Content Curator | Updated on - Mar 31, 2026

The Ph.D. in Renewable Energy at UPES School of Advanced Engineering, Dehradun is a full-time doctoral research program spanning 3 to 5 years, designed to develop scholars with deep expertise in renewable energy technologies, policy, and sustainability. The program covers core areas including solar, wind, bioenergy, hydropower, and geothermal energy, complemented by interdisciplinary coursework in energy economics, environmental science, and advanced engineering. The program fee is INR 1 lakh per semester, with full-time scholars receiving a 75% waiver, bringing the effective semester fee down to INR 25,000. UPES is ranked 46th among Indian universities by NIRF 2024 and holds a NAAC 'A' grade, making it a credible destination for doctoral research in the energy sector. The program is popular among candidates seeking research careers in academia, government R&D labs, and the rapidly growing renewable energy industry.

Admissions to the Ph.D. program at UPES are held twice a year - in January and July. The January 2026 intake has already commenced (session began February 16, 2026). The next upcoming intake is July 2026, for which applications are expected to open around May 2026 based on the previous year's pattern (last date to apply was June 1, 2025 for July 2025 intake). Candidates are advised to monitor the official UPES PhD portal at phd.upes.ac.in for the July 2026 intake notification.

Key Points

Full-time Ph.D. scholars receive a monthly fellowship of INR 25,000 during coursework and INR 30,000 after clearing the coursework examination, valid for up to 3 years from commencement.
Scholars with 2 publications as first author in Q1/Q2 journals are eligible for an enhanced fellowship of up to INR 34,000 per month.
INSPIRE/CSIR-NET-JRF qualified candidates receive an additional annual contingency grant of INR 2,00,000 for research expenses including international conference participation.
The program is housed in the School of Advanced Engineering and is also available under the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation (CIDRI) for candidates interested in cross-disciplinary renewable energy research.
Candidates holding UGC-NET/GATE/SET/GPAT/CSIR/INSPIRE qualifications are exempted from the UPES Research Entrance Test (RET).
The Electrical Cluster at UPES has a dedicated Renewable Energy Lab with facilities for solar photovoltaic systems, bio-fuel, fuel cells, battery testing, and charge-controlling units, along with software tools like MATLAB, Power-Factory, PSCad, and ETAP.
Faculty mentors include experts from IITs, NITs, and top QS-ranked universities, ensuring globally relevant research guidance.

Official Link:

Go To Website

Highlights
Fees
Admission
Scholarships
Ranking
FAQs

UPES Ph.D. (Renewable Energy) Fees

The Ph.D. (Renewable Energy) program at UPES has a straightforward fee structure of INR 1 lakh per semester. Full-time scholars benefit significantly from a 75% fee waiver, reducing the effective semester fee to just INR 25,000. Over a minimum 6-semester (3-year) duration, the total effective fee for full-time scholars comes to INR 1.5 lakhs. A one-time refundable security deposit of INR 20,000 is also applicable at the time of registration.

Fee Structure

Fee Component	Per Semester (Gross)	Per Semester (After 75% Waiver - Full Time)
Program/Tuition Fee	INR 1,00,000	INR 25,000
Refundable Security Deposit (one-time)	INR 20,000	INR 20,000
Application Fee (one-time, non-refundable)	INR 1,000	INR 1,000
Total Fees (for 6 semesters / 3 years - Full Time)	INR 6,21,000	INR 1,71,000

The 75% fee waiver is applicable only for full-time scholars and is valid for the full tenure of the PhD program.
Part-time scholars do not receive any fee waiver; the program fee remains INR 1 lakh per semester.
The refundable security deposit of INR 20,000 is returned upon completion/exit from the program as per university norms.
The application fee of INR 1,000 is non-refundable under any circumstances.
Fellowship income (INR 25,000-30,000/month) effectively offsets the fee outgo for full-time scholars.
No EMI option is explicitly mentioned; fee payment is semester-wise as per the university's payment schedule.
If any taxes/levies are charged by Central/State authorities, the same shall be borne by the student.

UPES Ph.D. (Renewable Energy) Admission 2026

Admissions to the Ph.D. (Renewable Energy) program at UPES are conducted twice a year (January and July intakes). The January 2026 batch has already commenced. For the upcoming July 2026 intake, applications are expected to open in May 2026 based on the July 2025 cycle pattern. The selection process involves a Research Entrance Test (RET) followed by an interview; candidates with UGC-NET/GATE/SET/GPAT/CSIR/INSPIRE qualifications are exempted from the RET.

