Helmholtz Research School on Energy Scenarios

Curriculum

The three years of the school’s programme are structured as follows:

 

1st year

2nd year

3rd year

Education

Introductory module: Aims of the research school and cross-disciplinary programme on “Energy Science” (5 days, mandatory)

 

Basic modules within the field of energy scenarios on the topics "construction" and "assessment" (2x5 days, mandatory)

Basic module on the topic "impact" (5 days, mandatory) and advanced module on the topics "construction", "assessment" and "impact" (10 days, mandatory)

Organisation of a summer or winter school (at least 5 days, mandatory)

Participation at an external summer or winter school (5 days; optional)

Research

Development of research project (thesis)

Completion and defence of doctoral thesis (end of the year)

Active participation in “research days” (1x2 days per year, mandatory)

Attendance and active participation at national and international workshops and conferences

1-3 month research stay abroad (optional)

Practical implications

 

Interactive exchange with practitioners, presentation of research (1 day, mandatory)

1-3 month practical experience period (optional)

In detail, the following courses are presently planned:

Module

Title/Content

Introductory module (1 week)

E.1

Aim and organisation of research school

E.2

Cross-disciplinary introduction “Energy science”

Base module construction (1 week)

C.1 Theory

Efficient energy systems and electric mobility

C.2 Theory

Energy trade - basics of liberalised energy markets

C.3 Methods

System-oriented methods of planning in technology and economics

C.4 Methods

Energy systems analysis

C.5 Methods

Technological change in energy economics

C.6 Methods

Qualitative research methods – scenario, Delphi and cross impact analysis

C.7 Methods

Data handling and uncertainties

Base module assessment (1 week)

A.1 Theory

Technology assessment: introduction, concepts and methods

A.2 Theory

Epistemology and assessment of prospective knowledge

A.3 Theory

Environmental economics

A.4 Theory

Theory of sustainable development

A.5 Theory

Stakeholder participation in scenario construction

A.6 Methods

Measuring the sustainability of energy systems

A.7 Methods

Decision theory

A.8 Methods

Software-based discourse analysis

Base module impact (1 week)

I.1 Theory

Energy policy in the context of competitiveness, security of supply and environmental protection

I.2 Theory

Strategic corporate planning in energy economics

I.3 Theory

Introduction to analytic decision analysis (MAUT, MCDM)

I.4 Theory

Decision-making in the knowledge society

I.5 Theory

Introduction to national and European energy law

I.6 Theory

Energy and environment

I.7 Methods

Qualitative research methods (computer-based analysis of documents)

Advanced module: case studies in construction, assessment, impact (2 weeks)

CAI.1

Introduction to case studies as a teaching approach

CAI.2

Case study in construction: model-based construction of energy scenarios - uncertainties in energy system models

CAI.3

Case study in assessment: assessing and comparing the epistemic status of global energy scenarios

CAI.4

Case study in impact: using advanced assessment methods for the impact analysis of selected energy problems

CAI.5

Summary of the case studies