EID247: Introduction to Sustainability and Alternative Energy Technologies

Prof. Davis and Prof. Simson

Course Syllabus

Course Description:

There are three primary sections of the course:

1. Sustainability and Climate Change
2. Basics of Alternative Energy Technologies, and
3. Life Cycle Assessment of Environmental Impacts

We will first cover the concepts of sustainability and sustainable development then consider how they relate to the science underlying climate change. We will then survey alternative energy technologies, comparing them to how electricity has traditionally been generated on a large-scale. Later in the course, we will introduce and explain an engineering concept called life-cycle assessment, which is a method for measuring the environmental impact of an object (when made in a certain way) through every step of its existence.

Course Objectives:

By the end, students should be able to:

• Explain what sustainability is and how it is affected by time, geography, and people
• Understand the history of climate change and how it impacts us currently
• Explain the concept of climate justice
• Define different forms of energy and explain how energy is converted into electricity or other forms of work
• Explain the technological, social, and economic impacts of switching to different alternative energy technologies from more common fossil fuel based processes
• Explain what a life cycle assessment is and what needs to be considered to create one
• Apply basic material and energy balances to quantifying environmental impact of a product or process using an LCI
• Use LCA as a tool to compare two alternative processes or products

Example Student Projects:

Project 1
Project 2