HUM-926

HUM-926: ENV. 145/Fall 2008 Honors Seminar Syllabus

Course Title: Sustainable Energy: Alternatives for the Future

Instructor: Mark Aronson

Office: Room 208

Office Hours:

Telephone: (563)441-4342; you may leave a message if I am not in.

E-mail: maronson@eicc.edu

Course Description:

This course is a 4-credit hour honors seminar because of the lab section. At the moment the course is offered as an elective. The course examines the development of energy technologies and their environmental impacts. Sustainable energy is explored as an alternative to conventional nonrenewable energy technologies. Topics explored in the course include: sustainability, technical performance of technologies, resource availability, environmental effects and environmental economics.

Texts: Sustainable Energy: Choosing Among Options. Tester, Jefferson et al. 2005 . MIT Press, Cambridge, MA

Discussion Readings: Readings will be posted on my website.

Class Schedule:

Tuesday: 8:10-9:40 Lecture Room 2409

Thursday: 8:10-9:40 Lecture Room 2409

Friday: 8:10-10:10 Laboratory Room 2409

Evaluation: Your final grade will be determined by a straight percentage as follows:

100% - 96% = A+

95% -90% = A

89% - 86% = B+

85%-80% = B

below 80% = F (Grades in Honors Courses are A+, A, B+, or B)

Lecture Exams: Exams will be multiple choice or short answer essay format. There will be 5 exams @ 100 points = 500 points

Discussion/Participation: 100 points

Laboratory Reports: 12 reports @ 15 points each = 180 points

Projects: = 200 points

Total Points Possible: 980

Projects: Every Honor student is required to complete one project. A list of potential projects is listed below:

Research paper (formal research paper on approved sustainable energy topic; approve topic w/me by midterm.

Report on two books on sustainable energy issues (I will post a suggested reading list this term).

Projects are to be delivered orally at the end of the term and submitted in written form.

I will hand out a sign up sheet for projects at midterm.

Discussion: I encourage active participation of students in this class. Much of the class consists of lectures and directed discussions of the assigned reading materials. You will be assigned to discussion groups during the first week of class. Readings for each day/discussion group will be assigned a week in advance to allow preparation of the material. Discussion groups should prepare a list of questions to be distributed to the other discussion groups. Each student should prepare 5 discussion questions to be submitted to me after the presentation on the assigned date. Unexcused absences for discussion group assignments will result in a grade of "0" for the day in question.

Laboratory: Laboratory is used to illustrate concepts presented in lecture and should give you perspectives that can only be gained through actual experience and further discussion. Laboratory reports are used for evaluation of your participation in lab activities. If you miss a laboratory you can make up the lab points by writing a 2-3 page paper on the laboratory topic.

Tentative Class Schedule - Reading Schedules will be provided in class and/or posted on the website.

COURSE COMPETENCIES/OUTCOMES: Upon the successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:
Unit I Understanding Our Current Energy System (Chapters 1-6)

1. Define the term, "sustainable energy".

2. Discuss the first and second laws of thermodynamics.

3. Discuss national and global patterns of energy supply and utilization.

4. Discuss the environmental impacts of our energy use patterns.

5. Define commonly used energy units.

6. Discuss the stages or steps of the "energy life cycle".

7. Distinguish between energy "resources" and "reserves".

8. Discuss the "fixed stock scarcity theory".

9. List the different types of fuel reserves.

10. Describe the 3 common types of heat engines.

11. Discuss the different types of heat transfer.

12. Discuss the term "efficiency" and how it is affected by the second law of thermodynamics.

13. List the known and potential environmental impacts of energy systems.

14. Discuss how energy systems pollute the environment.

15. Discuss how global climate change is related to current energy systems.

16. Describe how environmental protection efforts have dealt with the impacts of energy systems.

17. Discuss the economic concept of "interest" and the true value of money.

18. Compare "current" and "constant dollar" market evaluations.

19. Explain the "economy of scale" concept.

20. Explain the concept of "economic externalities".

21. Define the term, "sustainable development".

22. Explain the concept, "tragedy of the commons".

23. Discuss current measures of sustainability.

24. Discuss the principles of sustainable development.

25. List some environmental, economic and social indicators of sustainability.

Unit II Nonrenewable Energy Systems (Chapters 7-8)

