20809269Energy, Environment and Society
Course Information
Description
The U.S. experience is better understood within the context of the history of energy production, distribution, and consumption. Our world’s future is also inextricably connected to our ability to equitably address the challenges we face with respect to energy. Analyses and solutions require an interdisciplinary and global approach. This course considers the physical, technical, economic, political, environmental, ethical and social contexts of the topic of energy, both nationally and globally.
Total Credits
3
Course Competencies
  1. Apply language of the energy industry to communicate with analysts and professionals.
    Assessment Strategies
    Skill demonstration (quantitative analysis problem sets)
    Criteria
    work meets minimum performance criteria as stated in course rubrics
    data results are organized and clearly communicated
    data is presented in graphs or charts; graphical representations are accurate and easy to read
    data analysis includes a written description and analysis of the results

  2. Define the units for measuring energy.
    Assessment Strategies
    Written Product and/or Skill Demonstration (quantitative analysis problem sets)
    Criteria
    identify “heat” and “work” as two forms of energy
    identify 1 BTU as the amount of energy required to raise 1 # of water, 1 degree Fahrenheit
    identify therms, MMBTUs, and Quads in term of BTU’s
    identify 1 joule as the amount of energy required to apply a force of 1 Newton for 1 meter
    identify ”potential energy” by the relationship E = m*g*h
    identify a Kilo-watt-hour (kwh) as energy consumed when using a 100 watt appliance for 10 hours
    demonstrate the ability to convert between energy units
    evaluate the amount of energy released during combustion
    by calculating the amount of energy released by a falling object and a moving object

  3. Define the units for measuring power, and distinguish this from energy units.
    Assessment Strategies
    Written Product and/or Skill Demonstration (quantitative analysis problem sets)
    Criteria
    identify Power = BTU/time as the rate of heat flow heat flow
    identify the power unit “watt” as 1 joule/sec
    demonstrate that Power*time = Energy

  4. Apply the concept of “efficiency” to energy production and consumption calculations.
    Assessment Strategies
    Skill demonstration (quantitative analysis problem sets)
    Criteria
    demonstrate that all energy conversions result in energy losses
    apply the quantitative relationship: eff= Euseful/Einput
    differentiate between technical, economic and social definition of efficiency

  5. Review the history of global energy demand and distinguish among the demand categories that are relevant to the current US economy.
    Assessment Strategies
    Essay and/or presentation
    Criteria
    distinguish among residential, commercial, industrial and transportation sectors
    distinguish among thermal, mechanical and transport needs
    Identify “electricity” as an intermediate form of energy that is used by various consumption sectors
    Identify examples of “co-generation” or CHP
    relate the iterative nature between technological advances and the demand for energy
    describe the social, economic, political and environmental dimensions of transportation energy
    describe the social, economic, political and environmental dimensions of electricity

  6. Apply the language of the electricity industry: Capacity, Demand, Load Curves, Capacity Factor.
    Assessment Strategies
    Written Product, Presentation, and/or Skill Demonstration (quantitative analysis problem sets)
    Criteria
    interpret a graph representing daily, weekly and annual electricity load curves
    distinguish between Demand (load) and Supply (capacity, size). These are measured in power units
    distinguish among Baseload, intermediate load and peak load – discuss the energy supply options traditionally used to meet these different loads
    define, calculate and apply “Capacity Factor” for quantitative analysis
    explain the causes (demand and supply) of low capacity factors and the impacts on production costs
    provide examples of electricity storage technologies
    provide examples of “Demand Side Management” for reducing peak demand
    explain the conditions that lead to a “natural monopoly”
    weigh the social and economic benefits/costs of regulating electric utilities

  7. Review the geological formation of fossil fuels to estimate the economically availability of coal, oil and natural gas.
    Assessment Strategies
    Written Product, Presentation, and/or Skill Demonstration (quantitative analysis problem sets)
    Criteria
    describe earth systems (tectonics, core, crust, mountain formation, erosion and the formation of sedimentary rocks)
    track organic deposition and conversion over time
    differentiate between aerobic and anaerobic digestion
    distinguish among the various forms of coal
    distinguish between source rocks and reservoir rocks for oil and natural gas
    define porosity and permeability, including their significance to fossil fuel resources

