Master'sCivil, Rail & Smart Cities Applications open

Master’s in Urban Energy: Heating/Cooling Networks and Microgrids (Flexibility, Local Markets)

Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in urban energy: heating/cooling networks and microgrids. 12 modules covering district heating and cooling, heat sources and storage, microgrids, modelling and optimisation, flexibility, local energy markets, digitalisation, business models and regulation to EN 13941-1, EN 253 and Directive (EU) 2023/1791, with an assigned technical tutor.

Duration12–14 months
ModeOnline
LanguageEnglish
Start datesSet by the faculty
AwardSEIUM Institute diploma

Master’s in Urban Energy: Heating/Cooling Networks and Microgrids (Flexibility, Local Markets) — studying from Ireland

Ireland's civil engineering sector is driven by public infrastructure investment in roads, water, housing and public transport, alongside rail projects such as Dublin's light rail and commuter rail upgrades. Transport Infrastructure Ireland sets standards for national roads, while Irish Rail and Iarnród Éireann operate and develop the rail network. Smart city initiatives in Dublin and other urban areas create demand for engineers working on sensors, data platforms and integrated mobility systems. Typical employers include contractors, consultancies, local authorities and public agencies, with Engineers Ireland providing professional recognition.

Fees for Ireland: €6,920 (Euro), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.

Relevant bodies in Ireland

  • Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII)
  • Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann)
  • Engineers Ireland
  • Institution of Engineers of Ireland (IEI)

Typical roles

  • Civil Engineer
  • Rail Systems Engineer
  • Transport Planning Engineer
  • Smart City Infrastructure Engineer

Questions from Ireland

Is a SEIUM qualification recognised for chartered civil or rail engineering status in Ireland?

Chartered engineer status in Ireland is administered by Engineers Ireland, which sets its own criteria for membership and registration. Rail is regulated in part by the National Transport Authority and Irish Rail-related bodies, while building and infrastructure standards involve other authorities. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by any national body, so recognition is for those bodies and employers to decide.

Do Irish civil, rail and smart-city employers consider private online engineering study?

Irish infrastructure, consultancy and local authority employers usually weigh chartered status, project experience and relevant degrees heavily. A private online qualification may be considered as supporting evidence of skills, but its value is at each employer's discretion. We cannot promise any outcome, so discuss it with prospective employers.

Can I study alongside a site or office job, and is employer funding common?

The programme is online and taught in English, so you can study from home without travel or a student visa. Plan for 1,900 hours on a master's, 800 on a postgraduate diploma or 300 on a specialist course. Each student has an assigned technical tutor, fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship may be possible. Many Irish employers have continuing professional development budgets, so ask yours.

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Learning outcomes

What you will be able to do

01

Analyse urban energy demand.

02

Design new-generation heating and cooling networks.

03

Select thermal sources and storage.

04

Design and control electrical microgrids.

05

Optimise multi-energy systems using models.

06

Design local markets and flexibility services.

07

Assess business models and the regulatory framework.

Profile

Who it's for

  • District heating and cooling engineers
  • Microgrid designers
  • Urban energy planners
  • Local energy market analysts
  • Energy service company managers
  • Urban decarbonisation consultants
  • Engineering or science graduates looking to move into urban energy
Standards & tools

What you'll work with

  • EN 13941-1 (design and installation of pre-insulated bonded pipe systems for district heating)
  • EN 253 (district heating pipes – bonded single pipe systems)
  • Directive (EU) 2023/1791 (energy efficiency)
  • Directive (EU) 2023/2413 (promotion of energy from renewable sources)
  • Directive (EU) 2019/944 (common rules for the internal electricity market)
  • Real Decreto 244/2019 (Spanish regulation on electricity self-consumption)
  • IEEE 2030.7 (specification of microgrid controllers)
  • IEEE 1547-2018 (interconnection of distributed energy resources)
  • TRNSYS
  • EnergyPLAN
  • HOMER Pro
  • Dymola
  • Python with Pyomo
Syllabus

