Module Code and Title:       ENM101          Energy Resources and Materials Management

 

Programme(s):                      BSc Environmental Management

 

Credit Value:                         12

 

Module Tutor(s):                   Jesse Montes (Coordinator)

GP Sharma

 

General objective(s) of the module:

 

This module will provide students with a significant understanding of the importance of energy resources, non-renewable and renewable. It will also expose students to the various methods and trends regarding energy utilization and, especially in the case of the non-renewable energy and material resources, an overview of their management, conservation and alternatives that exist.

 

Learning outcomes – Upon successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

 

• Describe the various kinds of energy resources and their availability.
• Describe the methods of their extraction and use.
• Describe the global and local trends in energy extraction and usage.
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of their extraction, processing and use.
• Assess the future scenario regarding the availability and possibility of continued use of these resources.
• Describe and methods of their conservation in order to extend their supplies well into this century.
• Evaluate the alternative options that exist for non-renewable energy.
• Analyse the current state of energy use in Bhutan
• Evaluate possible future scenarios for energy use with respect to the economy and the environment in Bhutan.
• Explain the rationale for managing materials to reduce environmental degradation associated with resource use.
• Evaluate the mineral resource and mining situation in Bhutan.
• Propose balanced approaches to mineral resource development in Bhutan.

 

Skills to be developed:

 

·         Students should be able to demonstrate scientific quantitative skills, such as the ability to read and evaluate graphs, and understand and use information from scientific and other data-heavy writing.

 

Learning and teaching approaches used:

 

The module will be conducted over 15 teaching weeks as follows:

·         3 hrs/wk lecture & discussions.

·         1 hr/wk tutorial section for reading and analysis of scientific articles, opinion articles, guest lectures, and for presentations and discussions.

·         4 hrs/wk outside of class, on average, for independent study.

·         Independent short field trips in the locality to gain exposure to various kinds energy usage patterns in Bhutan accompanied by short response/reflection.

·         Class field trips to briquette factory in Thimphu, and one mining sites either in Bjemina or Genekha.

 

Assessment:

 

Semester-End Examination (SE):40%

Continuous Assessment (CA):     60%

CA Assessment	Weight	Assessment Detail
Group discussion/debate	15%	Each group of 4 students should perform a debate or lead a class discussion for 45 min.
Quizzes (5 x 2%)	10%	Short written individual quizzes of 30 min duration each, covering approximately 2 weeks of subject matter
Class Participation	5%
Reflection/response papers (3 x 5%)	15%	Written works of 500 words each on field observations and current events related to energy usage patterns in Bhutan
Midterm Exam	15%

 

Pre-requisite knowledge: ENV101 Introduction to the Environment, ECL101 Ecology

 

Subject matter:

 

I.              Overview of non-renewable and renewable natural resources

II.    Introduction to energy sources and uses

a.    Energy use throughout history

b.    Fossil fuels use and development through history

c.    Energy conversions

d.    Primary and secondary sources

e.    Fundamentals of electrical power generation

f.     Energy flow and energy efficiency; matching sources to uses

III.           Fossil fuels

a.    Origin and formation of fossil fuels

                                          i.    The three kings: coal, oil, natural gas

                                         ii.    Others: oil shale, oil sand, etc.

b.    Extraction and processing of fossil fuels

                                          i.    Coal (surface and subsurface mining, different types of coal)

                                         ii.    Crude oil (extraction, refining)

                                        iii.    Natural gas

c.    Use, pros and cons, and impacts of fossil fuels

                                          i.    General environmental effects of using nonrenewable resources

                                         ii.    Coal (mining, transporting and converting, burning)

                                        iii.    Oil (recovery: land and marine, refining, delivery and use)

                                       iv.    Natural gas

                                        v.    Others: oil shale, oil sand, etc.

