Skip to content

Renewable Energy Schools and Programs in Spain

19 schools in Spain teach Renewable Energy.

Renewable Energies

Modern society depends on stable and readily available energy sources. Renewable energy is a progressively important component of energy supplies. Bircham University’s Renewable Energies program comprises of energy conversion and the use and storage of renewable technologies such as wind, biomass, fuel cells, solar and hybrid systems. Thermodynamics form the foundation for modelling renewable energy systems. This program also touches upon the environmental costs of energy conversion and how renewable energy can lessen air pollution and global climate change. Subjects covered on this course include: Renewable Energy, Thermodynamics, Energy Distribution Systems, Fuel Cells, Wind & Tidal Energy, Biofuels & Bioenergy ,Solar Energy, Geothermal Energy, Climate Change, Alternative Energies, Energy Process Engineering, Energy Pollution Control & Energy Engineering. The Renewable Energies program is available at Specialist, Expert, Bachelor's, Master's & Ph.D. (Doctoral) Degree program levels.
Level: Undergraduate Bachelors  
Language of instruction: English  
Location: Villanueva de la Cañada

Renewable Energy Studies in Spain

Renewable energy studies cover the technologies that produce energy from the sun, wind, biomass, water and, increasingly, green hydrogen, together with grids, storage and energy efficiency. Students learn to design, install, operate and assess these systems, and to judge their technical, environmental and economic viability. In Spain the subject is taught mainly as an engineering bachelor's degree, as an official master's degree and as a higher vocational qualification, with many online courses for people already in work.

How renewable energy studies are organised

Under Royal Decree 822/2021, Spanish bachelor's degrees (grados) have 240 ECTS credits, usually four years, and official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 credits. The main routes are:

  • Bachelor's degree: a search for "energ" in RUCT, the Ministry's register of official degrees, returns 38 records. Most are degrees in Energy Engineering (Ingeniería de la Energía), for example at the universities of Jaén and León and, in English and Spanish, at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. A few focus on renewables, such as Ingeniería de Energías Renovables at the Universidad del País Vasco and Ingeniería de Energías Renovables y Tecnologías del Hidrógeno at the Universidad de Huelva.
  • Official master's degree (máster universitario): RUCT returns 46 records for "renovable", from general master's degrees in renewable energy to specialised ones on hydrogen, grids or climate change.
  • Higher vocational training (FP): the Técnico Superior en Energías Renovables, in the energy and water family, lasts 2,000 hours and focuses on wind farms, solar photovoltaic installations and the electrical substations that connect them.
  • School-own programmes: online schools and business schools offer master's programmes and courses that lead to their own qualification. These are not official university degrees.

Where to study renewable energy in Spain

Madrid and Barcelona have the most schools for this subject in our directory, and there are universities with renewable energy programmes in Andalusia, Castile and León, Galicia and the Canary Islands. Examples:

  • Universidad de Huelva: its Grado en Ingeniería de Energías Renovables y Tecnologías del Hidrógeno prepares for project development in the renewables sector, power generation, distribution and sale of electricity, and energy efficiency in sectors such as building.
  • Universidad de Jaén: teaches a Grado en Ingeniería de la Energía and a Máster Universitario en Energías Renovables centred on solar photovoltaic energy and biomass.
  • Universidad de La Laguna (Tenerife): its Máster Universitario en Energías Renovables has 120 ECTS credits over two years, with 12 months of on-campus teaching and laboratory work and 4 months of company placements, which the university says are usually paid, even for foreign students.
  • Universidad de León and Universidad de Salamanca: León has a degree in Energy Engineering and a master's degree in renewable energy; Salamanca teaches a Grado en Ingeniería de la Energía y Recursos Minerales.
  • Universidad de Santiago de Compostela and Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo: RUCT lists a master's degree in renewable energy, climate change and sustainable development at Santiago, and one in renewable energy, fuel cells and hydrogen at the UIMP.
  • SEAS, Estudios Abiertos (Zaragoza): an online centre whose Doble Máster en Energías Renovables (120 ECTS, 3,000 hours) leads to the school's own qualification.

Admission and language

To enter a bachelor's degree with a secondary-school qualification from another country, most students first apply to UNEDasiss, the UNED service that assesses international students' records and runs the tests needed to enter Spanish bachelor's degrees, and then apply to each university. Official master's degrees usually require a science or engineering degree: the Universidad de Jaén admits graduates in engineering, architecture, building and the sciences, and La Laguna's master's is aimed at students with a scientific or technical background. In Andalusia, applications to master's degrees go through the single regional admissions system (Distrito Único Andaluz). For the higher vocational cycle you need the Bachillerato or an equivalent, or a pass in an entrance test.

Most university programmes are taught in Spanish. The Universidad de Jaén also asks for basic English to handle technical documentation.

Recognition and careers

If you already hold a foreign university degree, the Ministry distinguishes between homologation (homologación), which allows you to practise a regulated profession in Spain, and a declaration of equivalence, which certifies the academic level of a degree (bachelor's or master's).

Graduates work in renewable energy project development, electricity generation and distribution, energy efficiency, consultancy and research. For the vocational qualification, the Ministry lists jobs such as operation and maintenance technician for wind installations, wind farm maintenance specialist, designer of solar photovoltaic installations and supervisor of electrical substations for wind and photovoltaic plants.

Frequently asked questions

Which degree should I take to work in renewable energy?

The most common route is a bachelor's degree in Energy Engineering or Renewable Energy Engineering (240 ECTS), often followed by an official master's degree in renewable energy. The higher vocational cycle is a shorter, practical route.

Can I take a master's in renewable energy with a science degree?

Yes, in many cases. The Universidad de Jaén admits graduates in the sciences as well as engineering and architecture, and La Laguna's master's is aimed at students from scientific and technical degrees.

Are online renewable energy masters official degrees?

Only if they appear in RUCT as a máster universitario. Many online programmes are school-own qualifications, such as SEAS's Doble Máster en Energías Renovables.

How long is the vocational cycle in renewable energy?

The Técnico Superior en Energías Renovables lasts 2,000 hours and prepares for work in wind farms, solar photovoltaic installations and electrical substations.