Units for Programmes in Natural Sciences, 2007/08 |
XX20001 Environmental studies: A crisis in material resources? |
| Credits: 6 |
| Level: Intermediate |
| Semester: 2 |
| Assessment: ES 17%, EX 75%, OR 8% |
| Requisites: |
| While taking this unit you must take XX20085 |
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Aims & Learning Objectives: To develop an understanding of the renewable energy resources and technologies that can be used to substitute for conventional energy sources to assess the status, state of development and potential of the different technologies. To provide an understanding of the policy, economic and environmental issues connected with different renewable energy sources. After taking this course the students should be able to: * assess the extent and availability of renewable energy resources; * describe the characteristics of renewable energy technologies; * understand the nature of the economic barriers to their implementation; * understand the environmental barriers and issues of renewable energy. Skills: Practical applied problem solving; team work; essay skills. Content: Energy - introduction to renewable energy, context, status and potential, reasons for its increasing use, challenges and policy measures. For each of the eight different renewable energy sources, power equations, resources size, technology and economic and environmental issues are included. The topics included are solar energy, biomass energy, hydro electric power, tidal energy, marine current, wind energy, wave energy, geothermal energy, integration and availability and storage for intermittent sources. |