12 modules

  1. 1.1Energy consumption of cities
  2. 1.2Heating, cooling and electricity demand
  3. 1.3Urban decarbonisation
  4. 1.4Municipal energy planning
  5. 1.5Sector integration
  6. 1.6Urban energy infrastructure
  7. 1.7European climate and energy policies
  8. 1.8Energy poverty
  9. 1.9Urban energy indicators
  10. 1.10Case study: energy balance of a district
  1. 2.1Generations of district heating networks
  2. 2.2Fourth- and fifth-generation networks
  3. 2.3District cooling networks
  4. 2.4Pre-insulated pipes
  5. 2.5Customer substations
  6. 2.6Network hydraulics
  7. 2.7Heat losses
  8. 2.8Pumping and flow control
  9. 2.9Experience in Europe
  10. 2.10Lab: hydraulic sizing of a network
  1. 3.1Biomass boilers
  2. 3.2Combined heat and power
  3. 3.3Large-scale heat pumps
  4. 3.4Industrial waste heat
  5. 3.5Shallow and deep geothermal energy
  6. 3.6Large-scale solar thermal
  7. 3.7Heat recovery from wastewater
  8. 3.8Chillers and free cooling
  9. 3.9Selecting the thermal mix
  10. 3.10Practical: economic comparison of heat sources
  1. 4.1Sensible storage in tanks
  2. 4.2Seasonal pit storage
  3. 4.3Aquifer storage
  4. 4.4Phase-change materials
  5. 4.5Cold storage
  6. 4.6Thermal stratification
  7. 4.7Sizing of storage tanks
  8. 4.8Integration with renewables
  9. 4.9Danish cases of seasonal storage
  10. 4.10Case study: storage tank for a solar district heating network
  1. 5.1Microgrid concept and architecture
  2. 5.2AC and DC microgrids
  3. 5.3Distributed generation
  4. 5.4Electrochemical storage
  5. 5.5Power electronic converters
  6. 5.6Hierarchical control
  7. 5.7Island mode and reconnection
  8. 5.8Microgrid protection
  9. 5.9Microgrids on campuses and in ports
  10. 5.10Lab: simulation of a microgrid in island mode
  1. 6.1Urban demand models
  2. 6.2Dynamic system simulation
  3. 6.3Mixed-integer linear optimisation
  4. 6.4Optimal multi-energy dispatch
  5. 6.5Investment planning
  6. 6.6District models
  7. 6.7Uncertainty and scenarios
  8. 6.8Open-source tools
  9. 6.9Model validation
  10. 6.10Practical: optimisation of a multi-energy system
  1. 7.1Thermal flexibility of buildings
  2. 7.2Power-to-heat
  3. 7.3Heat pumps as a flexible resource
  4. 7.4Electric vehicles and smart charging
  5. 7.5Hydrogen in urban environments
  6. 7.6Demand-side management
  7. 7.7Resource aggregation
  8. 7.8Grid services
  9. 7.9Interaction with the distribution system operator
  10. 7.10Case study: flexibility of a district heating network
  1. 8.1Design of local markets
  2. 8.2Peer-to-peer trading
  3. 8.3Renewable energy communities
  4. 8.4Collective self-consumption
  5. 8.5Local prices and tariffs
  6. 8.6Market platforms
  7. 8.7Blockchain in energy
  8. 8.8Spanish regulatory framework
  9. 8.9European pilot experiences
  10. 8.10Practical: simulation of a local market
  1. 9.1Sensors and smart metering
  2. 9.2SCADA systems in thermal networks
  3. 9.3Model predictive control
  4. 9.4Energy digital twins
  5. 9.5AI-based demand forecasting
  6. 9.6Data interoperability
  7. 9.7Cybersecurity in energy systems
  8. 9.8Urban data platforms
  9. 9.9Performance indicators
  10. 9.10Lab: predictive control of a thermal substation
  1. 10.1Business models for district heating
  2. 10.2Energy service companies
  3. 10.3Energy performance contracts
  4. 10.4Public-private partnership
  5. 10.5Heat pricing
  6. 10.6Feasibility analysis
  7. 10.7Grants and European funds
  8. 10.8Project risks
  9. 10.9Social acceptance
  10. 10.10Case study: business plan for a municipal district heating network
  1. 11.1European efficiency and renewables directives
  2. 11.2Heating and cooling planning
  3. 11.3Municipal by-laws
  4. 11.4Connection obligations
  5. 11.5Consumer protection
  6. 11.6Environmental assessment
  7. 11.7Integration into urban planning
  8. 11.8Coordination between administrations
  9. 11.9Monitoring indicators
  10. 11.10Workshop: local heating and cooling plan
  1. 12.1Definition of the study district
  2. 12.2State of the art
  3. 12.3Demand analysis
  4. 12.4Energy system design
  5. 12.5Modelling and optimisation
  6. 12.6Flexibility analysis
  7. 12.7Economic and regulatory feasibility
  8. 12.8Conclusions
  9. 12.9Master's Thesis report
  10. 12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
Methodology, software & labs

How you'll learn

100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so it fits around your work.

Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is TRNSYS, EnergyPLAN, HOMER Pro, Dymola and Python with Pyomo, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures for hydraulic sizing of thermal networks, simulation of microgrids in island mode and optimisation of multi-energy systems. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.

Standards covered: EN 13941-1, EN 253, Directive (EU) 2023/1791, Directive (EU) 2023/2413, Directive (EU) 2019/944, Real Decreto 244/2019, IEEE 2030.7, IEEE 1547-2018.

Assigned technical tutor:every module ends with a deliverable that your tutor marks individually.
Standards-based learning:guided reading of EN 13941-1, EN 253 and Directive (EU) 2023/1791 applied to real cases, not as a theoretical annex.
Industry software:TRNSYS, EnergyPLAN, HOMER Pro, Dymola, Python with Pyomo, in free, academic or evaluation versions.
Master's Thesis with defence:The energy system design for an urban district, with demand analysis, modelling and optimisation, flexibility analysis and economic and regulatory feasibility, defended before a panel.
Flexible format:100% online, no fixed timetables, compatible with full-time work.
Capstone project

Build it end to end

Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.

Network hydraulic sizing
Size the pipes and pumping of a district heating network.
Island-mode microgrid
Simulate a microgrid operating in island mode and its reconnection.
Multi-energy optimisation
Optimise the dispatch and investment of a multi-energy system.
Local market simulation
Simulate a local energy market with a renewable energy community.
Master's Thesis
The energy system design for an urban district, defended before a panel.
Career opportunities

Where this takes you

District heating and cooling engineerMicrogrid designerUrban energy plannerLocal energy market analystEnergy service company managerUrban decarbonisation consultant
Admissions & scholarships

Requirements

  • University degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
  • Internet connection and a computer able to run the programme software.
  • English sufficient to read technical standards.

Ready to start?

Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.

You work with TRNSYS, EnergyPLAN, HOMER Pro, Dymola, Python with Pyomo, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.

A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.

Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.

A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience, plus an internet connection, a suitable computer and English sufficient to read technical standards.

Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.

Master’s in Urban Energy: Heating/Cooling Networks and Microgrids (Flexibility, Local Markets)Enrol
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