Professional/Short Course Zero Carbon Buildings (Technology and Modelling) (Level 5)

Funding is available for applicants who meet the eligibility criteria.

The Zero Carbon Building (Technology and Modelling) course will enable you to gain technical knowledge on the application of principles relating to zero carbon dwellings (such as Passivhaus), including site analysis, fabric evaluation, services selection and renewable energy options.

It will be delivered as a stand-alone credit-bearing short course and meets the criteria for Higher Education Short Course (HESC) loans, available to apply for once your application has been approved.

This course forms part of a portfolio of HESC funded courses which include: 

• Zero Carbon Buildings (Environments and Materials) (Level 4) 
• Zero Carbon Buildings (Energy Management and Performance) (Level 6) 

If you are unfamiliar with higher education settings, full support will be given and the course has been designed to meet the highest standard of inclusive design, with a mix of in-person teaching and an online learning environment where material is available in digital formats, including recordings of live sessions, learning material and online reading lists in accessible formats.

Learning will be divided into short presentations on theory, followed by interactive learning activities, using technology enhanced learning, detailed session plans and related reading lists.

The use of hands-on learning equipment and real-world case studies will be used to give the learning a professional focus.

Learning outcomes

For a given case study site, develop the conceptual design of a residential dwelling using zero carbon principles, including the evaluation of the site's microclimate opportunities and constraints, a comparison of different environmental strategies, and the identification of potential design risks.

Evaluate, contrast and select appropriate construction technology relating to a zero carbon dwelling for a given site, supporting choices with quantitative data relating to predicted performance of operational energy use and related carbon emissions, and identifying potential risks to actual post-occupation performance.

Present a design proposal that is appropriate for a professional audience, demonstrating an ability to articulate the process of how zero carbon theory was applied and answer questions relating to how key design issues could be resolved.

Entry requirements

Applicants joining this level 5 course are expected to have fundamental knowledge of building physics (such as the heat-balance equation), as covered in the level 4 course Zero Carbon Building (Environments and Materials).

• To gain entry to this course, learners require either:

a) completion of the related level 4, 30 credit, short course Zero Carbon Buildings (Environments and Materials);

or,

b) completion of 120 credits of level 4 in a related technical programme of the built environment;

or,

c) evidence of experiential learning that map to the learning outcomes of the level 4 short course Zero Carbon Buildings (Environments and Materials).

• All applicants will need GCSE English and Maths at grade C/4.
• Applicants who do not meet these entry requirements but have relevant experience may be considered on a case by case basis.