In a world with ever increasing energy demands and the limitations now being felt through society due to our dependence on a limited range of energy sources, the necessity for a greater diversity of energy sources is mounting. The aim of this course is to provide the students with a strong understanding of the underlying science behind the generation, transformation and utilisation of energy resources. It will start with topics at a very basic, yet fundamental, level and build upon this knowledge base in an attempt to reinforce basic concepts that are often misunderstood within the wider community. Topics to be covered include: elementary scientific mathematics, the concept of energy, conservation rules, basic thermodynamics and the various forms of energy (Chemical, Heat etc) and their transformation into more usable forms such as electricity.

Experts from within the CPMS/CECS/CMBE will teach the course. After completion of this course students will have sufficient fundamental knowledge of the basic underlying science behind energy systems to make assessments of differing energy options and therefore have an intuitive feel for the accuracy of the scientific details.

Outcomes for the students:

1. To be able to understand and be able to apply the basic concepts of: large numbers, logarithms and exponents, scientific graphs and energy units and their conversion in calculations and estimations.
2. Be able to explain and undertake simple calculations of the basic concepts behind energy, work, power, force, conservation of energy and heat transfer (conduction, convection and radiation) and storage.
3. Understand the concept of the Carnot cycle and efficiency and be able to use this concept in calculations and apply it to a given energy system.
4. Be able to describe and explain the differences between the various types of energy (i.e. Chemical, Heat, Gravitational, Electrical, Electromagnetism, Nuclear etc) and through the use of simple calculations understand the uses of these types of energy, their generation and transformation.
5. Be able to critically analyse a description of an energy related system or proposal, a particular example being the energy usage and loss mechanisms of residential housing.

Assessment will be based on:

• Examination: 30%, covering Learning Outcomes 1 - 5
• Tutorials: 10%, students will answer questions covering the Learning Outcomes 1 – 5.
• Workshops: 20%, the workshops will cover the material from Learning Outcomes 1 – 4.
• Assignment: 40%, the assignment will mostly be centred on Learning Outcome 5, but will require the students to use material from Learning Outcomes 1 – 4.

3 hours of lectures, 1 hour of tutorials and 1 hour of workshops per week.

Given the diversity of textbooks and reading material available that cover this topic area the prescribed textbooks and reading material will be revised over the next 6 months in order to determine the most appropriate material for this course. Factors to be included in this determination include: accuracy, accessibility and relevance of the reading material and cost and availability of any textbooks or reading material.

However, there are at least three textbooks that will suit this course well:

1. Sustainable Energy - without the hot air, David JC Mackay, UIT Cambridge Ltd. (PO Box 145 Cambridge CB4 1GQ England), Web: www.uit.co.uk, 2009, ISBN 978-0-9544529-3-3 (paperback).  Free HTML and PDF version: http://www.withouthotair.com/  

2. Energy: Its Use and the Enviroment, 4th Edition, Roger A. Hinrichs and Merlin Kleinbach, Brooks Cole, September 30 2005, ISBN 978-0495010852

3. Energy Systems and Sustainability: power for a sustainable future, Godfrey Boyle, Bob Everett and Janet Ramage, Oxford Uni Press, 2003, ISBN 0-19-926179-2

In addition, a suggested text for those students wanting to broaden their understanding is:

1. Sustainable Energy: Choosing Among Options, Jefferson W. Tester, Elisabeth M Drake, Michael J. Driscoll, Michael W. Golay and William A. Peters, The MIT press, 2005, ISBN 0-262-20153-4