-AKM11 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Professional and Research Placements (Year 4)
- USPH-AFM23 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with research placement (Year 3)
- USPH-AAM15 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Astrophysics with Study year abroad and Research Placement (Year 4)
- USPH-AFM21 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with research placement (Year 3)
- USPH-AAM13 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Study year abroad and Research Placement (Year 4)
- USPH-AFM24 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Theoretical Physics (Year 3)
- USPH-AAM16 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Theoretical Physics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- USPH-AKM16 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Theoretical Physics with Professional Placement (Year 4)
- USPH-AKM17 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Theoretical Physics with Professional and Research Placements (Year 4)
- USPH-AFM25 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Theoretical Physics with research placement (Year 3)
- USPH-AAM17 : MPhys(Hons) Physics with Theoretical Physics with Study year abroad and Research Placement (Year 4)
- USPH-AFM26 : MSci(Hons) Mathematics and Physics (Year 3)
- USXX-AAM01 : MSci(Hons) Mathematics and Physics with Study year abroad (Year 4)
- USXX-AKM01 : MSci(Hons) Mathematics and Physics with Year long work placement (Year 4)
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Notes: - This unit catalogue is applicable for the 2025/26 academic year only. Students continuing their studies into 2026/27 and beyond should not assume that this unit will be available in future years in the format displayed here for 2025/26.
- 好色tv and units are subject to change in accordance with normal University procedures.
- Availability of units will be subject to constraints such as staff availability, minimum and maximum group sizes, and timetabling factors as well as a student's ability to meet any pre-requisite rules.
- Find out more about these and other important University terms and conditions here.
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