Course in Energy Transition Strategies in Cities
Online 300 h course in Energy Transition Strategies in Cities. 6 modules covering Directive (EU) 2018/2001 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (amended by Directive (EU) 2023/2413), Directive (EU) 2023/1791 on energy efficiency and QGIS. Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Course in Energy Transition Strategies in Cities — studying from New Zealand
Civil engineering is one of New Zealand's largest engineering employers, driven by the need for earthquake-resilient infrastructure, roading, water and wastewater systems across a seismically active country. Major projects include Auckland's City Rail Link and Wellington's transport upgrades, with rail maintained largely by KiwiRail. Engineers work for consultancies, contractors and councils, and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment administers the Building Act and related standards, while Waka Kotahi manages the national land transport network.
Fees for New Zealand: NZ$1,580 (New Zealand dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in New Zealand
Typical roles
Questions from New Zealand
What is the recognition pathway for civil and rail engineers in New Zealand?
Engineering New Zealand administers Chartered Professional Engineer registration, which is the main recognised professional standard for civil engineers. Rail is regulated through the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and the Ministry of Transport. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by a national body, so employers or the relevant body decide how much weight to give them.
Who hires civil, rail and smart city engineers in New Zealand?
Employers include city and regional councils, central government agencies, consultancies, contractors, and rail and transport operators. Smart city roles increasingly combine infrastructure knowledge with data and digital systems. Hiring usually depends on registration, experience and project records, so a private qualification is a supporting credential rather than a guaranteed entry point.
Will I need a visa, and how do fees and employer funding work?
No student visa is needed to study from home, because all programmes are 100% online and taught in English. Each programme includes an assigned technical tutor and a final project. Fees are payable in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible. Master's programmes take 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 and specialist courses 300, so check the time commitment against your workload.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Analyse a city's energy balance and its trends.
Assess urban renewable potential using GIS tools.
Design efficiency solutions and district heating and cooling networks.
Understand demand flexibility and smart grids.
Promote energy communities and collective self-consumption.
Plan municipal strategies for a just energy transition.
Evaluate the economics of transition measures and their financing.
Who it's for
- Municipal energy manager who wishes to specialise in Energy Transition Strategies in Cities.
- Renewable energy engineer who wishes to specialise in Energy Transition Strategies in Cities.
- Energy transition consultant who wishes to specialise in Energy Transition Strategies in Cities.
- Energy community technician who wishes to specialise in Energy Transition Strategies in Cities.
- Urban energy planner who wishes to specialise in Energy Transition Strategies in Cities.
- Energy auditor who wishes to specialise in Energy Transition Strategies in Cities.
- Graduates in engineering or sciences seeking to enter local government.
What you'll work with
- Directive (EU) 2018/2001 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (amended by Directive (EU) 2023/2413)
- Directive (EU) 2023/1791 on energy efficiency
- Royal Decree 244/2019 on self-consumption of electrical energy
- Directive (EU) 2024/1275 on the energy performance of buildings
- Royal Decree 390/2021 establishing the basic procedure for the energy certification of buildings
- Law 7/2021 on climate change and energy transition
- Royal Decree 314/2006 Technical Building Code (DB-HE)
- ISO 50001 Energy management systems
6 modules · 300 h
1.1City energy balance1.2Demand by use: thermal, electrical, mobility1.3Electrification of final demand1.4Available local renewable resources1.5Distribution networks and their transformation1.6Actors: distribution companies, retailers, citizens1.7Prosumers and energy democratisation1.8Renewable hydrogen and its urban role1.9Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan1.10Practical: energy balance of a municipality
2.1Rooftop photovoltaics and solar potential2.2Solar maps with LiDAR2.3Individual and collective self-consumption2.4Renewable energy communities2.5Shallow geothermal energy and heat pumps2.6Biomass and biogas in an urban context2.7Small wind and architectural integration2.8Residential battery storage2.9Administrative procedures and licences2.10Laboratory: solar potential of a neighbourhood with QGIS
3.1Energy retrofitting at neighbourhood scale3.2Energy certification of buildings3.3Nearly zero-energy buildings3.4Fourth and fifth generation district heating and cooling networks3.5Use of urban waste heat3.6Energy management of public buildings3.7Efficient lighting and remote management3.8Energy services and EPC contracts3.9Building renovation passport3.10Workshop: pre-design of a district heating network
4.1Smart meters and consumption data4.2Demand management and flexible response4.3Independent demand aggregators4.4Smart charging of electric vehicles4.5Vehicle-to-grid and distributed storage4.6Local flexibility markets4.7Urban microgrids and islanded operation4.8Distribution network planning4.9Digitalisation and network digital twins4.10Case study: mass charging on low voltage
5.1Climate and energy action plans5.2Integrated urban energy planning5.3Community transformation offices5.4Energy poverty and a just transition5.5Financing: IDAE, European funds, ESCOs5.6Solar and efficiency ordinances5.7Citizen participation in the transition5.8Energy indicators for monitoring5.9Experiences from Freiburg, Vienna and Pamplona5.10Case study: energy strategy of a medium-sized municipality
6.1Selection of scope and diagnosis6.2Reference energy balance6.3Local renewable potential6.4Efficiency and electrification measures6.5Proposed energy community model6.6Economic and financing analysis6.7Impact on emissions and energy poverty6.8Implementation roadmap6.9Report and presentation6.10Final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100 % online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, which makes it possible to combine study with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is QGIS, PVsyst, EnergyPlus, HOMER Pro, LEAP, in free, academic or evaluation versions. The tests are based on real procedures for assessing the solar potential of a neighbourhood, pre-designing a district heating network and designing a local energy community. Assessment is continuous, module by module, plus a final integrating project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Analyse a city's energy balance and its trends.
Assess urban renewable potential using GIS tools.
Design efficiency solutions and district heating and cooling networks.
Understand demand flexibility and smart grids.
Promote energy communities and collective self-consumption.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior degree is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Spanish-language proficiency sufficient to read technical regulations.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme consists of 300 hours in total, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is an average of 10 to 15 hours per week, compatible with full-time work.
The programme uses QGIS, PVsyst, EnergyPlus, HOMER Pro and LEAP. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
A SEIUM own diploma upon passing the continuous assessment and the integrating project. It is in-house training, not an official qualification from the Ministry.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are credited towards the advanced programme. Check the recognition policy when you enrol.
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