Faculty of Engineering

Department: Renewable Energy Engineering Department

COURSE SYLLABUS
Students Copy

This Course Syllabus is to be kept in the course file for this course. All changes, update and/or modifications
should be reflected on the form, and should be kept in the Course Quality Assurance Form.
F112-3, Rev. a
Ref.: Deans' Council Session (26/2012-2013) Decision No.: 324
Date: 17/04/2013
1-7

1. Course Information
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Course Title
Course Code
Credit Hours
Prerequisite
Co-requisite

:
:
:
:
:

Introduction to Renewable Energy

090501261
3
090501241
-

2. Instructor Information
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Instructor
Office
Phone
Email
Office Hours

:
:
:
:
:

Dr. Samer Asad

www.facebook.com/Dr.Samer.Asad
samer.asad@hotmail.com
Monday and Wednesday (10:00-12:00)

3. Class Time and Place

1.
2.
3.
4.

Class Days and Time:

Class Location
:
Lab Days and time :
Lab Location
:

Sunday and Tuesday (9:30 11:00)

A 122
n/a
n/a

4. Resources
Text Book: Introduction to Renewable Energy. Vaughn Nelson, CRC Press, 2011
Reference (s): Renewable Energy: Power for a Sustainable Future. Godfrey Boyle,
Oxford Press, Third Edition

5. Course Purpose and Description

1.

Introduction to Renewable Energy 3 Credits.

2.

Purpose:
The course aims to introduce the basic concepts, principles, potentials,
efficiencies and limitations of various renewable energy sources and devices
including hydropower energy, wind energy, photovoltaic and solar thermal
energy. Students will develop the ability to identify, formulate and solve problems

F112-3, Rev. a
Ref.: Deans' Council Session (26/2012-2013) Decision No.: 324
Date: 17/04/2013
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of renewable energy conversion and storage. The class will also explore societys
present needs and future energy demands.
3.

Course Description:
Basic principles and technical details of various renewable energy technologies
(Wind, Water, Photovoltaic, and Concentrated Solar Power) for the sustainable
future. Process knowledge, energy analysis, engineering economics and
environmental assessment of renewable energy systems will be also discussed.

6. Course Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:
1. Describe the challenges and problems associated with the use of the current energy
sources including fossil fuels, with regard to future supply and the environment
2. Explain the potentials for having renewable energy
3. Explain energy principles and how they relate to using renewable energy
sources.
4. Convert units of energy in order to quantify energy demands and make comparisons
among energy uses, resources, and technologies
5. Discuss the energy challenges, global warming and greenhouse effect
6. List and describe the primary renewable energy resources and technologies
7. Collect and organize information on renewable energy technologies as a basis for
further analysis and evaluation.
8. Explain environmental impact and safety of each source of renewable energy.
9. Explain economic issues around renewable energy sources.
10. Evaluate, compare and select energy systems based on economic and
environmental considerations.

F112-3, Rev. a
Ref.: Deans' Council Session (26/2012-2013) Decision No.: 324
Date: 17/04/2013
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7. Course Schedule/Calendar
Wk
No.

Topic
-

1
-

6
-

10

12

Why Renewable Energy

Historical Background
Energy challenges: Past,
Today, and Future
Energy & Environment
Energy and society
Convert units of Energy
Definition of Energy and
Power
Convert units of Energy
Finite resources
Global warning
Solar resource
Greenhouse effect
Heat transfer and storage
Conduction heating
Convection heating
Radiation heating
Photovoltaics: Physics
concept, performance and
energy production
Concentrated solar power:
concepts and basics
Trough
Tower
Linear Fresnel
Dish technology
Wind energy: concepts
Wind maps
Wind turbines
Hydropower: concepts
Water turbines
Water flow

Assignments/
Reference in the
workshops due
CLO
textbook
date

Assignment #1

Assignment #2

F112-3, Rev. a
Ref.: Deans' Council Session (26/2012-2013) Decision No.: 324
Date: 17/04/2013
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Slides from
Instructors + CH1

1-5

CH2

1-5

CH3

1-5

CH4

1-5

CH6

6-10

CH7

6-10

CH9

6-10

CH12

6-10

8. Method of Teaching
The methods of instruction may include, but are not limited to:
1. Lectures + videos demonstration
2. Discussion and problem solving
3. Individual assignments/quizzes

