Energy Engineering project ideas

100 projects, from a first build to a final-year capstone. Each lists the skills it teaches and the tools it needs; times and costs are estimates.

Beginner projects

• Solar PV Yield Estimator — Estimate annual PV output from panel size, tilt, location irradiance and losses. Skills: PV yield, irradiance, losses. Tools: web app. Visualizer, Up to 15 h, Software only (free tools).
• Wind Turbine Power Curve Explorer — Show turbine power versus wind speed and estimate annual energy from a wind distribution. Skills: power curves, Weibull distribution. Tools: web app. Visualizer, Up to 15 h, Software only (free tools).
• Heat Pump COP Calculator — Calculate heat pump COP from temperatures and compare with gas heating cost. Skills: COP, Carnot efficiency, costs. Tools: web calculator. Visualizer, Up to 15 h, Software only (free tools).
• Building Energy Audit App — Walk through a building recording lighting, HVAC and appliances to estimate savings. Skills: energy audits, checklists. Tools: mobile app. Workflow, Up to 15 h, Software only (free tools).
• Solar Water Heater Model — Build a small solar collector and measure water temperature rise. Skills: solar thermal, efficiency. Tools: collector model, thermometer. Hardware build, Up to 15 h, Under $30.
• Mini Wind Turbine Build — Build a small turbine and measure voltage versus wind speed. Skills: wind energy, generators. Tools: DIY turbine, multimeter. Hardware build, Up to 15 h, Under $30.
• Energy Unit Converter — Convert between kWh, BTU, calories, toe and joules with examples. Skills: energy units, order-of-magnitude reasoning. Tools: web app. Visualizer, Up to 15 h, Software only (free tools).
• Home Appliance Energy Logger — Measure appliance energy with a plug meter and rank consumers. Skills: energy measurement, standby loads. Tools: plug-in meter. Data lab, Up to 15 h, Under $30.
• Solar Panel Angle Experiment — Measure panel output at different tilt angles across the day. Skills: solar geometry, tilt. Tools: small panel, multimeter. Data lab, Up to 15 h, Under $30.
• Biogas From Kitchen Waste Demo — Produce biogas from kitchen waste in a bottle digester and measure gas volume. Skills: anaerobic digestion, gas volume measurement. Tools: bottle digester. Hardware build, Up to 15 h, Under $30.
• Battery Capacity Comparison — Discharge different batteries at constant load and compare capacity. Skills: battery capacity, testing. Tools: load resistor, logger. Data lab, Up to 15 h, Under $30.
• Insulation Effect Study — Compare cooling of insulated and uninsulated boxes. Skills: thermal insulation, U-values. Tools: boxes, thermometers. Data lab, Up to 15 h, Software only (free tools).
