Problem Sets
Problem Set 1 Solutions
Problem Set 2 Solutions
Problem Set 3 Solutions
Problem Set 4
Midterm Solutions
Problem Set 5
Energy analysis toolbox
Energy economics worksheet
Transportation Worksheet
Problem Set 2 Solutions
Problem Set 3 Solutions
Problem Set 4
Midterm Solutions
Problem Set 5
Energy analysis toolbox
Energy economics worksheet
Transportation Worksheet
Resources
Useful energy resource links
U.S. Energy Information Administration UN Energy Knowledge Network Transportation fuel energy densities
International Energy Agency Common energy units
Tutorials
Occasionally, readings will be assigned from several online/downloadable texts:
U.S. Energy Information Administration UN Energy Knowledge Network Transportation fuel energy densities
International Energy Agency Common energy units
Tutorials
- Tutorial on significant figures
- Tutorial on doing unit conversions, and a video
- A refresher on solving algebraic equations
- Tutorial on balancing chemical equations
- Review of molar ratios
Occasionally, readings will be assigned from several online/downloadable texts:
- MacKay, D. Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air.UIT Cambridge UK 2009. Download free pdf here.
Lectures and Readings
1/14
Lecture 1: Energy, power, units
Introductions, class overview, logistics
Review of energy and power
Reading (should be completed before class)
Gore, Al (2014) “The Turning Point: New Hope for the Climate,” Rolling Stone, June 18, 2014.
“Why oil prices keep falling - and throwing the world into turmoil”
Supplemental:
1/21
Lecture 2: US energy trends
Unit Analysis, Back of the Envelope Calculations
Reading
“2014 officially the hottest year on record” (skim)
“A short history of energy”
“Energy in 2013 – changes and constants”
Bade, G. (2014). "12 Charts that show the state of the US clean energy revolution"
“Global energy – the latest infatuations”
Supplemental
1/28
Lecture 3: global energy trends and energy poverty
Reading
Poor Peoples Energy Outlook 2014 (read Ch1, pgs 3-16 and 46-48)
“Taking Charge: Renewable energy case studies in India” (read 1 case study of your choice)
International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook 2013 Executive Summary
Global Energy Assessment 2012 (read only preface and key findings)
2/4
Lecture 4: power plants, thermo, and combustion
1.st and 2nd law of thermodynamics
Power plant efficiency
Combustion and emissions
Reading
Silly song about thermo
Thermodynamic video (excellent)
Gilbert Masters. 2004. Renewable and Efficient Electric Power Systems Ch3
2/11
Lecture 5: Combustion (cont) and Energy Economics
Reading
Amory Lovins The Road Not Taken 1976
Gilbert Masters. 2004. Renewable and Efficient Electric Power Systems - Energy economics
LCA of electricity generation technologies (just read introduction)
NREL LCA comparison
2/18
Lecture 6: Energy economics (cont)
And Life cycle analysis
Reading
Renewable 2014: Global Status Report. REN21. Chapter 1: pp 21-29 (skip 23).
Pacca, S., Horvath, A., (2002) “Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Building and Operating Electric Power Plants in the Upper Colorado River Basin” .
2/25
Lecture 7: History and structure of utilities
Reading
NYT. 1/2015. Regulators weigh proposal to close part of PNM plant
SFNM. 2/2015. Coalition asks PRC to reject PNM plan
PNM integrated resource planning (IRP) overview
PBS: Brief overview of the history of regulation of utilities
Gilbert Masters. 2004. Renewable and Efficient Electric Power Systems
Ch3: 111-117 (industry today), 135-145 (load curves), 145 -160 distribution, 233-240 (pricing)
Supplemental
New Energy Economy's submission to the PRC in opposition of PNM plan
Overview and definitions of the history of electric utilities
3/4
Lecture 8: The Politics and nature of Oil·
Reading
Friedman, Thomas L. (2006) “The First Law of Petropolitics”, Foreign Policy, 154, pages 28 – 36
Lallanilla, M. (2015) “Peak Oil: Theory or Myth”
LA Times. “New Mexico county first in nation to ban fracking to safeguard water”
George, Patrick E.. "How the Crude Oil Market Works" 05 October 2009. HowStuffWorks.com.
