HKIE Professional Assessment - Energy Discipline study plan

Derive and apply the first and second laws to steady-flow and closed-system energy plant cycles, writing out control-volume balances from memory

Compute conduction, convection and radiation heat transfer rates for a finned surface and a composite wall, and state the assumptions behind each correlation used

Construct and interpret T-s and h-s diagrams for Rankine and Brayton cycles, identifying irreversibility and where exergy is destroyed

Solve psychrometric and moist-air energy balances relevant to cooling coils and cooling towers

Calculate cycle efficiency, heat rate and specific fuel consumption for reheat-regenerative steam plants and combined cycles, and compare against realistic benchmarks

Explain the energy balance and performance drivers of boilers, steam turbines, gas turbines, condensers and cooling systems, and size the main auxiliaries

Analyse part-load and off-design behaviour of turbines and boilers, including the effect of ambient conditions on gas turbine output

Identify the main failure and degradation mechanisms in pressure parts and rotating equipment and the inspection regime that addresses each

Compare solar PV, solar thermal, wind, hydro, biomass and waste-to-energy on resource, conversion efficiency, capacity factor and grid integration constraints

Size a grid-connected PV array and a small wind turbine from resource data, including inverter ratio, losses and annual yield estimate

Evaluate energy storage and flexibility options against duration, round-trip efficiency, degradation and duty cycle

Explain grid code and interconnection issues for variable renewables, including fault ride-through, reactive power and curtailment

Structure an energy audit to the recognised four-stage approach, selecting measurement instruments and sampling periods appropriate to each system

Perform energy and mass balances across an industrial or commercial facility and quantify savings from the main opportunities found

Calculate HVAC loads, fan and pump power, and system curve operating points, and evaluate variable-speed drive and reset-control savings

Assess electrical distribution losses, power factor, harmonics and motor efficiency, and prioritise measures by payback

Build a life-cycle cost, simple payback and internal rate of return model for an efficiency retrofit and interpret sensitivity to tariff and discount rate

Apply the local regulatory and tariff framework for electricity, including demand charges, fuel adjustment clauses and feed-in or renewable certificate arrangements

Compile a greenhouse gas inventory using activity data and emission factors, and distinguish Scope 1, 2 and 3 boundaries

Explain carbon pricing, offset quality and reporting standards, and evaluate a credible decarbonisation target against a science-based pathway

Develop a work breakdown structure, schedule and resource plan for an energy project, and identify the critical path and float

Identify the principal construction and operational hazards for energy plant and select controls using the hierarchy of control

Determine the environmental compliance obligations for an energy project, including air, noise, waste and water permits, and the assessment process

Explain commissioning, handover and performance-test protocols, including guarantees and liquidated damages

Apply the professional code of conduct to at least four realistic dilemmas, including conflicting client pressure, competence limits and whistleblowing

Distinguish duty of care, negligence and contractual liability, and identify when to escalate to a senior engineer or insurer

Re-derive the two or three Domain 1 relationships most often misapplied in practice, and check them against worked examples

Produce clear technical advice for a non-specialist decision maker, stating assumptions, uncertainty and the basis of recommendations

Complete two full-length timed mock assessments under exam conditions and mark them against the published weighting of each domain

Revisit every weak area identified in the mocks and close each gap with a targeted worked example

Rehearse concise verbal explanations of key calculations and judgements suitable for a professional interview or viva

Consolidate the formula and assumptions sheets and the opportunity and compliance checklists into a single revision pack