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Unit of study_

ENVI3114: Energy and the Environment

This unit covers many aspects of energy and the environment: energy resources and use; electrical power generation including fossil fuelled and alternate methods; environmental impacts of energy use and power generation including greenhouse gas emissions; transportation and pollution; energy management in buildings; solar thermal energy, photovoltaics, wind power and nuclear energy; embodied energy and net emissions analysis and, importantly, socio-economic and political issues related to energy provision.

Code ENVI3114
Academic unit Physics Academic Operations
Credit points 6
Prerequisites:
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12 credit points of 2000-level units
Corequisites:
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None
Prohibitions:
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ENVI3001 or PHYS3600
Assumed knowledge:
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Junior Physics units or Intermediate Environmental Science units

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. be aware of the profound importance of energy in modern societies
  • LO2. understand fundamental energy concepts such as energy sources, energy conversion and energy efficiency
  • LO3. make connections between energy use, energy technology, policy and sustainable development
  • LO4. have developed analytical skills for assessing energy issues
  • LO5. have demonstrated critical thinking in the seminars and in essays on topics relating different scientific aspects of energy use
  • LO6. have a good overview of renewable energy technologies
  • LO7. explain the current general energy situation with social and economic factors, and how it is related to greenhouse gas emissions, then generalise these into different future energy scenarios
  • LO8. argue coherently for a particular point of view, both verbally and in a written form
  • LO9. do simple but comprehensive energy calculations.