MECH9720 Solar Thermal Energy Design
The Complete Exam Bible · T2 2026MECH9720 Overview
- UNSW Sydney
- Term 2, 2026
Within School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of NSW, MECH9720 Solar Thermal Energy Design takes students from the solar resource itself — extraterrestrial vs terrestrial vs global radiation, declination and solar/collector azimuth angles, air mass, separation of global irradiance into beam, diffuse and ground-reflected components, and the instruments that measure them — through black-body and radiation heat transfer, collector covers, selective surfaces and thermal loss coefficients, to the measured performance of flat-plate, evacuated-tube and concentrating collectors, solar water heating systems, thermal storage, and whole-year system simulation and techno-economics.
A measure-it-then-model-it design course with no textbook: "these course notes are used instead of a compulsory textbook" and the in-house notes PDF "contain all the formulas, Tables, and Figures needed to solve quantitative problems for the course".
- MECH9720 grading SAM individual report = 27% of the MECH9720 course mark, split across 3 sequentially-marked tasks on low-, medium- and high-temperature solar thermal systems (Task 1 = 7 of 27 marks, 10 pages max, due 5pm 3 July in Moodle) | group laboratory report marked out of 100 (50 marks Experiment A + 40 marks Experiment B + 10 marks report clarity/structure/professionalism), target 25-30 pages, with a +/-10% peer-assessment scaling | weekly Moodle quizzes (Quiz 1 in Week 2, Quiz 2 in Week 3) | a final exam Only the SAM individual report has a verified course-level weight (27%); use the current official course outline for all other component weights.
- MECH9720 task mode Confirm MECH9720 exam duration, permitted materials and venue in the current course site and official timetable.
- MECH9720 mark trap Two places, both named by the coordinator in their own words. (1) Angle units: the FAQ devotes a whole entry to When do I use degrees and radians for angles? and answers the panic question The numbers I am calculating do not make any sense! Help! with Check that you are using degrees and radians in the correct places. Also check that your use of brackets is correct.
What you get in the full MECH9720 Exam Bible
- 12 chapters, 33 pages — every examinable topic
- 15 original practice questions, each with a model answer in the Final Exam format
- 12 worked examples, solved the way MECH9720 marks
- 21 computed figures, redrawn from the course’s own numbers
- Exam-morning plan for the Final Exam — what to revise last, where marks are lost
Free on this page: assessment table, chapter map, one worked example, key terms, FAQ. The rest is in the full exam bible.
How MECH9720 is assessed
| Component | Weight | Format |
|---|---|---|
| SAM Assessment | Weight subject to confirmation | Current course component |
| Lab Assessment | Weight subject to confirmation | Current 2026 laboratory component |
| Weekly Quizzes | Weight subject to confirmation | Current course component |
| Final Exam | Weight subject to confirmation | Current final assessment |
The current course page confirms these four components but the captured materials do not publish their numeric weights. Confirm the current percentages in the live Course Outline; no total is manufactured here.
What other students are asking about MECH9720
- Where can I find lecture notes or study guides for MECH9720 at UNSW?
- The MECH9720 study guide in AskSia Library covers Solar Thermal Energy Design in 12 chapters, with the assessment table, a chapter-by-chapter topic map, key terms and a worked example, free to read on this page.
- Is there a final exam in MECH9720, and how much is it worth?
- Yes. In the offering this AskSia Library guide is built from, Final Exam carries Weight subject to confirmation of the MECH9720 mark; the full split is SAM Assessment Weight subject to confirmation, Lab Assessment Weight subject to confirmation, Weekly Quizzes Weight subject to confirmation, Final Exam Weight subject to confirmation.
- What does MECH9720 cover on solar-thermal systems and design boundaries?
- In AskSia Library's MECH9720 guide, the Solar-Thermal Systems and Design Boundaries chapter explains non-concentrating systems · concentrating systems · load and climate boundary · select a system class by temperature, load profile, resource and integration constraints.