IV.          Nuclear energy

a.    Nuclear power in perspective, use for electricity generation

b.    Science of nuclear energy

                                          i.    From mass to energy, nuclear chain reaction

                                         ii.    Nuclear fuel, nuclear reactor

c.    Hazards of nuclear power, safety

d.    Waste disposal, nuclear fuel cycle

e.    Economics of nuclear power; coal/fossil fuels vs. nuclear

f.     Pros and cons of nuclear power

g.    Advanced nuclear reactors

h.    Status and future of nuclear power

V.            Renewable energy resources

a.    Origin of all energy from the Sun (except geothermal)

b.    Types of solar energy and uses

                                          i.    Passive solar; solar thermal energy; solar heating

                                         ii.    Photovoltaics

c.    Wind power

d.    Hydropower

e.    Tidal and wave power

f.     Geothermal energy

g.    Biomass energy, biofuels; carbon neutrality of biomass energy

h.    Hydrogen power

i.      Advantages, trade-offs, environmental impacts of different types of renewable energy resources

VI.          Energy efficiency and conservation

a.    Concept of energy efficiency, laws of thermodynamics, net energy

b.    Efficiency of various energy sources and conversion processes

c.    Energy waste; major sources of waste; reducing waste

d.    Conservation and efficiency; benefits and challenges thereof

VII.    Global energy trends

a.    World total primary energy supply and use

                                          i.    World status of coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear, hydro and other minor sources

                                         ii.    Concept of peak oil, permanent depletion of fossil fuels

                                        iii.    Global electricity generation

                                       iv.    Global CO₂ emissions and carbon trends

b.    Energy trends in Bhutan

                                          i.    Total energy consumption

                                         ii.    Electrical energy

                                        iii.    Thermal energy

                                       iv.    Economics of energy use in Bhutan

VIII.   Materials Management

a.    Concept and goals of materials management

b.    Mineral resources

                                          i.    Basics of Earth’s geological processes

                                         ii.    Types of mineral resources

                                        iii.    Mining of minerals resources

                                       iv.    Environmental effects of extracting, processing, and using mineral sources

                                        v.    Minerals and mining in Bhutan

c.    Introduction to waste management w.r.t. materials management

 

Essential Readings:

 

1.    Berg, L., Hager M., Hassenzahl, D. (2011). Visualizing Environmental Science 3rd Ed. John Wiley & Sons.

2.    Cunningham, W.P., and Cunningham, M.A. (2012). Environmental Science: A Global Concern, 12th Ed. McGraw Hill.

3.    Ernst & Young Pvt Ltd. (2012) Bhutan Energy Efficiency Baseline Study. Department of Renewable Energy (DRE), Bhutan.

4.    Grubler et al. (2012). Chapter 1-Energy Primer. In: Global Energy Assessment-Toward a Sustainable Future, IIASA, Vienna, Austria and Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK

5.    Miller, G.T., and Spoolman, S.E. (2014). Environmental Science 14th Ed. Belmont: Brooks/Cole. (Primary textbook, also available as eBook)

6.    Shepherd, R. (n.d.) What are Fossil Fuels? Retrieved from http://www.discoveringfossils.co.uk/fossilfuels.htm

7.    US Environmental Protection Agency. (2005). The Quest for Less. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/wastes/education/quest/quest.htm

8.    US Dept. of Energy. (2013). How Fossil Fuels were formed. Retrieved from http://www.fossil.energy.gov/education/energylessons/coal/gen_howformed.html

9.    US National Academy of Sciences. (2008). Energy Sources and Uses. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/reports/energy/sources.html

 

Additional Readings:

 

1.    Botkin, D.B. & Keller, E.A. (2011). Environmental Science, 8th Ed. John Wiley & Sons.

2.    Enger, E.D. and Smith, B.F. (2010). Environmental Science, 12th Ed. McGraw-Hill.

3.    Fossil Fuels (n.d.) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuels

4.    IEA. (2012). Key World Energy Statistics. Retrieved from http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/name,31287,en.html

5.    Marland, G., T.A. Boden, Andres, R.J. (2007). Global, Regional, and National CO2 Emissions. In Trends: A Compendium of Data on Global Change. Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, United States Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tenn., U.S.A. http://cdiac.esd.ornl.gov/home.html

6.    Minutes of 1st National Consultation Workshop on Biogas (23rd Jan 2009). Ministry of Agriculture & Forests. http://www.moaf.gov.bt/moa/downloads/downloadFiles/MoADownload9mq7546nw.doc

7.    Wright, R.T., Boorse, D.F. (2011). Environmental Science, 11th ed. New Delhi: PHI Learning Pvt Ltd.

 

Date last updated: May 30, 2015