Sustainable Energy (Energy Systems & Sustainability Metrics)

Course Description and Goals

The course presents an overview of energy technology and energy resources available today, and of emerging technology trends of the future. The goals are

• to clearly present the tradeoffs inherent in defining sustainability,
• to study technology and technology-intensive policy options,
• to provide a framework for assessing solution options.

The course examines available and future technologies in the contexts of:

• their environmental strengths and weaknesses,
• their technical and economic viability, and
• their ability to keep pace with evolving public and regulatory expectations for the sustainable use of the planet’s resources.

Course Structure :

1. PART ONE – Energy Main Aspects

The first section of the course examines the broader aspects of energy use from viewpoints of:

• sustainability,
• resource availability,
• technical performance,
• environmental effects,
• economics,
• systems,

thus providing essential tools for making informed energy choices.

2. PART TWO – Energy Sources

The second part of the course reviews the following for each of the main energy sources that are likely to be part of a future energy portfolio:

• technology,
• environmental impacts,
• economics.

Course Content:

Part I: Energy Main Aspects

• Introduction
• Energy resources
• Technical performance
• Environmental effects of energy
• Energy systems and sustainability metrics
• Energy, water, and land use

Part II: Energy Sources

• Fossil fuels
• Nuclear power
• Biomass energy
• Geothermal energy
• Hydropower
• Solar energy
• Wind energy
• Oceans: waves, tides, and currents

Introduction:

Energy is one of the essential needs of a functioning society. The quality of life enjoyed by the developed nations today is due in large part to the availability of plentiful and affordable fossil fuels over the last century.

Concerns about the sustainability of present energy-use practices are now arising in several areas:

• the rapid depletion of nonrenewable resources,
• the impacts of emissions on the global environment, and
• global instabilities that affect the security of supplies.