Solar Expertise for Sustainability
The European Solar Engineering School (ESES) at Dalarna University offers you a specialised educational experience that will broaden your professional opportunities in the renewable energy industry. For close to two decades, students from over 40 countries have come to a small town in central Sweden to gain knowledge and skills that are desired by the solar energy industry. Examples of subjects covered are the design of photovoltaics, solar thermal and hybrid systems, energy storage, solar project management, and the economics and financing of solar energy.
When you take this programme, you will be taught by industry experts and researchers from 10 countries, while becoming a member of the international ESES community, which comprises your classmates and our alumni.
Connect with Industry – Learn by Doing
Professional connections are just as important to your success as the theoretical knowledge and practical skills you will gain. We have therefore developed this programme to ensure that you have ample opportunity to cultivate these connections through:
- Site visits to solar installations and research centres, as well as through guest lectures from experts in areas such as solar cell physics and chemical energy storage. These will ensure you are up-to date on the latest developments in this expansive field.
- Internships following your one year of studies, where we can help you with national and international contacts.
- Your thesis project, which will afford you close contact with research facilities and companies both in Sweden and abroad.
Should you apply?
If you are interested in becoming part of the fast-growing field of renewable energy and have a bachelor's degree in physics; mechanical, electrical or energy engineering; or a related field, then you are strongly encouraged to apply. Since the programme is taught in English, you will also need documentation proving your good command of both spoken and written English.
How To Apply
Applying to the Solar Energy Engineering Programme is quick and easy.
- Click on the green "Apply" button to the right. Create a user account at universityadmissions.se and add the programme to your account in the online application portal (note: the "Apply" button is only visible when we are accepting applications).
- Submit documents verifying your eligibility to your user account at universityadmissions.se. This way we will be able to verify that you fulfill the entry requirements. You can read about how to properly submit documents based on where you have previously studied at universityadmissions.se.
Eligibility Requirements (August 2024)
Specific Entry Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in engineering (mechanical, electrical, energy, engineering physics) or equivalent field of study of at least 180 credits (ECTS), or an equivalent degree.
- Proof of English language proficiency equal to the course "English 6" or "English B" in the Swedish upper-secondary system.
Documenting English Language Proficiency
The most common tests and important scores that are accepted are:
- IELTS (academic training): 6.5 (with no part of the test below 5.5)
- TOEFL (internet-based): 90 (with a minimum of 20 on the written part)
- TOEFL (paper-based): 575 (with a minimum of 4.5 on the written part)
Please check the University Admissions information on English Language Proficiency to see if you are required to submit a TOEFL or IELTS test result.
Tuition Fees
270 000 SEK (total)
*EU/EEA Citizens are not required to pay tuition fees.
Tuition fees are paid in per-semester installments and the first payment (67 500 SEK) must be paid no later than June 1. This allows for reasonable processing time for a residence permit application.
If you have any questions about tuition fee payments, please e-mail tuitionfees@du.se.
Scholarships
There are a number of scholarships available for successful applicants to the Solar Energy Engineering programme who are not EU/EEA citizens.
- Global Sustainable Electricity Partnership Scholarship
- Swedish Institute Study Scholarships
- Dalarna University Scholarships
Programme Overview
The programme aims to enhance the skill-set of students in our core solar-engineering subject areas, especially PV and systems design. The first year of the program offers a mix of theoretical knowledge and hands-on applied engineering skills while the second year gives you the chance to partake in an international internship, study abroad at a partner university or partake in a thesis project overseas.
Programme Structure and Content
All courses are taught in English by international faculty. The programme comprises 120 credits (1 credit = 1 ECTS) and begins in the autumn semester in early September t. Note: 1.5 credits = one week of full-time study.
Semester 1 (September-January)
- Applied Solar Engineering
- Solar Radiation and Solar Geometry
- Photovoltaics
- Economics of Solar Energy
- Solar Thermal
Semester 2 (January-June)
- Design of PV and Hybrid Systems
- Design of Solar Thermal Systems
- Energy Storage
- Scientific Communication
- The Social Context of Energy Systems
Summer (June-August)
Semester 3 (August-January)
In this semester, you may choose either to take the following courses at Dalarna University or to complete a semester-worth of courses at an approved partner university. You can also replace some of the courses below with a solar engineering related internship in Sweden or abroad.
- Dynamic Simulation of Energy Systems
- Sustainable Energy Systems
- Solar Building Design
- Project Course in Solar Energy Systems
- Solar Thermal Power
Semester 4 (January-June)
Degree Awarded
Degree of Master of Science (120 Credits) in Solar Energy Engineering
Study Environment
Dalarna University is a small university, which allows you to develop personal relationships with your classmates and teachers. You will study at Campus Borlänge, which is located in a town characterised by thriving business and industry, surrounded by nature and the charming Swedish countryside. The town is two hours north of Stockholm and only 20 km away from the historic town of Falun, the political centre of Dalarna County. The town of Borlänge is home to some major Swedish corporations, such as SSAB and Borlänge Energi, and within a short commute to another large corporation, namely ABB.
During the course of your studies, you will attend lectures, complete practical exercises and laboratories, prepare individual and group projects, participate in seminar discussions, enjoy study visits, and, of course, take exams. You can expect between 15 and 30 hours of class time each week, as well as a weekly study time of between 30 and 50 hours.
Typically, about 30-35 students enroll in the Solar Energy Engineering Programme each year. They come from all over the world. Since the programme admits only a limited number of students, you will soon get to know your classmates and be involved in activities in and around Dalarna and Sweden with your new-found friends. The knowledge you gain and the experiences you share with your classmates will prepare you to join our alumni who go on to find their ideal jobs within the field.
Career Opportunities
Many of our over 250 ESES alumni are active as engineers and managers in the global solar energy industry. After graduating, many go on to start their own solar businesses, while others go on to pursue a Ph.D. and become researchers and teachers at universities. The majority of our graduates go on to work in companies and organisations throughout the world.
Potential future employers are:
- Solar equipment manufacturers,
- Engineering and consulting companies with a renewable energy focus,
- Energy utilities, and
- Government and non-government organisations
Dalarna University, together four other Swedish Universities and RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden AB) , has been granted a five-year grant from the Swedish Energy Agency to form a competence center for solar energy, called Solelforskningscentrum Sverige (SOLVE). This creates a strategic partnership between Sweden's research base in solar technologies and a broad and committed group of actors in the public and private sector.
Increasing Job Opportunities
Until a few years ago, jobs in the solar energy sector were found mostly in countries where political efforts had led to an early adoption of renewable energy, often through subsidies for businesses and private individuals to invest in renewable energy sources such as solar energy.
Today the cost of solar energy is lower than ever before: it has become competitive, even without subsidies, in many developed and still developing economies. While the cost of installing solar energy has decreased, the possibility to harness and store solar energy is constantly improving, ensuring excellent long-term job prospects for programme graduates.