1. List the types of fossil fuels.

2. Discuss the environmental impacts of fossil fuel use.

3. Discuss potential remedies to fossil fuel pollution.

4. Discuss the economic considerations of fossil fuel use.

5. Discuss the different types of nuclear reactors.

6. Discuss the fuel cycle for nuclear power.

7. Discuss the environmental issues surrounding nuclear waster disposal.

8. Discuss the environmental impacts of nuclear energy use.

9. Discuss why nuclear fusion is not a currently available energy technology.

10. Discuss the history of renewable energy use.

11. Explain why renewable energy sources only account for 10% of total energy use.

12. Discuss the potential environmental impacts of renewable energy use.

Unit III Renewable Energy Systems Part I: Biomass, Geothermal, Hydropower

Chapters 9-12

1. Define the term, "biomass".

2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of biomass as an energy source.

3. List the different ways biomass can be converted into fuels.

4. Discuss the methods for converting biomass into electric power.

5. Discuss the potential adverse environmental impacts of biomass production and utilization for energy.

6. Define the term, "geothermal energy".

7. List the different geological sources of geothermal energy.

8. Discuss the currently available geothermal energy and heating/cooling systems.

9. Discuss the environmental impacts of geothermal energy.

10. Discuss how hydropower plants work.

11. Discuss the environmental impacts of hydropower.

Unit IV Renewable Energy Systems Part II: Solar, Ocean Waves, Wind (Chapters 13-15)

1. Define the terms, "passive solar" and "active solar".

2. Compare the different types of solar power systems.

3. Discuss the environmental impacts of solar power.

4. Discuss how the sea can be used as an energy system.

5. Discuss the environmental impacts of using the sea as an energy source.

6. Discuss the history of the use of wind for energy production.

7. Discuss the technology used in wind power generation.

8. Discuss the environmental impacts of wind power.

9. Discuss the projected future of wind power in the United States and elsewhere.

Unit V Energy Delivery Systems: electric power, transportation, industrial, commercial, and residential. Chapters 16-20

1. Discuss the four major needs of energy storage systems.

2. Discuss the different types of energy storage systems.

3. Discuss the types of energy transmission/transport systems.

4. Discuss our current energy distribution system for electricity.

5. Discuss the history of transportation systems.

6. Discuss the fuels currently used in transportation systems.

7. Discuss the environmental impacts of transportation system.

8. Compare new technologies available for transportation that could reduce fossil fuel use.

9. Discuss how sustainability theory might be applied to transportation systems to reduce environmental impacts.

10. Identify the industries which are major emitters of green house gas emissions.

11. Discuss the technologies used in making more energy efficient buildings.

12. Discuss the different methods of decision making.

13. Suggest what actions individuals can take to help the transition to sustainable energy use.

Laboratory Activities:

1. Understanding Sustainable Ethics: A Review of Important Readings in Environmental Ethics

2. Understanding Energy, Energy Conversions and Power

3. Understanding Power Generation Today: Coal-fired Power Plants

4. Biofuels: How to make your own Biodiesel

5. Understanding Sustainable Power Production: Wind Generation

6. Understanding Sustainable Transportation Alternatives: E85 Vehicles

7. Understanding Sustainable Transportation Alternatives: The Hybrid Car

8. Understanding Residential Energy Use: Home Heating/Cooling Systems

9. Understanding Residential Energy Use: The Home Energy Audit

10. Understanding Sustainable Commercial Construction Technology: A Tour of the Davenport Law Enforcement Facility

11. Understanding Sustainable Power Production: Photovoltaics

12. Global Warming: How to calculate your carbon footprint.

Discussion Readings for Sustainable Energy

Exam 1 Chapters 1-6 Due 9/30

Lab 3: Sustainable Construction