Mon Sep 12 10:18:53 2016
| Effective Term: |
New:
1169 - Fall 2016 Old: 1109 - Fall 2010 |
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| Course: |
New:
EE 1701 Old: EE 1701W |
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Catalog Description: |
New:
Energy from renewables such as solar and wind to combat potentially catastrophic climate change resulting from our use of fossil fuels; electrifying our transportation; ways to increase energy efficiency and energy conservation; need for energy storage to increase the penetration of renewables; role of technology, societal benefits and the ethics. Old: Energy supply and demand; generation of electricity; environmental impact of energy usage; energy conservation methods; utility deregulation; role of communication and computers. Demos, computer simulation, teamwork, and projects. |
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CCE Catalog Description: |
New:
Only include CCE Catalog Description in CCE Catalog. <no text provided> Old: <no text provided> |
| Course typically offered: |
New:
Every Spring Old: Every Fall |
| Proposal Changes: |
New:
Submission to remove WI portion of course and add LE theme of Technology and Society. See LE requirements and new syllabus below. Will also send formatted copies to appropriate folks. Old: Submission for new LE Theme, Civic Life and Ethics Theme. Also added Learning Outcomes. And I noticed that this course is incorrectly labeled as a Lab with lecture when it is a straight lecture course, so I corrected that. |
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Faculty Sponsor Name: |
New:
Ned Mohan Old: Paul Imbertson |
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Faculty Sponsor E-mail Address: |
New:
mohan@umn.edu Old: imberts@ece.umn.edu |
| Student Learning Outcomes: |
* Student in the course:
- Can identify, define, and solve problems
New:
Please explain briefly how this outcome will be addressed in the course. Give brief examples of class work related to the outcome. Considering climate change as a problem, students will be able identify the source and understand and compare various solutions. How will you assess the students' learning related to this outcome? Give brief examples of how class work related to the outcome will be evaluated. In-class quizzes and weekly homework assignments. Each homework will have 4 to 5 numerical questions and addition there will be one descriptive questions that will ask them to relate what they have learned in the week's module related to environment, society, and ethics. Old: Please explain briefly how this outcome will be addressed in the course. Give brief examples of class work related to the outcome. Students are expected to actively participate in classroom activities designed to lead them, through self-discovery, to an understanding of the various problems related to energy use in our society. How will you assess the students' learning related to this outcome? Give brief examples of how class work related to the outcome will be evaluated. These SLOs are primarily assessed through the student�s three magazine articles and the preparatory work they perform for these articles. The open nature of these articles allows many of the SLOs to be directly assessed. - Can locate and critically evaluate information
New:
Please explain briefly how this outcome will be addressed in the course. Give brief examples of class work related to the outcome. In the beginning of the course, students will be informed of the sources available to them for further investigation. Course activities throughout the semester, including the qualitative question each homework set will require them to look up information on their own and evaluate it. How will you assess the students' learning related to this outcome? Give brief examples of how class work related to the outcome will be evaluated. Students will be utilizing the information they gather throughout the semester in homework assignments, two mid-term exams, and a final exam. Old: Please explain briefly how this outcome will be addressed in the course. Give brief examples of class work related to the outcome. Students will work on three major research/writing assignments throughout the semester. Their task in these assignments is to create magazine articles on energy related topics. Their topics will be chosen from a list of possible topics. Many of the topics will deal with civic life and ethics. At least one of these articles will be group work. And one of the articles will be a larger individual project that they will work on throughout the entire semester. How will you assess the students' learning related to this outcome? Give brief examples of how class work related to the outcome will be evaluated. These SLOs are primarily assessed through the student�s three magazine articles and the preparatory work they perform for these articles. The open nature of these articles allows many of the SLOs to be directly assessed. - Have mastered a body of knowledge and a mode of inquiry
New:
removed
Old: Please explain briefly how this outcome will be addressed in the course. Give brief examples of class work related to the outcome. While the students will not be experts in the field of energy by the end of this class, they will have substantially mastered the topic of their semester-long article assignment from the point of view of their work. How will you assess the students' learning related to this outcome? Give brief examples of how class work related to the outcome will be evaluated. These SLOs are primarily assessed through the student�s three magazine articles and the preparatory work they perform for these articles. The open nature of these articles allows many of the SLOs to be directly assessed. - Understand diverse philosophies and cultures within and across societies
New:
Please explain briefly how this outcome will be addressed in the course. Give brief examples of class work related to the outcome. Energy systems underpin modern society and link critical food, transportation, health, and water infrastructures across multiple spatiotemporal scales. This course focuses on energy-harnessing opportunities, particularly electrical, using renewables, embedded within existing and future power systems infrastructure to be rapidly acceptable in societal and policy context. This course spans the management of the variability of renewable resources, explores the role of storage and demand, while ensuring economic and social sustainability. How will you assess the students' learning related to this outcome? Give brief examples of how class work related to the outcome will be evaluated. Every homework set includes qualitative questions that ask students to considering conflicting interests that any new technology entails. Old: Please explain briefly how this outcome will be addressed in the course. Give brief examples of class work related to the outcome. The framework for understanding energy in our society that is developed in this class relies heavily on an extensive review of the history of energy use from the beginning of human history and across the spectrum of human cultures. How will you assess the students' learning related to this outcome? Give brief examples of how class work related to the outcome will be evaluated. These SLOs are primarily assessed through the student�s three magazine articles and the preparatory work they perform for these articles. The open nature of these articles allows many of the SLOs to be directly assessed. - Can communicate effectively
New:
removed
