PENG9530 Advanced Topics in Building Services Engineering Course description

The course offers in-depth study of solutions within the fields of building services engineering and integrated energy design of buildings, focusing on solutions that improve the sustainability and climate-adaptiveness of the built environment

The course will be offered once a year, provided 3 or more students sign up for the course. If less than 3 students sign up for a course, the course will be cancelled for that year.

Students should be aware that a master's degree in a related engineering discipline (electrical, construction, building services, architectural engineering or renewable energy) and relevant undergraduate courses covering the topics of basic indoor climate, and heat and mass transfer is recommended in order to complete this course.

Students who complete the course are expected to have the following learning outcomes, defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge:

On successful completion of the course, the student:

• has a good understanding of the latest developments in the field.
• has a deep understanding of the fundamental scientific theories, standards and methods that are applied in the field.
• can evaluate the appropriateness and application of various scientific methods and approaches to research and development in the field.
• can contribute to the development of new knowledge, theories, methods, standards, interpretations and documentation in the field.

Skills:

On successful completion of the course, the student can:

• deal with complex technical questions and challenge established knowledge and practices within the field.
• formulate questions, and plan and carry out research development work at an international level in the field.

General competence:

On successful completion of the course, the student can:

• manage complex interdisciplinary tasks and projects 
• pursue their research ethically and with professional integrity.
• participate in debates in international fora.
• communicate research and development though recognised national and international channels

The course includes the following specific topics:

• indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and health for human occupants: in-depth study of indoor air quality (IAQ), user control, thermal preferences and adaption. Advanced methods for field studies of IEQ/IAQ.
• design of building envelopes, including building form, materials and their environmental assessment, and climate-adaption.
• HVAC and building automation, including demand-control, automated commissioning, and optimisation of operation and facilities management.
• building-integrated and city-wide renewable energy supply, including solar energy and energy storage.
• methods for numerical simulation of indoor climate and energy use in buildings
• theory and application of life-cycle analysis (LCA), and its methodological issues

Where appropriate, individual students will be introduced to specific parts of the course by attendance at selected lectures in master courses in the autumn:

• Seminars/lectures where students present specific parts of the subject matter.
• In addition, appropriate exercises (calculation or written) will be given, connected to the student's PhD project subject area

The following required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam:

• All planned seminars must be completed.

• The given exercises must be passed

Individual oral examination.

The exam cannot be appealed.

Closed book examination. No handwritten notes are permitted. A basic electronic calculator may be used.

Pass or fail.

Internal examination, with two examiners present. External examiner is used periodically.