| Abstract: | Traditionally, the education in electrical engineering is roughly divided into two areas, viz. electronics and telecommunication on the one hand and electrical energy on the other. Though the borders between these two areas have become vague, this division is still clearly observable, in particular when it comes down to the student's perception of these areas as potential fields of study. Electrical energy has an old-fashioned image. Furthermore, over the last decades there has been a shift from laboratory experiments to computer simulations. In this paper a new approach is introduced, which is aimed at raising first-year students' awareness of the potential attractiveness of electrical energy as an area of study. The approach is project-oriented and based on teamwork. Projects are carried out that are aimed at the design, implementation and verification of small total energy systems. The problems involved are related to energy production, system design, energy storage and consumption. |
