Course Summary
This course is intended to provide a deep understanding of the issues of energy production, transmission and usage. The processes of energy production and consumption will be discussed qualitatively and quantitatively, informed by a working knowledge of the physical principles governing the transformation of energy from one form to another.
The course comprises the following components:
- Introduction to Energy Requirements and Usage - covers societal factors influencing the demand for energy and an overview of fossil fuels.
- Introduction to Energy Concepts - covers a range of relevant physics needed for the understanding of the other topics, including force & motion, work & energy, temperature & heat, fluids and basic electricity.
- Methods of Energy Production - provides an overview of a broad range of alternative and renewable methods of energy production. This section includes discussion of the science behind solar, wind, wave, tidal, geothermal, biomass, hydro and nuclear energy sources.
- Introduction to Energy Efficiency and Fuel Cells.
- Introduction to atmospheric physics and the greenhouse effect.