Governments around the world have recognised the importance of tackling energy consumption in the built environment and have instituted legislation to address these issues. New technologies that harness solar, wind and hydro energy are now established systems for generating power and heat. Along with other innovations, such as heat pumps and biofuel, these sustainable energy systems are often incorporated into the design of new construction projects.

The aim of this unit is to develop students’ knowledge of current and future energy technologies and to be able to apply that knowledge to the analysis and assessment of their effectiveness.