Old: Please explain briefly how this outcome will be addressed in the course. Give brief examples of class work related to the outcome. Students will produce three magazine articles throughout the semester. By their nature, magazine articles demand a high level of communication skills. There just isn�t time in a magazine article to repeatedly restate your point. And if you aren�t moving your thesis along in a timely fashion, your reader will toss your article in the trash. The nature of the magazine article forces students to hone their communication skills. How will you assess the students' learning related to this outcome? Give brief examples of how class work related to the outcome will be evaluated. These SLOs are primarily assessed through the student�s three magazine articles and the preparatory work they perform for these articles. The open nature of these articles allows many of the SLOs to be directly assessed. - Understand the role of creativity, innovation, discovery, and expression across disciplines
New:
Please explain briefly how this outcome will be addressed in the course. Give brief examples of class work related to the outcome. Students will learn through their research that beyond technological innovation, the adaptation of any technology will depend on creativity and consensus building across disciplines (economics, policy, etc.) to succeed. How will you assess the students' learning related to this outcome? Give brief examples of how class work related to the outcome will be evaluated. Every homework set includes qualitative questions that ask students to consider the various disciplinary components inherent in any new technology. Old: Please explain briefly how this outcome will be addressed in the course. Give brief examples of class work related to the outcome. Energy touches on every aspect of life, culture, and society. And the students in this class come from every discipline from across the university. This is a potent combination, and creates an ideal environment to highlight the role of creativity, innovation, discovery, and expression across disciplines. In particular, this facet of the course is encouraged during the group article writing assignment and in directed group discussions. How will you assess the students' learning related to this outcome? Give brief examples of how class work related to the outcome will be evaluated. These SLOs are primarily assessed through the student�s three magazine articles and the preparatory work they perform for these articles. The open nature of these articles allows many of the SLOs to be directly assessed. - Have acquired skills for effective citizenship and life-long learning
New:
Please explain briefly how this outcome will be addressed in the course. Give brief examples of class work related to the outcome. One of the goals of this course is to make students informed and engaged citizens with a passion for combating climate change. They will look for opportunities to accelerate the uptake of technology, design new institutions that promote and incentivize renewable energy use, align technology and policy, chart how incremental steps lead to an economy-changing vision, understand the drivers of behavior and behavioral change, and privilege economic development and the attainment of a sustainable future for a wide range of people and places. How will you assess the students' learning related to this outcome? Give brief examples of how class work related to the outcome will be evaluated. Every homework set includes qualitative questions that ask students to reflect on their own role in bringing forth positive change in regards to future energy production and conservation. Old: Please explain briefly how this outcome will be addressed in the course. Give brief examples of class work related to the outcome. Self-directed inquiry, into topics of student interest, will promote a desire on the part of the students to continue thoughtful examination and life-long learning into the many aspects of energy in our society. This works particularly well in this class because the students are in control of the topics and focus of the course even though the course material is highly structured. How will you assess the students' learning related to this outcome? Give brief examples of how class work related to the outcome will be evaluated. These SLOs are primarily assessed through the student�s three magazine articles and the preparatory work they perform for these articles. The open nature of these articles allows many of the SLOs to be directly assessed. |
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Requirement this course fulfills: |
New:
TS Technology and Society
Old: |
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Criteria for Theme Courses: |
Describe how the course meets the specific bullet points for the proposed theme
requirement. Give concrete and detailed examples for the course syllabus, detailed outline,
laboratory material, student projects, or other instructional materials or methods. Theme courses have the common goal of cultivating in students a number of habits of mind:
New: Technology and Society Theme: The backdrop of this course will be to briefly describe our use of energy sources at present and its climatic and geopolitical consequences. Given this, our ethical responsibility is to explore alternate ways so that our children and grandchildren have a future! Energy systems underpin modern society and link critical food, transportation, health, and water infrastructures across multiple spatiotemporal scales. Driven by the goals of sustainability and resilience, our energy system is rapidly undergoing fundamental transitions in form and function. How we harness and use energy connects new technologies, societal values, policies, institutions, and laws. This course focuses on energy-harnessing opportunities, particularly electrical, using renewables, embedded within existing and future power systems infrastructure to be rapidly acceptable in societal and policy context. This course spans the management of the variability of renewable resources, explores the role of storage and demand, while ensuring economic and social sustainability. This course will be optimistic and upbeat, and will show that we can meet this challenge by shifting to renewables for generating electricity and using it efficiently. In doing so, various possible sources and approaches will be discussed and compared in terms of their practicality, by which we can derive energy from renewables such as solar and wind, not only to confront global collapse but instead leading to a brighter future. In concrete terms, if such measures are implemented, it will mean using far less coal, less fracking and almost zero imported oil, and will have a profound impact on society, while making us energy independent. This sentiment will be constantly reinforced through lectures, classroom discussion, weekly homework assignments and guest speakers. This course will result in students as informed and engaged citizens with the possibility of developing innovative technologies in their career by combining compelling ethical urgency raised by climate change and, with the underpinning of technological knowledge, making the difference by convincing communities, investors and policy makers that the changes are not only ethical but are sound business practices as well leading to “green” jobs in inner cities. Meeting the following criteria: • The course examines one or more technologies that have had some measurable impact on contemporary society. In this course, we will discuss a wide variety of renewable energy resources and the technology to harness electricity from them, along with their impact on the environment and society. It will explore their economic viability. • The course builds student understanding of the science and engineering behind the technology addressed. This course, which is somewhat technical at its core, builds on the principles learned in high school physics and will provide students the understanding of science and engineering behind the technology. • Students discuss the role that society has played in fostering the development of technology as well as the response to