Course detail

Energy and Emissions

FSI-KEE-AAcad. year: 2026/2027

Efficient use of energy - both in industry and in the municipal sector—is currently a key priority in light of decarbonization, climate protection, and climate adaptation goals as defined in the EU Taxonomy. The course focuses on the transformation of the energy sector, including energy production, distribution, and consumption, toward progressive decarbonization and sustainable development. Emphasis is placed on the transition to renewable energy sources as well as on the efficient operation of fossil-fuel-based energy systems and the minimization of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants.

The course primarily emphasizes energy savings, carbon footprint reduction, and the implementation of innovative solutions in the energy sector, district heating, and industrial processes. It addresses the shift toward renewable energy sources and the modernization of existing energy systems in line with current trends (community energy systems, heat pumps, 4th and 5th generation district heating, energy storage). This transition is framed by EU-level legislation. Students also have the opportunity to expand their knowledge through a dedicated specialized e-learning module.

Part of the course is devoted to achieving energy savings and reducing harmful emissions and greenhouse gases through process integration or thermal integration, including economic and environmental aspects. Methods for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants through both primary and secondary measures are explained.

Modern approaches based on conceptual design are presented, enabled by applying process engineering principles to energy systems serving large and medium-sized consumers. The course introduces the method of process integration, which maximizes heat recovery within processes and industrial sites to ensure optimal use of available heat (including waste heat). This reduces the need for heat supplied from external energy sources (such as hot water, steam from a steam turbine, or flue gases from dedicated combustion chambers).

Contemporary conceptual approaches integrating environmental and economic objectives in the energy sector also include support for the circular economy and the adaptation of energy systems to extreme climate conditions. Through this perspective, the course provides a comprehensive overview of energy practices and technologies that meet sustainability requirements and contribute to achieving climate targets.

Language of instruction

English

Number of ECTS credits

6

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

prof. Ing. Petr Stehlík, CSc., dr. h. c.

Department

Institute of Process Engineering (ÚPI)

Offered to foreign students

Of all faculties

Entry knowledge

Basic knowledge of thermodynamics is required (enthalpy, the ideal gas equation of state, thermodynamic laws, the Rankine cycle, steam states, steam tables). Students are expected to be familiar with the courses from the previous semester of the master’s program, particularly Heat Transfer Processes (KTP-A) and Balancing of Process and Energy Systems (KBP)—specifically the topics related to mass and energy balancing.

Relevant knowledge from the KBP course (e.g., balancing systems in a broader context, carbon footprint, the Material Flow Analysis (MFA) method, combustion balance calculations, enthalpy calculations for mixtures, and related legislation) can be reviewed in the e-learning module. This module is especially useful for students who have not completed the KBP course, as it allows them to acquire the necessary background knowledge before the course begins—or at the latest within the first few weeks—through self-study.

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

Course-unit credit requirements:

  • Active participation in the seminars and completion of the semester project with a minimum grade of E (51 points or more).
  • Semester project (0–50 points…F, 51–60 points…E, 61–70 points…D, 71–80 points…C, 81–90 points…B, 91–100 points…A).

Teaching takes place in the computer laboratory. Attendance at the exercises is mandatory. One absence is permitted; additional absences are allowed only for serious reasons and must be accompanied by demonstrated completion of the material covered in the missed sessions. Successful completion of the semester project is a prerequisite for receiving course credit and for being admitted to the oral examination.

Exam:

Assessment is carried out across four separately evaluated components, each contributing a specific weight to the final grade:

  • Written tests (graded on a point scale, weight 25%;
    0–5.0 points…F, 5.1–6.0…E, 6.1–7.0…D, 7.1–8.0…C, 8.1–9.0…B, 9.1–10.0…A)
  • Computational problems (graded on a point scale, weight 25%;
    0–5.0 points…F, 5.1–6.0…E, 6.1–7.0…D, 7.1–8.0…C, 8.1–9.0…B, 9.1–10.0…A)
    If the student achieves at least an E in both the Written Test and the Computational Problems, they proceed to the oral examination.
  • Oral examination: Students demonstrate understanding of the subject matter rather than simple memorization (defense of the semester project, explanation of principles using lecture presentations).
    Graded on a point scale, weight 25%;
    0–5.0 points…F, 5.1–6.0…E, 6.1–7.0…D, 7.1–8.0…C, 8.1–9.0…B, 9.1–10.0…A)
  • Semester project (weight 25%; graded according to the scale listed above)

Final grade: A to F, based on the combined results of all the components described above.

