Study information

Energy and the Environment - 2022 entry

MODULE TITLEEnergy and the Environment CREDIT VALUE15
MODULE CODEPHY3067 MODULE CONVENERMr (Thomas) Andrew Mitchell (Coordinator), Mr Anthony Norton (Coordinator), Dr Daniel Lash (Coordinator), Andrew Rowson (Coordinator)
DURATION: TERM 1 2 3
DURATION: WEEKS 11
Number of Students Taking Module (anticipated) 84
DESCRIPTION - summary of the module content
Students will work individually and in groups in order to engage with the technical, economic and social issues arising from energy-use and environmental change. They will study these in sufficient depth to allow them to make informed and quantitative judgements about proposals to ameliorate environmental damage by policy and other changes. They also have the opportunity to exercise these skills by examining a 'real world' issue as the topic of a group research-project and report.
 
AIMS - intentions of the module

The aim of this module is to introduce students to the interdisciplinary issues surrounding energy use and environmental change. Energy is mainly derived from fossil fuels; there are two problems with this energy source. The first is that it is finite, and so in the future we must move to sustainable energy sources. Secondly, fossil fuels pollute the environment on both a local and a global scale.

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES (ILOs) (see assessment section below for how ILOs will be assessed)
 
A student who has passed this module should be able to:
 
Module Specific Skills and Knowledge:
1. analyse and compare alternative potential solutions to environmental and energy supply issues using their knowledge of a wide range of energy technologies and energy-related environmental issues;
2. in the overall context of the need to reduce global fossil fuel consumption:
  • quantify the scope for efficiency improvements in electricity production,
  • evaluate the relative potentials of a range of renewable energy technologies,
  • quantify and compare various demand management measures,
  • calculate heat loss from buildings and identify effective conservation measures,
  • distinguish between local and global pollution effects;
 
Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge:
3. work in a group to analyse a problem and hence:
  • use literature and other search methods to acquire the necessary data,
  • order and analyse data from diverse sources to support an argument,
  • quantify each element and produce a rational comparison of options,
  • summarise the complex and difficult issues into a convincing conclusion,
  • write a convincing and coherent account of their analysis;
 
Personal and Key Transferable / Employment Skills and Knowledge:
4. distinguish between competing solutions by making a quantitative assessment of the efficacy of each;
5. work in groups, i.e. define and share tasks, cooperate with others, discuss and form a consensus agreement;
6. communicate a coherent and convincing technical argument in writing;
7. communicate clearly with an audience by making a ten-minute oral presentation and responding to questions from the audience.
SYLLABUS PLAN - summary of the structure and academic content of the module
I. Lectures
  1. Energy – An Introduction
  2. Fossil Fuels
  3. Climate Change
  4. Economics
  5. Nuclear Power
  6. Energy from Wind and Water
  7. Solar Energy and Photovoltaics
  8. Heat 1
  9. Heat 2
  10. Future Technologies
  11. Transport Sector
  12. Industrial Sector
  13. Energy in Buildings 1
  14. Industrial and Commercial
  15. Adaptation, Mitigation and Policy
II. Tutorials
  1. Data Precision and Accuracy
  2. Group Roles
  3. Project Management Tools
  4. Report Writing and Referencing
  5. Group Project Mentoring 1
  6. Data vs Information
  7. Group Project Mentoring 2
  8. Data Processing and Visualisation
  9. Group Project Mentoring 3
  10. Presentation Skills
  11. Student Presentations 1
  12. Student Presentations 2
 
III. Group Project
Working in groups of about six, students will analyse and compare alternative approaches to a problem; possible topics include, for example, " Assessing the potential for a renewable Crediton", " A quantified strategy for zero carbon University of Exeter campuses", etc. A group will produce a report and present its findings to the rest of the class at the end of the module. Refer to the Learning and Teaching section for further details. Sharp's Method will be used to assign individual marks within each group.
 

