Unit 15 Principles of Alternative Energy (F/618/8094) Assignment Brief 2026

Unit 15 Principles of Alternative Energy Assignment Brief

Introduction

Buildings use about 40 per cent of global energy, 25 per cent of global water and 40 per cent of global resources in their construction and operation. Governments around the world have recognised the importance of tackling energy consumption in the built environment and have instituted legislation to address these issues. These resulting measures have often been supported by financial incentives to implement alternative energy systems and processes. They are also governed by rigorous targets and deadlines. Technologies that harness solar, wind and hydro energy are now established systems for generating power and heat. Along with other innovations, such as heat pumps and biofuel, these sustainable energy systems are often incorporated into the design of new construction projects.

The aim of this unit is to develop students’ knowledge of current and future energy technologies and to be able to apply that knowledge to the analysis and assessment of their effectiveness. Students will also apply their knowledge and research to a design activity.

On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to research and design alternative energy systems and assess new technologies available to the construction industry.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this unit, students will be able to:

LO1 Examine the different contexts that inform discussions on environmental sustainability

LO2 Discuss types of alternative energy systems and how they support sustainability

LO3 Explain the factors that inform the selection of a renewable energy system in relation to a specific installation

LO4 Present a strategy for a cost- effective upgrade to an existing building, utilising an appropriate form of alternative energy.

Essential Content

LO1 Examine the different contexts that inform discussions on environmental sustainability

• Definitions of sustainability
• Environmental sustainability
• Social sustainability
• Economic sustainability
• Cultural sustainability
• Environmental context
• Effects of CO2 emissions
• Greenhouse effect
• Waste products and management
• Health issues
• Impact of construction industry on the environment
• Resource context
• Non- renewable resources (e.g., fossil fuels, nuclear fuels)
• Renewable resources (e.g., wind, solar, biomass)
• Environmental cost of renewables (e.g., manufacture, transportation, installation)
• Political context
• Global agreements (e.g., Kyoto Agreement, Paris Accord)
• National/regional targets
• Carbon offset and carbon trading

LO2 Discuss types of alternative energy systems and how they support sustainability

• Renewables
• Solar (e.g., solar heating/hot water, photovoltaic systems)
• Wind (e.g., wind turbines, windfarms (offshore, onshore), small- scale generation)
• Hydro- electrical systems
• Geothermal
• Wave/tidal power
• Biomass (e.g., biofuel, biogas)
• Conservation
• Combined heat and power (CHP)
• Heat pumps
• Heat exchangers
• Carbon- neutral fuels (e.g., microalgae)
• Energy storage
• Advances
• Robotics (e.g., used for installation, maintenance)
• Optical furnaces (used to produce solar cells)
• Improved storage (e.g., liquid metal batteries, hydrogen cell)
• Solar systems (e.g., sun- tracking solar cells, solar energy harvesting from space, molten salt solar power)

LO3 Explain the factors that inform the selection of a renewable energy system in relation to a specific installation

• Environmental factors
• Effects of weather, light availability and quality
• Presence of natural resources needed to drive the system
• Political factors
• Government targets/policies
• Regulatory requirements/obstacles
• Social factors
• Aesthetics
• Neighbours
• Conservation
• Technical and design factors
• Client requirements
• Building structure (e.g., Can building support proposed systems?)
• Access
• Required power output (e.g., electrical, heating, ventilation, cooling)
• Regulatory requirements (e.g., planning restrictions, building regulations)
• Cost factors
• Tariffs and tariff calculations
• Installation costs
• Cumulative savings
• Safety factors
• Health and safety regulations
• Safety factors in energy generation
• Safety factors in energy storage

LO4 Present a strategy for a cost- effective upgrade to an existing building, utilising an appropriate form of alternative energy

• Project characteristics
• Building use (e.g., residential, commercial, industrial)
• Scale
• Energy requirements. (e.g., electrical load, heating requirements, ventilation requirements, cooling load)
• Client requirements
• Budget
• Proposed building use
• Strategy
• System specification (e.g., energy production type, equipment required)
• Installation method and requirements (e.g., method statement, health and safety plan, structural requirements, construction requirements, cost estimate)
• Monitoring (e.g., monitoring equipment, energy production, energy use, cost)

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria

Recommended Resources

Print resources

ARMSTRONG, J. (2021), The Future of Energy: The 2021 Guide to the Energy Transition – Renewable Energy, Energy Technology, Sustainability, Hydrogen and More, Energy Technology Publishing
DUFFY, A., ROGERS, M., AYOMPE, L. (2015), Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, John Wiley & Sons
GRINNELL, S. (2015), Renewable Energy & Sustainable Design, Cengage Learning
JELLEY, N. (2020), Renewable Energy: a Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, USA
TWIDELL, J., WEIR, T. (2015), Renewable Energy Resources, Routledge
USHER, B. (2019), Renewable Energy, Columbia University Press

Links

This unit links to the following related units:

• Unit 6: Digital Applications for Construction Information
• Unit 9: Principles of Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning
• Unit 18: Principles of Electrical Design & Installation
• Unit 37: Advanced Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Design & Installation
• Unit 49: Advanced Electrical Design & Installation

Answer

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