Renewable Power and Electricity Systems from Coursera

The energy revolution in underway. Renewable energy is growing at an astounding pace - notably in electricity. Wind turbines and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems account for most new power plants built worldwide, and are essential to building a low-carbon and sustainable energy future. As a result, there are countless new opportunities in renewable electricity.

This course provides a solid grounding in the basics of renewable electricity. We'll start with how electricity is measured, how electricity systems operate, and how renewable technologies like wind turbines and solar PV work. We'll then cover technical and market fundamentals: how and why renewables are driving change in electricity systems worldwide, how electricity systems are changing to accommodate all these new renewables, and what that all means for those seeking to understand and participate in the global transformation of electricity systems. This global transformation is just beginning; with knowledge gained from this course you'll be ready to jump on board.

Course logo image credit: "Wind Turbine" icon courtesy of Vectors Point from the Noun Project.

What's inside

Syllabus

Introduction and Renewable Power Basics

The first lesson provides an overview of the course. The second lesson explains how electricity is measured and defined, and then dives into the market and technical details of the two fastest-growing renewable electricity technologies: wind turbines and solar photovoltaic (PV).

Grid Operations and Grid Integration

Electricity systems - also called grids - must provide reliable electricity, all the time. This task is further challenged by the rapid growth in wind turbines and solar PV, which are subject to fluctuations in the wind and the sun. These lessons explain how electricity systems use different types of power plants to provide reliable electricity, and then explores the rapidly changing topic of ‘grid integration’ - how to integrate large amounts of new wind and solar PV while maintaining grid reliability.

Storage and Demand Flexibility

Two specific tools to ease grid integration of variable renewables stand out for their potential: Storage and demand flexibility. These lessons discuss how storage and demand flexibility work, describe their current status and limitations, and identify key opportunities.

Power Structure Industry and ISOs

Electricity systems’ institutional and regulatory structures are changing worldwide, and competition is playing a growing role in electricity generation. Why is this happening, and what does it mean for renewables? These lessons use case studies of Ghana, France, the UAE, and others to illustrate how the electricity industry is shifting, and discuss the growing role of Independent System Operators (ISOs) in grid operation and planning.

Course Summary and Review

Renewable electricity is growing at an astounding pace, and the electricity industry is shifting towards greater use of competition in electricity generation. These lessons pull all the course material together and show how the pieces fit together.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Explores renewable electricity, a rapidly growing field with countless opportunities

Provides a solid grounding in renewable electricity basics, making it suitable for those new to the field

Covers both technical and market fundamentals, offering a comprehensive understanding of the renewable electricity sector

Discusses the challenges and opportunities of integrating large amounts of renewable energy into electricity systems

Examines the evolving role of storage and demand flexibility in facilitating grid integration of variable renewables

Highlights the changing institutional and regulatory structures in the electricity industry and their impact on renewable energy development

Reviews summary

Well-rounded renewable energy overview

Learners say this course provides a great overview of renewable power and electricity systems. Instructors take a global approach with case studies and interviews from experts in the field to help learners understand the differences in the electricity industry around the world. This multi-faceted course goes beyond basic concepts and delves into topics such as grid operations, storage, demand flexibility, and power industry structure. Despite a few complaints about outdated material and repetitive content, learners agree that it's an engaging course that effectively covers a wide range of topics in the field of renewable energy.

Takes a global approach with case studies from different countries.

"Provides a very good introduction to the basics of the electricity market."

"It commendable that the course is not focused on the US market, but also analyses case studies and models from other countries, which makes the content more interesting for non-US users."

"Very good. Provides a good grasp of the complex balance necessary to produce and deliver electricity. Explores the US markets, and other systems."

Includes interviews with experts in the field.

"Great to get up to speed with the renewable energy environment."

"Excellent primer for those interested in climate and clean energy policy."

"Excellent course. Way of teaching is so brilliant."

Covers a wide range of topics, including: grid operations, storage, demand flexibility, and power industry structure.

"Excellent course and designed very well...easy to understand and most appropriate depth suitable for even those who are not from energy sector!!!"

"Very good. Provides a good grasp of the complex balance necessary to produce and deliver electricity. Explores the US markets, and other systems. Highlights increasing use and falling costs of Solar, Wind, and Storage."

"This course gives you a powerful basic knowledge of electricity, especially the renewable electricity system."

Some learners found the material outdated.

"The instructor largely just read the slides to us. Not super useful. And it is now 2024, which means a lot of this info is almost four years old. It really needs updating."

"Covers a lot of the same ground as the Renewable Energy Technology Fundamentals class in the Renewable Energy Specialization from University of Colorado. The reading assignments were pretty useful but the interviews with industry experts were less so. It would have been more effective to ask the industry experts to prepare presentations on specific topics because the interviews were rambling from topic to topic."

"1. There are no PDF slides provided to facilitate studying.2. Much of the material provided was old, as old as 2014, as was the case for the french power mix chart."

Some learners complained about repetitive content.

"The first part of the course repeats concepts about renewable energies that were already seen in the previous module (fundamentals). Too much time going over those concepts. It could be optimized by going directly to the new topics and delving a little deeper into them."

"3. Lots of repetitive info, repetitive charts, and even a whole section (Introduction to Grid Integration was delivered twice!)."

"The "Introduction to Electricity Storage" video had a single slide for the whole duration of the video."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Renewable Power and Electricity Systems with these activities:

Review Basic Electricity Concepts

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This activity will help you brush up on the basics of electricity, which are essential for understanding renewable energy systems.

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Review your notes from a previous course on electricity
Take an online quiz on basic electricity concepts
Watch a video tutorial on electricity

Study Group on Renewable Energy

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This study group will provide you with an opportunity to discuss the course material with other students and get help with any concepts that you are struggling with.