2015.Lisa Margonelli: The political chemistry of oil
Take Home Midterm will be handed out after class. It will be due Wed 3/18.
Power plant field trip. 2-3 pm.
3/11
Spring Break
3/18
Lecture 9: Transportation
Reading
American Physical Society Review and Recommendations for Energy Efficiency (2008) Think Efficiency. Chapter 2 Transportation: pp. 28 – 42
Stromberg. "The real reason American transportation is such as disaster", Vox.com. Aug 2015
MacKay, D. Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air: Ch 20, Better Transport
Woody,T. (2013) “ Another Clean-Tech Startup Goes Down: Better Place Is Bankrupt”, The Atlantic Monthly
Service, R. (2013) “Battle for the barrel”, Science, 339, 1374 – 1379._
3/25
Lecture 10. Energy use in buildings
Guest lecture: 1:30 - 2:30. Ed Mazria, Architecture 2030 and intro to Palette 2030
Reading
Architecture 2030. “The urban climate initiative.” 2014.
IPCC AR5 Buildings 2014. Chapter 9.10.1, Policies for energy efficiency in buildings. pp 715-721.
Passive solar design fact sheet DOE
Adams, Scott (2010) “How I (Almost) Saved the Earth”, The Wall Street Journal, August 21, 2010.
Klingenberg & Kernagis (2010). “The Passive House-strategies for extreme efficiency”. Home Power.
Catherine Mohr – the trade-offs of building green
Supplemental
Why tiny houses can save the world
MacKay, D. Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air: Ch 7, Heating and Cooling
DOE Buildings Energy Data book
4/1
Energy efficiency
Guest lecture: Hans Frederick Barsun University Facilities Engineer - Meet in PPD Utilities Conference Room 124, at 12 pm
Lovins. (2005). Energy end use efficiency. RMI (pg 1 - 6)
(2008). “The elusive negawatt.” The Economist.
Mooney. (2015). “The next energy revolution won’t be in wind or solar. It will be in our brains.” The Washington Post.
Mooney. (2015). “Why 50 million smart meters haven’t fixed America’s energy habits.” The Washington Post.
Incandescent phase-out
Do-it-yourself home energy audit (skim)
4/8
Lecture 11: Climate Change
Collins, William, et al. (2007) “The Physical Science Behind Climate Change”, Scientific American. August, 297, pp 64–71.
IPCC, (2014). Climate Change 2014 Synthesis Report Summary for Policy Makers.
World Bank (2010). World Development Report 2010: Development and Climate Change. Chapter 1 Understanding the link between climate change and development.(pg 38 - 61).
Supplemental
Nicholas Stern (2014). The state of the climate and what to do about it. Ted Talk
4/15
Lecture 12: Energy and climate policy
Pacala, S., and Socolow, R. (2004) “Stabilization wedges: solving the climate problem for the next fifty years with current technologies”, Science, 305, 968 – 971.
Randolph and Masters. 2008. Energy for sustainability – technology, planning, policy. Island Press. Ch 16. Market transformations. Pp 644-660.
Plumer. (2015). Obama has vowed to cut US emissions 17% by 2020. He's not on track yet. Vox
Davenport. (2015). Obama’s Strategy on Climate Change, Part of Global Deal, Is Revealed. NYT
Sudworth.(2014) China eyes fundamental shift in energy policy. BBC
2013. Carbon tax v cap-and-trade: which is better? The Gaurdian
Supplemental
Amory Lovins – a 50 year plan for energy. TED
Renewable 2014: Global Status Report. REN21. Chapter 4 Policy Landscape: pp 65-79.
Renewable portfolio standards
Database of state incentives for renewables
4/15
Lecture - worked examples of wedges and projects
E.O. Wilson. “Is humanity suicidal?”.NYT Magazine. 1993. (Earth Day!)
K. Galbraith. “Wildfires and climate change.” NYT. 2013
Plumer. “Solar power is growing so fast that older energy companies are trying to stop it”.2014
Lewis. “Does it pay to raise chickens in your backyard”. 2014
Supplemental
Krugman. “Building a green economy”. NYT. 2010.
