Study Programmes

As an ERBE student you will be immersed in a stimulating and world-leading research environment that will enable you to realise your ambitions.

Each of the three institutions, LU, UCL and MaREI, offer a similar four-year programme, which consists of taught courses and supervised PhD study.

The taught courses introduce students to a number of different disciplinary perspectives on energy and the built environment. They also provide the key skills needed to conduct meaningful and rigorous research.

The taught programme begins with a residential week at which all students come together to gain an insight into national energy supply systems, energy use in buildings and the way in which resilience of energy supply system, and to external social, economic and climatic pressures, can be achieved. Site visits and guest lectures are a feature.

The taught programmes at LU and UCL continue with courses on building physics, energy modelling, energy economics, socio-technical perspectives, energy data analysis and research skills. Most of the courses are joint between LU and UCL, giving students further chance to work together and benefit from the expertise of two academic departments. The courses give students a flying start to their PhD, which occupies the next three years. At MaREI, students select courses which will build the skills needed to succeed in their PhD topic. Courses may be distributed throughout the four years of study.

At the annual residential summer school, students work together on a common problem, analysis of innovative buildings, making videos, hands-on experiments, etc. The tasks are always fun but informative and our ERBE Advisory Board members join in.

Each year, all ERBE students present their work at our show-case Colloquium. This brings academics and researchers together with stakeholders from business, industry, government and charities. Common interests are discovered, and new relationships forged.