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Meet with your study group once a week to discuss the course material
Work together on practice problems
Prepare for exams together

Tutorials on Renewable Energy Technologies

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These tutorials will help you learn more about the different types of renewable energy technologies and how they work.

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Watch a tutorial on wind turbines
Watch a tutorial on solar photovoltaic systems
Watch a tutorial on grid integration

Two other activities

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Show all five activities

Grid Integration Exercises

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These exercises will help you develop a deeper understanding of the challenges of integrating renewable energy into the grid and the strategies that can be used to overcome them.

Browse courses on Grid Integration

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Use the grid integration simulator to simulate the effects of adding wind and solar power to the grid
Analyze the results of the simulations and identify the challenges that arise
Research and report on the latest strategies for grid integration

Renewable Energy Hackathon

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This hackathon will provide you with an opportunity to apply your skills and knowledge to find creative solutions to challenges in the field of renewable energy.

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Form a team of 2-4 people
Brainstorm ideas for a renewable energy project
Develop and implement your project
Present your project to a panel of judges

Career center

Learners who complete Renewable Power and Electricity Systems will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Power Systems Engineer

Power Systems Engineers design, operate, and maintain electrical power systems. A course in Renewable Power and Electricity Systems can benefit someone in this role by providing a solid foundation in electricity measurement, grid operation, and grid integration. This knowledge is especially important for roles that involve the integration of renewable energy sources into the electricity grid.

See salaries and explore the career path for Power Systems Engineer

Electrical Engineer

Electrical Engineers design, develop, and test electrical systems and components. A course in Renewable Power and Electricity Systems can benefit someone in this role by providing a solid foundation in electricity measurement, grid operation, and grid integration. This course could be particularly helpful for Electrical Engineers wishing to work on the integration of renewable energy sources into the electrical grid.

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Independent System Operator (ISO)

Independent System Operators (ISOs) operate the electrical grid and ensure its reliability. A course in Renewable Power and Electricity Systems can benefit someone in this role by providing a solid foundation in electricity measurement, grid operation, and grid integration. This knowledge is especially important for roles that involve managing the increasing amount of renewable energy on the grid.

See salaries and explore the career path for Independent System Operator (ISO)

Utility Manager

Utility Managers oversee the operation and maintenance of utility companies. A course in Renewable Power and Electricity Systems can provide a valuable foundation for someone in this role by providing knowledge of renewable energy sources and how they can be integrated into the electrical grid. This knowledge is important for roles that involve meeting the challenges of integrating renewable energy sources into a reliable and efficient electricity grid.

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Renewable Energy Project Developer

Renewable Energy Project Developers develop and manage renewable energy projects. A course in Renewable Power and Electricity Systems can provide a valuable foundation for someone in this role by providing knowledge of renewable energy sources and how to integrate them into the electrical grid.

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Solar PV Installer

Solar PV Installers design and install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. A course in Renewable Power and Electricity Systems would help build a foundation for a career as a Solar PV Installer by providing an understanding of electricity measurement, how solar PV systems work, and how to integrate them into the electrical grid.

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Wind Turbine Technician

Wind Turbine Technicians erect, maintain, and repair wind turbines. This course can be useful for those wishing to enter this career by providing a foundation in electricity measurement, how wind turbines work, and how to integrate them into the electrical grid.

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Energy Storage Project Analyst

Energy Storage Project Analysts assess the feasibility and profitability of energy storage projects. A course in Renewable Power and Electricity Systems can be useful for someone in this role by providing knowledge of renewable energy sources and how they can be integrated with energy storage systems. This knowledge is especially relevant for roles that focus on renewable energy storage.

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Energy Consultant

Energy Consultants advise businesses and individuals on how to reduce their energy consumption. A course in Renewable Power and Electricity Systems may be useful for someone in this role by providing knowledge of renewable energy sources and how they can be used to reduce energy consumption. This knowledge is especially relevant for roles in this career that focus on sustainability consulting.

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Sustainability Manager

Sustainability Managers develop and implement sustainability programs and initiatives. A course in Renewable Power and Electricity Systems may be useful for someone in this role by providing knowledge of renewable energy sources and how they can be used to achieve sustainability goals. This knowledge is especially relevant for roles that focus on energy sustainability.

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Energy Regulation Specialist

Energy Regulation Specialists analyze and interpret energy regulations and policies. A course in Renewable Power and Electricity Systems can be useful for someone in this role by providing knowledge of renewable energy sources and how they are regulated. This knowledge is especially valuable for roles that focus on renewable energy policy and regulation.

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Energy Analyst

Energy Analysts collect and analyze data on energy production, consumption, and prices. A course in Renewable Power and Electricity Systems may be useful for someone in this role by providing knowledge of renewable energy sources, how electricity systems operate, and how to analyze data on electricity consumption.

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Energy Forecaster

Energy Forecasters analyze data on energy production, consumption, and prices to predict future energy trends. A course in Renewable Power and Electricity Systems can be useful for someone in this role by providing knowledge of renewable energy sources and how they can be used to meet future energy needs. This knowledge is especially valuable for forecasters who focus on renewable energy.

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Demand Response Analyst

Demand Response Analysts develop and implement strategies to reduce peak electricity demand. A course in Renewable Power and Electricity Systems can be useful for someone in this role by providing knowledge of renewable energy sources and how they can be used to reduce peak demand. This knowledge is especially relevant for roles that focus on load management.

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Energy Policy Analyst

Energy Policy Analysts research, develop, and implement energy policies. A course in Renewable Power and Electricity Systems may be useful for someone in this role by providing knowledge of renewable energy sources and how they can be used to achieve policy goals. This knowledge is especially relevant for policy analysts who wish to focus on renewable energy policy.

See salaries and explore the career path for Energy Policy Analyst