Course detail

Alternative Energy Sources

FEKT-MPA-AZEAcad. year: 2025/2026

The course deals with contemporary issues in the field of renewable energy with a focus on description, classification and principles of energy from wind, solar, hydro, geothermal, energy of environment, biomass to energy of atomic nuclei and electrochemical energy. Students will receive information about how to install, use and about perspectives of renewable energy sources. Practical information students will obtain also in laboratory measurements aimed at testing and simulation of parameters of photovoltaic cells, panels and photovoltaic systems combined with accumulators of electric energy.

Language of instruction

English

Number of ECTS credits

5

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

doc. Ing. Petr Křivík, Ph.D.

Department

Department of Electrical and Electronic Technology (UETE)

Offered to foreign students

Of all faculties

Entry knowledge

The subject knowledge on the Bachelor´s degree level is requested.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

Practice attendance is obligatory
labolatory - max. 40p
final exam - max 60p
Requirements for successful completion of the subject can be specified by guarantor’s regulation updated for every academic year.
The content and forms of instruction in the evaluated course are specified by a regulation issued by the lecturer responsible for the course and updated for every academic year.

Aims

The aim of the subject is to enlarge the knowledge about renewable and additional sources of of electric energy, possibility of their application and future development in this area.
The student of MPC-AZE course is able to
- Explain the importance of basic concepts in the field of renewable energy
- Describe the advantages and disadvantages of renewable energy sources
- Design a suitable location for wind power plants in the Czech Republic
- Measure and calculate the properties and characteristics of photovoltaic cell or panel, design the simple autonomous photovoltaic system
- Describe the structure and operating principle of solar collectors, focusing collectors and chemes of different types of solar thermal power plants
- List the different types of energy using of rivers, seas and oceans
- Describe the principle of operation of various geothermal power plants
- Explain the operating principle of a heat pump and classify them according to the used source of low-potential heat
- List the distribution of biomass and its use in energetics
- Describe the principle of controlled thermonuclear fusion and thermonuclear power plant
- Explain the importance of basic concepts in electrochemistry (half-cells, cells, types of electrodes, electrochemical potentials)
- Classify and describe the different types of primary electrochemical power sources

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

KŘIVÍK, P., Obnovitelné zdroje energie - Laboratorní cvičení, , elektronické texty (skripta), 2015 (CS)
KŘIVÍK, P.; VANĚK, J., Obnovitelné zdroje energie, elektronické texty (skripta), 2015 (CS)

Recommended reading

Benda. V. a kol., Obnovitelné zdroje energie, ProfiPress, Praha, 2012 (CS)
Boyle, G., Renewable Energy, Oxford University Press, USA (CS)
Dell, R.M.a Rand, D.J., Clean energy, Athenaeum Press Ltd, UK (CS)
Quaschning, V., Understanding Renewable Energy Systems, Earthscan Publications Ltd., USA (CS)
Vojtěchovský, K., Obnovitelné zdroje energie, FCC Public, Praha (CS)

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme MPA-EEN Master's 0 year of study, summer semester, elective
  • Programme MPC-EVM Master's 1 year of study, summer semester, compulsory-optional

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hod., optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. Petr Křivík, Ph.D.

Syllabus


Introduction to alternative energy sources - classification, description.
Solar energy and its applications, photovoltaic cells.
Solar collectors - construction, distribution, solar ovens and solar power plants.
Energy of water, water power plants - description, distribution, marine energy - classification, description and its application.
Earth's energy, geothermal energy, geothermal power plants.
Energy of environment and its utilization, heat pumps, distribution, construction, description. 

Laboratory exercise

26 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. Petr Křivík, Ph.D.

Syllabus

Organization and method, introduction. 
1. I-V characteristics of the photovoltaic module
2. Effect of shadowing on I-V characteristics of the photovoltaic module
3. Maximum power point of photovoltaic panel
4. Measurement the efficiency of a solar chimney
5. Mollier diagram of the Heat Pump
6. Coefficient of Performance of the Heat Pump
7. Optimization of tilt of the photovoltaic module
8. Influence of temperature on the properties of a photovoltaic panel
9. Measurement of temperature profiles of photovoltaic panels
10. Influence of the angle of incidence of light radiation on the I-U characteristics of the photovoltaic cell