CRE 403 Urban Energy Systems
This course examines the role of a variety of technologies and strategies in achieving a sustainable urban environment. It covers opportunities for energy conservation, the shift toward decentralized power generation, several renewable energy technologies adapted for the urban environment, energy efficient buildings, alternative modes of transportation, urban planning, and government policies.
Course
As of 2008, nearly half of the world's population lived in urban centers and this proportion is expected to rise in the future (Lee and Barbier, 2008). Even though certain activities can be more energy efficient in urban areas than in their rural counterparts, large amounts of energy are consumed in a non-sustainable way. As such, urban areas are central to conservation efforts and the shift toward renewable energy technologies.
This course examines the role of a variety of technologies and strategies in achieving a sustainable urban environment. It covers opportunities for energy conservation, the shift toward decentralized power generation, several renewable energy technologies adapted for the urban environment, energy efficient buildings, alternative modes of transportation, and urban planning and government policies.
Course Structure
The course is divided into 10 modules, one module per week. The course week starts on Tuesday and ends on Monday night at midnight. There are three essential parts to each module:
The required readings, which are listed in the introductory document of each module. Make sure you read these materials early in the week.
The discussion forum to which you have to contribute at least twice each week. There might be additional readings required for the topic of the discussion forum. Generally, the discussion forum lags behind the modules by one week. For example, the topic of module 1 will be discussed in the forum of week 2.
The live chats, which are likely to occur mid-week. This is a chance for you to ask questions and discuss problems with the instructor and your colleagues.
Additionally, there are four assignments (weeks 3, 6, 9, and 10) and one midterm exam (week 4). All assignments are due at the end of the week, i.e. Monday at midnight. Please upload the requested documents before or at that time to the Submission Link in the Assignment Area. The midterm is a 24-hour take-home exam from Sunday 6pm to Monday 6pm at the end of week 4.
There will be approximately four synchronous live chats that will occur at scheduled times and provide the opportunity for the class to meet online together to review questions related to the readings, and to provide a more informal basis to discuss course material.
Course Objectives
This course aims to provide students with a comprehensive overview of many different energy systems of the urban environment. The ultimate goal of this course is to give the student the necessary background knowledge to evaluate urban planning proposals in an informed and unbiased manner and identify their sustainability. Through course readings, discussions, and assignments, students will become familiar with important current topics in the urban energy sector.
- By the end of this course, the students will:
- Understand the different urban energy systems
- Understand the benefits and limitations of these systems
- Understand the basic thermodynamics of power generation
- Know how to identify poor urban planning proposals
- Understand the structure of support policies and their functionalities
- Understand the barriers for renewable energies in today’s energy market for the urban environment
Assessment
The grade you obtain in this course depends on your ability to think critically and write in a scholarly and concise manner; further, it depends on your participation in the discussion forums, live chats, and group assignments. In this course, there are two short assignments, one midterm exam, and one final group assignment. Additionally, there is a preliminary summary for the final group assignment that will ensure you are on the right track for the final project.
The final mark is determined as follows:
- Short assignments (in weeks 3 and 6, with 10% for each paper) - 20%
- 24-hour exam (week 4) – 10%
- Participation in discussion forum and engagement in group assignments in forum - 35%
- Participation in live chats - 5%
- Preliminary summary for final group assignment - 5%
- Final group assignment - 25%
The short assignments are approximately 1000 words each and are based on the course readings or additional material. The purpose of these assignments is to encourage you to question information that you receive and think critically about the course content. They are formal papers, i.e. proper academic writing style is required.
The final long assignment is a group project of larger scope. To accomplish the large task, you are divided into smaller subgroups of 2-5 students to work on separate aspects of the project and write a report. The final paper is a compilation of these reports. You will receive detailed instructions on all three assignments once the course has started.
The 24-hour take-home exam is based on the course content of weeks 1 to 4, and evaluates your growing knowledge of the topic. It contains 4 questions to be answered in paragraph form or short calculations.
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