the adoption and use of technology. Students will learn concrete examples of success in using various resources and technologies. • Students consider the impact of technology from multiple perspectives that include developers, users/consumers, as well as others in society affected by the technology. In the qualitative question that will be asked in every homework set, students will be asked to consider various options from viewpoints of their economic viability and societal acceptability. • Students develop skills in evaluating conflicting views on existing or emerging technology. There are always pros and cons in adopting these technologies. Students will be asked to consider them and evaluate them. There are many such topics where there is a great amount of effort and money being spent although the outcome is highly uncertain in solving our energy conundrum on a large scale. Some of these are the hydrogen economy, fuel from biomass, fuel cells, etc. As an example, roof-top PVs is an extremely promising solution. However, there is a mortal threat to this promising solution. Utilities are looking at solar as detrimental to their survival for valid reasons. This has to do with the “duck curve." It shows that during midday when the PV generation peaks, the utilities have a large over-generation capacity, even dipping into their base generation and they have to supply the peak power in the early evening hours when the demand is high as people return home and the solar output declines. Also, the ramp rate is very significant – projected in 2020 to be 14,000 MWs in just a few hours. Utilities buy the peak power from low-efficiency power pants using single-cycle gas turbines at almost twice the cost compared to the revenue they get from customers. Therefore, the utilities face a double whammy – losing revenue by not selling their product while having to maintain the infrastructure, and having to purchase electricity at much higher cost at peak hours. These so-called peaking plants are also very inefficient, resulting in a great deal of GHG emissions. As a consequence, the states like Nevada have rolled back the clock on net metering and PUC order tripled the fixed charges solar customers will pay over the next four years, and reduced the credit solar customers receive for net excess generation by three-quarters. As a consequence, most of the solar installers have left Nevada with job losses in thousands. A similar threat on a much larger scale may be looming. In California and other states with much bigger potential for roof-top solar, many utilizes have rulings similar to Nevada passed in their favor. Students will consider if distributed battery-storage may be a solution to this conundrum. While remedying the situation that utilities despise, it may be possible to make solar their friend (at least in the eyes of public utilities commissions) with the help of distributed storage. First, there is no arguing that storage results in higher initial investment and if the problems caused by solar to the utilities were not there, net metering, without any connection charges and no storage, would result in the quickest payback for the installed solar. However, given the reality of the problems which if not addressed will “kill” solar in its infancy, we have to take the bull by the horn and propose a solution that is beneficial to all sides. This would be an excellent example to discuss that we need to consider every solution from various perspectives. • Students engage in a process of critical evaluation that provides a framework with which to evaluate new technology in the future. Students will be asked to develop a methodology to evaluate pros and cons in the context of the environment, economic viability, and the societal acceptance. Students will learn about concerns, for example, the electric grid stability. Variable generation due to renewables such as solar can make the electric grid become unstable if a large amount of generation suddenly either comes-on or goes-off due to a fast-moving cloud cover, for example. A number often mentioned is that up to 20 percent renewables is manageable but no more. Solar-friendly Germany, Europe’s champion for renewable energy, hoping to slow the burst of new renewable energy on its grid, has eliminated an open-ended subsidy for solar and wind power and put a ceiling on additional renewable capacity. But if we are serious about combating climate change, we should aim at much larger percentage – perhaps 100 percent is possible. Old: This is a proposal to list the course Energy, Environment and Society, EE 1701W, for the new Civic Life and Ethics Theme. Following sections describe how EE 1701W meets the: 1. General requirements of Liberal Education courses 2. Common goals of Theme courses 3. Specific goals of the Civic Life and Ethics Theme, and 4. How the course addresses University of Minnesota Student Learning Outcomes (SLO), and 5. How the course assesses Student Learning Outcomes. Course Background: The goal of this course is to give students a broad and meaningful understanding of energy as it relates to social and environmental issues for today and the future. Basic coverage begins with the fundamentals of energy, including what it is, how it is used, and what its limitations are. An extensive overview of the history of energy use in societies from ancient times to today leads to a deep understanding of our current situation. Students discover that our current energy crisis is nothing new, that we have been here many times before, but we have yet to get it right. And students find that they have the unique opportunity and responsibility to design a new energy future. EE 1701W �Energy, Environment and Society� has been offered each fall semester since 1999. The course is currently approved for the Environmental and Citizenship and Public Life Themes and fulfills a writing intensive requirement. 1. General requirements of Liberal Education courses: The following requirements must be met by all courses fulfilling Liberal Education cores and themes. The course, Energy, Environment and Society (EE 1701W), meets these general requirements Liberal Education courses: � Requirement: Explicitly help students understand what liberal education is, how the content and the substance of this course enhance a liberal education, and what this means for them as students and as citizens. This course brings together students from many backgrounds and disciplines, many of whom have never thought that their area of study was in any way related to a broader view of the world and society. This course shows students that no disciples can viably exist outside of the broader context of the interrelated world view promoted by a liberal education. This is shown through concrete examples, such as how flooded coal mines led to the modern transportation infrastructure, in group discussions, where the views of students from across the spectrum of the university are presented, and in their major assignments. Students work on three major research/writing assignments throughout the semester. Their task in these assignments is to write magazine articles on topics related to energy. They select their topics from a list of possible topics many of which deal with civic life and ethics. At least one of these articles is group work, and one of the articles is a larger individual project that they work on throughout the entire semester. � Requirement: Meet one or more of the Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs). In the syllabus you submit, specify which of the SLO(s) that the course meets, how it addresses the outcome(s), and how the learning that is associated with the outcome(s) will be assessed. See later section on SLOs � Requirement: Be offered on a regular schedule. EE 1701W is offered every year in the Fall semester. � Requirement: Be taught by regular faculty or under exceptional circumstances by instructors on continuing appointments. Departments proposing instructors other than regular faculty must provide documentation of how such instructors will be trained and supervised to ensure consistency and continuity in courses. EE 1701W is taught by Paul Imbertson. Paul Imbertson is an Education Specialist with the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department on a continual appointment with the faculty-approved title of Teaching Professor. � Requirement: Be at least 3 credits (or at least 4 credits for biological or physical sciences, which must include a lab or field experience component). EE 1701W is a 3 credit course. 