• Hydro Power Potential Calculator — Estimate power from head and flow of a small stream. Skills: hydropower basics, head and flow. Tools: web calculator. Visualizer, Up to 15 h, Software only (free tools).
• Lighting Upgrade Payback Tool — Calculate energy savings and simple payback when replacing old lamps with LEDs for a room or building. Skills: payback, lighting energy. Tools: web calculator. Visualizer, Up to 15 h, Software only (free tools).
• Parabolic Dish Concentrator Test — Build a small parabolic dish, measure focal temperature and estimate concentration ratio and losses. Skills: solar concentration, optical efficiency. Tools: solar cooker, thermometer. Data lab, Up to 15 h, Under $30.
• Electricity Tariff Comparator — Compare flat, time-of-use and slab tariffs for a load profile. Skills: tariffs, load profiles. Tools: spreadsheet. Dashboard, Up to 15 h, Software only (free tools).
• Thermoelectric Generator Demo — Generate power from a temperature difference with a TEG. Skills: thermoelectrics, Seebeck effect. Tools: TEG module, heat sources. Hardware build, Up to 15 h, Under $30.
• Energy Flow Sankey Builder — Draw Sankey diagrams of energy flows in a home or plant. Skills: energy balances, Sankey diagrams. Tools: web app. Visualizer, Up to 15 h, Software only (free tools).
• Hand-Crank Charger Efficiency — Measure energy input and battery charge from a hand-crank charger. Skills: energy conversion efficiency, power measurement. Tools: crank generator, meters. Data lab, Up to 15 h, Software only (free tools).
• Solar Shading Loss Experiment — Show how partial shading reduces PV output and bypass diode effects. Skills: PV shading, bypass diodes. Tools: small panel, meter. Data lab, Up to 15 h, Under $30.
• Daylighting Savings Estimator — Estimate lighting energy saved by daylight in a room. Skills: daylighting, energy. Tools: web app. Visualizer, Up to 15 h, Software only (free tools).
• Smart Plug Scheduler — Schedule loads on smart plugs to off-peak hours. Skills: load shifting, scheduling. Tools: smart plugs. Workflow, Up to 15 h, Software only (free tools).
• Kinetic Energy Floor Tile Concept — Model energy from footsteps and assess practicality. Skills: energy harvesting, feasibility. Tools: spreadsheet. Visualizer, Up to 15 h, Software only (free tools).
• Fuel Energy Content Comparison — Compare energy density of fuels by mass and volume. Skills: energy density, fuel comparison. Tools: web app. Visualizer, Up to 15 h, Software only (free tools).
• Campus Energy Quiz — Quiz on energy facts with real campus meter data. Skills: energy literacy, data interpretation. Tools: web app. Visualizer, Up to 15 h, Software only (free tools).

