Master’s in Renewables & Distributed Generation Engineering
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in renewables and distributed generation engineering, structured in 12 modules covering solar, wind and other renewables, self-consumption, energy communities, distribution network integration, storage, permitting, finance and O&M, with an assigned technical tutor.
Master’s in Renewables & Distributed Generation Engineering — studying from South Africa
Energy is a defining sector in South Africa, with Eskom operating the bulk of the national generation and transmission network and independent power producers increasingly contributing renewable capacity. Grid modernisation, renewable integration and distribution management create steady demand for engineers. The National Energy Regulator of South Africa oversees electricity regulation, while municipalities manage local distribution. Energy engineers typically work on generation, transmission, protection and system planning.
Fees for South Africa: R 166 000 (South African rand), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in South Africa
Typical roles
Questions from South Africa
Which South African bodies regulate energy and networks engineers, and would SEIUM count?
Energy engineers in South Africa are registered through ECSA, and the electricity sector is regulated by NERSA. Utilities and networks often require registered professionals for certain work. SEIUM is a private online institute, and its qualifications are not official state degrees or accredited by a national body. Recognition is for employers and the relevant body to decide, so verify this before enrolling.
Will this qualification help me find work with energy or network employers in South Africa?
South Africa's energy sector includes Eskom, municipalities, independent power producers and grid-related firms, which typically hire registered and experienced engineers. A private online qualification may support your application but does not guarantee a role. Check with target employers how they view it, and combine it with practical experience where possible.
How do I manage the workload, and can I get help with fees?
The programme is fully online and taught in English, so you need good English, and no student visa is needed to study from home. Master's programmes are 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and specialist courses 300 hours, with an assigned technical tutor and a final project. Fees are payable in instalments, and employer sponsorship may be possible, so ask your employer whether they would support the cost.
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
Assess solar, wind and other renewable resources.
Design photovoltaic and wind installations.
Size individual and collective self-consumption installations.
Structure energy communities.
Analyse the integration of distributed generation into networks.
Take renewable projects through permitting with environmental criteria.
Assess the economic viability of renewable projects.
Who it's for
- Renewable project engineers
- Self-consumption engineers
- Renewable resource analysts
- Energy community managers
- Operation and maintenance engineers
- Energy permitting consultants
- Engineering or science graduates looking to move into renewable generation
What you'll work with
- Directive (EU) 2023/2413 (RED III)
- Royal Decree 244/2019 (self-consumption)
- Royal Decree 1183/2020 (grid access and connection)
- Royal Decree 413/2014 (renewables, cogeneration and waste)
- Law 21/2013 on environmental assessment
- IEC 61724-1 (photovoltaic system performance monitoring)
- IEC 61400-12-1 (wind turbine power performance)
- Royal Decree 842/2002 (Low Voltage Electrotechnical Regulation, ITC-BT-40)
- PVsyst
- WAsP
- HOMER Pro
- SAM (NREL)
- OpenDSS
12 modules · 1900 h
1.1Renewable resources and their potential1.2Evolution of levelised costs1.3Installed capacity in Spain and Europe1.4PNIEC 2023-2030 targets1.5RED III Renewable Energy Directive1.6Distributed versus centralised generation1.7Sector value chain1.8Employment and local development1.9Integration challenges1.10Case study: analysis of the renewable mix of an autonomous community
2.1Solar radiation and its measurement2.2Irradiation databases2.3Photovoltaic cells and modules2.4Plant configurations2.5Single-axis solar trackers2.6Yield estimation2.7Losses and performance2.8Module degradation2.9Rooftop photovoltaics2.10Lab: simulation of an installation with PVsyst
3.1Wind characterisation3.2Measurement campaigns3.3Weibull distribution3.4Wind turbine technology3.5Power curve3.6Wakes and wind farm layout3.7P50 and P90 yield estimation3.8Small wind and distributed applications3.9Repowering of old wind farms3.10Practical: yield estimation of a wind farm with WAsP
4.1Hydropower and small hydropower4.2Biomass for power generation4.3Biogas and biomethane4.4Geothermal energy for electricity and heat4.5Concentrated solar power4.6Emerging marine energies4.7Technology hybridisation4.8Cost comparison4.9Potential in Spain4.10Case study: assessment of a small hydroelectric plant
5.1Self-consumption schemes5.2Individual and collective self-consumption5.3Simplified surplus compensation5.4Installation sizing5.5Industrial and commercial self-consumption5.6Storage in self-consumption5.7Administrative procedures for self-consumption5.8Grants and taxation5.9Profitability of self-consumption5.10Practical: sizing an industrial self-consumption installation
6.1Renewable energy communities6.2Citizen energy communities6.3Legal forms of communities6.4Allocation coefficients6.5Governance models6.6Citizen crowdfunding6.7Energy poverty and communities6.8Experiences in Spain6.9Current regulatory barriers6.10Workshop: design of a neighbourhood energy community
7.1Hosting capacity7.2Impact on voltages7.3Reverse power flows7.4Protection and distributed generation7.5Connection requirements7.6Inverter control7.7Distributed storage in the network7.8Active network management7.9Planning with distributed generation7.10Lab: photovoltaic hosting capacity in a low-voltage network
8.1Batteries in distributed generation8.2Thermal storage in buildings8.3Hydrogen as an energy carrier8.4Hybrid renewable plants8.5Demand management8.6Electric vehicles and renewables8.7Virtual power plants8.8Flexibility services8.9Resource optimisation8.10Practical: optimisation of self-consumption with a battery
9.1Administrative authorisation of plants9.2Grid access and connection9.3Environmental impact assessment9.4Environmental zoning for renewables9.5Municipal building permits9.6Social acceptance of projects9.7Biodiversity and renewables9.8Landscape integration of projects9.9Renewables acceleration areas9.10Case study: permitting of a 50 MW solar farm
10.1Levelised cost of energy10.2Project financial models10.3Long-term corporate PPAs10.4Renewable energy auctions10.5Capture price risks10.6Project finance10.7Technical due diligence10.8Taxation of renewable projects10.9Guarantees of origin10.10Practical: financial model of a photovoltaic plant
11.1Plant monitoring11.2Performance indicators11.3Preventive and corrective maintenance11.4Drone thermography11.5Module cleaning11.6Inverter management11.7Asset management11.8Repowering of solar plants11.9End of life and recycling11.10Workshop: performance analysis of an operating plant
12.1Selection of the renewable project12.2Resource assessment12.3Installation design12.4Grid integration12.5Permitting and environment12.6Economic analysis of the project12.7Operation plan12.8Conclusions and future work12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
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 the programme fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is PVsyst, WAsP, HOMER Pro, SAM (NREL) and OpenDSS, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures for photovoltaic and wind yield simulation, self-consumption sizing and network hosting capacity analysis. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: Directive (EU) 2023/2413 (RED III), Royal Decree 244/2019 (self-consumption), Royal Decree 1183/2020 (grid access and connection), Royal Decree 413/2014 (renewables, cogeneration and waste), Law 21/2013 on environmental assessment, IEC 61724-1 (photovoltaic system performance monitoring), IEC 61400-12-1 (wind turbine power performance), Royal Decree 842/2002 (Low Voltage Electrotechnical Regulation, ITC-BT-40).
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- A university degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running 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.
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 PVsyst, WAsP, HOMER Pro, SAM (NREL) and OpenDSS, 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 professional experience), a computer able to run the software 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.
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