Subject guides / Renewable Energy Engineering
Renewable Energy Engineering
Also appears in programme titles as: Sustainable Energy Engineering · Renewable Energy Systems
What a renewable energy engineering degree actually is
Someone has to design the wind farms, size the storage, and integrate it all into grids built for coal — and renewable energy engineering is that discipline: power systems, energy conversion and system integration rebuilt around zero-carbon sources.
The map is Northern-European by merit: KTH, TU Delft and DTU are the continent's energy-engineering triangle (all two-year builds), while Imperial's Sustainable Energy Futures and Durham's renewable-energy MSc are the one-year UK conversions.
What you study — and the technical bar
Thermodynamics and energy-conversion technologies, power electronics and grid integration, wind/solar/storage system design, energy-systems modelling, and a substantial design or research project. The bar is unambiguous: an engineering or hard-quantitative first degree is required everywhere — this is the one climate field on this site where non-engineers should look elsewhere (energy transition or energy economics guides).
Where it leads
Developers and operators of wind and solar assets, grid and transmission companies (the sector's deepest shortage), storage and hydrogen ventures, engineering consultancies, and energy agencies. The demand curve is structurally long: every net-zero pledge is an engineering backlog.
Who it suits — and who it does not
A good fit if you are…
- Mechanical, electrical and chemical engineers pivoting into the transition
- Power-sector engineers formalising renewable and grid-integration skills
- Applicants from grid-constrained countries — an engineering-capacity narrative funders read well
Probably not the right degree if…
- Non-engineers — the physics core is non-negotiable; see the energy-transition guide instead
- Those who want policy or markets: that is energy economics territory
- Anyone expecting a short course — the serious builds run two years
Where to study it: the programme map
Five verified programmes: the two-year European engineering builds (KTH, TU Delft, DTU) and one-year UK routes (Imperial, Durham). An engineering first degree is assumed across the map.
| University | Official programme title | Length | Tuition (intl) | Experience |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delft University of TechnologyNetherlands | MSc Sustainable Energy Technology | 24 mo | — | — |
| Durham UniversityUnited Kingdom | Renewable and Sustainable Energy MSc | 12 mo | — | — |
| Imperial College LondonUnited Kingdom | Sustainable Energy Futures MSc | 12 mo | GBP 45,000 | — |
| KTH Royal Institute of TechnologySweden | MSc Sustainable Energy Engineering | 24 mo | — | — |
| Technical University of DenmarkDenmark | MSc in Sustainable Energy Systems | 24 mo | — | — |
Every row verified against the official programme page; oldest verification 15 Jul 2026. Nothing here is a paid placement.
Application strategy and funding routes
Choose depth versus speed: the Nordic-Dutch triangle (KTH, Delft, DTU — two years, modest or no tuition for EU students, strong industry pipelines) versus the one-year UK routes (Imperial at £45,000 for the brand-plus-London package, Durham for the classic conversion). Swedish Institute, Danish government and Holland scholarships cover the triangle; Chevening covers the UK pair.
Which scholarship funds which programme
Computed from each scheme's published rules (destination, level, course length) — not a guarantee; list-based schemes still require checking the official list.
- Delft University of Technology — study destination outside the scheme
- Durham University
- Imperial College London
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology — study destination outside the scheme
- Technical University of Denmark — study destination outside the scheme
- Delft University of Technology — study destination outside the scheme
- Durham University — study destination outside the scheme
- Imperial College London — study destination outside the scheme
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology
- Technical University of Denmark — study destination outside the scheme
Frequently asked questions
I have a science (not engineering) degree — can I get in?
Physics and strong mathematics backgrounds are usually accepted; environmental science generally is not. If you are refused here, the energy-transition and energy-economics guides cover the non-engineering routes into the same industry.
Two-year European or one-year UK?
For engineering depth and industry placement, the triangle wins; for speed and scholarship fit (Chevening only funds one-year), the UK pair wins. Employers respect both — the divide is your funding and timeline.
Which scholarships apply?
Chevening/Commonwealth for Imperial and Durham; Swedish Institute for KTH; Danish state scholarships for DTU; Holland/Orange Knowledge routes for Delft.
Related fields
Sources
Official programme pages (linked per row above) · official scholarship rules and participating-programme lists · university admission regulations. Every data row records its source URL and verification date; stale rows are re-checked or removed.
Global Study Prep is independent and not affiliated with any university or scholarship programme. Programme details change — always confirm on the official page before applying.