A new undergraduate engineering program in renewable energy

The Renewable energy sector has been growing rapidly internationally for several years, with Australia being no exception. The rapid growth is leading to a demand of trained engineers in this field and a number of initiatives have taken place in Australia to address this need with new educational programs. In Western Australia, Murdoch University is offering an undergraduate engineering degree in Renewable Energy Engineering since 2001. This paper gives an overview on the new degree, its aims, and provides details on the specific renewable energy engineering units. Background information on the School of Engineering at Murdoch University and its facilities is also provided. First experience with the new degree shows that the program has attracted highly motivated students from a variety of backgrounds including students from Western Australia, Northern Territory and Canada. The program receives strong financial support from Western Power, the electricity utility in Western Australia, as well as the Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB)