We are passionate about sharing with our students the vital role they each have now and as future professionals in promoting a sustainable future for all. We believe that sustainability is not the domain of one discipline or profession. It is the responsibility of all disciplines, professions, organisations and individuals.
That is why on each of our courses within the Belfast School of Architecture and the Built Environment you will learn about the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the contribution you can make now, and as a graduate in the Built Environment.
Read the course details below to find out more.
MSc Energy Storage provides the expertise to fulfil the expectations of an energy storage market that is predicted to grow to $250 billion by 2040.
Energy Storage is a rapidly developing field of study within academia and industry, in response to the need to decarbonise our energy systems through renewable energy. Bloomberg New Energy Finance predicts explosive growth over the next 12 years.
Our MSc Energy Storage programme will enable graduates to embark on a professional career in energy storage with the high-level skills needed to meet emerging challenges. Large-scale renewable energy from non-dispatchable wind and solar energy, for example, has threatened the operation of electricity networks in several countries.
You will be introduced to the essential areas of renewable energy, energy management, distributed energy resource management and energy storage technologies.
A vital feature of the course is our staff; you will be taught by published academics who will enhance your learning experience with research-led teaching.
The course has been accredited in 2022 by the Energy Institute.
We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.
Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:
For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.
For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
In this section
The MSc Energy Storage Applied Research programme is a 24 months full-time Master’s degree designed for those who are keen to address the challenges to move towards a low carbon society.
The programme provides a thorough grounding in the core disciplines of energy storage and is embedded in global best practice, technology and economics of its deployment. The course combines technology understanding with critical assessment of performance characteristics within energy market structures, giving graduates an expertise in sizing and selecting the optimum energy storage technology.
The course is delivered by the Centre of Sustainable Technologies (CST), whose knowledge, facilities, industrial links and data sets are drawn from more than £10M of externally funded past and current projects in energy storage. As a primary example, SPIRE 2 – Storage Platform for the Integration of Renewable Energy - is a University of Ulster led EU funded Euro 6.7M cross border project exploring how energy storage resources owned by business and domestic consumers can resolve the problem of the variability of output from renewable energy.
Students will have the opportunity to engage with industry during their research dissertation project and through the participation in workshops/seminars organised by the Centre for Sustainable Technologies linked to national and international projects in the field of energy storage and energy.
You will be taught by published academics who will enhance your learning experience with research-led teaching. Research is a core activity of the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment.
The Centre for Sustainable Technologies (CST) is one research centre within the Faculty. The centre focuses on energy as its core activity and has a strong portfolio of energy and energy storage related projects focussing on the modelling and development of both electrical and thermal storage technologies and their place in Distributed Energy Resource Systems and their markets. World leading research is demonstrated by over £10M of externally funded research income in energy storage from EU, EPSRC and SfI and over 140 peer reviewed publications in this and related fields.
Modules
Students commencing the programme in January entry will undertake the following modules:
International Best Practice in Energy Storage Integration
Semester: 2
Status: C
This module will provide the participant with a global overview of best practice that demonstrates the successful integration of Renewable Energy in both the electricity Transmission System and the electricity Distribution System. Furthermore, it will address in detail heating, cooling and alternative distributed energy resource applications in a global context.
Distributed Energy Resources
Semester: 2
Status: C
The aims of the module are to understand through a series of lectures and seminars, the array of techniques and technologies associated with demand side management and how its role in variable renewable energy management has evolved into consideration as distributed energy resources (DER). DER will be demonstrated in laboratories and assessment will be through a series of design problems to test your mastery of this specialist area.
Electricity Storage and Electricity Networks
Semester: 2
Status: C
The aims of the module are to understand through a series of lectures and seminars, the technologies that enable direct or indirect electricity storage. Such systems in a global context are at a range of scales and are dependent on local geographical, environmental, infrastructural and economic factors. The understanding of the role of electrical storage technologies in storing and managing both electricity supplies and demands
Energy Policy, Markets and Economics
Semester: 2
Status: C
This module examines current and future energy markets, market participation, the development of the smart grid and how building-integrated storage and generation can be used to optimise profit and energy efficiency.
Thermal Storage and Heat Networks
Semester: 1
Status: C
This module will provide the participant with a global overview of best practice that demonstrates the successful integration of Renewable Energy in both the electricity Transmission System to the electricity Distribution System. Furthermore, it will address in detail heating, cooling and alternative distributed energy resource applications in a global context.
Current Status of Energy Systems
Semester: 1
Status: C
Energy resources, energy production, energy economics and the environment are all inextricably linked. These ties need to be enforced if the concept of sustainability is to be realised.
Wind Energy Conversion Technologies
Semester: 1
Status: C
This module will introduce students to wind energy theory and technology, resource assessment and wind farm site development. It will also discuss the implications of both very large scale development and large numbers of individual turbines on existing electricity distribution networks.
