ENGR621-24S1 (C) Semester One 2024

Energy, Policy and Society

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 19 February 2024
End Date: Sunday, 23 June 2024
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 3 March 2024
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 12 May 2024

Description

Understanding the roles of different disciplines in the subject of energy engineering, including economics, psychology, sociology, as well as environmental and policy aspects. Focus on the energy transition, including the decoupling of economic growth from energy consumption, energy poverty, energy services, and policies

You will develop critical understanding of the roles of key disciplines in energy engineering. This includes understanding complexities and compromises in energy engineering decision-making, past and emerging issues, and future trends as informed by the latest theoretical and applied developments in international literature. This is a research-led class focusing on the relationship of energy systems with the technologies they use and societies in which they operate. It is designed to broaden your knowledge and skills to develop an appreciation of how engineering and other disciplines contribute to and interact in the energy field. This is a core course in the Renewable
Energy degree, and we also welcome students from a range of engineering, science, economics, social science and other backgrounds with an understanding of quantitative methods.

Learning Outcomes

Discuss energy systems engineering from a multi-disciplinary lens.
 Demonstrate high-level problem-solving and critical-thinking skills through the
analysis and understanding of complex energy systems.
 Understand the concepts of energy services, energy equity and the impacts of
emerging technologies
 Critically analyse historic, present and emerging economic, business and policy, paradigms, particularly in relation to renewable energy.
 Perform and critically evaluate life cycle analysis, energy payback time, and levelised cost of energy and of storage calculations.

Prerequisites

Subject to the approval of the Head of Department.

Timetable 2024

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Monday 12:00 - 14:00 Ernest Rutherford 260
19 Feb - 31 Mar
22 Apr - 2 Jun

Timetable Note

One two-hour session per week, see UC’s My Timetable.

This course includes a combination of lectures and interactive discussions. Each weekly session meets for 2 hours. Below is the proposed course timetable:

Week & Topic
1 Energy history and great debates
2 Energy economics
3 Energy and the environment
4 Energy and society
5 Energy and New Zealand
6 Towards 100% renewables
7 The future of transport
8 The future of heating
9 The future of energy storage
10 Revisiting the great debates towards 100% renewable energy
11 Project presentations
12 The power-to-X economy

Note: This is a general guide for the course and is subject to change. Up-to date information will be available on Learn.
This course is based on short lectures to stimulate a subsequent round of active discussion and moderated debate, to be prepared in advance with assigned reading material. The course material will be presented using slides, written notes, videos, and assigned readings. At the postgraduate level you are expected to put in considerable time outside lectures to refine your understanding through material revision, reading recommended papers, seeking additional material in the literature, and preparing your own discussion material.

Course Coordinator / Lecturer

Jannik Haas

Lecturer

Rebecca Peer

All communication for the course will be through lectures and Learn. The course
content will include a mixture of lectures, presentations, and discussions as well as prerecorded
material and class readings.

Assessment

The assessment for this course has three major components –discussions, a research project, and a presentation. Given the nature of this course, active participation during class lecture and discussion is required to succeed.


Assessment: Discussions
Percentage: 40%
Date: TBA throughout the semester

Assessment: Project
Percentage: 60%
Date: Week 11

The discussions will occur both on Learn and in class, for which assigned reading material needs to be prepared. Each student in the class will be expected to lead a short class discussion once during the semester.

The major assessment for this course is a research project and associated presentation. You will receive the details of the research project after the first two weeks of the course and you are expected to integrate your learning from the entire semester in your final report.

Textbooks / Resources

Electronic copies of required readings, video recordings, and course resources will be
provided through the course Learn page.

Notes

Entry to this course is via an approved undergraduate degree or PHOD

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,197.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

Minimum enrolments

This course will not be offered if fewer than 8 people apply to enrol.

For further information see Civil and Natural Resources Engineering .

All ENGR621 Occurrences

  • ENGR621-24S1 (C) Semester One 2024