Courses in Energy

Lecture course on the analysis and design of buildings and their systems to satisfy the requirements for a comfortable and healthy indoor environment. Examines psychometrics, thermal comfort, building heating and cooling loads, fluid flow basics, and HVAC components and systems. Prerequisites vary. Restricted for College of Engineering 

Engineering course devoted to building automation and control systems. Topics include HVAC control technology and strategies, measurement and device technologies, analysis and modeling of dynamic systems, simulation of conventional and advanced control approaches, assessment of control loop performance and hands-on direct digital control (DDC) programming exercises as used in current building control practice. Prerequisite: Aren 4110.

Introduces green building design procedure/approach and provides insight into evolving design principles; explores aspects of building thermal/energy performance, indoor/outdoor environmental quality, occupant comfort and climate relevant to building design (structures not covered); emphasizes both comprehensive understanding and practical applications of sustainable building design strategies; applies prevailing simulation tools to assist green building design. Prerequisite: Aren 3010. Restricted to students with 87-180 credits(senior) in the College of Engineering.

Prepares graduate students with general knowledge and skills that are required by advanced AREN technical courses. Covers three parts of materials: 1) building thermal systems, 2) building lighting systems, 3) building electrical systems. Requisites: Graduate students only.

Engineering course devoted to building automation and control systems. Topics include HVAC control technology and strategies, measurement and device technologies, analysis and modeling of dynamic systems, simulation of conventional and advanced control approaches, assessment of control loop performance and hands-on direct digital control (DDC) programming exercises as used in current building control practice. Prerequisite: Aren 4140

Engineering course devoted to building automation and control systems. Topics include HVAC control technology and strategies, measurement and device technologies, analysis and modeling of dynamic systems, simulation of conventional and advanced control approaches, assessment of control loop performance and hands-on direct digital control (DDC) programming exercises as used in current building control practice. Prerequisite: Aren 4140

Analyzes and measures performance of HVAC systems, envelopes, lighting and hot water systems, and modifications to reduce energy use. Emphasizes existing buildings. Restricted to graduate students only. Prerequisites: Aren 3010

Introduces green building design procedure/approach and provides insight into evolving design principles; explores aspects of building thermal/energy performance, indoor/outdoor environmental quality, occupant comfort and climate relevant to building design (structures not covered); emphasizes both comprehensive understanding and practical applications of sustainable building design strategies; applies prevailing simulation tools to assist green building design. Prerequisite: Aren 3010. Restricted to graduate students only.

Addresses the opportunities and problems of commercializing new renewable energy technologies. Focuses on energy markets, opportunity identification, life cycle analysis, policy economics, project financing and economic analysis as they relate to bringing renewable energy technologies to market. Prerequisites: Varies. Restricted to College of Engineering majors/

Explains the most important energy technologies and systems; provides tools to analyze performance using science and engineering principles. This course will investigate important energy concepts from sources and extraction to utilization, storage and efficiency. Topics include fossil fuels, hydropower, renewable energy, biofuels, carbon capture and waste disposal.Prerequisites: Varies. Restricted to College of Engineering majors

 

Chemical principles of conversion of solar energy into electricity and fuels in molecular and semiconductor-based systems. Overview of solid-state electronic structure of materials and interfaces, light-matter interactions, principles of harvesting photoexcited currents and useful chemical species. Description of processes utilized in established and emerging solar energy technologies.

Explores how energy is generated and used in today's society. Through collaborative discussion and hands-on data collection, students will analyze the engineering challenges, fundamental limits, and potential solutions to meeting our energy needs sustainably. Students will learn to analyze numerical data, estimate orders of magnitude, and apply mathematical methods in their own lives and in the ongoing energy debate. Basic algebra required. College of Engineering excluded from course.

Introduces electrical power generation and renewable energy, including solar, wind, micro, hydro, coal, nuclear and natural gas and some of the issues in integrating renewable energy sources in the grid.Prerequisite:PHYS 1120.Corequisite: ECEN 2250. Restricted to College of Engineering majors.

Explores the fundamentals of climate change science, but from an engineering perspective. After learning the fundamentals, the relationship between climate change and different engineering disciplines will be discussed. Topics covered include geoengineering, renewable energy, sustainable engineering, coastal engineering, building design, etc. Career options and entrepreneurial opportunities will also be discussed. Prerequisites: Phys 1110 and Appm 1350. Restricted to College of Engineering

Explores how energy is generated and used in today's society. Through collaborative discussion and hands-on data collection, students will analyze the engineering challenges, fundamental limits, and potential solutions to meeting our energy needs sustainably. Students will learn to analyze numerical data, estimate orders of magnitude, and apply mathematical methods in their own lives and in the ongoing energy debate. Basic algebra required.College of Engineering students excluded

Introduces electrical power generation and renewable energy, including solar, wind, micro, hydro, coal, nuclear and natural gas and some of the issues in integrating renewable energy sources in the grid. Requisites:Varies. Restricted to College of Engineering students.

