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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION:

Master in Engineering in Electrical Engineering in Smart Grid

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
111398	Master in Engineering in Electrical Engineering in Smart Grid
ORIGINATOR
Cape Peninsula University of Technology
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY			NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education			HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework
QUALIFICATION TYPE	FIELD		SUBFIELD
Master's Degree	Field 06 - Manufacturing, Engineering and Technology		Engineering and Related Design
ABET BAND	MINIMUM CREDITS	PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL	NQF LEVEL	QUAL CLASS
Undefined	180	Not Applicable	NQF Level 09	Regular-Provider-ELOAC
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Reregistered		EXCO 0821/24	2019-08-19	2027-06-30
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30		2031-06-30

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.

This qualification does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification.

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

Purpose:
The purpose of this professional qualification - Master in Engineering in Electrical Engineering in Smart Grid aims to enable learners to graduate with in depth knowledge and understanding the field of study. The purpose of this qualification is to educate and train researchers who can contribute to the development of knowledge. The qualification will enable learners to apply integrated multidisciplinary knowledge, skills and analysis and problem solving to a particular specialisation in the field of Electrical Engineering and Smart Grids through involvement in an applied research project. The professional Master's Degree will include an independent study component (research project) at the NQF Level 9.

At the exit level the learners will be able to: Systematically and creatively deal with complex issues; design and critically evaluate analytical writing; make judgements using available data and information and communicate their conclusions to specialist and non-specialist audiences; demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems; act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks with a professional orientation; continue to advance their knowledge, understandings and skills relevant to a particular profession.

The qualification requires a high level of theoretical engagement and intellectual independence and as a result will meet the minimum entry requirements to the NQF Level 10-Doctoral qualification. The nature of the qualification is such that it will train people ahead of the curve in Smart Grid technologies; will be continuously developing together with the progress of technologies in future; in support of the commercialisation initiatives; it will cover all aspects of the Smart grids; and highly qualified personnel with specialised technical and/or scientific skills will be produced.

The specific goals of the qualification are to:

Provide a framework to develop the postgraduates' full potential for design, development, and implementation of Smart Grid Systems.

Provide opportunities to integrate multidisciplinary knowledge from the fields of Control, Power systems, Communication, Protection and Embedded systems needed for the design and implementation of the Smart Grid systems.

Facilitate personal investigation (research) and creative problem solving within the subject field of Smart Grid.

Provide opportunity for the development of top professional level specialists capable to investigate, develop original and creative solutions in an intelligent way applying the new technologies in the field of IEC 61850 standard-based Substation Automation and Smart Grids.

Stimulate an analytical and creative approach through application of advanced research methodologies.

Challenge the learners to take a critical position to the existing theories and generate new methods within the field of Smart Grids.

Facilitate the postgraduate to grow as professionals responsible to the need of society.

The design, development and implementation of the qualification will follow the nature of the electrical power systems, principles of monitoring, protection, control and optimisation on all levels of these systems, and the needs for new developments to make these principles relevant to the new conditions of change of the control technologies, deregulation and DERs.

The qualification will provide a lot of practical training for learners - as practical components of the module and as research work on the dissertations.

Rationale:
The qualification is part of an ERASMUS + K2 - Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices - Capacity Building in Higher Education Project "Development of a Harmonized Modular Curriculum for the Smart Grid-DAMOC" The development of the qualification is part of the DAMOC project, funded by the European Commission. Aim of the DAMOC project is to foster capacity-building in the field of Smart Grids by the development of a harmonised, modular curriculum.

The aim is to equip the future engineers with knowledge and skills that will allow them to start working immediately in the real industrial environment.

Smart Grid drivers are the world-wide problems with: aging infrastructures of the power production, transmission and distribution utilities, needs to integrate intermittent energy sources, lower energy prices, the security of supply and increase in energy needs, sustainability of the energy production. Utilities need to address the following challenges: high power system loading, increasing distance between generation and consumption, fluctuating energy availability of renewables, additional and new consumption models (electric car, smart buildings), central power generation in parallel to large numbers of small, decentralised (distributed) generation; increasing cost and regulatory pressures, increased energy trading, requirement for Transparent consumption and pricing for the consumer.

