Environmental Science

Bachelor of Science in Renewable Energy and Bio-fuels Technology

The Bachelor of Science in Renewable Energy and Bio-fuels Technology is a degree programme that equips students with knowledge and skills in in renewable energy and bio-fuels technology. The programme falls under the Engineering & Technology category and typically spans 4 years of full-time study at accredited Kenyan universities.

The curriculum covers Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Systems, Wind Energy and Wind Turbine Technology, Geothermal Energy and Hydropower, Bio-fuels Production and Bioenergy, Energy Storage, Fuel Cells and Hydrogen, Grid Integration and Off-Grid Systems. Students engage with both theoretical foundations and practical applications, developing competencies in Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Mechanics, Agricultural Structures, Cloud Computing, Crop Management. The coursework is designed to build progressive understanding from foundational concepts to advanced topics.

Throughout the programme, students study Bio-fuels Production and Bioenergy, Wind Energy and Wind Turbine Technology, Engineering Mathematics and Energy Fundamentals, Renewable Energy Policy, Economics and Research Methods, Geothermal Energy and Hydropower. The teaching approach combines lectures, laboratory practicals, tutorials, assignments and independent research projects. This blend ensures graduates can apply theoretical knowledge to real-world problems in their field.

The programme offers specialisations in Energy Efficiency and Management, Geothermal and Hydropower, Solar and Wind Energy. Students can focus their studies on areas of particular interest, allowing them to tailor their degree to specific career goals. The flexibility enables graduates to pursue diverse professional paths within the sector.

Graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Renewable Energy and Bio-fuels Technology pursue careers as Research Engineer / Policy Analyst, Renewable Energy Engineer / Solar Engineer, Project Manager / Renewable Energy Entrepreneur, Bio-fuels Engineer / Bioenergy Engineer. They find employment in various sectors including government agencies, private companies, research institutions, non-governmental organisations and academic institutions. The degree opens doors to both local and international opportunities.

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE) and offered at recognised universities across Kenya. Students benefit from industry attachments, fieldwork and practical training that complement classroom learning and enhance employability upon graduation.

Duration: 4 years
Public, up to: Ksh 244,800
Job market: High

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time
Attachment: 3 months
Average class: 25 students
Award: Bachelor

What you study

10 subjects

Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Systems
Wind Energy and Wind Turbine Technology
Geothermal Energy and Hydropower
Bio-fuels Production and Bioenergy
Energy Storage, Fuel Cells and Hydrogen
Grid Integration and Off-Grid Systems
Energy Efficiency and Energy Management
Renewable Energy Policy and Economics
Biomass, Biogas and Waste-to-Energy
Renewable Energy and Bio-fuels Research Methods

Modules

12 in the programme

Engineering Mathematics and Energy Fundamentals
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Engineering mathematics, engineering mechanics, strength of materials, thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, electrical circuits, analogue electronics, digital electronics, power electron...
Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Systems
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Solar energy, photovoltaic, PV, solar panels, solar thermal, solar water heating, solar concentrators, understanding solar, and supporting solar energy engineering.
Wind Energy and Wind Turbine Technology
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Wind energy, wind turbines, wind farm design, aerodynamics, wind resource assessment, Lake Turkana Wind Power, understanding wind, and supporting wind energy engineering.
Geothermal Energy and Hydropower
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Geothermal energy, geothermal wells, geothermal power plants, Olkaria, Menengai, hydro energy, hydropower, micro-hydro, pico-hydro, turbines, understanding geothermal and hydro, and supporting geot...
Bio-fuels Production and Bioenergy
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Bio-fuels, bioethanol, biodiesel, bio-oil, feedstocks, sugarcane, molasses, cassava, jatropha, fermentation, distillation, transesterification, anaerobic digestion, bioenergy, understanding bio-fue...
Biomass, Biogas and Waste-to-Energy
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Biomass energy, biogas, gasification, combustion, waste-to-energy, understanding biomass, and supporting biomass and biogas engineering.
Energy Storage, Fuel Cells and Hydrogen
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Energy storage, batteries, fuel cells, hydrogen, understanding storage, and supporting energy storage and fuel cell engineering.
Grid Integration and Off-Grid Systems
Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore
Grid integration, smart grids, microgrids, off-grid systems, rural electrification, energy conversion, generators, inverters, converters, understanding grid, and supporting grid integration and off...
Energy Efficiency, Audit and Management
Year 3Semester 33 creditsCore
Energy efficiency, energy audit, energy management, building energy, industrial energy, understanding efficiency, and supporting energy efficiency and management.
Renewable Energy Policy, Economics and Research Methods
Year 4Semester 13 creditsCore
Renewable energy policy, feed-in tariffs, power purchase agreements, PPA, energy economics, project finance, carbon credits, clean development mechanism, CDM, environmental impact, sustainability, ...
Industrial Attachment
Year 4Semester 23 creditsCore
Supervised industrial attachment at KenGen, REREC, GDC, a solar company, wind farm, or bio-fuels company, applying renewable energy and bio-fuels skills.
Final Renewable Energy and Bio-fuels Research Project or Dissertation
Year 4Semester 36 creditsCore
Final year renewable energy and bio-fuels research project or dissertation, assessed through written report and oral defence.