2. Common goals of Theme Courses: All Theme courses have the common goal of cultivating in students a member of habits of mind. The following requirements must be met by all courses fulfilling Liberal Education themes. The course, Energy, Environment and Society (EE 1701W), meets these common goals of Theme courses: � Thinking ethically about important challenges facing our society and world. The topic of energy offers numerous opportunities to examine ethical aspects of challenges faced by our society and world. Examples of topics covered in this vein include: global warming, nuclear hazards, acid rain, cost of wind energy, energy use in transportation and the role of city planning in transportation, possible hazards of electro-magnetic fields, energy exploration, energy security, ANWAR, Standard Oil, alternative energy as a community development tool, and the list can go on. This partial list shows the rich diversity of the topic of energy. Each topic is fertile ground for new discussions on public ethics and citizenship. � Reflecting on the shared sense of responsibility required to build and maintain community. A major focus of our historical examination of energy concerns the way people and societies have grappled with issues of energy use and resource depletion. The students discover that, for better or for worse, decisions matter, decisions are made by people individually and in groups, and that these decisions shape our communities. These lessons are applied directly to current situations requiring difficult decisions regarding energy. � Connecting knowledge and practice. Students will work on three major research/writing assignments throughout the semester. Their task in these assignments is to create magazine articles on energy related topics. They choose their topics from a list of possible topics, many of which deal with civic life and ethics. At least one of these articles will be group work. And one of the articles will be a larger individual project that they will work on throughout the entire semester. � Fostering a stronger sense of our roles as historical agents. Students will take on the role of historical agents in writing their articles. The students will find that their role in writing these articles is to record, to explain, and to present options and alternatives on areas involving the wide range of energy topics. 3. Goals of the Civic Life and Ethics Theme: The following criteria must be met by all Civic Life and Ethics Theme courses. The course, Energy, Environment and Society (EE 1701W), meets these common goals of Civic Life and Ethics Theme: � The course presents and defines ethics and the role of ethics in civic life. The course presents clear examples of the complex intersection of energy, technology, society, environment, and ethics; for example: issues of social justice regarding developing nations and their environments. � The course explores how the ethical principles of a society or societies have been derived and developed through group processes, and debated in various arenas. The course extensively covers the history of energy use with a focus on societal driving forces. This historical perspective shows how societies have dealt with pressing issues of energy throughout human history. For example, current arguments about environmental justice put these ethical issues into a modern perspective. � The course encourages students to develop, defend, or challenge their personal values and beliefs as they relate to their lives as residents of the United States and members of a global society. Lively discussions, controversial student presentations, and presentations from invited speakers challenge students to step outside of their comfort zone. They discover that many viewpoints that they thought had no value must also be considered if we are to have constructive discourse. Examples of topics from previous semesters include nuclear energy, coal resources, oil viewed as the blood of war, and the death of environmentalism. � Students have concrete opportunities to identify and apply their knowledge of ethics, both in solving short-term problems and in creating long-term forecasts. In writing their magazine articles, students have a perfect opportunity to actively apply ethical thinking in the context of real-life problems. Magazine articles are by nature personal statements, and they give the students a free and open format in which to examine and express their personal statements. The course concludes with a mini-seminar in which the students individually make a presentation on a topic they have been researching. These presentations include a fair amount of focus on public-ethics aspects of energy. The format of the mini-seminar (presentations grouped by topic followed by discussions) is a tangible example of the working mechanism of public discourse. By the end of the semester, the students have seen the problems, asked the questions, and finally discussed the issues in an open forum. |
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Propose this course as Writing Intensive curriculum: |
New:
No Old: Yes |
| Question 1 (see CWB Requirement 1): |
How do writing assignments and writing instruction further the learning objectives
of this course and how is writing integrated into the course? Note that the syllabus must
reflect the critical role that writing plays in the course. New: <no text provided> Old: Energy, as a physical phenomena, is a highly organized subject. Relationships in the field of energy can, for the most part, be unambiguously demonstrated, but this course is concerned with more than just the physical nature of energy and therefore little can be unambiguously proven. This course addresses the interconnected web of energy, society, and the environment. Instead of proving facts, this course is about discussing problems and solutions, and the best way to productively discuss a subject is to first write it down, forcing the ideas to clarify themselves on the page. |
| Question 2 (see CWB Requirement 2): |
What types of writing (e.g., research papers, problem sets, presentations,
technical documents, lab reports, essays, journaling etc.) will be assigned? Explain how these
assignments meet the requirement that writing be a significant part of the course work, including
details about multi-authored assignments, if any. Include the required length for each writing
assignment and demonstrate how the minimum word count (or its equivalent) for finished writing will
be met. New: <no text provided> Old: A research paper on an energy related subject will constitute the bulk of the course work. Writing this paper will include the following written assignments. (1) A proposal for their research detailing the exact scope and rationale of their chosen topic. (2) Periodic progress reports. (3) A draft copy of their research paper for review. (4) A final copy of their paper showing that they have incorporated any revisions that were suggested from the draft copy review, or showing that the revisions were unnecessary. Oral or poster-session type presentations are possible. (Depends on class size.) |
| Question 3 (see CWB Requirement 3): |
How will students' final course grade depend on their writing performance?