- What does MECH9720 cover on solar radiation and resource geometry?
- In AskSia Library's MECH9720 guide, the Solar Radiation and Resource Geometry chapter explains beam and diffuse radiation · solar angles · irradiance and irradiation · convert the resource description into quantities and geometry suitable for a collector calculation.
- What does MECH9720 cover on radiation heat transfer and black-body models?
- In AskSia Library's MECH9720 guide, the Radiation Heat Transfer and Black-Body Models chapter explains black-body emission · emissivity · net radiative exchange · write the fourth-power temperature relation in kelvin and preserve the exchange boundary.
What MECH9720 covers
Start with Course Components and Design Evidence; use Flat-Plate Collector Performance as the turning point; finish by bringing the course together in Lab, SAM and Final-Exam Synthesis.
Course Components and Design Evidence
design brief · model inputs · validation evidence · separate current assessment facts from stable engineering content and independently authored practiceCourse Components and Design Evidence is a quantitative decision problem built from design brief, model inputs and validation evidence.
- design brief
- model inputs
- validation evidence
- Applying design brief
- Limits of model inputs and validation evidence
Solar-Thermal Systems and Design Boundaries
non-concentrating systems · concentrating systems · load and climate boundary · select a system class by temperature, load profile, resource and integration constraintsSolar-Thermal Systems and Design Boundaries is a quantitative decision problem built from non-concentrating systems, concentrating systems and load and climate boundary.
- non-concentrating systems
- concentrating systems
- load and climate boundary
- Applying non-concentrating systems
- Limits of concentrating systems and load and climate boundary
Solar Radiation and Resource Geometry
beam and diffuse radiation · solar angles · irradiance and irradiation · convert the resource description into quantities and geometry suitable for a collector calculationSolar Radiation and Resource Geometry is a quantitative decision problem built from beam and diffuse radiation, solar angles and irradiance and irradiation.
- beam and diffuse radiation
- solar angles
- irradiance and irradiation
- Applying beam and diffuse radiation
- Limits of solar angles and irradiance and irradiation
Radiation Heat Transfer and Black-Body Models
black-body emission · emissivity · net radiative exchange · write the fourth-power temperature relation in kelvin and preserve the exchange boundaryRadiation Heat Transfer and Black-Body Models is a quantitative decision problem built from black-body emission, emissivity and net radiative exchange.
- black-body emission
- emissivity
- net radiative exchange
- Applying black-body emission
- Limits of emissivity and net radiative exchange
Solar Instruments and Measurement
pyranometer and pyrheliometer · calibration · uncertainty and data quality · match an instrument to the radiation component and report a measurement with its limitationsSolar Instruments and Measurement is a quantitative decision problem built from pyranometer and pyrheliometer, calibration and uncertainty and data quality.
- pyranometer and pyrheliometer
- calibration
- uncertainty and data quality
- Applying pyranometer and pyrheliometer
- Limits of calibration and uncertainty and data quality
Radiation on Inclined Surfaces
beam projection · diffuse-sky model · ground-reflected radiation · assemble plane-of-array radiation from components without mixing angle or time conventionsRadiation on Inclined Surfaces is a quantitative decision problem built from beam projection, diffuse-sky model and ground-reflected radiation.
- beam projection
- diffuse-sky model
- ground-reflected radiation
- Applying beam projection
- Limits of diffuse-sky model and ground-reflected radiation
Flat-Plate Collector Performance
absorbed solar energy · thermal loss coefficient · useful heat and efficiency · apply an energy balance and interpret how inlet temperature and ambient conditions affect efficiencyFlat-Plate Collector Performance is a quantitative decision problem built from absorbed solar energy, thermal loss coefficient and useful heat and efficiency.