Solar energy processes and technologies
Semester: 1
Status: C
This module will enable students to appreciate, analyse and evaluate current solar energy technologies and understand how these resources may be managed with a view to future sustainability and demonstrate how the management of energy can benefit industry financially in the short term and influence sustainability in the longer term.
The Applied Research route requires the student to undertake a Research Dissertation (Specialism) module of 120 credits.
Research Dissertation (Specialism)
(120 credits)
Students undertaking the extended Masters AR course (of 240 credits) must successfully complete this module.
This module will allow the student to undertake an independent, in-depth study of a particular aspect of energy storage, renewable energy technology or energy management strategy, policy or implementation whether covered in the course or not. It will provide an opportunity for students to integrate knowledge in the identification, description analysis and, where appropriate, solution of a problem within the area of Renewable Energy and Energy Management, and to place it within the context of existing knowledge and recent
developments in this area.
Teaching will be delivered on the Belfast campus. Students will have the opportunity to have direct contact with the team, access seminars to engage with industry and generate experience in the laboratories of the Centre for Sustainable Technologies at Belfast campus.
Teaching methods are diverse and planned for an advanced education in energy storage. Lectures are considered an effective way of engaging students and communicating knowledge coherently. There are both face to face and on-line teaching through our University’s VLE, Blackboard Learn (BBL). Practical, laboratory-based work is a central activity, and the Centre for Sustainable Technologies has a number of state-of-the-art laboratories in which renewable and energy storage systems can be both demonstrated and assessed.
The modules are all 15 credit point modules, except for the dissertation module with Specialism that is 120 credit points, for a total of 240 credits. Modules are all 100% coursework. There are a maximum of two items of assessment in a module. An item may include more than one component, but the overall item will have a single mark.
The content for each course is summarised on the relevant course page, along with an overview of the modules that make up the course.
Each course is approved by the University and meets the expectations of:
As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements - usually in the form of a timetable. For full-time courses, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until close to the start date and may be subject to some change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. For part-time courses which require attendance on particular days and times, an expectation of the days and periods of attendance will be included in the letter of offer. A course handbook is also made available.
Courses comprise modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by its credit rating. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort. Undergraduate courses typically contain 10, 20, or 40 credit modules (more usually 20) and postgraduate courses typically 15 or 30 credit modules.
The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points. This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment. Teaching and learning activities will be in-person and/or online depending on the nature of the course. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.
Postgraduate Master’s courses typically comprise 180 credits, taken in three semesters when studied full-time. A Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) comprises 60 credits and can usually be completed on a part-time basis in one year. A 120-credit Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) can usually be completed on a part-time basis in two years.
Class contact times vary by course and type of module. Typically, for a module predominantly delivered through lectures you can expect at least 3 contact hours per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials). Laboratory classes often require a greater intensity of attendance in blocks. Some modules may combine lecture and laboratory. The precise model will depend on the course you apply for and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. Prospective students will be consulted about any significant changes.
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.
The class of Honours awarded in Bachelor’s degrees is usually determined by calculation of an aggregate mark based on performance across the modules at Levels 5 and 6, (which correspond to the second and third year of full-time attendance).
Level 6 modules contribute 70% of the aggregate mark and Level 5 contributes 30% to the calculation of the class of the award. Classification of integrated Master’s degrees with Honours include a Level 7 component. The calculation in this case is: 50% Level 7, 30% Level 6, 20% Level 5. At least half the Level 5 modules must be studied at the University for Level 5 to be included in the calculation of the class.
All other qualifications have an overall grade determined by results in modules from the final level of study.
In Masters degrees of more than 200 credit points the final 120 points usually determine the overall grading.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 60% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.
Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (19%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (22%) or Lecturers (57%).
We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic and learning support staff (85%) are recognised as fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advance HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.
The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.
Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
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Here is a guide to the subjects studied on this course.
Courses are continually reviewed to take advantage of new teaching approaches and developments in research, industry and the professions. Please be aware that modules may change for your year of entry. The exact modules available and their order may vary depending on course updates, staff availability, timetabling and student demand. Please contact the course team for the most up to date module list.
Year: 1
Status: C
This module will provide the participant with a global overview of best practice that demonstrates the successful integration of intermittent renewable energy sources. Furthermore it will help students to acquire digital skills for energy modelling.
Year: 1
Status: C
This module will provide the participant with a global overview of best practice that demonstrates the successful integration of Renewable Energy in both the electricity Transmission System to the electricity Distribution System. Furthermore, it will address in detail heating, cooling and alternative distributed energy resource applications in a global context.
Year: 1
Status: C
The aims of the module are to understand through a series of lectures and seminars, the array of techniques and technologies associated with demand side management and how its role in variable renewable energy management has evolved into consideration as distributed energy resources (DER). DER will be demonstrated in laboratories data and assessment will be through a case study to test your mastery of this specialist area.
Year: 1
Status: C
This module gives students a detailed understanding of the physical, economic and environmental aspects of modern grid architecture, in high renewables-penetration scenarios. As well as the design, operation and maintenance of power grids, students will learn about the vital role of grid-scale storage technologies in current and future low/zero-carbon systems.