Intermediate projects

• Battery State-of-Health Monitor — Estimate battery SoH from capacity fade and internal resistance trends. Skills: battery ageing, SoH. Tools: logger, Python. Dashboard, 15–45 h, $30–150.
• Microgrid Energy Manager — Dispatch PV, battery and diesel in a microgrid to minimise cost. Skills: dispatch, microgrids. Tools: Python. Simulator, 15–45 h, Software only (free tools).
• Hydrogen Electrolyzer Efficiency Model — Model electrolyzer voltage, efficiency and hydrogen output. Skills: electrolysis, efficiency. Tools: Python. Simulator, 15–45 h, Software only (free tools).
• Thermal Storage Dispatch Simulator — Charge and discharge thermal storage to shift cooling load. Skills: thermal storage, scheduling. Tools: Python. Simulator, 15–45 h, Software only (free tools).
• EV Charging Load Optimizer — Schedule EV charging to stay under a site's capacity. Skills: smart charging, optimisation. Tools: Python. Simulator, 15–45 h, Software only (free tools).
• Renewable Forecast Dashboard — Forecast solar and wind output from weather data and show errors. Skills: forecasting, renewables. Tools: Python, dashboard. Dashboard, 15–45 h, $30–150.
• Waste-Heat Recovery Planner — Identify waste-heat sources and match them to sinks with economics. Skills: heat recovery, economics. Tools: spreadsheet. Workflow, 15–45 h, Software only (free tools).
• Pumped Hydro Sizing Tool — Size reservoirs and turbines for pumped storage. Skills: storage sizing, hydraulics. Tools: Python. Visualizer, 15–45 h, Software only (free tools).
• Fuel-Cell Polarization Explorer — Plot fuel-cell polarisation curves and identify loss regions. Skills: fuel cells, polarisation losses. Tools: Python. Visualizer, 15–45 h, Software only (free tools).
• Demand Response Controller — Curtail flexible loads during peak signals while respecting comfort. Skills: demand response, control. Tools: Python, smart plugs. Simulator, 15–45 h, Software only (free tools).
• Solar MPPT Algorithm Comparison — Compare perturb-and-observe and incremental conductance MPPT. Skills: MPPT, PV control. Tools: Python/simulation. Simulator, 15–45 h, $30–150.
• Building Heat Loss Calculator — Compute fabric and ventilation heat loss room by room. Skills: heat loss, U-values. Tools: spreadsheet/web app. Visualizer, 15–45 h, Software only (free tools).
• Solar Thermal Collector Test — Measure collector efficiency curve with flow and temperature data. Skills: collector efficiency, testing. Tools: collector, sensors. Data lab, 15–45 h, $30–150.
• Geothermal Heat Pump Loop Sizing — Size a vertical or horizontal ground loop for a heat pump from building load and soil properties. Skills: ground source heat pumps, borehole sizing. Tools: Python. Simulator, 15–45 h, Software only (free tools).
• Energy Monitoring IoT Platform — Collect meter data from several buildings into one dashboard. Skills: IoT, dashboards. Tools: meters, MQTT. Dashboard, 15–45 h, Software only (free tools).
• Combined Heat and Power Feasibility — Assess CHP savings for a hospital load profile. Skills: CHP, feasibility. Tools: spreadsheet. Dashboard, 15–45 h, Software only (free tools).
• Biomass Boiler Fuel Calculator — Estimate fuel needs and storage for a biomass boiler. Skills: biomass, fuel logistics. Tools: web calculator. Visualizer, 15–45 h, Software only (free tools).
• Off-Grid Solar Home System Design — Size panels, batteries and inverter for an off-grid home. Skills: off-grid design, autonomy days. Tools: spreadsheet. Visualizer, 15–45 h, Software only (free tools).
• Wind Resource Assessment — Analyse wind data for shear, turbulence and energy potential. Skills: wind resource, statistics. Tools: Python. Data lab, 15–45 h, Software only (free tools).
• Cooling Load Estimator — Estimate cooling loads from gains and climate. Skills: cooling loads, HVAC. Tools: spreadsheet. Visualizer, 15–45 h, Software only (free tools).
• Energy Benchmarking of Buildings — Benchmark buildings by EUI and flag outliers. Skills: EUI, benchmarking. Tools: Python. Dashboard, 15–45 h, Software only (free tools).
• Solar Inverter Fault Classifier — Classify inverter faults from logged error data. Skills: fault classification, inverter logs. Tools: Python. Data lab, 15–45 h, Software only (free tools).
• Compressed Air Energy Storage Model — Model CAES efficiency and storage capacity. Skills: CAES, thermodynamics. Tools: Python. Simulator, 15–45 h, Software only (free tools).
• Tidal Energy Potential Map — Estimate tidal stream potential from current data. Skills: tidal energy, resource mapping. Tools: Python, GIS. Visualizer, 15–45 h, Software only (free tools).
• Energy Poverty Indicator Dashboard — Map energy burden from income and bills data. Skills: energy equity, mapping. Tools: dashboard. Dashboard, 15–45 h, $30–150.