Smart Grid systems have been proposed as a solution to address the problems of efficient electricity demand response, efficient energy conservation with the main aim to reduce the industry's overall Carbon footprint. The general understanding is that the Smart Grid is the concept of modernisation and optimisation of the electric grid. The Smart Grid comprises everything related to the electric system in between any point of generation and any point of consumption. Through the addition of Smart Grid technologies, the grid becomes more flexible, interactive and is able to provide real time feedback. It is an electricity network that can intelligently integrate the actions of all users connected to it - generators, consumers and those that do both - in order to efficiently deliver sustainable, economic and secure electricity supplies. It can be said that the Smart Grid Systems are unified, fully interoperable, communications enabled electrical systems which aim at revolutionising traditional power systems through the use of condition monitoring an intelligence. Many communication standards are being introduced or reviewed so as to ensure a gradual and smooth transition into Smart Grid Systems. One such standard which has been introduced in a bid to ensure a future with Smart Grid Systems is the IEC 61850. It defines how the Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) and other power system devices communicate with each other within a Substation Automation Systems (SAS). As a result, the Smart Grid employs innovative products and services together with intelligent monitoring, control, communication, and self-healing technologies.

South African utilities, transmission and distribution specialists are committing themselves to the international trend toward power system integrated automation and control (Trevisan, 2005), but the challenges are that: The IEC 61850 standard is not easy to be understood by people other than experts in the substation automation field, due to complexity of documentation and the required domain-specific knowledge.

The IEC 61850 standard is not easy to be understood by people other than experts in the substation automation field, due to complexity of documentation and the required domain-specific knowledge.

The process of renovation and upgrading of existing legacy solutions requires that companies work together if a multi-vendor solution is required for the project.

The current industrial and educational pool of expertise nationally is not adequate to that required for rapid penetration, upkeep, and research into the new technologies.

Integration of the DERs requires new methods for their control and new methods for protection of the point of common coupling.

National power utilities and local municipalities who intend deploying the standards-based systems also feel the gap in knowledge and training of their engineers and technicians. The integration of new control technologies requires new methods for real-time metering, monitoring, optimization, simulation and computation, which are possibly not familiar territory.

In summary, as reflected in the points above, there is a gap in knowledge (education, understanding, and interpretation), a need for a place for training and testing of equipment from different vendors, a forum for discussion, collaboration, and a centre for research in the application and enhancement of the new technologies. The existing deficiencies and needs mentioned above form an area of uncertainty where the challenges of the technology uptake are translated into challenges to universities, as the following:

Creation and development of academic qualifications to adequately integrate knowledge of the new technologies into syllabi.

Establishing where the research questions are in the interpretation and application of the IEC standards, and initiation of new research.

Building of modern laboratories with equipment compatible with the new technologies where educational, testing, training, and research experiments and investigations can be provided.

Providing active work in support of the IEC standard and Smart Grid user community, by facilitating communication, collaboration and joint work.

Curriculation for the qualification within the HEQF framework affords the university an opportunity to include courses, and course content for modern Substation Automation and Smart grid systems methods for designs and implementation. It would also offer possibilities for use of acquired data. Therefore, this qualification will meet all scarce skills requirements and the engineers will close the scarce skills gap and will lead the electrical energy sector towards integration of the monitoring, protection, control and automation functions of the power system towards full implementation of Smart Grid in South Africa.

The range of typical learners who can apply for admission to this qualification can be divided in two categories:

BEng Degree and enrolling to study full-time or those who want to study after a couple of years of work.

The knowledge and skills gained by studying the qualification serve as a foundation for a variety of careers paths as they will have the necessary knowledge to work on design and on work places for development and implementation of advanced systems for Smart Grids. They can be involved in the design and operation of industrial control and protection systems, communications systems, electronic circuits, the generation and distribution of electrical power, Distributed Energy Resources technology and control, or other electrical and electronic products and systems.

Other possibilities are to continue their education towards a Doctor of Engineering at the NQF Level 10, or to apply their skills and knowledge to perform research in the Smart Grid field, or to teach at the high schools, colleges, or universities.

Professionalism for the Engineering Practitioner as determined by the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) means: striving to improve all work, using the most up-to-date techniques and procedures, until it becomes a model for those in the field, proper credit for work done and ideas developed by subordinates, loyalty to one's employer and clients, always with concern to public safety in construction, product design, plant operation and all other phases of engineering, leadership of less experienced colleagues and subordinates toward personal development and enthusiasm for the profession, activity in professional and technical societies, thereby demonstrating an interest in the profession.