Real and reactive power in single phase circuits, power triangle, balanced three-phase circuits, wye and delta connections, introduction to electromagnetic machines, transformers (single and three-phase) and their equivalent circuits, AC-machinery fundamentals, synchronous generator from a magnetic field point of view, synchronous motors and condensers, three-phase induction motors, DC machinery fundamentals, DC motors, single phase motors. Matlab/Simulink will be used. Prerequisites: Varies. Restricted to College of Engineering students

Examines a special topic in Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering.

Explores how geological processes and human populations together affect the quantitfy, quality and availability of Earth resources. Includes examination of the water cycle and how humans use and modify water; fossil-fuel and mineral resources, and renewable energy options. Sustainable versus non-sustainable use and population growth is considered.

engineering and problem solving skills, combined with market/industry research, customer interviews, design for manufacturability, stakeholder management and financial modeling to promote entrepreneurship and sustainable change in the developing world. Explore alternative energy, medical devices, phones, internet, recycling, cook stoves, clean water, sanitation and infrastructure.College of Engineering students only. Restricted to students with 57-180 credits

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Studies the derivation of the dynamic equations of motion of electromechanical systems, linear and rotary motion machines based on variational principles and basic force laws. Looks at equivalent circuits in abc and dqo coordinates for AC and DC machines. Discusses conditions under which an electromagnetic torque can be produced. Applies theory to the most important modes of steady-state and transient operation of electrical energy converters. Prereq., ECEN 3170.

Addresses the business of renewable energy, including opportunities and challenges with renewable electricity, renewable transportation fuels and energy efficiency. Topics include energy markets, opportunity identification, life cycle analysis, economic analysis, policy impacts and project financing of sustainable renewable energy business models. Formerly ENST 5002. Restricted to Graduate and Non-Degree Graduate students.

Engages non-physics majors in hands-on, minds-on activities and labs to investigate the physical world, the nature of science, and how science knowledge is constructed. This introductory course is especially relevant for future elementary and middle school teachers although it will meet the needs of most non-physics and non-science majors. Physics content focuses on interactions and energy.

Use your engineering and problem solving skills, combined with market/industry research, customer interviews, design for manufacturability, stakeholder management and financial modeling to promote entrepreneurship and sustainable change in the developing world. Explore alternative energy, medical devices, phones, internet, recycling, cook stoves, clean water, sanitation and infrastructure.Restricted to College of Engineering students with 57-180 credits(Junior or Senior)

Prepares students to analyze energy systems from technical, economic, and policy perspectives with project topics varying by semester. Provides historical and contemporary context of the energy landscape. Emphasizes application of engineering fundamentals for the design and evaluation of real world energy systems. Projects will be completed by working in interdisciplinary teams.Restricted to Energy Engineering minor students with 87-180 credits(Senior)

Explores topics related to energy engineering. Content will vary by semester and instructor. Restricted to College of Engineering.

Provides students with an opportunity to apply their knowledge of energy technologies, systems and policies to current issues. Specific topical coverage varies by semester. Examples include natural gas fracking, automotive fuel economy standards and natural gas exports. Students work in teams to research, prepare and present a detailed and specific energy project proposal. Intended for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Certificate students. Formerly RSEI 4150.Restricted to Renewable Sustainable Energy students only. Prerequisites ENVS/PHYS 3070 and ENVS 3621

Addresses the business of renewable energy, including opportunities and challenges with renewable electricity, renewable transportation fuels and energy efficiency. Topics include energy markets, opportunity identification, life cycle analysis, economic analysis, policy impacts and project financing of sustainable renewable energy business models. Formerly ENST 5002.Restricted to Graduate and Non-Degree Graduate students.

Examines energy policy and the problem of sustainability through a variety of disciplinary and topical perspectives: historical, political, behavioral, techno-economic and legal. A critical approach is applied to arguments about energy policy processes, systems, and desired outcomes, with special emphasis on the role of renewable and sustainable energy in the changing global energy system. Restricted to Graduate and Non Degree students.

Examines the basics of energy technologies and energy delivery systems. Covers both conventional energy sources (oil and gas, coal, nuclear and hydroelectric) and renewable/sustainable energy technologies (wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and end-use efficiency). Investigates individual technologies as well as integration of multiple technologies on energy systems such as the electricity grid and liquid and gas fuels infrastructures. Formerly ENST 5000. Restricted to Graduate and Non-Degree Students

 

Energy Nexus A variety of topics not currently offered in curriculum; offered depending on instructor availability and student demand.