Advanced projects

• Community Energy Trading Simulator — Simulate peer-to-peer trading between prosumers with pricing rules. Skills: energy trading, pricing. Tools: Python. Simulator, 45–100 h, Software only (free tools).
• Carbon Intensity Tracker — Track grid carbon intensity in real time and advise when to use energy. Skills: carbon intensity, APIs. Tools: Python, dashboard. Dashboard, 45–100 h, $30–150.
• Hybrid Renewable Sizing Optimizer — Optimise PV, wind and storage sizes for lowest cost of energy. Skills: optimisation, LCOE. Tools: Python. Simulator, 45–100 h, Software only (free tools).
• Battery Degradation Cost Model — Include degradation cost in battery dispatch decisions. Skills: degradation modelling, dispatch. Tools: Python. Simulator, 45–100 h, Software only (free tools).
• Grid Flexibility Aggregator — Aggregate flexible loads and storage into a controllable resource. Skills: aggregation, flexibility. Tools: Python. Simulator, 45–100 h, Software only (free tools).
• PV Plant Performance Analytics — Detect soiling and degradation in PV plant data. Skills: PV analytics, degradation. Tools: Python. Data lab, 45–100 h, Software only (free tools).
• Solar Thermal Desalination Model — Model a solar still and estimate water yield. Skills: desalination, solar thermal. Tools: Python. Simulator, 45–100 h, Software only (free tools).
• Energy Management System for Buildings — Optimise HVAC setpoints with forecasts and prices. Skills: EMS, optimisation. Tools: Python. Simulator, 45–100 h, Software only (free tools).
• Wind Farm Wake Layout Study — Optimise turbine layout to reduce wake losses. Skills: wake models, layout optimisation. Tools: Python. Simulator, 45–100 h, Software only (free tools).
• Hydrogen Storage Comparison — Compare compressed, liquid and chemical hydrogen storage. Skills: hydrogen storage, trade-offs. Tools: spreadsheet. Dashboard, 45–100 h, Software only (free tools).
• Agrivoltaics Yield Model — Model crop yield and PV output for shared land. Skills: agrivoltaics, modelling. Tools: Python. Simulator, 45–100 h, Software only (free tools).
• Concentrated Solar Power Plant Model — Model a concentrated solar power plant with molten-salt storage and evening dispatch. Skills: CSP, thermal storage. Tools: Python. Simulator, 45–100 h, Software only (free tools).
• Energy Storage Technology Selector — Recommend storage technologies for use cases. Skills: storage technologies, selection. Tools: web app. Workflow, 45–100 h, Software only (free tools).
• Heat Network Pipe Sizing — Size district heating pipes and compute heat losses. Skills: district heating, hydraulics. Tools: Python. Simulator, 45–100 h, Software only (free tools).
• Load Disaggregation for Commercial Sites — Break site load into end uses from interval data. Skills: disaggregation, analytics. Tools: Python. Data lab, 45–100 h, Software only (free tools).
• Electrolyser Renewable Coupling — Match an electrolyser to variable renewable supply. Skills: power-to-gas, operation. Tools: Python. Simulator, 45–100 h, Software only (free tools).
• Battery Pack Thermal Management Study — Design cooling for a stationary battery container. Skills: thermal management, safety. Tools: CFD/Python. Simulator, 45–100 h, Software only (free tools).
• Solar Forecast Ensemble — Combine forecasting models to reduce solar forecast error. Skills: ensemble forecasting, error metrics. Tools: Python. Data lab, 45–100 h, Software only (free tools).
• Energy Retrofit Investment Planner — Prioritise retrofit measures across a building portfolio. Skills: investment planning, MACC. Tools: spreadsheet. Dashboard, 45–100 h, Software only (free tools).
• Small Hydro Turbine Selector — Choose Pelton, Francis, Kaplan or crossflow turbines from site head and flow, with efficiency ranges. Skills: turbine selection, hydropower. Tools: web app. Visualizer, 45–100 h, Software only (free tools).
• Offshore Wind Cost Model — Estimate LCOE of an offshore wind project. Skills: techno-economics, offshore wind. Tools: spreadsheet. Dashboard, 45–100 h, Software only (free tools).
• Solar Microinverter Prototype — Build a low-power grid-interactive inverter concept (lab only). Skills: power electronics, grid sync. Tools: simulation, low-voltage rig. Simulator, 45–100 h, $30–150.
• Heat Pump Load Shifting Study — Shift heat pump operation with thermal mass to cheaper hours. Skills: load shifting, thermal mass. Tools: Python. Simulator, 45–100 h, Software only (free tools).
• Peak Demand Charge Reduction Study — Analyse a commercial site's interval data and test battery and load-shift options to cut demand charges. Skills: demand charges, interval data. Tools: Python. Simulator, 45–100 h, Software only (free tools).
• Energy Data Quality Pipeline — Clean and validate meter data streams automatically. Skills: data quality, pipelines. Tools: Python. Workflow, 45–100 h, Software only (free tools).

