Forever Keele eZine Summer 2020 | Page 8

8 The Keele University Smart Energy Network Demonstrator* - a European first – is an at-scale environment providing a platform that allows energy generation, distribution, storage, forecasting and energy balancing to be intelligently carried out across different energy sources using the Keele campus as a ‘living laboratory.’ The Demonstrator will deliver better energy management, reduce reliance on fossil-fuel derived energy, significantly reduce energy waste and provide the opportunity to trial innovative systems for energy use and management. What’s more, the data generated will underpin new research and innovation partnerships with local, regional and international business, generating new products, services and knowledge to drive sustainable high value economic growth and jobs locally as part of a UK-wide commitment to lead internationally as the home of ‘clean growth’. New Masters degree course in Smart Energy Management In June 2020, the University announced a new Masters degree that will be delivered in conjunction with the Demonstrator project. The MSc in Smart Energy Management is aimed at developing an advanced knowledge of smart grids, smart energy technology such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI), as well as cross-disciplinary issues such as sustainability. The course will also develop and extend the practical skills that are necessary for the designing, building, and evaluation of smart energy systems such as strategy management and consultancy skills. During the course, students can choose to take industry placements – such as a three-month sustainability and renewable energy research project with a local business – and will also have access to information and links to other sustainability projects taking place on the Keele campus, such as HyDeploy, a green energy trial delivered in conjunction with gas industry leaders to help reduce UK CO2 emissions. In 2020, for the fourth consecutive year, Keele placed in the Top 25 in the UI Green Metric World Rankings and ranked Top 25 in Europe in the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal Affordable and Clean Energy, demonstrating Keele’s commitment to sustainability through its teaching, research and knowledge transfer, as well as internal practices, policies and procedures. For more information on the MSc in Smart Energy Management, please visit our Postgraduate study pages. For more information about the Smart Energy Network Demonstrator, please visit keele.ac.uk/send. *The Smart Energy Network Demonstrator project (ref. 32R16P00706) is part-funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the England 2014 to 2020 European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) Growth Programme. The project is also receiving funds from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The University is currently recruiting businesses across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire to work on research projects linked to the Smart Energy Network Demonstrator programme. Each collaboration lasts for three months and involves a talented Keele researcher, funded by programme, working on a sustainability-related project with the company. Visit keele. ac.uk/send for more details.