UPES PhD Admission Dates

Key Timeline	Tentative Date (July 2026 Intake)
Application Portal Opens	May 2026 (Tentative)
Last Date to Apply	June 1, 2026 (Tentative)
RET Exam	June 11, 2026 (Tentative)
RET Result Declaration	June 27, 2026 (Tentative)
Research Proposal Submission	July 5, 2026 (Tentative)
Online Interview Booking/Scheduling	July 15, 2026 (Tentative)
Online Interviews	July 28-30, 2026 (Tentative)
Interview Result Declaration	August 12, 2026 (Tentative)
Last Date to Pay Fee	August 17, 2026 (Tentative)
Orientation Date	August 25, 2026 (Tentative)
Commencement of Session	August 27, 2026 (Tentative)

Relevant Exam Dates

Exam	Registration Period	Exam Date	Result Date
UGC-NET (Phase 2)	Apr 1 - May 1, 2026 (Tentative)	Jun 1, 2026 (Tentative)	-
GATE 2026	Aug 28 - Oct 13, 2025	Feb 7-8, 14-15, 2026	Mar 19, 2026
CSIR-NET	May 1 - May 21, 2026 (Tentative)	Jul 25-27, 2026 (Tentative)	Sep 4, 2026 (Tentative)

Note: Candidates who have already qualified UGC-NET/GATE/SET/GPAT/CSIR/INSPIRE are directly exempted from the RET and can proceed to the research proposal and interview stage.

The dates mentioned above are tentative and subject to change.

Eligibility Criteria

Master's degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline (Engineering, Energy, Physics, Environmental Science, etc.) with a minimum of 55% marks or equivalent grade from a recognized institute (applicable for both full-time and part-time).
Alternatively, candidates with a 4-year Bachelor's degree with a minimum of 75% marks or 7.5 CGPA are eligible for full-time admission only, subject to at least one high-quality research publication from their undergraduate project work.
Final-semester postgraduate students are also eligible to apply and appear for the RET, subject to completion of their PG program before registration.

Admission Process

Fill the online application form at phd.upes.ac.in and pay the non-refundable application fee of INR 1,000.
Appear for the UPES Research Entrance Test (RET) - a 3-hour online proctored test with 100 marks (50 marks General/Research Aptitude + 50 marks Domain-specific). Candidates with UGC-NET/GATE/SET/GPAT/CSIR/INSPIRE qualifications are exempted.
Shortlisted candidates (RET-qualified and exempted) submit a research proposal of approximately 1,000 words to phd@upes.ac.in.
Book and appear for an online interview conducted via MS Teams.
Receive offer letter upon selection; pay the enrolment fee by the specified deadline.
Attend orientation on campus and commence the session.

UPES Ph.D. (Renewable Energy) Scholarships 2026

UPES offers a robust financial support ecosystem for Ph.D. scholars, making the program financially accessible especially for full-time researchers. The flagship benefit is the 75% fee waiver combined with a monthly fellowship, which together make the program largely self-sustaining for meritorious full-time scholars. Additional grants and scholarships are available for externally funded candidates and high-performing researchers.

Scholarship Benefits

Scholarship / Financial Benefit	Amount	Eligibility	Duration
Program Fee Waiver (Full Time)	75% waiver on semester fee (effective fee: INR 25,000/semester)	All full-time PhD scholars	Full tenure of PhD program
Monthly Fellowship (Coursework Phase)	INR 25,000 per month	100 full-time scholars (merit-based)	Until coursework exam clearance
Monthly Fellowship (Post-Coursework)	INR 30,000 per month	100 full-time scholars (merit-based)	Up to 3 years from session commencement
Enhanced Fellowship	Up to INR 34,000 per month	Scholars with 2 first-author publications in Q1/Q2 journals	As applicable
Annual Contingency Grant (General)	INR 30,000 per year	All full-time fellows	For consumables, conferences, experiments
Annual Contingency Grant (External JRF/INSPIRE)	INR 2,00,000 per year	INSPIRE/CSIR-NET-JRF qualified scholars	For consumables, international conferences
Alumni Scholarship	50% fee waiver on Part-Time PhD	UPES alumni (graduated 2021 onwards)	Full tenure
Employee Ward Scholarship	75% on semester fee	Wards of UPES employees (Part-Time PhD)	Full tenure

