RES - The School for Renewable Energy Science
Encyclopedia
RES - The School for Renewable Energy Science (Icelandic
: RES - Orkuskólinn) is a private, non-profit
, international
graduate school
located in the city of Akureyri
in northern Iceland
and shares its facilities with the University of Akureyri
.
The school is a higher education institution offering a one-year M.Sc. in various renewable energy technologies, continuing education, and an undergraduate summer school program. All instructions and correspondence are in English
.
Established in 2006, the school formally commenced its operations in April, 2007, through a series of Declarations of Cooperation with universities in Iceland, involving the Icelandic Ministry of Education. and other institutions and energy and engineering firms.
The school is owned and operated by Shareholders, a non-profit company whose shareholders include prominent energy and financial companies in Iceland.
science. All instructions and correspondence are in English
.
RES offers a 90 credit M.Sc. degree in renewable energy science with five specializations; geothermal energy, fuel cell
systems and technologies, biofuels and bioenergy
, hydropower
and energy systems and policies.
In the near future the school hopes to add more specializations in areas such as solar power, and wind
and wave power
.
The graduate programme concludes in an MSc Degree in Renewable Energy Science, awarded in
affiliation with Iceland's state universities: University of Iceland and the University of Akureyri.
Each area of specialization at RES consists of a series of intensive 1-3 week modules that carry 2-6 ECTS credits
each. Each series of modules includes field trips to sites related to Iceland's energy industry, known for its use of renewable resources. Students take an exam following the completion of each module and a final exam at the end of the trimester.
The final degree requirement is a 30 credit Master's Thesis
.
In the academic year, 2010-11, altogeter 65 international experts are teaching in the M.Sc. Degree Program, 35 from abroad and 30 Icelandic. In addition to the RES professors, 16 research scientists, primarily from Icelandic energy and engineering companies, acted as students' Thesis Advisors during the academic year 2009-10.
During the second year, 2009-10, RES graduated 35 candidates from 11 countries in February 2010 - from Poland (14), United States (7), Mexico (3), Iceland (2), Slovakia (2), Hungary (2), Chile (1), Kazakhstan (1), Estonia (1), Finland (1), and Slovenia (1).
During the third year of the M.Sc. Degree Program, , RES is scheduled to graduate in February 2011 all togeter 49 candicates from 12 countries - coming from Poland (27), United States (8), Iceland (4), Canada (2), Spain (1), Estonia (1), Slovenia (1), Slovakia (1), Germany (1), Malaysia (1), France/Somalia (1), and Russia (1).
for the full one-year program.
1. RES Scholarship Awards which are earmarked students coming from our partner universities in Europe, North-America and elsewhere. These awards are based on signed cooperation agreements between RES and each foreign partner university. The awards can include half (50%) or full (100%) tuition waivers.
2. RES Scholarship Awards for students applying to RES from non-partner universities or organizations. These awards include half (50%) tuition waivers. In few cases, and then primarily for students from developing countries this award can include full (100%) tuition waivers.
3. RES Scholarship Awards provided by a grant from the Icelandic National Power Company Landsvirkjun
. These awards are only awarded to students enrolled in the Hydropower Specialization and include full (100%) tuition waivers for up to five students, each academic year.
None of these awards cover living expenses (accommodation and meals; flights to and from Akureyri, Iceland). Also it may be required that students cover additional costs related their thesis work such as travel costs, if their thesis research is not done in Iceland.
Students will have to demonstrate a good understanding of English, both in reading and writing. Applicants must prove their ability to follow a postgraduate course in English. The RES Academic Board evaluates each student's application, transcripts, letters of recommendations, and other supporting documents, and accepts those students for admission that fulfill all requirements for the M.Sc. Degree Program and have the highest grades.
. These courses combine classroom and field studies for a specialized two week program and also 6-8 week program.
Icelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
: RES - Orkuskólinn) is a private, non-profit
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
, international
International
----International mostly means something that involves more than one country. The term international as a word means involvement of, interaction between or encompassing more than one nation, or generally beyond national boundaries...
graduate school
Graduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
located in the city of Akureyri
Akureyri
Akureyri is a town in northern Iceland. It is Iceland's second largest urban area and fourth largest municipality ....
in northern Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
and shares its facilities with the University of Akureyri
University of Akureyri
The University of Akureyri is a young institution, founded on September 5, 1987 in the city of Akureyri in the north part of Iceland. It has grown since then, especially in the last few years as more facilities have been established...
.
The school is a higher education institution offering a one-year M.Sc. in various renewable energy technologies, continuing education, and an undergraduate summer school program. All instructions and correspondence are in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Established in 2006, the school formally commenced its operations in April, 2007, through a series of Declarations of Cooperation with universities in Iceland, involving the Icelandic Ministry of Education. and other institutions and energy and engineering firms.
The school is owned and operated by Shareholders, a non-profit company whose shareholders include prominent energy and financial companies in Iceland.
Accreditation
RES graduates its students through its affiliation with the University of Iceland and the University of Akureyri. Both universities are accredited higher education institution in Iceland under the recent Higher Education Act in Iceland, No. 63/2006, for each of its academic subject areas. This accreditation covers RES's subject areas.Academic program
RES offers an international program of graduate-level study in renewable energyRenewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
science. All instructions and correspondence are in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
RES offers a 90 credit M.Sc. degree in renewable energy science with five specializations; geothermal energy, fuel cell
Fuel cell
A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent. Hydrogen is the most common fuel, but hydrocarbons such as natural gas and alcohols like methanol are sometimes used...
systems and technologies, biofuels and bioenergy
Bioenergy
Bioenergy is renewable energy made available from materials derived from biological sources. Biomass is any organic material which has stored sunlight in the form of chemical energy. As a fuel it may include wood, wood waste, straw, manure, sugarcane, and many other byproducts from a variety of...