Learning pathway is described as the chosen route, taken by a learner through a range of learning activities, which allows her/him to build knowledge progressively. With learning pathways, the control of choice moves away from the tutor to the learner.

The possible learning pathways choices are:
1. Pathway 1: Bachelor of Science to Professional Master of Engineering (Electrical Engineering) (Smart Grid) to ECSA Professional Engineer to Work.
2. Pathway 2: Bachelor of Engineering to Professional Master of Engineering (Electrical Engineering) (Smart Grid) to ECSA Professional Engineer to Work.
3. Pathway 3: Bachelor of Technology to Bachelor of Engineering Technology Honours to Professional Master of Engineering (Electrical Engineering) (Smart Grid) to ECSA Professional Engineer to Work.
4. Pathway 4: Bachelor of Technology to Postgraduate Diploma to Professional Master of Engineering (Electrical Engineering) (Smart Grid) to ECSA Professional Engineer to Work.

The benefits from the collaboration in research investigation and human resource development will enhance the competitiveness of the collaborators and stakeholders because: they will work with a human resource base which is knowledgeable and skilled in the field of modern substation automation; which will apply the modern and innovative technology; will produce high quality projects, and will implement them with reduced cost. This will allow them to be competitive in the marketplace.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
In keeping with national policy frameworks and the institution's mission and vision, widening of access is promoted through Recognition of Prior Learning. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a process of identifying the knowledge and skills of an applicant against a qualification or part thereof. The process involves the identification, mediation, assessment and acknowledgement of knowledge and skills obtained through informal, non-formal and/ or formal learning. The RPL process is multi-dimensional and multi-contextual in nature, aimed at the individual needs of applicants and is handled in accordance with an institutional RPL policy by a unit dedicated to this activity. An appeal procedure is also in place to accommodate queries.

Entry Requirements:
The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is:

Bachelor of Science Honours, NQF Level 8.
Or

Bachelor of Engineering (4-year professional qualification), NQF Level 8.
Or

Bachelor of Engineering Technology Honours, NQF Level 8.
Or

Postgraduate Diploma in a relevant field of Electrical Engineering, Information Technology, and Computer Engineering, NQF Level 8.
Or

Bachelor of Technology in relevant cognitive field of Electrical Engineering; Information Technology, and Computer Engineering.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

This qualification consists of the following compulsory and elective modules at National Qualifications Framework Level 9 totalling 180 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, 165 Credits:

IEC61850 standard and cyber security in Grids, 15 Credits.

Smart Grid and distributed energy resources, 15 Credits.

Research Methodology, 15 Credits.

Smart Grid protection automation and control, 15 Credits.

Power electronics and control in Smart Grids, 15 Credits.

Research Project & Report, 90 Credits.

Elective Modules, 15 Credits (Choose one):

Electricity market in deregulated power grids, 15 Credits.

Embedded Systems for Signal Processing, 15 Credits.

Control design and optimisation in Smart Grids, 15 Credit.

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

1. Demonstrate specialist interdisciplinary knowledge to enable engagement with and critique of current research or practices, as well as scholarship or research in the field of IEC61850 standard-based monitoring, protection and control disciplines and practice in the frameworks of Smart Grids.
2. Demonstrate the ability to evaluate current processes of knowledge production, and to choose an appropriate process of enquiry for the field of IEC61850 standard-based Smart Grids.
3. Demonstrate a command of and the ability to design, select and apply appropriate and creative methods, techniques, processes or technologies to complex IEC61850 standard-based protection, automation and control practical and theoretical problems in the field of Smart Grid with an understanding of the limitations, restrictions, premises, assumptions and constraints.

