ENE2021 · Energy and the environment

Overview

Energy is all around us. From powering household appliances and gas heaters to driving a car across town, it is responsible for making everything that involves movement or activity happen. Although energy cannot be created or destroyed, it is still important for the available energy within our environment to be conserved and used wisely. Our decisions on how we use energy impact the plant's natural systems in complex ways. It is vital that we choose our energy sources carefully and be mindful of the amount of energy we use. The true cost of energy is more than just dollars and cents; there are important environmental and political factors and consequences to consider. This unit provides a qualitative and quantitative survey of the physics behind conventional and alternative energy sources. The choice of energy source is also assessed in terms of its environmental impacts, its dependence on critical or scarce resources and the social or political consequences of reliance on that energy source concerning long-term sustainability. Building services and transport are among the largest end-use sectors responsible for energy consumption. Their energy efficiency and decarbonisation will be reviewed. Electricity is one of the most important energy commodities. The discussion on its generation, supply and demand will be expanded.

Areas of study: E3001 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) - Specialisation: Environmental engineering Minor: Environmental engineering Minor: Sustainable engineering Minor: Transport

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook lists an examination for this unit.

Continuous assessment: 50% Final assessment: 50% This unit contains threshold hurdle requirements that you must achieve to be able to pass the unit. You are required to achieve at least 45% in the total continuous assessment component and at least 45% in the final assessment component. The consequence of not achieving a hurdle requirement is a fail grade (NH) and a maximum mark of 45 for the unit.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. Identify the physical principles that determine the capacity and efficiency of energy sources.
2. Describe the environmental, social and political impacts of renewable and non-renewable energy sources.
3. Analyse the energy efficiency and prioritise decarbonisation options for households and transport.
4. Discuss the issues and justify solutions involved in electricity generation and supply-demand balancing.

Workload

The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of 3-6 hours of scheduled learning activities and 6-9 hours of independent study per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher-directed learning, peer-directed learning and online engagement. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.