Description

Students will work individually and in groups in order to engage with the technical, economic and social issues arising from energy-use and environmental change. They will study these in sufficient depth to allow them to make informed and quantitative judgements about proposals to ameliorate environmental damage by policy and other changes. They also have the opportunity to exercise these skills by examining a 'real world' issue as the topic of a group research-project and report.

Module Aims

The aim of this module is to introduce students to the interdisciplinary issues surrounding energy use and environmental change. Energy is mainly derived from fossil fuels; there are two problems with this energy source. The first is that it is finite, and so in the future we must move to sustainable energy sources. Secondly, fossil fuels pollute the environment on both a local and a global scale.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

A student who has passed this module should be able to:

• Module Specific Skills and Knowledge:
  1. analyse and compare alternative potential solutions to environmental and energy supply issues using their knowledge of a wide range of energy technologies and energy-related environmental issues;
  2. in the overall context of the need to reduce global fossil fuel consumption:
     • quantify the scope for efficiency improvements in electricity production,
     • evaluate the relative potentials of a range of renewable energy technologies,
     • quantify and compare various demand management measures,
     • calculate heat loss from buildings and identify effective conservation measures,
     • distinguish between local and global pollution effects;
• Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge:
  3. work in a group to analyse a problem and hence:
     • use literature and other search methods to acquire the necessary data,
     • order and analyse data from diverse sources to support an argument,
     • quantify each element and produce a rational comparison of options,
     • summarise the complex and difficult issues into a convincing conclusion,
     • write a convincing and coherent account of their analysis;
• Personal and Key Transferable / Employment Skills and Knowledge:
  4. distinguish between competing solutions by making a quantitative assessment of the efficacy of each;
  5. work in groups, i.e. define and share tasks, cooperate with others, discuss and form a consensus agreement;
  6. communicate a coherent and convincing technical argument in writing;
  7. communicate clearly with an audience by making a ten-minute oral presentation and responding to questions from the audience.

Syllabus Plan

1. Lectures
   1. Introduction and Energy Supply
   2. Fossil Fuels
   3. Nuclear Power
   4. Economics
   5. Climate Change 1: Concepts
   6. Climate Change 2: Modelling
   7. Energy from Wind and Water
   8. Solar Energy and Photovoltaics
   9. Biomass
   10. Combined Heat and Power, Heat pumps and Geothermal Energy
   11. Future Technologies
   12. Transport Sector
   13. Industrial Sector
   14. Energy in Buildings: Concepts
   15. Energy in Buildings: Modelling
   16. Adaptation, Mitigation and Policy
2. Group Project
   Working in groups of about six, students will analyse and compare alternative approaches to a problem; possible topics include, for example, "Propose a series of measures which, globally, could be used to absorb or sequester 50% of the carbon currently emitted from burning fossil fuels", "Determine what fraction of the UK's requirement for electricity could be met from wind power", etc. A group will produce a report and present its findings to the rest of the class at the end of the module. (Refer to the Learning and Teaching section for further details.)

Learning and Teaching

Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

Assessment

Resources

The following list is offered as an indication of the type & level of information that students are expected to consult. Further guidance will be provided by the Module Instructor(s).

Core text:

• Not applicable

Supplementary texts:

• Boeker E. and van Grondelle R. (1995), Environmental Physics, John Wiley and Sons, ISBN 0-471-93931-5 (UL: 628 BOE)
• Boyle G. (2012), Renewable Energy - Power for a Sustainable Future, OUP/OU, ISBN 978-0-199-54533-9 (UL: 333.82 BOY)
• Eastop T.D. and Croft D.R. (1990), Energy Efficiency for Engineers and Technologists, Longman, ISBN 0-582-03184-2 (UL: 621.042 EAS)
• MacKay D. (2008), Sustainable Energy - Without the Hot Air, www.withouthotair.com (UL: eBook)
• MacKay D. (2008), Sustainable Energy - Without the Hot Air, UIT Cambridge Ltd, ISBN 978-1-906860-01-1 (UL: 333.794 MACK)
• Ramage J. (1997), Energy: A Guidebook, An Opus book, OUP, ISBN 0-192-88022-5 (UL: 333.79 RAM)
• Twidell J. and Weir T. (2015), Renewable Energy Resources (3^rd edition), F. and F.N. Spon, ISBN 978-0-415-58438-8 (UL: 621.4 TWI)

ELE:

• http://newton.ex.ac.uk/redirects/ELE/phy3067

Further Information

Prior Knowledge Requirements

Re-assessment

Re-assessment is not available except when required by referral or deferral.

Notes: Re-assessment is not available for this module.

KIS Data Summary

Miscellaneous