9. Course Learning Assessment/Evaluation

The following methods of learning assessment will be used in this course:
Assessment

Weight

2 Tests

50%

B
C

Assignments
Final Exam
Total

10%
40%
100%

Description
Multiple choice questions
Problem solving
Problem solving
Problem solving

Note: The details for the above methods of assessment are presented below:
(a) Tests
Test
Test 1
Test 2
B
Final
Total
(b)

Weight %
25%
25%
10%
40%
100%

CLO
1-5
6-10
To be defined
1-10
1-10

Due Date
Week 7
Week 11
Week 14
To be defined

Assignments
Method+

Assignment 1
Assignment 2
Total

Weight

CLO

Focus & Scope

To be
defined
To be
defined
10%

To be defined by
instructor
To be defined by
instructor

To be defined by
instructor
To be defined by
instructor

Due Date

To be defined
To be defined

(c) Participation
Method

Weight

CLO

Focus & scope

Due Date

Participation

Bonus grades for

attendance and

Student
contribution and

All Weeks

F112-3, Rev. a
Ref.: Deans' Council Session (26/2012-2013) Decision No.: 324
Date: 17/04/2013
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Total

participation
n/a

motivation

All CLO's will be addressed in the students' participation, depending on the class and topic under
consideration

10. Course Policies

Should be explained to students at the first meeting:
1.

Class Attendance:
a. Students must attend all classes of this course.
b. Any student with absence of 15% of the classes of any course, will be illegible
to sit for the final exam and will be given the university zero (35%) in this
course.
c. In the case (b) above, if a student submits an official sick report
authenticated by university clinic or an accepted excuse by the Dean of
his/her faculty, the student will be considered as withdrawn from the course,
and a "W" will be shown in the transcript for this course.

2.

Tardy: Students are not allowed to come late to classes. Any student coming late
will not be allowed to attend the class and he/she will be marked absent.
Exams:
Failure in attending a course exam other than the final exam, will result in
zero mark unless the student provides an official acceptable excuse to the
instructor who approves a make-up exam.
Failure in attending the final exam will result in zero mark unless the student
presents an official acceptable excuse to the Dean of his/her faculty who
approves an incomplete exam, normally scheduled to be conducted during the
first two weeks of the successive semester.

3.

4.

Assignments & Projects: Assignments and projects should be submitted to the

instructor on the due date. Zero mark will be given for late submissions unless
the student has an acceptable excuse approved by the instructor of the course.

5.

Exam Attendance/Punctuality:

F112-3, Rev. a
Ref.: Deans' Council Session (26/2012-2013) Decision No.: 324
Date: 17/04/2013
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 A student who is late more than 10 minutes will not be permitted to sit the
exam (first, second or mid exams).

A student who is late more than 30 minutes will not be permitted to sit to
final exam, and no student will be permitted to leave the exam center before
the elapse of 30 minutes.

6.

Cheating: Cheating is an attempt to gain marks dishonestly and includes; but not
limited to:
Copying from another students work.
Using materials not authorized by the institute.
Collaborating with another student during a test, without permission.
Knowingly using, buying, selling, or stealing the contents of a test.
Plagiarism which means presenting another persons work or ideas as ones
own, without attribution.
Using any media (including mobiles) during the exam.

7.

Penalty for Cheating: The minimum penalty for cheating is an automatic Zero for
the test or assignment leading to a possible F for the course. The exam
invigilator will produce a report on the case to the examination committee
chairman. The report will be kept in the student file. The student may remain
seated in the exam center, but in case that causes a disturbance to other
students, the student will be expelled out of the exam center if approved by the
examination committee chairman. A second offense will result in the immediate
suspension of the student for the remainder of the current semester. A copy of
the decision will be kept in the student file.

8.

Mobiles: Mobile phones should be kept turned off or silent while in class. Usage of
mobile phones is not allowed in classes in any form (talking and/or texting).
9.

F112-3, Rev. a
Ref.: Deans' Council Session (26/2012-2013) Decision No.: 324
Date: 17/04/2013
7-7