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The module aims to provide students with essential knowledge and skills to select, assess, and develop optimal and cost-effective pathways to achieve net zero-carbon in the built environment. In the context of climate change, the module explores the fundamentals of energy, current and future energy and carbon emissions scenarios, and the environmental, social and economic problems associated with limited fossil fuel resources. Consequences for the design, engineering and regulatory processes of the built environment will be considered. Students will gain a critical understanding of energy demand and carbon emissions in buildings and knowledge on electrification and decarbonisation of buildings by exploring principles of building physics, steady-state building simulation methods, economics of energy-efficiency measures, and roles of renewable technologies.

Module learning outcomes:

At the end of this module, students will be able to:
• Demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of the main challenges of the current energy and carbon contexts informed by a critical awareness of the limited fossil fuel resources and climate change.
• Understand pathways for achieving net zero through design and engineering.
• Assess the impact of different energy-efficiency measures and renewable technologies on energy use and carbon emissions of buildings, and their implications on design and engineering.
• Select appropriate modelling and assessment methods for evaluating energy use and carbon emissions of buildings.
• Critically understand the limitations and uncertainties associated with the data and methods employed.
• Develop an optimal retrofit scenario to achieve net zero carbon in the built environment based on considerations of energy use, embodied and operational carbon, and social and economic challenges.