- absorbed solar energy
- thermal loss coefficient
- useful heat and efficiency
- Applying absorbed solar energy
- Limits of thermal loss coefficient and useful heat and efficiency
Covers, Selective Surfaces and Thermal Losses
transmittance · absorptance and emittance · convective and radiative loss · compare surface and cover choices through both solar gain and thermal-loss consequencesCovers, Selective Surfaces and Thermal Losses is a quantitative decision problem built from transmittance, absorptance and emittance and convective and radiative loss.
- transmittance
- absorptance and emittance
- convective and radiative loss
- Applying transmittance
- Limits of absorptance and emittance and convective and radiative loss
Solar Water Heating and System Performance
collector loop · load profile · auxiliary energy and solar fraction · match collection and delivery over time rather than sizing from a single peak conditionSolar Water Heating and System Performance is a quantitative decision problem built from collector loop, load profile and auxiliary energy and solar fraction.
- collector loop
- load profile
- auxiliary energy and solar fraction
- Applying collector loop
- Limits of load profile and auxiliary energy and solar fraction
Thermal Storage
sensible heat · storage capacity · stratification and loss · size a storage calculation from mass, heat capacity and usable temperature swing before adding loss and operating constraintsThermal Storage is a quantitative decision problem built from sensible heat, storage capacity and stratification and loss.
- sensible heat
- storage capacity
- stratification and loss
- Applying sensible heat
- Limits of storage capacity and stratification and loss
Concentrating Solar Systems
concentration ratio · optical efficiency · tracking and receiver loss · connect concentration and tracking choices to achievable temperature and receiver lossesConcentrating Solar Systems is a quantitative decision problem built from concentration ratio, optical efficiency and tracking and receiver loss.
- concentration ratio
- optical efficiency
- tracking and receiver loss
- Applying concentration ratio
- Limits of optical efficiency and tracking and receiver loss
Lab, SAM and Final-Exam Synthesis
measurement-to-model comparison · design justification · uncertainty and review · turn observations and calculations into a design argument whose assumptions and discrepancies are visibleLab, SAM and Final-Exam Synthesis is a quantitative decision problem built from measurement-to-model comparison, design justification and uncertainty and review.
- measurement-to-model comparison
- design justification
- uncertainty and review
- Applying measurement-to-model comparison
- Limits of design justification and uncertainty and review
The two big assessments are both artefacts a practising engineer would actually produce — a group laboratory report that turns real outdoor data from four collector designs into efficiency correlation equations "following a process similar to Australian (AS 2535) and International Standards (ISO 9806)", carrying "the information required from an Accredited Test Lab, a key step that ALL solar thermal collectors sold in Australia must go through to obtain small-scale technology certificates (STCs)";
and an individual 27% System Advisor Model study pitched at "the level of knowledge needed to conduct a feasibility study & report at a consultancy firm and/or the background study required to prepare a detailed tender for engineering procurement and construction (EPC) services".
Marking starts from zero — "the group starts with no Marks.
Marks are awarded when there is evidence of the effort that deserves the marks."
Assessment in MECH9720 is distributed as follows: SAM individual report = 27% of the MECH9720 course mark, split across 3 sequentially-marked tasks on low-, medium- and high-temperature solar thermal systems (Task 1 = 7 of 27 marks, 10 pages max, due 5pm 3 July in Moodle) | group laboratory report marked out of 100 (50 marks Experiment A + 40 marks Experiment B + 10 marks report clarity/structure/professionalism), target 25-30 pages, with a +/-10% peer-assessment scaling | weekly Moodle quizzes (Quiz 1 in Week 2, Quiz 2 in Week 3) | a final exam Only the SAM individual report has a verified course-level weight (27%); use the current official course outline for all other component weights.
The operational assessment conditions matter here.
Confirm MECH9720 exam duration, permitted materials and venue in the current course site and official timetable.