What percentage of the course grade will depend on the quality and level of the student's writing
compared to the percentage of the grade that depends on the course content? Note that this information
must also be on the syllabus. New: <no text provided> Old: Roughly 30% of the students' grades will depend on their writing performance. |
| Question 4 (see CWB Requirement 4): |
Indicate which assignment(s) students will be required to revise and resubmit after
feedback from the instructor. Indicate who will be providing the feedback. Include an example of the
assignment instructions you are likely to use for this assignment or assignments. New: <no text provided> Old: As briefly as possible, explain why burning oil for heat will increase the total amount of carbon in the atmosphere while burning wood may not. Be sure to explain why the work "may" was needed in the last sentence. Your goal is to be brief, but complete. After reading your explanation, your audience should have all the information it needs to be able to thoughtfully agree or disagree with your argument. Do this assignment twice; the first time your audience is a third grade science class, and the second time your audience is a group of businessmen and women. |
| Question 5 (see CWB Requirement 5): |
What types of writing instruction will be experienced by students? How much class
time will be devoted to explicit writing instruction and at what points in the semester? What types of
writing support and resources will be provided to students? New: <no text provided> Old: All written assignments will be reviewed for writing style and clarity. Individual conferences with a teaching assistant may be possible for some students if the class size and the amount of teaching assistant support permits. |
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Provisional Syllabus: |
Please provide a provisional syllabus for new courses
and courses in which changes in content and/or description and/or credits are proposed that include the following information:
course goals and description; format/structure of the course (proposed number of instructor contact hours per week, student
workload effort per week, etc.); topics to be covered; scope and nature of assigned readings (texts, authors, frequency, amount
per week); required course assignments; nature of any student projects; and how students will be evaluated.
The University policy on credits is found under Section 4A of "Standards for Semester Conversion" at http://www.policy.umn.edu/Policies/Education/Education/STUDENTWORK.html . Provisional course syllabus information will be retained in this system until new syllabus information is entered with the next major course modification, This provisional course syllabus information may not correspond to the course as offered in a particular semester. New: Syllabus Contact Hours: 3 hours of lecture per week. Text: None at present. However, discussion has begun with Shane Nackerud of the Digital Library Development Lab to convert slides and notes used in this course to an open digital textbook. Syllabus (topics and learning outcomes): 1. Evidence of Climate Change, Causes and Contributors, Consequences (1 week, click here): - Show the incontrovertible evidence of climate change and its seriousness - Fossil fuels producing CO2 as the cause of it - Mission: create a mindset to be sustainability conscious Videos by NASA on changing climate, melting in Greenland and Antarctica; snippet from “Racing Extinction” on melting of permafrost; animations from NREL/DOE on Greenhouse effect. Sustainability – what does it mean, what is its significance in the generation and distribution of electricity and understanding of our present energy overview: Energy Consumption in various forms, Global Warming and Climate Change, Impact of Fracking, Role of Electricity (). 2. Electricity as a possible solution to combat climate change (1 week, click here): - Consider our energy use and sources to produce electricity in the United States - Show the possibility of shifting our energy use to electricity in various sectors and then producing it by renewables - Overview of the technologies at hand and intense research being conducted Papers by Mark Z. Jacobson, “100% clean and renewable wind, water, and sunlight (WWS) all-sector energy roadmaps for the 50 United States” (click here) and “I was wrong about Solar” by Prof. David Keith of Harvard (click here) 3. Energy from Conventional Fossil Fuel Source (1 week, click here) An understanding of Traditional sources of electricity generation: coal, natural gas, hydro, nuclear, Renewable Sources of Generating Electricity – Availability of Resources and an Introduction: Wind and Solar. Environmental impact of conventional sources of electricity generation, how these compare to renewable sources, e.g.: wind versus natural gas in producing greenhouse gases 4. Nuclear Power (1/2 week, click here) - Role of existing nuclear plants in the interim without producing carbon - Fission versus fusion - How do nuclear plants work (BWRs, PWRs and Advanced Reactors) - The problem of storing radioactive waste – will it ever be solved? - New designs to make nuclear power plants modular and safer Animations explaining the difference between BWR and PWR plants; video on advanced nuclear reactors from U.S. NRC 5. Hydroelectric systems (1 week, click here): - Principle of hydro in generating electricity and its potential - Do run-of-the-river hydro plants have the potential to generate electricity - Can many of the dams in the United States produce electricity (e.g., only 3 percent of the nation’s 80,000 dams now produce electricity) Demo of harnessing potential energy; electric generators 6. Wind: on-land and offshore (2 weeks, slides under development): - Fundamentals of harnessing energy from wind – Betz’s Law - On-land and offshore resources - Structure and efficiency of wind turbines - Correlation between wind and utility load - Cost of wind electricity in relation to other sources - Challenges to the grid because of wind variability - Wind forecasting in day-ahead and real-time markets - Success examples like in Colorado An understanding of Harnessing Energy from the Wind: Physics, Maximum Power Point at various wind speeds, Various electrical structures, Various type of generators and their operating principles. Costs and constraints related to wind energy: economics, infrastructure, environmental, limitations (shadow effect, migration patterns, etc., global perspectives, public policy due to variable nature, social values) Demos on wind turbines and generation of electricity; operating at the maximum coefficient of performance 7. Solar: PVs: Residential, Community Solar and Utility-Scale (2 weeks, click here - slides under development): An understanding of Generating Electricity using Photovoltaics (PVs): Physics, i-v Characteristics and Maximum Power Point of PV Cells, Interconnecting to a single-phase utility grid by a power-electronics converter, Interconnecting it to a three-phase utility grid by a power-electronics converter. Costs and constraints related to solar energy: economics, infrastructure, environmental, current limitations, future potential and expectations, public policy given its variable nature, social values, for example reduction on greenhouse gases. - Fundamentals of harnessing electricity using PVs - Structure and efficiency of solar cells - Cost of solar cells and the balance-of-system - Cost of solar-electricity in relation to other sources - Solar gardens - Correlation between PV-generated electricity and utility load - Challenges to the grid because of PV variability - PV forecasting in day-ahead and real-time markets - Success examples in Hawaii, California, New Jersey, etc. Animation on how PV cells work; Demos of i-v characteristics of PVs; operating at the maximum power point; PVs in series but one or more panels shaded; PVs for charging batteries An understanding of Delivering Electricity to Consumers over Transmission Lines, Fundamentals of ac in contrast to dc, Phasor Analysis to make it simpler: Power, Reactive Power, PF, Efficiency, Single-phase and three-phase circuits, Transforming voltages (efficiency/waste/loss in each system, comparisons between the two, and therefore connection to environmental/economic impacts) 8. Electric Power Grid and its Stability (1 week, slides under development) - Its structure and how it works - How does variable generation affect its stability - Demand-side Management – Load following Generation Demo using PowerWorld software 9. Need for Storage (1/2 week, slides under development) - Various types of batteries and battery fundamentals - Pumped-hydro - Flywheels Animation of how batteries work; demo of their charging and State of Charge measurement 10. Electrifying transportation (1 week, slides under development): - Possibility of Electrifying Transportation powered by renewables - Electric and Hybrid-electric vehicles - Batteries and Supercapacitors for automotive application - Fuel cell fundamentals and types of fuel cells: pros and cons - How does the efficiency of fuel-cell systems compares with natural-gas turbines Animation of how fuel cells work; demo of fuel cells 11. Conservation through LEDs (1/2 week; click here): - LED fundamentals and their comparison to incandescent and CFLs Demo of LEDs and their dimming 12. Efficiency Improvements in Motor-Driven Systems (1/2 week): - Efficiency improvements by using adjustable-speed drives in motor-driven systems Demo of adjustable-speed drives 13. Conservation in the Agriculture sector (1/2 week, click here – 1, 2) - Greenhouse gases from various agricultural sectors - Effect of various diets on the environment - Making vegetables affordable by growing them in greenhouses, using LEDs powered by renewables - Vertical greenhouses – future of urban farming? Video on various agricultural/diet-related greenhouse gas emissions 14. Air-conditioning in a hotter world (1/2 week, slides under development): - How heat pumps work - Practicality of central air conditioning versus zonal air conditioning - Can air-conditioning be minimized through architecture - Do ground-source heat pumps make sense? Video on how heat pumps and air-conditioners work 15. Miscellaneous (2 week) - Electricity Management Apps – weather forecasting for resources and loads – using the Internet of Things and Bluetooth technology - LEED Certification, Architectural Design and Urban sustainability - Net-zero electricity homes and communities - Electricity Policy Issues, RES in Minnesota), Carbon Trading, Windsource, Tax Depreciation for Solar Gardens/Community Solar, etc. 16. Guest Speakers (1 week – spread throughout the semester) - wherever appropriate – e.g., examples: Matt Schuerger from PUC to allow independent power producers, Mouli V. on tax structure for PVs, Jeff Johnson on ethics and the environment, Michelle Rosier on Sierra Club’s view of the Clean Power Plan, Mark Ahlstrom on rates for renewable-generated electricity All through the course, critical thinking and decision making on socio/economic impact of electricity usage and possible solutions for sustainability will be promoted. Animations: Animations that can be manipulated will be used throughout to provide a visual conceptualization to improve learning. Some of these animations are developed and they will be supplemented with excellent animations available through various organizations. For example, https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/category/new and http://www.physicsclassroom.com. Hardware Demos: The development of hardware setups for in-class demonstration purposes. After demonstrating them in the classroom, they will be available in the EXCEED lab (https://sites.google.com/a/umn.edu/exceed/). Some of these demos are as follows: 1. PVs - i-v characteristics; - MPP in PVs with grid interface - PVs in series but one or more panels shaded - PVs for charging batteries 2. Battery characteristics and measuring SoC through Texas Instrument’s Fuel-Gauge IC 3. Fuel Cell Characteristics 4. operating a wind turbine at MPP either in simulation or by using two very small dc-motors coupled to each other where one emulates a wind turbine and the other a wind generator, 5. Wind turbine kits commercially available 6. LEDs, LEDs in greenhouses (?) 7. Basic principles of how voltage is generated and how force/torques is produced in electric machines 8. Show how motors/generators work with small kits 9. Use of a very low-cost real-time controller being developed by ONR funding in energy-saving applications and to replace expensive measuring equipment Assignments, nature of assessments, student projects 1. There will be a weekly homework assignment (click here for a sample on one topic) that will be collected and graded. Solutions will be provided subsequently. These assignments will count 25% towards the grade. The homework assignments will have 4-5 numerical problems to promote and assess the comprehension of the course material. In addition, there will be a descriptive/qualitative question that will ask students the relevance of the material covered in that week and the ethics of doing so. 2. There will be two mid-term exams, each 20% of the grade. 