, hydropower
Hydropower
Hydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as...
and energy systems and policies.
In the near future the school hopes to add more specializations in areas such as solar power, and wind
Wind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
and wave power
Wave power
Wave power is the transport of energy by ocean surface waves, and the capture of that energy to do useful work — for example, electricity generation, water desalination, or the pumping of water...
.
The graduate programme concludes in an MSc Degree in Renewable Energy Science, awarded in
affiliation with Iceland's state universities: University of Iceland and the University of Akureyri.
Each area of specialization at RES consists of a series of intensive 1-3 week modules that carry 2-6 ECTS credits
European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System
This page describes ECTS-credits. For information about the ECTS grading system go to ECTS grading scale.European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System is a standard for comparing the study attainment and performance of students of higher education across the European Union and other...
each. Each series of modules includes field trips to sites related to Iceland's energy industry, known for its use of renewable resources. Students take an exam following the completion of each module and a final exam at the end of the trimester.
The final degree requirement is a 30 credit Master's Thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
.
Faculty
Teaching staff of RES are researchers and professors from Iceland, energy experts from engineering and energy consulting firms, and various international experts from research universities in Europe, North and South America and Asia.In the academic year, 2010-11, altogeter 65 international experts are teaching in the M.Sc. Degree Program, 35 from abroad and 30 Icelandic. In addition to the RES professors, 16 research scientists, primarily from Icelandic energy and engineering companies, acted as students' Thesis Advisors during the academic year 2009-10.
Students
During the first year of the M.Sc. Degree Program in Renewable Energy Science, 2008-9, RES graduated 30 candidates from 9 different countries - coming from Poland (16), Slovakia (3), Hungary (3), Slovenia (2), United States (2), Germany (1), Portugal (1), Estonia (1), and Russia (1).During the second year, 2009-10, RES graduated 35 candidates from 11 countries in February 2010 - from Poland (14), United States (7), Mexico (3), Iceland (2), Slovakia (2), Hungary (2), Chile (1), Kazakhstan (1), Estonia (1), Finland (1), and Slovenia (1).
During the third year of the M.Sc. Degree Program, , RES is scheduled to graduate in February 2011 all togeter 49 candicates from 12 countries - coming from Poland (27), United States (8), Iceland (4), Canada (2), Spain (1), Estonia (1), Slovenia (1), Slovakia (1), Germany (1), Malaysia (1), France/Somalia (1), and Russia (1).
Tuition
Tuition for the M.Sc. programs at RES is 18.800 €Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
for the full one-year program.
Scholarships & Grants at RES
Each academic year RES provides a limited number of RES Scholarships to exceptional students which have been accepted to the M.Sc. Degree Program. There are three types of RES Scholarships:1. RES Scholarship Awards which are earmarked students coming from our partner universities in Europe, North-America and elsewhere. These awards are based on signed cooperation agreements between RES and each foreign partner university. The awards can include half (50%) or full (100%) tuition waivers.
2. RES Scholarship Awards for students applying to RES from non-partner universities or organizations. These awards include half (50%) tuition waivers. In few cases, and then primarily for students from developing countries this award can include full (100%) tuition waivers.
3. RES Scholarship Awards provided by a grant from the Icelandic National Power Company Landsvirkjun
Landsvirkjun
Landsvirkjun is the largest energy producer in Iceland. It was founded in 1965 by the city of Reykjavík and the state of Iceland. Its general purpose is to produce and provide electricity for heavy industry and to sell electricity to local providers around Iceland...
. These awards are only awarded to students enrolled in the Hydropower Specialization and include full (100%) tuition waivers for up to five students, each academic year.
None of these awards cover living expenses (accommodation and meals; flights to and from Akureyri, Iceland). Also it may be required that students cover additional costs related their thesis work such as travel costs, if their thesis research is not done in Iceland.
Admission and requirements
Requirement for admission to the M.Sc. Program in Renewable Energy Science at RES is a B.Sc. degree with top grades in engineering or physical/natural sciences (chemistry, physics, geology, biotechnology, and related fields).Students will have to demonstrate a good understanding of English, both in reading and writing. Applicants must prove their ability to follow a postgraduate course in English. The RES Academic Board evaluates each student's application, transcripts, letters of recommendations, and other supporting documents, and accepts those students for admission that fulfill all requirements for the M.Sc. Degree Program and have the highest grades.
Summer school
RES offers several summer courses for foreign students independently and also in collaboration with study-abroad organizations, such as the School for International TrainingSchool for International Training
SIT Graduate Institute is the accredited college program of World Learning in Brattleboro, Vermont. The president and CEO is Adam Weinberg.History=SIT Graduate Institute began as the Experiment for International Living...
. These courses combine classroom and field studies for a specialized two week program and also 6-8 week program.
See also
- Renewable energy in IcelandRenewable energy in IcelandAbout 81 percent of total primary energy supply in Iceland is derived from domestically produced renewable energy sources. In 2007, geothermal energy provided about 66 percent of primary energy, the share of hydropower was 15 percent, and fossil fuels 19 percent...
- University of AkureyriUniversity of AkureyriThe University of Akureyri is a young institution, founded on September 5, 1987 in the city of Akureyri in the north part of Iceland. It has grown since then, especially in the last few years as more facilities have been established...
- University of IcelandUniversity of IcelandThe University of Iceland is a public research university in Reykjavík, Iceland, and the country's oldest and largest institution of higher education. Founded in 1911, it has grown steadily from a small civil servants' school to a modern comprehensive university, providing instruction for about...