A range of methods, skills and tools appropriate to the discipline of the qualification including:
> Discipline-specific tools, processes or procedures.
> Computer packages for computation, modelling, simulation, and information handling.
> Computers and networks and information infrastructures for accessing, processing, managing, and storing information to enhance personal productivity and teamwork; and Techniques from economics, management, and health, safety and environmental protection.
4. Use a wide range of specialised skills in identifying, conceptualising, designing and implementing methods of enquiry to address creatively and innovatively complex and challenging problems within the Smart Grids field, discipline and practice; and an understanding of the consequences of any solutions or insights generated within a specialised context.
5. Make autonomous ethical decisions based on sound ethical principles which affect knowledge production, or complex organisational or professional issues, and demonstrate the ability to commit to professional ethics, responsibilities and norms of engineering practice in the workplace as well as critically contribute to the development of ethical standards in the working place.
6. Design and implement a strategy for the processing and management of information, in order to conduct a comprehensive review of leading and current research in an area of the IEC61850 standard-based disciplines of protection, automation and control of Power systems in the frameworks of Smart Grids to produce significant insights.
7. Use the resources of academic and professional or occupational discourses to communicate effectively and defend substantial ideas that are the products of research or development in the area of Smart Grid systems; and use a range of advanced and specialised skills and discourses appropriate to a field, discipline or practice, to communicate with a range of audiences with different levels of knowledge or expertise.
8. Make interventions at an appropriate level within a system, based on an understanding of hierarchical relations within the system, and the ability to address the intended and unintended consequences of interventions.
9. Develop his or her own life-long learning strategies, which sustain independent learning and academic or professional development; and can interact effectively within the learning or professional groups as a means of enhancing learning.
10. Operate independently and take full responsibility for his or her own work, and, where appropriate, to account for leading and initiating processes and implementing systems, ensuring good resource management and governance practices.

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:

Bring to bear an appropriate mix of knowledge of mathematics, numerical analysis, statistics, natural science and engineering science at a fundamental level and at a specialist level in an Electrical Engineering, Communication Technology and Control Engineering, and Information Technology area on the solution of complex engineering problems in the frameworks of Smart Grids.

Criticise and assess the current research, theories, and practices to contribute to further research developments.

Use relevant theories, principles and laws to design the protection, control and optimisation problems for building of Smart Grids.

Perform formal analysis and modelling on power network, control and protection and automation systems, their components or processes.

Describe and communicate concepts, ideas and theories.

Perform reasoning about and conceptualising engineering materials, components, systems or processes.

Handle uncertainty and risk through the use of probability and statistics.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:

Search relevant literature including IEC62850 communication standards and corresponding software and evaluate materials critically for suitability to the investigation.

Search relevant literature from the field of protection, automation, control, embedded systems and evaluate the found materials critically.

Develop questionnaires and send to specialists from industry in the field, locally and internationally to conclude for the latest trend in the practice of the Smart Grid development.

Perform communication and discussion with professional engineering groups locally and internationally to enquire for the future development of the standards and the Smart Grid technologies.

Publish the results from the evaluation of current processes of knowledge production in a research report paying attention of all stakeholder in this process: academia, industry, standardisation organisations, and vendors of equipment.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:

Select the method, skill or tool properly and assess for applicability and limitations against the required result.

Apply the method, skill or tool correctly to achieve the required result.

Test and assess results produced by the method, skill or tool critically against required results.

Create, select and use computer applications as required by the discipline.

Use the IEC61850 standard for all Smart Grid applications implementation requiring communication.

Plan, design and conduct investigations and experiments within Electrical Engineering and Information Technology disciplines.

Select and use cyber security software tools for protection of the communication networks in the Smart Grid applications.

Select and use equipment and/or software as appropriate to build a test-bed to perform the investigations and the experiments are run implementing various case studies.

Derive, analyse and interpret information from relevant data from the case studies performance.

Draw conclusions from an analysis of all relevant data.

Record the purpose, process and outcomes of the investigation in a technical report.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:

Identify, analyse and define the problem and determine the criteria for an innovative solution.

Identify and use relevant information and complex engineering knowledge and skills for solving the problem.

Consider and formulate various approaches that would lead to workable solutions.

Derive, evaluate and model solutions based on the selected various approaches using software environment critically.

Compare various solutions and select the best solution.

Formulate and present the selected solution in an appropriate form.

Assess and understand the consequences of the obtained solution critically.

Produce a research report describing all phases of the problem-solving process, the results, and draw recommendation for future work.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:

Describe the nature and complexity of ethical dilemmas.

Describe the ethical implications of decisions made.

Apply ethical reasoning to evaluate engineering solutions.

Display an awareness of the need to maintain continued competence through keeping abreast of up to date tools and techniques available in the workplace.

Embrace the system of continuing professional development as an on-going process and demonstrate new higher ethical standards at the workplace.

Accept responsibility for consequences stemming from own actions.

