About the department

Introduction

The Department of Renewable Energy Techniques Engineering was established in 2023, along with the establishment of the College of Oil and Gas Techniques Engineering as part of the Northern Technical University of  Iraq. This department is considered the first of its kind in Iraq and one of the most important rare and demanded specialties globally. As countries around the world strive to find alternative energy sources to fossil fuels (such as oil, gas, and coal), the field of renewable energy engineering focuses on studying various renewable energy systems from both theoretical and practical perspectives. This includes studying solar energy systems, both photovoltaic and thermal, as well as wind energy, thermal energy, nuclear energy, bioenergy, in addition to hybrid systems and energy management.

The Renewable Energy specialization program is a four-year program aimed at providing graduates with advanced knowledge of the latest technologies for generating green energy. These technologies include solar cells, wind energy, biofuels, biomass, natural gas, and others.

Renewable energy engineering serves as a link between engineering branches involved in the design, installation, operation, and maintenance of renewable energy systems. These branches include electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, architectural engineering, environmental engineering, materials engineering, and other engineering sciences. The specialization revolves around the methods and systems used to generate and distribute energy from sustainable and renewable sources, including people, materials, information, equipment, sustainable energy sources, and their applications in these environments.

Vision

The department aims to promote awareness and knowledge in the field of renewable energy engineering by offering a distinguished, high-quality academic program that combines teaching with practical aspects. Its goal is to attain a prestigious scientific position among engineering colleges in Iraqi and regional universities, while supplying the community with outstanding graduates capable of dealing with modern changes and developments in the energy sector.

The department also aims to contribute to the development of our scientific, healthcare, industrial, and environmental institutions in solving the challenges they face. Students in this department will acquire the necessary skills to design, implement, and operate renewable energy engineering projects, such as solar and wind energy, among other renewable energy applications. The program includes both theoretical study of renewable energy engineering and practical application in well-equipped laboratories dedicated for this purpose. Additionally, students will participate in field visits to real-life projects and undergo field training during their study years in projects under execution, in collaboration with specialized companies in the job market. This prepares students professionally to practice their work with expertise in the job market.

Mission

• The Renewable Energy Department aims to fulfill the mission of the Northern Technical University in establishing an educational institution capable of keeping pace with and accommodating continuous and ongoing developments in various basic sciences and their applications.
• Providing the local and global private sectors, as well as the government sector, with generations of engineers and workers knowledgeable about the latest green energy generation technologies, and enhancing their experiences through scientific, research, educational, and industrial centers.
•  Offering the best educational services to students in the field of studying basic sciences for the bachelor’s degree, enabling them to acquire the required skills in the specialization through educational programs according to international standards.
•  Contributing to the continuous development and updating of educational and research programs.
•  Playing an influential role in community development through training, awareness programs, consultations, and interactive exchanges between the department and the community.
• Working to create and develop academic relations between local and regional universities through scientific and cultural exchange.
•  Deepening national loyalty and preserving the principles of society and noble human values.

Objectives

The department seeks to achieve the following strategic objectives:

First General objectives

• Keeping pace with global advancements in all scientific fields, especially in renewable energy engineering
• Providing the community and state institutions with scientific and technical expertise in the field of renewable energy engineering and enhancing their scientific, healthcare, and environmental institutions. Raising the level of performance and quality to match that of advanced international universities.

2. Educational objectives

1. Development and updating of scientific curricula, both theoretical and practical.
2. Enhancement of scientific competencies and performance for faculty, researchers, and students.
3. The department aims to adopt modern technologies in practical laboratories.

3. Scientific research objectives

• Finding solutions to contemporary environmental problems.
• Understanding and studying the main causes of the prevalent negative aspects in our environment and society scientifically and finding successful treatments for them.
• Investing in energy and sustainable development research to develop industry in various fields such as medical, chemical, food industries, and others.
  Contributing to addressing energy-related problems in Iraq.

4.Community service objectives

Community service objectives include:

• Supporting community activities by organizing seminars, scientific conferences, and practical workshops in various fields of energy sciences and renewable energies.
•  Collaborating with various government departments to improve the health, environmental, industrial, and agricultural sectors by providing scientific expertise and research results for implementation.
•  Striving to uplift the community by expanding public awareness regarding the importance of renewable energy engineering in addressing many health, environmental, and industrial issues.

5.Student activity objectives

• Supporting student activities in cultural, social, sports, and artistic domains.
• Facilitating knowledge, cultural, and scientific exchange with other local and international universities.
• Training students in our scientific, healthcare, industrial, and environmental institutions during summer vacations.
• Seeking to establish agreements with universities and departments similar to ours inside and outside the country to send outstanding students for training and to familiarize them with scientific activities during summer vacations.
• Organizing an annual scientific conference for research projects (graduation projects) and honoring outstanding participants.

system of study and the awarded degree

The study duration in the department is four academic years, which include a two-week spring break and a two-month summer break. The department grants a Bachelor’s degree in Renewable Energy Engineering after the student is academically and methodologically prepared to keep up with the technological advancements in scientific research and to provide services to both public and private sectors. Specialization begins at the beginning of the third preparatory year.

Human resources

A sufficient number of individuals with advanced degrees in renewable energy specialties and related fields are available, meeting the primary and secondary requirements of the department, including some who are currently employed within the university’s framework.