Provides development of effective writing skills, knowledge and habits for success in the campus culture using topics related to the environmental sciences, energy, sustainability and academic/career interests. Focuses on the processes in rhetoric, emphasizing skills in creative, analytical and critical thinking, as well as research and presentation using digital and "old fashioned" methods and materials.Restricted for students with 0-56 credits (Freshmen or Sophomore)

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Examines contemporary issues in energy consumption and its environmental impact, including fossil fuel use and depletion; nuclear energy and waste disposal; solar, wind, hydroelectric, and other renewable sources; home heating; energy storage; fuel cells; and alternative transportation vehicles. Includes some basic physical concepts and principles that often constrain choices. No background in physics is required.

Examines how society makes decisions about energy, and how these decisions affect the environment and the economy. Uses tools from policy analysis, economics, and other disciplines to build an in-depth understanding of energy's role in U.S. contemporary society. Fulfills Cornerstone requirement of ENVS majors. Prerequisite: ENVS 1000 and 3070 or PHYS 3070

 

Examines energy policy and the problem of sustainability through a variety of disciplinary and topical perspectives: historical, political, behavioral, techno-economic and legal. A critical approach is applied to arguments about energy policy processes, systems and desired outcomes, with special emphasis on the role of renewable and sustainable energy in the changing global system.Requisites: Graduate students only.

Introduces non-economists to the study of energy markets, environmental externalities, economic regulation and public policy. This applied course uses examples from electricity generation, renewable energy, manufacturing, transportation and other energy intensive industries. A variety of policy instruments will be studies, including: technology standards, subsidies, environmental mandates, rate-based policies, emissions taxes and cap-and-trade systems.

Provides an introduction to energy law and regulation in the United States. Covers basic principles of rate regulation and public utilities, the division of jurisdiction between federal and state governments and the key federal statutes and regulatory regimes governing natural gas, electricity and nuclear power. Focuses on the basic federal frameworks for natural gas and electricity regulation, with an emphasis on understanding the messy and uneven transition to wholesale competition in these sectors and, in the electricity context, the experience with state restructuring and retail competition.Requisites: Restricted to Law students.

Examines renewable energy and how legal topics impact financing projects. Reviews structure, regulation, and functioning of electric energy industry and laws applicable to development, ownership and operation of renewable energy projects across technologies. Addresses legal policy, economic and financing issues associated with expansion and improvement of the transmission grid to support renewable energy development. Requisites: Law students only.

Covers the basic physical and chemical fundamentals underlying the disciplines of energy and materials, with a focus on topics relevant to your mechanical engineering education. These fundamentals include atomic structure, stoichiometry, the periodic table, chemical bonding, states of matter, thermochemistry and chemical reactions. Department enforced prerequisite: one year of high school chemistry. Restrictions: Restricted to Mechanical Engineering ,Mechannical Engineering concurrent, MCEN subplan

Examines sustainability of our current energy systems, including transportation, using environmental and economic indicators. Uses systems analysis that addresses energy supply and demand. Explores the science and technology as well as environmental and economic feasibility of efficiency measures and renewable energy technologies. Additional emphasis is given to the global nature of the challenges and the potential for locally optimal solutions. Prerequisite: MCEN 3012 and 3022

Presents the fundamentals, principles and experimental techniques of electrochemistry, the background of ionic or electronic conduction of metal, semiconductor, inorganic and polymer materials and applications in the areas of batteries, fuel cells, electrochemical double layer capacitors, electrochemical photonics, sensors and semiconductor electrochemistry. Prerequisite: MCEN 2024 and 3032.Restricted to Graduate students or students with 87-180 credits (Seniors) in the College of Engineering and Applied Science or to Mechanical Engineering concurrent.

Examines sustainability of our current energy systems, including transportation, using environmental and economic indicators. Uses systems analysis that addresses energy supply and demand. Explores the science and technology as well as environmental and economic feasibility of efficiency measures and renewable energy technologies. Additional emphasis is given to the global nature of the challenges and the potential for locally optimal solutions.

Engages non-physics majors in hands-on, minds-on activities and labs to investigate the physical world, the nature of science, and how science knowledge is constructed. This introductory course is especially relevant for future elementary and middle school teachers although it will meet the needs of most non-physics and non-science majors. Physical content focuses on interactions and energy.

Contemporary issues in energy consumption and its environmental impact, including fossil fuel use and depletion; nuclear energy and waste disposal; solar, wind, hydroelectric, and other renewable sources; home heating; energy storage; fuel cells; and alternative transportation vehicles. Included are some basic physical concepts and principles that often constrain choices. No background in physics is required.

Provides overview of environmental sociological theory and research including topics such as: public environmental perception, concern, and knowledge; environmentalism as a social movement; environmental justice; energy, technology, and risk; human dimensions of environmental change; and natural hazards and disasters. Restricted to Graduate Students only.