| CODE | ISE5101 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Introduction to Sustainable Energy | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Institute for Sustainable Energy | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit will provide an Introduction to Sustainable Energy. The study-unit will familiarize students with manifestations of energy and energy resources as available in useful form, and it will demonstrate the importance of energy through history for societies to function and develop, plus the meaning and importance of sustainability to provide for such functioning in the longer run. Typical current scenarios of energy supply and consumption in a geopolitical context will be discussed, including the distribution among different sectors, and how this effects the environment. A brief overview of current and prospective directives, legislation and incentives to promote sustainable energy will be discussed. Various renewable energy regimes together with how their use relates to energy security and climate protection will be considered. The cost of renewable energies compared to fossil and other conventional sources of energy will be demonstrated. Elementary theories relevant to the photoelectric effect and the principles of energy storage will also be reviewed. Study-Unit Aims: The main scope of this study-unit is to introduce the most fundamental concepts relevant to energy sources, storage and uses together with giving an understanding of how energy shapes society. The aims of this study-unit are to: - Give an understanding of the concept of sustainability; - Show the importance of energy for development and progress; - Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of renewable vs. nonrenewable energies; - Understand concepts of energy conversion; - Understand concepts of energy storage. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Appreciate the effect of different sources of energy on sustainability; - Understand various advantages, problems and limitations associated with the utilization of respective energy resources; - Understand basic technological advances in energy management including generation and storage. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Evaluate the potential of different energy sources; - Assess the advantages and disadvantages deriving from the particular mix of energy resources available; - Qualitatively evaluate different energy conversion and storage technologies. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Manfred Weissenbacher, Sources of Power: How Energy Forges Human History, Praeger Perspectives, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2009. ISBN-10: 0313356262; ISBN-13: 978-0313356261. Sustainable Energy - Choosing Among Options, Jefferson W. Tester (Author), Elisabeth M. Drake (Author), Michael J. Driscoll (Author), Michael W. Golay (Author), William A. Peters (Author) The MIT Press, 2005. ISBN-10: 0262201534. Renewable Energy, Third Edition (Hardcover) Bent Sørensen (Author) Academic Press, 2004. ISBN-10: 0126561532. Renewable Energy, Second Edition, Boyle, G. Oxford University Press, 2004. ISBN: 0199261784. Energy Systems and Sustainability, Godfrey Boyle, Bob Everett, Janet Ramage, Oxford University Press, 2003. ISBN: 0199261792. Electricity from Sunlight: An Introduction to Photovoltaics, Paul A. Lynn, Wiley, 2010. ISBN: 9780470745601. Sustainable Energy – without the hot air, David J. C. MacKay, UIT, 2009. ISBN-10: 0954452933. |
||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Independent Study | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
|
||||||||||||
| LECTURER/S | |||||||||||||
|
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
|||||||||||||