Academic Writing

Background: Under the KYOTO agreement, and other initiatives to combat climate change, governments are requiring commercial energy users to reduce energy consumption. In addition, distributed generation is being promoted as being beneficial to electrical networks. A landowner has been approached by a company which is suggesting that his energy bill can be lowered, and that income can be generated, from the installation of either a 1.8 MW wind turbine or an equivalent solar photovoltaic (PV) farm on his land. The landowner has requested a document outlining the operation of the wind-turbine and of solar PV, what other equipment would need to be installed on his land and how the energy is fed into the electrical grid. He also wishes to understand the resources required to monitor and maintain such installations. Task: Produce a document outlining: 1) the operation of a wind turbine and the electrical interface from the turbine to the electricity grid; 2) the operation of a solar PV farm and the electrical interface from the system to the electricity grid; 3) the likely energy output for the equipment in a typical location in Oman; 4) the types of monitoring equipment which could be installed to ensure safe operation of the equipment; 5) the maintenance requirements for both installations; 6) the environmental considerations around both types of equipment. The document should be written in a way that a non-expert can understand the interaction of the components. Indication of what measurement(s) would be required to gather data on the various components making up the entire installation should be presented. The document should also address possible asset management plans, i.e. aspects of the plant which could be monitored, devices which would be used to monitor the plant and the frequency investigation. Justification of the choice of monitoring equipment and the maintenance regime from background reading would strengthen the case being presented to the customer. The report: The report, as discussed in the class, should be based on government reports, journal paper, review of manufacturers’ literature and personal experience (if appropriate). The report should provide evidence of the following: • Ability to structure and present information • Evidence of background reading and clear understanding of main issues • Basic technical description of assets involved in this area • Critical appraisal of issues • Relevancy and accuracy of arguments • Relevant conclusions • References Marks will be awarded for the following details: • Presentation, structure and readability 20% • Technical content and relevance 40% • Relevant conclusions 10% • Proper use of background reading and embedding of references 10% • Evidence of ability to explain technical issues to non-specialist 10% • Initiative 10% Reading material As this report is intended to further develop investigative, research and report skills, students should use their initiative to find suitable background material from the following sources: • The University Library • Appropriate textbooks • The Internet • Lecture notes