What makes MECH9720 demanding is concrete: Two places, both named by the coordinator in their own words. (1) Angle units: the FAQ devotes a whole entry to When do I use degrees and radians for angles? and answers the panic question The numbers I am calculating do not make any sense! Help!
with Check that you are using degrees and radians in the correct places. Also check that your use of brackets is correct.
Treat the MECH9720 hurdle status as unconfirmed.
Check the current official course outline for any component-level pass rule before relying on the overall mark.
Start with Course Components and Design Evidence; use Flat-Plate Collector Performance as the turning point; finish by bringing the course together in Lab, SAM and Final-Exam Synthesis.
Worked example · free
Worked example: Solar Thermal Energy Design integrated response
- 1Extract the outcome, actor or operation that the Solar Thermal Energy Design integrated response task actually requires.
- 1State the precondition under which concentration ratio is relevant rather than merely familiar.
- 1Use beam projection to reject the nearest alternative, then run a failure-path check with sensible heat.
- 1Choose the response and state when it must be withdrawn or narrowed: The theoretical stored heat overstates usable delivery when losses or minimum outlet temperatures matter.
Key terms
- F_R tau-alpha and F_R U_L
- F_R(τα) is a collector's effective optical-gain coefficient and F_RU_L its effective heat-loss coefficient in η = F_R(τα) − F_RU_L(T_in−T_a)/G; F' uses the local collector-efficiency factor before whole-collector heat removal is accounted for.
- collector efficiency correlation in AUS/ISO (Tmean - Ta) format vs USA (Tin - Ta) format
- A collector-efficiency correlation expresses useful heat divided by incident solar energy as an optical intercept minus temperature-dependent losses; AUS/ISO convention uses mean fluid temperature, while the US form uses inlet temperature.
- incidence angle modifier (IAM), transversal and longitudinal
- The incidence angle modifier is optical efficiency at a given incidence angle divided by normal-incidence efficiency; transversal and longitudinal modifiers describe dependence across and along the collector axis.
- stagnation temperature
- Stagnation temperature is the collector temperature reached with no useful heat removal, when absorbed solar gain balances thermal losses to the surroundings.
- declination angle, solar azimuth vs collector azimuth, sunrise hour angle
- Declination is the Sun's seasonal angular position north or south of the equator, solar and collector azimuth specify their horizontal directions, and sunrise hour angle gives the angular time from solar noon to sunrise.
- beam, diffuse and ground-reflected components of global radiation
- Beam radiation arrives directly from the solar disc, diffuse radiation is scattered by the atmosphere, and ground-reflected radiation reaches a tilted surface after reflection; their plane-of-array contributions sum to global irradiance.
- air mass; extraterrestrial vs terrestrial vs global radiation
- Air mass is the relative atmospheric path length traversed by sunlight; extraterrestrial radiation is measured outside the atmosphere, terrestrial radiation after atmospheric attenuation, and global radiation combines direct and diffuse components on a surface.
- selective surface, absorptance/emittance and Kirchhoff's law
- A selective surface has high solar absorptance and low thermal emittance; Kirchhoff's law states that spectral absorptance equals spectral emittance at thermal equilibrium for the same wavelength and direction.
MECH9720 FAQ
Is MECH9720 hard?
Two places, both named by the coordinator in their own words. (1) Angle units: the FAQ devotes a whole entry to When do I use degrees and radians for angles? and answers the panic question The numbers I am calculating do not make any sense! Help! with Check that you are using degrees and radians in the correct places. Also check that your use of brackets is correct.
How is MECH9720 assessed?
SAM individual report = 27% of the MECH9720 course mark, split across 3 sequentially-marked tasks on low-, medium- and high-temperature solar thermal systems (Task 1 = 7 of 27 marks, 10 pages max, due 5pm 3 July in Moodle) | group laboratory report marked out of 100 (50 marks Experiment A + 40 marks Experiment B + 10 marks report clarity/structure/professionalism), target 25-30 pages, with a +/-10% peer-assessment scaling | weekly Moodle quizzes (Quiz 1 in Week 2, Quiz 2 in Week 3) | a final exam Only the SAM individual report has a verified course-level weight (27%); use the current official course outline for all other component weights.
