Sustainable energy systems, MSc

Sustainable energy systems master's programme​ at Chalmers

Global warming and fossil fuel depletion increasingly place the development of sustainable energy systems at the top of political agendas around the world. Major investments in new energy technologies and systems to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions will continue to grow in the coming decades.

To meet this challenge this master’s programme provides a state-of-the-art education by world-leading researchers and industry professionals in combination with access to unique research facilities.

The future will most likely mainly be powered by renewable energy sources like hydropower, bioenergy, solar energy and wind power, but in the process of getting there, society needs a bridge between the technologies of today and the ones of the future.

At Chalmers, we are experts with respect to many of the technologies of the future, but also in the bridging technologies and systems that will characterize the professional careers of energy engineers in the coming decades. For instance, several departments conduct cutting-edge research with respect to carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), aspects which will be covered in this master's programme.

Besides analysing the present and expected future energy systems and technologies, the programme covers the transition between them. With this, we offer world-leading education in technologies for clean and efficient heat and power generation, Carbon capture and storage (such as chemical looping and oxyfuel combustion), optimization and CO2 mitigation of chemical and industrial processes, efficient energy use in buildings, smart power grids for wind and solar power integration and bioenergy. At a system level, we specialize in energy systems modelling and planning and in environmental impact analysis of the energy sector through life cycle analysis, ecological risk and environmental assessments.

Energy is one of the university's areas of advance and tops the budget list for our strategic research and educational plan. Our faculty consists of world-renowned researchers who are active in the courses. This unique, hands-on and state-of-the-art education in the area of advanced energy technologies and systems provides you with the proficiency needed to undertake energy engineering tasks that assess both technical, environmental and financial aspects. You will be able not only to master current energy systems and technologies but also get a close insight into the ones of the future.

The master's programme has close collaborations with many key players in the energy sector, for example, electric power utilities, the chemical and process industry, energy companies and energy equipment manufacturers. Our courses have guest lecturers from the industry, industrial site visits and analysis of real industrial cases. This will give you close contact with several sites in the Gothenburg area such as GoBiGas (the world’s largest biogas project), GoteborgWindLab (Sweden’s largest windmill), the West Coast chemical industry and refinery cluster, the car manufacturer Volvo, and the workshop of the boiler manufacturer Valmet.

As we strive for the students to achieve a deep and holistic understanding of technologies and systems, we seek a balance between different forms of teaching. In the courses, you will take part in individual and group assignments, in addition to lectures, projects, case studies, problem-solving sessions, laboratories and seminars, providing you with an opportunity to train in teamwork as well as in written and oral communication and presentation skills. 

Topics covered

The subjects of sustainability and energy technology are fundamental areas in the Sustainable energy systems master’s programme at Chalmers. The courses span a wide range of topics, from higher-level energy systems and process industry to more fundamental processes at a more detailed level, such as combustion processes and computational fluid dynamics. We offer a number of suggested “Profile tracks” where you can choose courses that align best with your interests. In this way, we educate energy engineers with a broad knowledge of the energy systems, but with detailed knowledge in specific and important areas.

Career

The energy sector is arguably the largest industrial sector globally. With the challenge of resource depletion and climate change, there will be a future need for energy engineers who have core competencies in energy system analysis. By acquiring deep technical knowledge of the main energy technologies and by understanding how they interact with economics and energy policies, our graduates become experts in identifying sustainable solutions to complex problems in the energy field.

Graduates from our programme will be well-prepared for tasks such as the design, development and implementation of energy systems and technologies. Graduates will also be able to contribute to energy policy development. Examples of career opportunities after graduation from the programme include the utility industry, the energy-intensive process industry, district heating and cooling companies, larger municipalities, consulting companies, energy equipment manufacturers, research institutes and government agencies.

A significant number of the master's thesis projects in the programme are conducted together with the industry. This is often also the place where our graduates obtain their first job. In addition, a number of our students also pursue higher-level academic studies, such as PhD positions both at Chalmers and other academic institutions.

Research

Chalmers has a very strong international position in energy research, with external research funding from industry, the EU and the Swedish Energy Agency in the areas of energy conversion technologies and energy systems analysis and design. Chalmers campus hosts smart grid labs, about half of all the chemical looping reactors that exist, an oxyfuel rig, an indoor climate lab and an energy machines lab.

The world's largest fluidized bed combustion research facility and gasifier are also located centrally on campus and are closely connected to the programme. 

Most of the research projects connected to energy systems and energy technology are given by teachers who have active contact with the industry through their projects which benefits our students. There is also a strong presence of industrial partners in the programme, exchange of knowledge, networking and keeping the programme in line with the continuously developing needs of the industry. For example, our students learn and use Epsilon and Aspen, software that is currently being used at several heat and power plants and industries.

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