School of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering

CREST was established in 1993, using funds made available by Professor Tony Marmont. The primary activity of the centre is to undertake research and education in renewable energy technology so as to provide substantial and benign energy options for present and future generations.

Today, CREST is firmly established as one of the leading international groups working in the field of renewable energy. The centre holds an excellent track record in research and education, with growing numbers of staff members and external contracts currently exceeding £1.5 million.

The CREST MSc programme in Renewable Energy Systems Technology (with both on-campus and distance learning study options) is well established as the leading course of its type in the UK and internationally, with over 300 graduates working in industry worldwide. The UK's premier professional Engineering Institutions (IET, IMechE and Energy Institute) have approved the CREST's MSc in Renewable Energy Systems Technology as Further Learning Requirements of the Engineering Council's UK SPEC. This means that graduates who have already completed accredited 3-year undergraduate degrees can use the CREST MSc as a direct route to Chartered Engineering status.

Research activities at CREST cover a range of technical applications, including wind power, solar PV, energy in buildings, grid connection & integration and energy storage (including hydrogen). CREST is a member of the European Renewable Energy Centres Agency. This is a network of over 40 of the top renewable energy research centres. CREST regularly collaborates on projects with many of these organisations

The CREST Team are guided by an Advisory Committee comprising experts from industry, academia and government whose role is to provide strategic input for the Centre.

Examples of projects CREST is currently involved in:

SUPERGEN Wind Energy Technologies

The SUPERGEN Wind Energy Technologies Consortium (SUPERGEN Wind) was established by the EPSRC on 23 March 2006 as part of the Sustainable Power Generation and Supply (SUPERGEN) programme. The SUPERGEN Wind Consortium is led by Strathclyde and Durham Universities and consists of 9 research groups including CREST at Loughborough University, with expertise in wind turbine technology, aerodynamics, hydrodynamics, materials, electrical machinery & control, and reliability & condition monitoring. The Consortium has the active support of 10 industrial partners, including wind farm operators, manufacturers and consultants.

The Consortium's principal objective is:

To undertake research to improve the cost-effective reliability and availability of existing and future large-scale wind turbine systems in the UK.

Stability and performance of photovoltaics (STAPP)

This programme aims to deliver improvements in understanding of the stability and long-term performance of photovoltaic modules; develop methods to describe holistic system performance; and reduce the uncertainty in life-time energy yield prediction from PV systems. A multidisciplinary, cross-national project, working across Universities in the UK and India and with the support of  industry and charitable organisations, this presents an opportunity to determine and map the potential for photovoltaic energy in varying climates and operating environments and propose solutions that will form a platform for step change in photovoltaic technology.

RCUK and the Indian Department of Science and Technology have each awarded £2.4 million for this project: EPSRC Grant Details - STAPP

PhotoVoltaic European Research Infrastructure (SOPHIA)

The objective of the SOPHIA project is to strengthen and optimise research capabilities, mainly by coordinating efforts on important but precompetitive issues. Large research infrastructures working together will avoid the useless replication of a large number of small efforts. The SOPHIA project aims at pulling together the main European photovoltaic research infrastructures in order to provide the scientific community with common referential to conduct efficient and coordinated research work in the field of PV technologies.

Funded under 7th FWP (Seventh Framework Programme) €9 million: CORDIS Grant Details - 262533

CREST’s research is focused on electricity generation from wind and solar energy and its integration into networks and systems. Systems integration often involves the application of advanced power electronic interfaces where the School of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering has considerable expertise, helping to keep CREST at the leading edge of research in this competitive and fast moving field.

CREST research operations are structured in five groups:

Renewable Energy Systems Technology MSc Full-Time or Distance Learning

Energise your future! The world-renowned post-graduate programme is delivered by international experts and benefits from strong industrial links across the renewable energy industry. You study the main renewable energy technologies, solar, wind, water and biomass along with electrical integration of renewables and policy issues.

The Renewable Energy Systems Technology MSc is also available for flexible online study. We have over 300 students enrolled on this successful part-time programme. Please visit the CREST Flexible Learning Web Site for further information, including the Quick Guide and FAQ sections. This is the same award as the full-time programme, but enables you to study for new career opportunities whilst working.

Both programmes are approved by the Institute of Energy Technology, Institute of Mechanical Engineers and the Energy Institute for those seeking Chartered Engineer status.

For details of the course content please visit our Postgraduate Study pages for the Renewable Energy Systems Technology MSc

Wind Power Summer School

The popular five-day wind power summer school has been offered for over ten years, regularly being updated to ensure currency. It covers key aspects of the wind power industry to meet the needs of engineers and project developers, but is also suited to non-specialists. Details of the 2012 Summer School will be available in the New Year.

For details of the 2011 Summer School click here.

Short Courses

Each of our short courses is a module on our MSc Programme with places subject to availability.. As a short course delegate, you may attend a module purely for your knowledge and skills needs, but if you would like to work towards a Postgraduate qualification, you may elect to take the appropriate assessment as a temporary student.

European Masters in Renewable Energy

CREST is a partner in the European Master of Science in Renewable Energy led by the EUREC Agency. Students can attend the first semester at Loughborough University. They then study at one of the partner institutions where they can specialise in particular renewable energy technologies. Further details about this course can be found at www.master.eurec.be.

Examples of recent publications include

Bliss, M., Betts, T.R. and Gottschalg, R., An LED-based Photovoltaic Measurement System with Variable Spectrum and Flash Speed, Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 93(6+7), June 2009, pp 825-830, ISSN 0927 0248.

Vorasayan, P., Betts, T.R., Tiwari, A.N. and Gottschalg, R., Multi-laser LBIC System for Thin Film PV Module Characterisation, Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, 93(6+7), June 2009, pp 917-921, ISSN 0927 0248.

Calnan, S., Upadhyaya, H.M., Buecheler, S., Khrypunov, G., Chirila, A., Romeo, A., Hashimoto, R., Nakada, T. and Tiwari, A.N., Application of High Mobility Transparent Conductors to Enhance Long Wavelength Transparency of the Intermediate Solar Cell in Multi-Junction Solar Cells, Thin Solid Films, 517(7), February 2009, pp 2340-2343.

Al-Buflasa, H., Infield, D.G., Watson, S.J. and Thomson, A.M., Wind Resource Assessment for the Kingdom of Bahrain, Wind Engineering, 32(5), 2008, pp 439-448.

Rowley, P.N., ''We Can Plan, Design, and Build for Low Carbon Living'', Placemaking, 1(1), Tennyson, L., Kochan, B. and Cowan, R., RUDI, London, London, 17th February 2008, pp 22-24.

Claudio, G., Bass, K., Heasman, K., Cole, A., Roberts, S., Watson, S.J. and Boreland, M., Surface passivation by silicon nitride in Laser Grooved Buried Contact (LGBC) silicon solar cells, Superlattices and microstructures, 45(4-5), 2009, pp 234-239.