 

LEARNING AND TEACHING
LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND TEACHING METHODS (given in hours of study time)
Scheduled Learning & Teaching Activities 27 Guided Independent Study 123 Placement / Study Abroad
DETAILS OF LEARNING ACTIVITIES AND TEACHING METHODS
Category Hours of study time Description
Scheduled learning & teaching activities 15 hours 15×1-hour lectures
Scheduled learning & teaching activities 12 hours 12×1-hour tutorial sessions
Guided independent study 32 hours 4×8-hour worksheets (summative)
Guided independent study 35 hours Main-project report
Guided independent study 56 hours Reading, private study and revision

 

ASSESSMENT
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT - for feedback and development purposes; does not count towards module grade
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT (% of credit)
Coursework 90 Written Exams 0 Practical Exams 10
DETAILS OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Form of Assessment % of credit Size of Assessment (e.g. duration/length) ILOs Assessed Feedback Method
 
Worksheets
 50% 4×8-hour (Set weeks: Term 1, Weeks 1, 3, 5 & 7; Deadlines: Term 1, Weeks 3, 5, 7 & 9) 1,2,4,6 Written
Group Project Report 40% 5000 words (Deadline Term 1, Week 11) 1-6 Written and verbal
Group Presentation 10% 15 minutes (Term 1, Week 11) 1-5,7 Written and verbal
         

 

DETAILS OF RE-ASSESSMENT (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment is not available except when required by referral or deferral.

RE-ASSESSMENT NOTES
Re-assessment is not available for this module.
 
RESOURCES
INDICATIVE LEARNING RESOURCES - The following list is offered as an indication of the type & level of
information that you are expected to consult. Further guidance will be provided by the Module Convener
ELE:
 

Reading list for this module:

Type Author Title Edition Publisher Year ISBN
Set Committee on Climate Change The Sixth Carbon Budget: The UK’s Path to Net Zero (eBook) CCC 2020
Set Elliott, D. Nuclear power: Past, present and future (eBook) IOP Publishing 2017 978-1-6817-4505-3
Set MacKay, D. Sustainable Energy - Without the Hot Air www.withouthotair.com 2008
Set MacKay, D. Sustainable Energy - Without the Hot Air UIT Cambridge Ltd 2008 978-1-906860-01-1
Set McAleese, D. Economics for business: Competition, macro-stability and globalisation (eBook) Pearson 2004 0 273 68398 5
Set Maslin, M. Climate Change: A Very Short Introduction (eBook) OUP 2021 9780191904721
Set Murray, R. Nuclear energy: An introduction to the concepts, systems, and applications of nuclear processes (eBook) 7th Elsevier 2015 978-0-12-416654-7
Set Peake, S. Renewable Energy - Power for a Sustainable Future (eBook) OUP 2018 978-0-19-253777-5
Set Peake, Stephen (Ed.) Renewable Energy; Power for a Sustainable Future 4th Oxford University Press 2017 978-0198759751
Set Salem, A. A. and O. P. Malik Power grids with renewable energy: Storage, integration and digitalization (eBook) Institution of Engineering & Technology 2021 978-1-83953-028-9
Set Twidell J. and T. Weir Renewable Energy Resources 3rd F. and F. N. Spon 2015 978-0-415-58438-8
Set UK Government Department for Transport Decarbonising Transport: A Better Greener Britain (eBook) 2021
CREDIT VALUE 15 ECTS VALUE 7.5
PRE-REQUISITE MODULES PHY2023
CO-REQUISITE MODULES
NQF LEVEL (FHEQ) 6 AVAILABLE AS DISTANCE LEARNING No
ORIGIN DATE Monday 6th December 2021 LAST REVISION DATE Thursday 24th February 2022
KEY WORDS SEARCH Physics; Energy; Fuel; Fossil; Issues; Conservation; Climate; Fossil fuels; Measures; Air quality; Pollution.

Please note that all modules are subject to change, please get in touch if you have any questions about this module.