Specialisations

Bio-fuels and Bioenergy
Concentrates on bio-fuels, bioethanol, biodiesel, biomass, biogas, waste-to-energy, feedstocks, and supporting bio-fuels and bioenergy engineering.
Geothermal and Hydropower
Specialises in geothermal energy, geothermal power plants, hydropower, micro-hydro, turbines, and supporting geothermal and hydropower engineering.
Solar and Wind Energy
Focuses on solar energy, photovoltaic systems, wind energy, wind turbines, wind farm design, and supporting solar and wind engineering.
Energy Efficiency and Management
Concentrates on energy efficiency, energy audit, energy management, building energy, industrial energy, and supporting energy efficiency and management.
Energy Storage and Grid Integration
Focuses on energy storage, batteries, fuel cells, hydrogen, grid integration, smart grids, microgrids, off-grid systems, and supporting storage and grid engineering.

A day as a student

A typical day starts with a morning lecture on solar energy, wind energy, or bio-fuels, followed by laboratory work, field visits, solar and wind practicals, or bio-fuels laboratory work. Students work on solar PV designs, wind turbine analyses, geothermal system studies, bio-fuels production tests, energy audits, grid integration studies, and renewable energy and bio-fuels research. Laboratory work for solar and bio-fuels, field visits to geothermal plants and wind farms, solar and wind practicals, and industrial attachment at KenGen, REREC, a solar company, or a bio-fuels company provide practical experience.

The trade offs

In its favour

National priority — renewable energy is a government priority with a 100% renewable electricity target.
Geothermal leader — Kenya is Africa's largest geothermal producer, creating demand for geothermal engineers.
Growing sector — solar, wind, bio-fuels, and off-grid systems are expanding rapidly.

Against it

Intermittency challenges — solar and wind are intermittent, requiring storage and grid management skills.
Policy dependence — renewable energy depends on government policies, feed-in tariffs, and incentives.
Demanding programme — requires strong mathematics and physics with diverse energy technology coursework.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 181 environmental science courses

Public245k to 245k

245k at Kibabii University245k at Kibabii University

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

Kibabii Univ 244,800/yr KUCCPS (newsblaze). Private unverified.

Students can access HELB undergraduate loans, Universities Fund government scholarships, and county government bursaries. Some renewable energy companies, NGOs, and international organisations offer scholarships for renewable energy and bio-fuels students.

Funding options

HELB Undergraduate Loan
Universities Fund Government Scholarship
County Government Bursaries

Scholarships

4 recorded

Higher Education Fund (HEF)
GrantKsh 200,000Kenyan
Government-sponsored (KUCCPS) students in public universities. Awarded through the Higher Education Funding Model.
County Government Bursaries
GrantKsh 50,000Kenyan
Students from specific counties. Criteria vary by county.
Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) Loan
LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan
Kenyan students admitted to accredited universities. Means-tested based on family income.
Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program
SponsorshipKsh 500,000
Academically talented but economically disadvantaged African students at partner universities.

