Sustainable Energy: Science and Technology

The energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources may be the defining technological issue of the coming decades. This class covers the fundamental science and technology of energy technologies, focusing on emerging energy resources. Students will learn the fundamental thermodynamics of energy conversions as well as the tools to analyze energy technologies. The course will cover the basic science of the greenhouse-gas induced climate change, and will analyze energy technologies in terms of the trade-offs involved in emissions, cost, scalability, land use, and resource ability.