Sustainability implies living well within the ecological limits of a finite planet.  Today’s engineers need to find holistic and effective solutions to protect our fragile planet while meeting the needs of a growing human population.  CUHK’s Energy and Environmental Engineering (EEEN) programme, launched in 2016-17 as an extension of the Energy Engineering (ENER) programme, provides students with comprehensive exposure to help them understand the complexities of and interrelationships between energy and the environment.

Programme Features

EEEN is designed for students with an engineering mindset who aspire to make the world greener and more sustainable for future generations.  The programme leverages CUHK’s broad academic remit as a comprehensive research university and the support of the University’s affiliated entities, which include the Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability (IEES) and the Institute of Future Cities.

The programme takes an interdisciplinary perspective on learning and understanding the relations and trade-offs between energy and the environment, and the ensuing engineering challenges in attaining viable solutions.  The EEEN curriculum is a product of academic collaboration between relevant disciplines in the Faculties of Engineering and Science and the School of Architecture.  Students are trained through a set of courses, including traditional and renewable energy technologies, environmental studies, urban pollution, smart building design and control, and energy assessment and management.  They acquire fundamental knowledge and problem-solving skills in energy principles, technologies, and systems.  They can also elect to study special-interest courses, leading to the stream designations of Sustainable Energy Technology, Green Building Technology, and Environmental Engineering.

Research Highlights

Faculty members involved in the EEEN programme are conducting cutting-edge research in the broad fields of energy conversion and storage, green building and indoor air quality, combustion and gas sensors, and smart grids.

Prof. Dongyan Xu, director of the EEEN programme, leads a group of researchers devoted to thoroughly understanding energy and mass transport on the micro and nano scales and developing high-performance thermoelectric materials and devices.  The flexible thermoelectric devices that they have developed have demonstrated a record-high power density, and have potential for use in converting human body heat into electricity and for personal thermal management.  Prof. Yunlong Zi is working on harvesting mechanical energy through an emerging technology – triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs).  Professor Zi’s group is focusing on two main aspects: fundamental studies on the physical process of TENGs, and battery-free wireless self-powered sensing systems based on the new concept of ‘generate and use’.  These studies will strongly promote applications in the Internet of Things, smart systems, human-machine interfaces, and wearable and implantable technologies.

Prof. Yi-Chun Lu’s research interests centre on developing a fundamental understanding of, and material design principles for, clean energy storage and conversion.  In particular, her research group focuses on electrode and electrolyte design for high-energy metal-air and metal-sulfur batteries; redox-active components and solution chemistry for redox-flow batteries; and a mechanistic understanding of the interfacial phenomena governing electrochemical energy conversion and storage processes.  They study electrochemical interfaces, including battery interfacial chemistry and electrocatalysis, by employing spectroscopic and microscopic techniques coupled with in situ and ex situ electrochemical characterisations on model material systems.

Prof. Wei Ren’s group conducts experimental and theoretical research on reaction kinetics relevant to combustion, atmospheric and interstellar chemistry.  Recently, his group successfully applied ab initio quantum chemistry methods to understand the hydrogen abstraction from cyclopentane by hydroxyl radical, which plays an important role in combustion and atmospheric chemistry.  His group also resolved the recent experimental contradiction on the possible catalytic effect of water in the water-mediated reaction between methanol and hydroxyl radical, which is also one of the most significant reactions in the atmosphere.

Prof. Chun Chen’s group conducts research on energy and the built environment, such as buildings and aircraft cabins.  They investigate indoor air quality and energy-efficient technologies to control it.  The group develops smart strategies for controlling particulate pollution to minimise indoor exposure to particulate matter without consuming as much energy.  They also develop novel environmental control systems for commercial aeroplanes to reduce the person-to-person transmission of airborne infectious diseases in cabins, something that is especially meaningful in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Prof. Chun Chen’s research on indoor air quality control

EEEN faculty members incorporate their research outcomes into course teaching in order to broaden students’ horizons on the latest technology developments.  They also directly involve students in scientific research through summer internships and final year projects, enriching their learning experience in the EEEN programme.

Career Perspectives

By the end of the four-year undergraduate training programme, EEEN students will be well-versed in the current and emerging disciplines of energy systems, environmental monitoring and control, sensor instrumentation, and smart and green building technologies.  We envision great career prospects for our graduates in utility companies, energy-related firms, green technology startups, government agencies, and the building design and service sectors.  They can also pursue postgraduate studies in their specialised areas of interest in Hong Kong or overseas.

We are excited about the future of the EEEN programme as a new and vibrant field of study.  The importance of its subject matter will only grow in time.

Prof. Dongyan Xu