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: C+ (plus) mean grade at KCSE
Alternative entry: Diploma holders with credit pass in Electrical Engineering, Energy Technology, Chemical Engineering, or related fields from recognised institutions may join.

Mathematics
C+ (plus)
Physics
C+ (plus)
Chemistry
C (plain)
English or Kiswahili
C (plain)

How you are assessed

5 components

End of Semester Examinations
Exam40% of the mark
Comprehensive written examinations covering solar, wind, geothermal, bio-fuels, energy storage, grid integration, and energy economics.
Industrial Attachment Report
Practicum5% of the mark
Assessment of industrial attachment at a renewable energy company, power plant, or bio-fuels company. Includes logbook, supervisor evaluation, and written report.
Continuous Assessment Tests
Cat30% of the mark
Regular tests, assignments, problem sets, and laboratory exercises throughout the semester.
Final Renewable Energy and Bio-fuels Research Project or Dissertation
Research5% of the mark
Final year renewable energy and bio-fuels research project or dissertation, assessed through written report and oral defence.
Project / Practical Assessment
Practicum20% of the mark
Assessment of solar PV designs, wind turbine analyses, bio-fuels production tests, energy audits, and grid integration studies.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). EPRA licensing regulates renewable energy operations. Renewable energy policies and feed-in tariffs govern the sector.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education
NationalRequired
CUE accredits all university programmes in Kenya. EPRA licensing regulates renewable energy operations. Renewable energy policies and feed-in tariffs govern the sector.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Research Engineer / Policy Analyst
Low demandKsh 55,000 to Ksh 250,000
Conducts research, analyses policy, advises on renewable energy, and supporting research and policy analysis.
Renewable Energy Engineer / Solar Engineer
High demandKsh 60,000 to Ksh 250,000
Designs solar systems, manages renewable projects, supports clean energy, and supports renewable energy engineering.
Project Manager / Renewable Energy Entrepreneur
Medium demandKsh 55,000 to Ksh 300,000
Manages renewable projects, starts clean energy businesses, advises on investment, and supporting project management and entrepreneurship.
Bio-fuels Engineer / Bioenergy Engineer
Medium demandKsh 60,000 to Ksh 230,000
Designs bio-fuels plants, manages bioenergy production, supports feedstock processing, and supporting bio-fuels engineering.
Energy Consultant / Energy Auditor
High demandKsh 60,000 to Ksh 250,000
Provides consulting, conducts energy audits, advises on efficiency, and supporting energy consulting and auditing.
Wind Energy Engineer / Geothermal Engineer
Medium demandKsh 65,000 to Ksh 280,000
Designs wind farms, manages geothermal systems, supports power generation, and supporting wind and geothermal engineering.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as renewable energy engineers, bio-fuels engineers, and energy consultants. Renewable energy and bio-fuels is in high demand driven by Kenya's renewable energy push. Starting salaries range from KES 60,000 to 100,000 per month, with experienced engineers earning KES 120,000 to 300,000. KenGen, KPLC, REREC, EPRA, GDC, Lake Turkana Wind Power, solar companies, sugar companies, and consulting firms offer the main opportunities.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

MATLAB
CodePrimary
Microsoft Project
Project management
Python
Code
SolidWorks
Design
AutoCAD
DesignPrimary
Microsoft Excel
Spreadsheet

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Renewable energy is just about solar panels.
This programme covers solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, biomass, biogas, bio-fuels, energy storage, fuel cells, grid integration, and energy efficiency. It's a comprehensive clean energy discipline.
Bio-fuels compete with food production.
Modern bio-fuels use non-food feedstocks like jatropha, agricultural waste, and sugarcane molasses. The programme covers sustainable feedstock selection.
This field has limited career prospects in Kenya.
Kenya's 100% renewable electricity target, geothermal expansion, wind farms, solar growth, and bio-fuels promotion create strong demand for qualified renewable energy professionals.
This programme has limited career opportunities.
Graduates pursue diverse career paths across multiple sectors in Kenya and internationally.