What is the MECH9720 exam or final-task format?
Confirm MECH9720 exam duration, permitted materials and venue in the current course site and official timetable.
Does MECH9720 have a hurdle or component-level pass rule?
Treat the MECH9720 hurdle status as unconfirmed. Check the current official course outline for any component-level pass rule before relying on the overall mark.
What prerequisites or restrictions apply to MECH9720?
Check the current official handbook before enrolling in MECH9720; prerequisites are not inferred from its course number.
Is MECH9720 offered in Term 2, 2026?
This resource is aligned to Term 2, 2026. Confirm your class and assessment timetable in the current institutional system.
Is this MECH9720 resource an official university guide?
No. It is an independent MECH9720 study resource; current institutional instructions remain authoritative for assessment operation.
Questions students ask in each MECH9720 chapter
- What is the main task in Course Components and Design Evidence?
- Separate current assessment facts from stable engineering content and independently authored practice. Chapter 01 · Course Components and Design Evidence
- What is the main task in Solar-Thermal Systems and Design Boundaries?
- Select a system class by temperature, load profile, resource and integration constraints. Chapter 02 · Solar-Thermal Systems and Design Boundaries
- What is the main task in Solar Radiation and Resource Geometry?
- Convert the resource description into quantities and geometry suitable for a collector calculation. Chapter 03 · Solar Radiation and Resource Geometry
- What is the main task in Radiation Heat Transfer and Black-Body Models?
- Write the fourth-power temperature relation in kelvin and preserve the exchange boundary. Chapter 04 · Radiation Heat Transfer and Black-Body Models
- What is the main task in Solar Instruments and Measurement?
- Match an instrument to the radiation component and report a measurement with its limitations. Chapter 05 · Solar Instruments and Measurement
- What is the main task in Radiation on Inclined Surfaces?
- Assemble plane-of-array radiation from components without mixing angle or time conventions. Chapter 06 · Radiation on Inclined Surfaces
- What is the main task in Flat-Plate Collector Performance?
- Apply an energy balance and interpret how inlet temperature and ambient conditions affect efficiency. Chapter 07 · Flat-Plate Collector Performance
- What is the main task in Covers, Selective Surfaces and Thermal Losses?
- Compare surface and cover choices through both solar gain and thermal-loss consequences. Chapter 08 · Covers, Selective Surfaces and Thermal Losses
- What is the main task in Solar Water Heating and System Performance?
- Match collection and delivery over time rather than sizing from a single peak condition. Chapter 09 · Solar Water Heating and System Performance
- What is the main task in Thermal Storage?
- Size a storage calculation from mass, heat capacity and usable temperature swing before adding loss and operating constraints. Chapter 10 · Thermal Storage
- What is the main task in Concentrating Solar Systems?
- Connect concentration and tracking choices to achievable temperature and receiver losses. Chapter 11 · Concentrating Solar Systems
- What is the main task in Lab, SAM and Final-Exam Synthesis?
- Turn observations and calculations into a design argument whose assumptions and discrepancies are visible. Chapter 12 · Lab, SAM and Final-Exam Synthesis
How to study for the exam
Retrieve the course map, practise the recurring method—define the solar resource and design boundary, select a heat-transfer model, keep units and sign conventions visible, calculate performance and test sensitivity to uncertain inputs—on changed scenarios, and verify every operational assessment detail in the live institutional system.
Your AI Engineering tutor for MECH9720
Stuck on a hard MECH9720 question? Sia is AskSia’s AI Engineering tutor — ask any MECH9720 Solar Thermal Energy Design question and get a clear, step-by-step explanation grounded in how the course is actually taught and assessed. Read this whole study guide free, then take your hardest questions to Sia.