Make judgements in decision making during problem solving and design.

Ensure decision making is limited to the area of current competence.

Identify and deal with the impact of Smart Grid technology with in terms of the benefits and limitations to society.

Analyse the Electrical engineering activity in terms of the impact on occupational and public health and safety.

Analyse the operation of the Distributed Energy Resources in terms of the impact on the physical environment.

Take into consideration personal, social, economic, cultural values and requirements of those who are affected by the Smart Grid activity.

Identify and describe the positive impact from introducing of Smart Grids in industry on the industrial performance and economy in a technical report.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6:

Perform critical evaluation of the need of interdisciplinary information for development of research project in Smart Grid.

Obtain the information is obtained following the criteria described in the Exit Level Outcome 2.

Design a strategy for processing and managing of information based on characteristics of the information requiring decomposition of it in specialised parts and later integration of findings as required by the Smart Grids.

Develop criteria for evaluation and comparison of the information based on the requirements of the project under study and development.

Evaluate the decomposed parts of the information and critically compare according to the developed criteria.

Integrate the separate results according to the need of the project under development, write a comprehensive review, and organise a team discussion.

Produce a research report for the results of the review process and use for development of the project.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7:

Ensure the structure, style and language of written and oral communication are appropriate for the purpose of the communication and the target audience.

Express the written materials text correctly and the problem under discussion following all technical specialist requirements.

Ensure journal papers are highly specialised and are aimed at the specialists in the field.

Use graphics appropriately and effectively in enhancing the meaning of text.

Use visual materials to enhance oral communications.

Use accepted methods for providing information to others involved in the engineering activity.

Deliver oral communication fluently with the intended meaning being apparent.

Ensure written communications meet the requirement of the intended audience.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8:

Establish and understand the hierarchical structure of the Smart Grid systems.

Ensure the access to the functioning electrical equipment compulsory follows the safe and healthy regulations.

Allow and plan permits to access and make intervention on the working system and perform prepared intervention under supervision.

Address and accept the consequences of the intervention.

Test the proper work on the Smart Grid system after the intervention through a series of experiments.

Ensure the system after the intervention operates in better way.

Recognise the need for intervention in the methods, procedures, or structure of the system under development.

Discuss the proposed changes following requirements of the hierarchical structure in the system to be developed and the hierarchical structure in the team and the organisation.

Allow and implement the intervention.

Ensure the series of case studies are run in order to validate theoretically and practically the effects of the intervention.

Document the intervention.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 9:

Manage the learning tasks autonomously and ethically, individually and in learning groups.

Reflect upon the learning undertaken and determine individual learning requirements and strategies to suit personal learning style and preferences.

Source, organise and evaluate relevant information.

Comprehend and apply knowledge acquired outside of formal instruction.

Challenge assumptions critically and embrace new thinking.

Enhance learning and more effective through interactions and participations at learning or professional groups.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 10:

Accept the principles of planning, organising, leading and controlling of interdisciplinary engineering projects and activities.

Carry out Individual work as a team member effectively and on time.

Initiate and carry out contributions to team activities that support the output of the team.

Organise and manage a design or research project.

Carry out effective communication in the context of individual or team work.

Perform critical and leading functions in the team and complete work on time.

Organise cooperation between the member of the team and the member of other teams working on the same project effectively.

Integrated Assessment:
Integrated assessment forms part of continuous assessment at the institution and takes the form of an appropriate mix of both formative and summative assessment methods. Assessment policy and practices at the institution promote constructive alignment of the curriculum, student centred-learning and assessment, and the importance of feedback to enhance student engagement. Assessment practices will be fair, reliable and valid. It will also be in keeping with academic disciplinary and professional field norms and standards.

Formative Assessment usually consists of a variety of assessment tasks relevant to the field of study. In this qualification it may include a variety of tasks such as problem-solving individual and/or group assignments and projects, case studies, portfolio development, class discussions, field trip reports and others.

Summative assessment will take place at the end of a section of work/quarter or semester and is aimed at assessing the learners' attainment against the Exit Level Outcomes of the qualification and subject(s). Summative assessments are internally and externally moderated based on institutional policy and requirements. Summative assessments usually consist of a variety of formal assessment tasks relevant to the field of study, including written tests, reports and examination.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

International comparability was conducted to determine the extent to which the qualification and its module structure compares with similar qualifications at international institutions. The international comparability exercise was conducted in terms of institutional requirements and guidelines which include the following: determining the scope of the comparability exercise; the selection of a variety of reputable Higher Education institutions internationally; the selection of comparable qualifications and aspects from these qualifications; analysis and evaluation of design of the selected qualifications; conclusions and recommendations for curriculum renewal at the institution.