3. The Final Exam will be comprehensive of all the material discussed in the course and will determine 35% of the grade. Old: EE 1701 Energy, Environment, and Society (3 credits) Fall 2010 (pending approval of Civic Life and Ethics Theme) Faculty Paul Imbertson EE/CSci 5-109; 612-625-6529; imberts@ece.umn.edu Office Hours: TBD Teaching Assistant TBD Time and Place TBD Text �Energies: An Illustrated Guide to the Biosphere and Civilization�, Vaclav Smil Course Description The course Energy, Environment, and Society (EE 1701W) is an introduction to energy and its role in our world and society. It is open to students from across the University and utilizes the broad range of the student�s experiences and backgrounds to present a multi-disciplinary view of energy. The major student work of the course is the production of three magazine articles on topics involving energy and how energy relates to our environment and society. Additionally, students may choose to presents some aspects of their work in the seminar portion of the course. Course Goals The goal of this course is to present a broad and meaningful understanding of energy as it relates to social and environmental issues for today and the future. Basic coverage begins with the basics of energy, including what it is, how it is used, and what its limitations are. An extensive overview of the history of energy use leads to a deep understanding of our current situation. Course Format The course is a mix of lecture, readings, directed classroom discussion, student presentations, and presentations from invited speakers. Students are expected to actively participate in classroom activities. They are also required to submit three writing assignments along with preparatory work for these assignments. A presentation can be substituted for one of the writing assignments. Liberal Education This course brings people together from many backgrounds and disciplines, and shows that no disciple can viably exist outside of the broader context of the interrelated world view promoted by a liberal education. This is shown through concrete examples, in group discussions, and in major assignments. Civic Life and Ethics Theme (proposed) EE 1701W fulfills the LE Civic Life and Ethics Theme (proposed). The course presents clear examples of the complex intersection of energy, technology, society, environment, civic life, and ethics; for example: issues of social justice regarding developing nations and their environments. Old LE Themes EE 1701W fulfills the old LE Theme requirements for Citizenship and Public Ethics and Environment. Topics related to C/PE Theme -Consideration of issues and themes of citizenship, public affairs, and public ethics in the abstract, as these relate to energy. -Application of these abstract issues and themes to concrete instances. -Inclusion of class discussions and writing components designed to help develop civic judgment, kills, and capacities for ethical deliberation. Topics related to Environmental Theme -A focus on the interdependency of humans and the natural environment and a use of critical issues of this interaction for illustrative and explanatory purposes. -Consideration of the regenerative capacity of the biosphere. -Consideration of both the cultural and social implications of human intervention in biophysical planetary processes. Student Learning Objectives The University of Minnesota Student Learning Objectives state that at the time of receiving a bachelor's degree, students: 1. Can identify, define, and solve problems 2. Can locate and critically evaluate information 3. Have mastered a body of knowledge and mode of inquiry 4. Understand diverse philosophies and cultures within and across societies 5. Can communicate effectively 6. Understand the role of creativity, innovation, discovery, and expression across disciplines 7. Have acquired skills for effective citizenship and life-long learning. It is expected that students in EE 1701W will make considerable and measurable gains towards achieving these objectives. Much of the work towards these goals will be self-directed as students work on their individual and group projects. Awareness of these objectives and thoughtful documentation of work and effort will greatly enhance the value of this class. Course Information Course information can be found on webVista including announcements, changes, dates, and further information, and will be updates throughout the semester. Grading Students will produce three magazine articles worth 100 pts each, earned as follows: Proposal 10 pts Preparatory 1 20 pts Preparatory 2 20 pts Final 50 pts Preparatory 1 and 2 are assignments designed to lead you through the research/reflection/writing process. Students can opt to substitute a presentation for one of the magazine articles. Incompletes The following is the Univ. Senate statement: "The I shall be assigned at the discretion of the instructor when, due to extraordinary circumstances, the student was prevented from completing the work of the course on time. The assignment of an I requires a written agreement between the instructor and student specifying the time and manner in which the student will complete the course requirements. In no event may any such written agreement allow a period of longer than one year to complete the course requirements." The 'extraordinary circumstances' must be verifiable. Academic dishonesty The following is taken from the Office for Student Academic Integrity web page: Academic integrity is essential to a positive teaching and learning environment. All students enrolled in University courses are expected to complete coursework responsibilities with fairness and honesty. Failure to do so by seeking unfair advantage over others or misrepresenting someone else�s work as your own, can result in disciplinary action. The University Student Conduct Code defines scholastic dishonesty as follows: Scholastic Dishonesty: submission of false records of academic achievement; cheating on assignments or examinations; plagiarizing; altering, forging, or misusing a University academic record; taking, acquiring, or using test materials without faculty permission; acting alone or in cooperation with another to falsify records or to obtain dishonestly grades, honors, awards, or professional endorsement. Within this course, a student responsible for scholastic dishonesty can be assigned a penalty up to and including an "F" or "N" for the course. If you have any questions regarding the expectations for a specific assignment or exam, ask. Writing-Intensive courses Undergraduate students are required to pass four Writing-Intensive (WI) courses in addition to a course in first-year writing. All WI courses assign formal writing and include instruction on the written aspect of those assignments. These