Richard lectures in bioenergy and sustainability on the MSc in Renewable Energy Systems Technology. He coordinates the flexible and distance learning version of this course and has recently been appointed Director of Postgraduate Studies.
Research interests are split between energy and teaching. Energy research encompases technology in bioenergy systems (hybrid and microgeneration), and sustainability such as environmental impacts of ocean energy systems. Teaching research focuses on distance and e-learning. In 2009 he won a University Academic Practice Award to develop enquiry based learning in online tutorials to support distance learning.
External Profile
Fellow of Higher Education Academy.
Associate of Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment.
Examiner for the European Master's in Renewable Energy, committee Chair 2010/11.
Editorial Board Member of Energy and Power
Reviewer for Engineering Education Journal of HE Academy, BBSRC, Wiley.
Programme Committee for International Symposium on Design and Research in Artificial and Natural Sciences 2010-
Advisory Committee of International Multi Disciplinary Conference on Solar energy, Chennai, India, Feb 2012.
He led the reaccrediation of the REST MSc for the IET IMechE and Energy Institute as further learning towards Chartered Engineer Accreditation.
Expertise
Energy Conservation and Sustainability
Renewable Energy Systems
Bioenergy
Keywords
Sustainability
Distance learning
Bioenergy
Energy Systems
Richard was awarded his PhD in Strategic Environmental Assessment of Renewable Energy Policy in 1998 by Aberystwyth University. By this time he lectured on BSc and MSc programmes with a focus on environmental technologies at Suffolk College, Ipswich. In December 2002 he joined Loughborough University as Flexible and Distance Learning Coordinator to develop the distance learning version of the MSc in Renewable Energy Systems Technology. This course has grown from a dozen or so students to around about 300 students.
Richard is an examiner on the European Master's in Renewable Energy and was an external examiner at Coventry University. He has been involved in a number of projects funded by EPSRC and the European Commission.
With colleagues he is the 2011 recipient of the prestigious Institution of Civil Engineers Baker Medal for work on microgeneration technology.
Research interests are in bioenergy systems, sustainability including life-cycle assessment, and eLearning. Between 2008-2010 Richard was part of EPSRC project UK-India Energy Technologies Network. Subsequently this consortium successfully bid to to the Bridging the Urban Rural Divide programme jointly funded by RCUK and DST India with a project called Rural Hybrid Energy and Enterprise Systems worth £2.5million.
Past PhDs supervised on the subject of the pedagogy of remote labs and Ocean Energy Assessment. A former student Ken Aldonza scooped the $200,000 IDEAS Award prize for work based on his research project on ethanol production from banana waste for St Lucia.
Undergraduate
ELC003 Renewable Energy Sources
ELD531 Sustainability and Energy Systems
ELD536 Biomass
Postgraduate
ELP031/ELP631 Sustainability and Energy Systems
ELP036/ELP636 Biomass
Richard supervises PhD and MSc projects in renewable energy, particularly in biomass energy and energy systems.
View all Dr Blanchard’s publications in the central publications database
Selected Publications
Staffell, I., Baker, P., Barton, J.P., Bergman, N., Blanchard, R.E., Brandon, N.P., Brett, D.J.L., Hawkes, A., Infield, D.G., Jardine, C.N., Kelly, N., Leach, M., Matian, M., Peacock, A.D., Sudtharalingham, S. and Woodman, B., ''UK Microgeneration. Part II: Technology Overviews'', Proceedings of Institute of Civil Engineers, Energy, 163(EN4), November 2010, pp. 143-165.
Begum, M., Williams, S.R. and Blanchard, R.E., ''Improving the Quality of Learning Experience Through Continuous Evaluation and Innovation'', EDULEARN 10 Proceedings, International Association for Technology, Education and Development, EDULEARN10 - International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies, Barcelona, Spain, July 2010, pp. 1-11, ISBN 978 84 613 9386 2.
Banerjee, S, Duckers, L., Blanchard, R.E. and Choudhury, B., ''Assessment of Tidal Power'', Proceedings of 32nd World Energy Engineering Congress, Association of Energy Engineers, Washington Convention Center, Washington DC, 4th November 2009, pp. 1-11,
Chasapis, D., Drosou, V., Papamechael, I., Aidonis, A. and Blanchard, R.E., ''Monitoring and operational results of a hybrid solar-biomass heating system'', Renewable Energy, 33(8), 2008, pp 1759-1767, ISSN 0960-1481.