Year: 1
Status: C
This module examines current and future challenges for energy system decarbonisation through energy policy, market and economic assessments.
Year: 1
Status: C
Energy resources, energy production, energy economics and the environment are all inextricably linked. These ties need to be enforced if the concept of sustainability is to be realised.
Year: 1
Status: C
This module will introduce students to wind energy theory and technology, resource assessment and wind farm site development. It will also discuss the implications of both very large scale development and large numbers of individual turbines on existing electricity distribution networks.
Year: 1
Status: C
This module will enable students to appreciate, analyse and evaluate current solar energy technologies and understand how these resources may be combined with storage solutions and managed with a view to future sustainability and demonstrate how the management of energy can benefit industry financially in the short term and influence sustainability in the longer term.
Status: O
Year: 1
This module is optional
This module will allow the student to undertake an independent, in-depth study of a particular aspect of renewable energy technology or energy management strategy, policy or implementation whether covered in the course or not. It will provide an opportunity for students to integrate knowledge in the identification, description analysis and, where appropriate, solution of a problem within the area of Renewable Energy and Energy Management, and to place it within the context of existing knowledge and recent developments in this area.
Status: O
Year: 2
This module is optional
This module will allow the student to undertake an independent, in-depth study of a particular aspect of energy storage, renewable energy technology or energy management strategy, policy or implementation whether covered in the course or not. It will provide an opportunity for students to integrate knowledge in the identification, description analysis and, where appropriate, solution of a problem within the area of Renewable Energy and Energy Management, and to place it within the context of existing knowledge and recent
developments in this area.
We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.
Applicants must:
(a) have gained:
(i) a second class honours degree or better, in the subject areas of science or engineering or related discipline, from a university of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, or from a recognised national awarding body, or from an institution of another country which has been recognised as being of an equivalent standard;
or
(ii) an equivalent standard (normally 50%) in a Graduate Diploma, Graduate Certificate, Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma or an approved alternative qualification; and the qualification must be in the subject areas of science, engineering or related discipline.
and
(b) provide evidence of competence in written and spoken English (GCSE grade C or equivalent).
In exceptional circumstances, as an alternative to (a) (i) or (a) (ii) and/or (b), where an individual has substantial and significant experiential learning, a portfolio of written evidence demonstrating the meeting of graduate qualities (including subject-specific outcomes, as determined by the Course Committee) may be considered as an alternative entrance route. Evidence used to demonstrate graduate qualities may not be used for exemption against modules within the programme.
English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.
Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.
Students may be admitted to the programme in line with Accreditation of Prior Learning guidelines. Students from this course would be eligible to directly enter graduate employment or to proceed to further study at PhD level.
In this section
The MSc Energy Storage programme aims to prepare students for a successful career in energy or energy storage. In the United States, it is predicted that there will be over 350,000 energy storage jobs by 2025. The EU will support a new battery cell manufacturing industry with a 200M Euro investment. The UK Clean Growth Strategy reports over 430,000 in the low carbon sector and 17,750 jobs linked with the growing energy storage and electric vehicle industry.
Students will have the opportunity to apply for a job or improving their position in energy transmission companies, energy distribution companies, energy supply companies, consultancies and at a regional or national government level.
Furthermore, employability is at the heart of Ulster University vision. The MSc Energy Storage programme will allow students to develop and enhance their employability skills. Employability is embedded within the modules rather than concentrating on specific modules.
Furthermore, employability is at the heart of Ulster University vision. The MSc Energy Storage will allow students to develop and enhance their employability skills. Employability is embedded within the modules rather than concentrating on specific modules.
Postgraduate fees are subject to annual review, 2025/26 fees will be announced in due course.
See our tuition fees page for the current fees for 2024/25 entry.
It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.
Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them above. We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free Wi-Fi are also available on each of the campuses.
There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.
See the tuition fees on our student guide for most up to date costs.
We know that choosing to study at university is a big decision, and you may not always be able to find the information you need online.
Please contact Ulster University with any queries or questions you might have about:
For any queries regarding getting help with your application, please select Admissions in the drop down below.
For queries related to course content, including modules and placements, please select Course specific information.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Ulster continues to develop and support sustainability initiatives with our staff, students, and external partners across various aspects of teaching, research, professional services operations, and governance.
At Ulster every person, course, research project, and professional service area on every campus either does or can contribute in some way towards the global sustainability and climate change agenda.
We are guided by both our University Strategy People, Place and Partnerships: Delivering Sustainable Futures for All and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Our work in this area is already being recognised globally. Most recently by the 2024 Times Higher Education Impact rating where we were recognised as Joint 5th Globally for Outreach Activities and Joint Top 20 Globally for Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnership for the Goals.
Visit our Sustainability at Ulster destination to learn more about how the University strategy and the activities of Ulster University support each of the Sustainable Development Goals.