4/29
Wrap-up
A Challenge From Climate Change Regulation. NYT. 2015
Mooney. The US’s energy infrastructure will need major changes. TWP. 2015
Plumer. Clean energy is growing fast. Vox. 2015
Plumer. How much energy could the us really save if it tried. Vox. 2014 - review slide deck at end of article
5/6
Final projects submitted by email (12pm) and presentations (in -class)
Lecture 1: Energy, power, units
Introductions, class overview, logistics
Review of energy and power
Reading (should be completed before class)
Gore, Al (2014) “The Turning Point: New Hope for the Climate,” Rolling Stone, June 18, 2014.
“Why oil prices keep falling - and throwing the world into turmoil”
Supplemental:
- MacKay, D. Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air: Pgs 22-28 (see above under references for link to text)
1/21
Lecture 2: US energy trends
Unit Analysis, Back of the Envelope Calculations
Reading
“2014 officially the hottest year on record” (skim)
“A short history of energy”
“Energy in 2013 – changes and constants”
Bade, G. (2014). "12 Charts that show the state of the US clean energy revolution"
“Global energy – the latest infatuations”
Supplemental
1/28
Lecture 3: global energy trends and energy poverty
Reading
Poor Peoples Energy Outlook 2014 (read Ch1, pgs 3-16 and 46-48)
“Taking Charge: Renewable energy case studies in India” (read 1 case study of your choice)
International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook 2013 Executive Summary
Global Energy Assessment 2012 (read only preface and key findings)
2/4
Lecture 4: power plants, thermo, and combustion
1.st and 2nd law of thermodynamics
Power plant efficiency
Combustion and emissions
Reading
Silly song about thermo
Thermodynamic video (excellent)
Gilbert Masters. 2004. Renewable and Efficient Electric Power Systems Ch3
- Ch3: pp 107-117, 169-173. Skim 122-127 (Thermo). Skim 127-137 (types of thermal plants).
- Ch 7: pp 327 - 333
2/11
Lecture 5: Combustion (cont) and Energy Economics
Reading
Amory Lovins The Road Not Taken 1976
Gilbert Masters. 2004. Renewable and Efficient Electric Power Systems - Energy economics
LCA of electricity generation technologies (just read introduction)
NREL LCA comparison
2/18
Lecture 6: Energy economics (cont)
And Life cycle analysis
Reading
Renewable 2014: Global Status Report. REN21. Chapter 1: pp 21-29 (skip 23).
Pacca, S., Horvath, A., (2002) “Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Building and Operating Electric Power Plants in the Upper Colorado River Basin” .
2/25
Lecture 7: History and structure of utilities
Reading
NYT. 1/2015. Regulators weigh proposal to close part of PNM plant
SFNM. 2/2015. Coalition asks PRC to reject PNM plan
PNM integrated resource planning (IRP) overview
PBS: Brief overview of the history of regulation of utilities
Gilbert Masters. 2004. Renewable and Efficient Electric Power Systems
Ch3: 111-117 (industry today), 135-145 (load curves), 145 -160 distribution, 233-240 (pricing)
Supplemental
New Energy Economy's submission to the PRC in opposition of PNM plan
Overview and definitions of the history of electric utilities
3/4
Lecture 8: The Politics and nature of Oil·
Reading
Friedman, Thomas L. (2006) “The First Law of Petropolitics”, Foreign Policy, 154, pages 28 – 36
Lallanilla, M. (2015) “Peak Oil: Theory or Myth”
LA Times. “New Mexico county first in nation to ban fracking to safeguard water”
George, Patrick E.. "How the Crude Oil Market Works" 05 October 2009. HowStuffWorks.com.
2015.Lisa Margonelli: The political chemistry of oil
Take Home Midterm will be handed out after class. It will be due Wed 3/18.
Power plant field trip. 2-3 pm.