formal assignments will be in addition to any informal, exploratory writing or in-class exams assigned in the course, and will include at least one for which students will revise a draft after receiving comments from the instructor. Grades assigned in WI courses are substantially influenced by the quality of the writing produced. Plagiarism Plagiarism, a form of scholastic dishonesty and a disciplinary offense, is described by the Regents as follows: "Scholastic dishonesty means plagiarizing; cheating on assignments or examinations; engaging in unauthorized collaboration on academic work; taking, acquiring, or using test materials without faculty permission; submitting false or incomplete records of academic achievement; acting alone or in cooperation with another to falsify records or to obtain dishonestly grades, honors, awards, or professional endorsement; or altering, forging, or misusing a University academic record; or fabricating or falsifying of data, research procedures, or data analysis." http://www1.umn.edu/regents/policies/academic/StudentConductCode.html Resources for Student Writers Student Writing Support: 15 Nicholson Hall and satellite locations varying by semester (612.625.1893) http://writing.umn.edu/sws. Student Writing Support offers face-to-face consulting for all University of Minnesota students working on any writing project. Consulting is available by appointment in Nicholson Hall and walk-in at satellites around campus. Two non-native speaker specialists and two history specialists are on staff. In addition, SWS offers a number of web-based resources on avoiding plagiarism, documenting sources, and planning and completing a writing project. See http://www.writing.umn.edu/sws/webresources.htm (Brief In-Class Visits: Students are more likely to take advantage of SWS's free services after meeting a member of our staff. Writing consultants are available to visit classes and give brief presentations about our services. Request a visit with our online brief in-class visit request form: writing.umn.edu/sws/classvisit.htm.) College of Education and Human Development Writing Center: Academic Resource Center, Appleby Hall (612.624.0342) http://www.gen.umn.edu/resources/arc/writing/ This service offers one-to-one tutoring on a walk-in basis or by appointment. Available to students outside of GC, including graduate students, on a limited basis. University Libraries: http://www.lib.umn.edu The ultimate resource for research, the University library has five major facilities and eleven branch sites with a wealth of reference materials, online resources, books, articles, newspapers, microforms, government documents, maps and more. Librarians are available and happy to help orient students to all aspects of the library system. You can find research assistance at http://tutorial.lib.umn.edu. The library tutorial, QuickStudy, is a self-paced tutorial covering the research process at the University of Minnesota Libraries. It starts with selecting a topic for a paper and ends with citing sources for a bibliography. Through this tutorial students can also learn how to use RefWorks ( www.lib.umn.edu/site/refworks.phtml). RefWorks is a web-based citation manager that allows you to create your own databases of citations by importing references from MNCAT (the library catalog) and other databases or by entering them using a template. RefWorks automatically generates bibliographies in all major styles (MLA, APA, Turabian, Chicago, etc.) in seconds, and then exports them as several document types (Word, RTF, HTML, etc.). Hands-on research tutorials with a research librarian are also available. Sign up at http://www.lib.umn.edu/registration. These workshops focus on effectively using MNCAT, the library catalogs, the Expanded Academic Index, and more. The library website also has an assignment calculator at http://www.lib.umn.edu/help/calculator/. This tool allows you to break down any assignment for any course into manageable steps. After entering a due date and the academic department in which the course is being offered, you are given a series of suggested stages and deadlines to follow as they complete the assignment�the newest version of this tool will even provide email reminders if students request it. Disability Services: 180 McNamara (612.626.1333) V/TTY http://ds.umn.edu/ It is University policy to provide, on a flexible and individualized basis, reasonable accommodations to students who have disabilities that may affect their ability to participate in course activities or to meet course requirements. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact their instructors to discuss their individual needs for accommodation or to contact Disability Services to schedule an appointment with a Specialist. Non-Native Speakers: Lind Hall 306C (612.624.4524) http://composition.cla.umn.edu/student_web/ Non-Native Speakers (NNS) and professors who have questions about writing resources at the University of Minnesota can contact Sheryl Holt, the English Composition Coordinator for Non-Native Speakers (holtx001@tc.umn.edu). In particular, English Composition has dedicated composition courses (EngC 1011, 5051, and 5052) for non-native speakers. For assistance with writing tasks, the Student Writing Center has non-native speaker specialists who are specifically trained to work with NNS students http://writing.umn.edu English as a Second Language: 201 Wesbrook Hall (612.624.4000) www.cce.umn.edu/esl The Minnesota English as a Second Language (ESL) Program helps international students prepare for academic work in an English-speaking college or university setting. A variety of credit and noncredit courses are available throughout the year. For more information contact Bethany Maupin (bmaupin@cce.umn.edu). University of Minnesota Counseling & Consulting Services: 109 Eddy Hall (612.624.3323) http://www.ucs.umn.edu/ UCCS Counseling program helps students with their concerns and offers an opportunity to talk with an experienced counselor who can help students select and achieve goals for personal and career development. The center offers three types of counseling: personal counseling, academic counseling and career counseling. The Learning and Academic Skills Center offers classes, workshops, and individual assistance aimed at helping students achieve academic goals. The Student Writing Guide: A guidebook providing student writers with detailed, step-by-step guidance through the writing process and lists numerous writing resources. Available on the web in pdf at: http://writing.umn.edu/docs/sws/swgpdf.pdf or at the Center for Writing, 10 and 15 Nicholson Hall, (612.626.7579), writing@umn.edu. |