The comparability for this qualification is done on the basis of the following criteria:

The extent to which the elements of the qualification (courses) correspond to the elements of the Smart Grid.

The IEC61850 standard for communication and integration of the elements of the Smart grid as a separate course in the qualification.

Alignment of the rest of the modules to the requirements of the IEC61850 standard.

Providing the qualification coursework lab exercises using industrial grade equipment.

Real-time test-beds implementation to demonstrate the research outcomes of the dissertation.

International qualification for Smart Grid, Power system and Electrical Engineering were selected to be included in the comparability process.

The location of the institutions having these qualifications was selected to be in Europe, Asia, and USA on the basis of availability of these qualification. The status of the existing international Master's qualification in Smart grid, or close to it according to the above criteria is shown below:

Most of the existing Master qualification include modules considering the technology of various renewable energy sources. The qualification does not consider the other elements of Smart grids and the technologies for design and implementation of these systems. The renewable energy sources have to be integrated to the power grid in order to be part of it. The process of integration defines how smart the grid is. This means that teaching only the technology for building of renewable resources does not fully contribute to the understanding the essence of the Smart grid. The correspondence of the qualification to the elements of the Smart grid is measured in percentage.

The highest correspondence of 70 % can be seen at the Institute of Technology, Grenoble in France for the qualification Master of Science in Electrical Engineering for Smart Grids and Buildings. A couple of other qualifications have 60% similarity to this qualification such as: Master of Science Electrical Engineering (Smart grids) offered at the School of Industrial and Information Engineering, Polytechnic Milano; Master in Smart Grid Power Systems. University of South Florida, Tampa campus, United States of America (USA) offers the Master of Science in Technology in Smart Grids in Electrical Energy distribution. The Tampere University of Technology, Tampere in Finland.

The Master of Engineering in Electrical Engineering in Smart grids qualification has modules which correspond 90% to the elements of Smart grid and the modules include not only the renewable resources technologies, but all control, protection, automation, standard-based communication, and optimisation technologies for integration of the separate elements of the grid in one system.

Including the IEC61850 standard for communication and integration of the elements of the Smart grid as a separate module in the qualification. The IEC61850 standard is not considered to be studied in any of the existing international qualifications. This fact is in support of the analysis of the existing lack of knowledge at the universities today. This qualification is unique as it will teach the learner how to acquire, distribute and use data to build the Smart Grid through the use of IEC61850 standard.

This institution provides coursework lab exercises using industrial grade equipment. Not all of the investigated international qualifications provide lab experiments - some have not any, others have software simulation, others have trainers, and not many have industrial grade equipment.

Real-time test-beds implementation to demonstrate the research outcomes of the dissertation. Only three of the selected international qualifications have Real-time Digital Simulators (RTDS) and build real-time test-beds to implement the outcomes of the dissertations. These are Master of Science in Technology in Smart Grids in Electrical Energy distribution, Tampere University of Technology, Tampere in Finland, and the, Master of Science, and Master of Science in Smart Grids, Institute of Power Engineering, Tomsk Polytechnic University in Russia.

On the basis of the analysis above it could be said that the closest to this qualification is the Master of Science in Electrical Engineering for Smart Grids and Buildings qualification offered at the Institute of Technology, Grenoble in France. Its difference and drawback are that the IEC61850 standard is not studied as a module and no alignment of the other modules to this standard.

The results from the comparability show that this qualification is unique and is designed to teach the postgraduates how to use the existing elements and technologies of Smart Grid to design fully functional Smart Grid systems.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

This qualification allows for both horizontal and vertical articulation.

Horizontal Articulation:

Master of Engineering in Engineering Management, NQF Level 9.

Master of Engineering in Computer and Electronic Engineering, NQF Level 9.

Vertical Articulation:

Doctor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering/Information Technology/Computer Systems/Smart Grid, NQF Level 10.

MODERATION OPTIONS

N/A

CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS

N/A

NOTES

N/A

LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION:

NONE

PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION:

This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.

NONE