Expert projects

• District Heating Digital Twin — Mirror a heat network's flows, temperatures and losses to optimise supply. Skills: digital twins, heat networks. Tools: Python. Digital twin, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).
• Power-to-X Pathway Comparison — Compare hydrogen, ammonia and e-fuel pathways by efficiency and cost. Skills: Power-to-X, techno-economics. Tools: spreadsheet. Dashboard, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).
• Islanded Microgrid Restoration Tool — Restore an islanded microgrid after outage with priority loads. Skills: restoration, microgrids. Tools: Python. Simulator, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).
• AI Energy Anomaly Detector — Detect abnormal consumption across buildings with ML. Skills: anomaly detection, ML. Tools: Python. Data lab, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).
• Renewable Curtailment Minimizer — Reduce curtailment with storage, flexible demand and transmission options. Skills: curtailment, optimisation. Tools: Python. Simulator, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).
• Net-Zero Campus Digital Twin — Model a campus energy system to plan net-zero pathways. Skills: digital twins, decarbonisation. Tools: Python. Digital twin, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).
• Energy System Capacity Expansion Model — Plan generation investments for a region to 2050. Skills: capacity expansion, optimisation. Tools: Python, PyPSA. Simulator, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).
• Perovskite Solar Cell Stability Study — Analyse degradation data of perovskite cells. Skills: PV materials, degradation. Tools: Python, datasets. Data lab, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).
• Sector Coupling Model — Model interactions of electricity, heat and transport. Skills: sector coupling, modelling. Tools: Python. Simulator, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).
• Battery Second-Life Storage System — Design storage from reused EV modules with health balancing. Skills: second-life batteries, module balancing. Tools: Python, BMS. Simulator, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).
• Hydrogen Valley Planning Tool — Plan hydrogen production, storage and demand in a region. Skills: hydrogen economy, planning. Tools: Python, GIS. Simulator, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).
• Transactive Energy Market Simulation — Simulate price-responsive devices in a local market. Skills: transactive energy, price signals. Tools: Python. Simulator, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).
• Nuclear Small Modular Reactor Economics — Estimate SMR costs and compare with renewables plus storage. Skills: nuclear economics, LCOE comparison. Tools: spreadsheet. Dashboard, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).
• Thermal Energy Storage Material Screening — Screen PCMs and sensible stores for a temperature range. Skills: materials screening, storage. Tools: Python. Data lab, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).
• Grid-Scale Storage Revenue Stacking — Optimise battery revenue across energy, reserves and capacity. Skills: revenue stacking, optimisation. Tools: Python. Simulator, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).
• Building Fleet Electrification Plan — Plan heat pump rollout for many buildings with grid limits. Skills: electrification, planning. Tools: Python. Simulator, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).
• Wave Farm Array Interaction Model — Model interactions between wave energy converters in an array. Skills: wave energy, hydrodynamics. Tools: Python. Simulator, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).
• Energy Justice Transition Dashboard — Track jobs, costs and access in an energy transition. Skills: energy justice, indicators. Tools: dashboard. Dashboard, 100 h+, $150+.
• Dynamic Line Rating for Renewables — Increase line capacity using weather-based ratings. Skills: DLR, transmission. Tools: Python. Simulator, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).
• Hydrogen Fuel Cell Backup System — Design a fuel-cell backup system for a data centre. Skills: backup power, fuel cells. Tools: spreadsheet. Dashboard, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).
• Floating Solar Feasibility Study — Assess floating PV on a reservoir including evaporation savings. Skills: floating PV, feasibility. Tools: Python. Data lab, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).
• Machine Learning Wind Power Forecast — Forecast wind power hours ahead with gradient boosting. Skills: forecasting, ML. Tools: Python. Data lab, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).
• Energy Storage Safety Risk Assessment — Assess fire risk and mitigation for a battery installation. Skills: safety assessment, BESS. Tools: worksheet. Workflow, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).
• Carbon-Neutral Fuel Synthesis Model — Model synthetic methane from captured CO2 and hydrogen. Skills: e-fuels, process modelling. Tools: Python. Simulator, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).
• Grid Edge Flexibility Market — Design a local flexibility market for a distribution operator. Skills: flexibility markets, design. Tools: Python. Simulator, 100 h+, Software only (free tools).

Project ideas for every branch · Energy Engineering roadmap