3/11
Spring Break
3/18
Lecture 9: Transportation
Reading
American Physical Society Review and Recommendations for Energy Efficiency (2008) Think Efficiency. Chapter 2 Transportation: pp. 28 – 42
Stromberg. "The real reason American transportation is such as disaster", Vox.com. Aug 2015
MacKay, D. Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air: Ch 20, Better Transport
Woody,T. (2013) “ Another Clean-Tech Startup Goes Down: Better Place Is Bankrupt”, The Atlantic Monthly
Service, R. (2013) “Battle for the barrel”, Science, 339, 1374 – 1379._
3/25
Lecture 10. Energy use in buildings
Guest lecture: 1:30 - 2:30. Ed Mazria, Architecture 2030 and intro to Palette 2030
Reading
Architecture 2030. “The urban climate initiative.” 2014.
IPCC AR5 Buildings 2014. Chapter 9.10.1, Policies for energy efficiency in buildings. pp 715-721.
Passive solar design fact sheet DOE
Adams, Scott (2010) “How I (Almost) Saved the Earth”, The Wall Street Journal, August 21, 2010.
Klingenberg & Kernagis (2010). “The Passive House-strategies for extreme efficiency”. Home Power.
Catherine Mohr – the trade-offs of building green
Supplemental
Why tiny houses can save the world
MacKay, D. Sustainable Energy Without the Hot Air: Ch 7, Heating and Cooling
DOE Buildings Energy Data book
4/1
Energy efficiency
Guest lecture: Hans Frederick Barsun University Facilities Engineer - Meet in PPD Utilities Conference Room 124, at 12 pm
Lovins. (2005). Energy end use efficiency. RMI (pg 1 - 6)
(2008). “The elusive negawatt.” The Economist.
Mooney. (2015). “The next energy revolution won’t be in wind or solar. It will be in our brains.” The Washington Post.
Mooney. (2015). “Why 50 million smart meters haven’t fixed America’s energy habits.” The Washington Post.
Incandescent phase-out
Do-it-yourself home energy audit (skim)
4/8
Lecture 11: Climate Change
Collins, William, et al. (2007) “The Physical Science Behind Climate Change”, Scientific American. August, 297, pp 64–71.
IPCC, (2014). Climate Change 2014 Synthesis Report Summary for Policy Makers.
World Bank (2010). World Development Report 2010: Development and Climate Change. Chapter 1 Understanding the link between climate change and development.(pg 38 - 61).
Supplemental
Nicholas Stern (2014). The state of the climate and what to do about it. Ted Talk
4/15
Lecture 12: Energy and climate policy
Pacala, S., and Socolow, R. (2004) “Stabilization wedges: solving the climate problem for the next fifty years with current technologies”, Science, 305, 968 – 971.
Randolph and Masters. 2008. Energy for sustainability – technology, planning, policy. Island Press. Ch 16. Market transformations. Pp 644-660.
Plumer. (2015). Obama has vowed to cut US emissions 17% by 2020. He's not on track yet. Vox
Davenport. (2015). Obama’s Strategy on Climate Change, Part of Global Deal, Is Revealed. NYT
Sudworth.(2014) China eyes fundamental shift in energy policy. BBC
2013. Carbon tax v cap-and-trade: which is better? The Gaurdian
Supplemental
Amory Lovins – a 50 year plan for energy. TED
Renewable 2014: Global Status Report. REN21. Chapter 4 Policy Landscape: pp 65-79.
Renewable portfolio standards
Database of state incentives for renewables
4/15
Lecture - worked examples of wedges and projects
E.O. Wilson. “Is humanity suicidal?”.NYT Magazine. 1993. (Earth Day!)
K. Galbraith. “Wildfires and climate change.” NYT. 2013
Plumer. “Solar power is growing so fast that older energy companies are trying to stop it”.2014
Lewis. “Does it pay to raise chickens in your backyard”. 2014
Supplemental
Krugman. “Building a green economy”. NYT. 2010.
4/29
Wrap-up
A Challenge From Climate Change Regulation. NYT. 2015
Mooney. The US’s energy infrastructure will need major changes. TWP. 2015
Plumer. Clean energy is growing fast. Vox. 2015
Plumer. How much energy could the us really save if it tried. Vox. 2014 - review slide deck at end of article
5/6
Final projects submitted by email (12pm) and presentations (in -class)
Last Updated: 4/29/2015