Fellowship is awarded to a maximum of 100 full-time scholars per cycle and is merit-based; not all admitted scholars are guaranteed the fellowship.
Fellowship and contingency grants are subject to the university's policy and can be revised or withdrawn at the university's discretion.
Scholars receiving external funding (JRF, INSPIRE, etc.) are not eligible for the university's internal fellowship but receive the enhanced contingency grant.
The Alumni Scholarship (50% fee waiver) is applicable for Part-Time PhD programs for UPES alumni.
Renewal of fellowship is subject to satisfactory academic performance and no disciplinary action.

UPES Ph.D Renewable Energy Ranking

Collegedunia Ranking

#94 out of 370 in India 2025

#4th in Uttarakhand

NIRF Ranking

#36 out of 125 in India 2025

#3rd in Uttarakhand

Do you think the Rankings are wrong ? Report Here

UPES Ph.D. (Renewable Energy) FAQs

Ques. Is the UPES PhD in Renewable Energy a full-time or part-time program, and can working professionals apply?

Ans. The program is available in both full-time and part-time modes. Full-time scholars must be present on campus and are eligible for the monthly fellowship and 75% fee waiver. Part-time scholars (typically working professionals) do not receive the fee waiver and pay the full INR 1 lakh per semester, but can pursue the degree while continuing employment. However, as per the January 2026 admission document, UPES is only taking full-time admissions for candidates with a 4-year Bachelor's degree entry; part-time is available only for Master's degree holders.

Ques. What is the UPES Research Entrance Test (RET) and who is exempted from it?

Ans. The RET is a 3-hour online proctored test conducted on the Codetantra platform, consisting of 100 questions - 50 on Research/General Aptitude and 50 on domain-specific topics. Candidates who have qualified UGC-NET, GATE, SET, GPAT, CSIR, or INSPIRE are fully exempted from the RET and can directly proceed to the research proposal submission and interview stage. The application fee of INR 1,000 is still applicable for all candidates.

Ques. Is the monthly fellowship of INR 25,000-30,000 guaranteed for all admitted PhD scholars?

Ans. No, the fellowship is available for up to 100 full-time scholars per cycle and is awarded on a merit basis. Not every admitted scholar is guaranteed the fellowship. Scholars receiving external funding from sources like CSIR-JRF or INSPIRE are not eligible for the university's internal fellowship but receive a higher annual contingency grant of INR 2 lakh. The fellowship is also subject to the university's policy and can be revised at its discretion.

Ques. What research infrastructure is available for PhD scholars in Renewable Energy at UPES?

Ans. UPES has a dedicated Renewable Energy Lab in the Electrical Cluster with advanced facilities for solar photovoltaic systems, bio-fuel research, fuel cells, battery testing, and charge-controlling units. The lab supports both experimental and simulation studies. Key software tools available include MATLAB, Power-Factory, PSCad, ETAP, and a Thermal Power Plant simulator. Scholars also benefit from an annual contingency grant to procure research materials, attend conferences, and conduct field research.

Ques. How does the fee structure work practically for a full-time PhD scholar at UPES?

Ans. The gross program fee is INR 1 lakh per semester. Full-time scholars receive a 75% waiver, so the effective fee is INR 25,000 per semester. Additionally, scholars receiving the fellowship earn INR 25,000-30,000 per month, which more than covers the semester fee. Over a 3-year (6-semester) program, the total effective fee outgo is approximately INR 1.5 lakhs (excluding the one-time refundable security of INR 20,000 and non-refundable application fee of INR 1,000). This makes the program financially very attractive for meritorious full-time researchers.

Ques. What career opportunities are available after completing a PhD in Renewable Energy from UPES?

Ans. A PhD in Renewable Energy from UPES opens doors to diverse career paths including academic positions (Assistant Professor/Researcher at universities and research institutes), R&D roles in government organizations like MNRE, NTPC, SECI, and TERI, as well as industry positions in solar, wind, and energy storage companies. Graduates can also pursue energy consulting, policy formulation roles, entrepreneurship in clean energy, and international research collaborations. The growing renewable energy sector in India - with targets of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 - ensures strong demand for PhD-level researchers and specialists.