Abstract

Telemark University College is offering a mas-ter degree program called ‘Systems and Control Engi-neering’. Most students of that program have a background in either electrical, mechanical, control engineering or a combination of those. Since Norway covers about 99% of its electrical energy demand using hydro-electric power plants it is natural to also educate master students in the subject of hydro power systems.  About three years ago the Telemark University Colleges started a cooperation with the Norwegian power company ‘Skagerak Energi’ in order to offer real-life projects for students and to establish a new teaching course for second year master students called ‘Modelling and Simulation of Hydro Power Systems’. That course teaches the students the basic principles of hydro-electric power generation starting the prediction of precipitation “down” to the distribution of electrical power in the grid with other loads and consumers connected to it. This paper presents the teaching approach we have taken so far and our evaluations of opensource tools to be used within the ‘Modelling and Simulation of Hydro Power Systems’ course. The evaluations were also fo-cused on possibilities of scripting model simulations.