  8. Review the engineering technology for the extraction of fossil fuels, and distinguish between “ultimate recoverable resources” and “proven economic reserves”.
    Assessment Strategies
    Written Product, Presentation, and/or Skill Demonstration (quantitative analysis problem sets)
    Criteria
    Coal: describe surface mining, underground mining and mountaintop removal
    Oil/gas: describe primary, secondary and tertiary recovery methods
    explain the technology behind harvesting tar-sands, oil-shale, and hydraulic fracking of natural gas
    distinguish between “economic” and “sub-economic” resources
    distinguish between “proven” and “unproven” reserves

  9. Apply “life-cycle analysis” to the extraction, processing and utilization of energy resources. Particular attention is paid to environmental impacts.
    Assessment Strategies
    Written Product, Presentation, and/or Skill Demonstration (quantitative analysis problem sets)
    Criteria
    identify the stages of exploration, extraction, refinement, transportation and combustion
    identify health and safety impacts to coal miners, residents and the natural environment
    identify health and environmental impacts caused by the various oil extraction technologies
    review the history of coal slurry, oil tanker, oil pipeline and rail accidents
    review the health impacts associated with oil refineries, and the associated waste products
    review the safety of natural gas pipelines
    evaluate the range of combustion outputs from the burning of fossil fuels
    review health impacts of mercury, lead, sulfur, particulate matter, ground level ozone and waste heat
    review the scientific and political debate concerning greenhouse gases and climate change

  10. Apply life cycle analysis to Nuclear Energy technology.
    Assessment Strategies
    Written Product, Presentation, and/or Skill Demonstration (quantitative analysis problem sets)
    Criteria
    describe the nucleus of and atom and define the terms “isotope” and “radioactive decay”
    identify uranium ore as an economically recoverable concentration near the surface of the crust
    describe the environmental impacts from “mine tailings” and dust from uranium mining
    identify 235U as the isotope accounting for < 1% of uranium which is used in commercial nuclear reactors
    describe the process for enriching 235U and fabricating fuel rods, including the waste products
    Describe the process for generating heat and electricity from a nuclear reactor
    Discuss the disposal/recycling of spent nuclear fuel rods
    Consider the risk analysis related to nuclear accidents

  11. Analyze the terminology, technology, and history behind the various forms of "renewable energy"
    Assessment Strategies
    Written Product, Presentation, and/or Skill Demonstration (quantitative analysis problem sets)
    Criteria
    distinguish between the terms: alternative, renewable, unlimited and sustainable
    distinguish the difference between “centralized” and “distributed”
    define a resource as being “coincidental” with demand
    review the technology and history of “geothermal” energy
    review the technology and history of “hydroelectricity”
    consider the economic, environmental and political dimensions of hydroelectricity

  12. Analyze the terminology, technology, and history behind the various forms of “Biomass Energy”
    Assessment Strategies
    Written Product, Presentation, and/or Skill Demonstration (quantitative analysis problem sets)
    Criteria
    describe examples of “waste-to-energy” [agricultural, industrial, residential]d
    describe the various wood-to-energy technologies and markets
    describe the sugar cane and various “seed crop” technologies for producing ethanol and biodiesel
    apply life cycle analysis to consider the economics and sustainability of corn-to-ethanol
    review the latest literature on herbaceous crops and alternative technologies for producing alcohol, hydrogen or simulated oil products from genetically engineered biomass

  13. Analyze the terminology, technology, and history behind energy supply options such as “Wind” and “Solar”
    Assessment Strategies
    Written Product, Presentation, and/or Skill Demonstration (quantitative analysis problem sets)
    Criteria
    review the conceptual importance of wind/solar and the term “coincidental”
    review the history of wind power; distinguish between centralized and distributed applications
    review the literature surrounding the environmental impacts of wind turbines
    distinguish between rooftop solar and centralized systems
    distinguish between photovoltaic, residential hot water, and centralized thermal solar-to-electricity
    identify the need for energy storage systems