Section 100: Tuesday/Thursday 12:00PM-1:30PM   FXB 1012

ENGINEERING RENEWABLE ENERGY
Roger DeRoo

An unavoidable consequence of using fossil fuel (usually coal) for electric power production is the creation of carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas primarily responsible for climate change.

There is much public discussion of the need to migrate from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. But how? That's where engineers come in.

This section introduces students to the engineering profession by exploring the engineering challenges to using renewable energy as a "green" alternative to fossil fuels. The technical emphasis will be on the use of wind and solar energy to create electricity. The class will use a University unit as a case study on the requirements and prospects for converting it to "carbon-neutrality", wherein the University unit, on average, requires zero net emissions of carbon dioxide in its normal operations. A major component of the class is on effective teamwork and clear communications with both fellow engineers and non-engineers, since success in large (and small) projects depends on these skills as well as on technical skills in the engineering team.

The class will close with a team project to demonstrate the principles of renewable energy production, in which a specific task is performed with a renewable energy system designed and implemented by the students.