Aims

Students will acquire information and knowledge in the following areas:

  • Criteria for assessing economic activities in the energy sector in terms of climate sustainability.
  • Fossil and alternative energy sources.
  • Energy systems in industrial processes and the municipal sector, and their integration.
  • Optimization of process heat and waste heat utilization.
  • Environmental legislation and emission limits as constraining factors.
  • Reduction of harmful emissions, flue-gas cleaning, and waste-gas treatment.
  • Effective use of supporting simulation calculations, mathematical models, and software systems.
  • Conceptual approaches combining theory, experiments, and practice for comprehensive and validated solutions.
  • Understanding of the relationships and solution procedures from investment planning to the detailed design of equipment.

Students will learn to apply theoretical knowledge to specific practical cases through the preparation of a semester project. They will be introduced to the latest methods in the field and ways of applying them in practice. They will become aware of the importance of cooperation and teamwork. They will gain experience in solving practical problems from various areas of the discipline using professional or in-house software tools.

After completing the course Energy and Emissions, the student:

  • Will be able to apply knowledge from both theoretical and practical courses (e.g., links to Heat Transfer Processes).
  • Will understand the relationship between fuel consumption, energy production, and the formation of greenhouse gases and air pollutants, and will be able to describe and quantify this relationship for selected cases.
  • Will be able to navigate current trends in energy production and district heating in the context of decarbonization.
  • Will have an overview of key legislation related to energy management and will be able to assess whether an activity or technology meets sustainability criteria.
  • Will broaden their knowledge of state-of-the-art methods used worldwide as well as original and unique approaches developed at the instructors’ institution.
  • Will improve their ability to navigate professional literature, particularly international sources, and will become familiar with domain-specific terminology.

Will be able to practically apply the acquired knowledge to real-world problems (primarily within the semester project).

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

Heinz, B., Singh, M.: Steam Turbines–Design, Applications and Rerating. McGraw-Hill, New York (2009) (EN)
Lun, Y. H. V.; Tung, S. L. D.: Heat Pumps for Sustainable Heating and Cooling. Springer Cham, 2019. (EN)
Lund, H.: Renewable Energy Systems: A Smart Energy Systems Approach to the Choice and Modeling of Fully Decarbonized Societies. 3rd ed. Academic Press / Elsevier, 2024 (EN)
Sjaak, V., Koppejan, J.: Handbook of Biomass Combustion and Co-firing, ISBN 9036517737. Twente University Press, Enschede, The Netherlands (2002) (EN)

Recommended reading

Branchini, L.: Waste-to-energy: advanced cycles and new design concepts for efficient power plants. Springer (2015) (EN)
Brown, T.: Engineering economics and economic design for process engineers. CRC Press (2016) (EN)
Klemeš, J. J. (ed.). Handbook of Process Integration (PI). Woodhead Publishing. 2013 (EN)
Garay-Martinez, R.; Garrido-Marijuan, A. (eds.): Handbook of Low Temperature District Heating. Green Energy and Technology. Springer, Cham, 2022 (EN)
Huggins, R. A.: Energy Storage: Fundamentals, Materials and Applications. Springer, Cham, 2016 (EN)
Schaltegger, S. et al. (eds.): Corporate Carbon and Climate Accounting. Springer, Cham, 2016 (EN)
Smith, R.: Chemical process: design and integration. John Wiley & Sons (2005) (EN)
Wu, C.: Thermodynamic cycles: computer-aided design and optimization. CRC Press (2003) (EN)

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme N-PRI-P Master's 1 year of study, summer semester, compulsory, profile core courses
  • Programme N-ENG-A Master's 1 year of study, summer semester, compulsory-optional

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hod., optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

prof. Ing. Petr Stehlík, CSc., dr. h. c.

Syllabus

  1. Trends and challenges in energy production sector
  2. Energy management legislation (EU context)
  3. Energy production by fuel combustion as a unit operation
  4. Renewable and alternative fuels and their utilization
  5. Steam boilers and steam turbines
  6. Energy production in other sources/systems
  7. Heat pumps
  8. District heating and its role in the future energy supply systems
  9. Energy production, demand and energy accumulation
  10. Process integration 1 (thermodynamic analysis and energy recovery)
  11. Process integration 2 (utilities, retrofit, targeting)
  12. Greenhouse gas evaluation and reporting
  13. Primary & secondary measures for emission reduction

Computer-assisted exercise

26 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

prof. Ing. Petr Stehlík, CSc., dr. h. c.

Syllabus

Computer aided seminars. Solution of problems related to the lectured topics, based on information from the lectures.
This course was created by the project Akcelerace zelených dovedností a udržitelnosti na VUT v Brně with registration number NPO_VUT_MSMT-2143/2024-5.