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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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