PT|EN
New Energies
Courses Degree in Environmental Sciences
Cod: 21156
Department: DCET
ECTS: 6
Scientific area: Environmental Science and Technology
Total working hours: 156
Total contact time: 26

This course unit covers multidisciplinary subjects to integrate the knowledge developed in diverse areas of science for better understanding the advantages and difficulties in the different forms of production and conservation of energy.
It is intended to supply current information that allows the student to have a structuralized and clarified vision and a logical argument on the energy future, regarding important aspects like the increase of the world-wide energy demand, the reduction of the oil reserves and the global heating due to the release of greenhouse effect gases, with global climatic effect.
The available energy types are presented, starting with conventional ones (fuels) whose use will remain during some decades, although preferentially, in a cleaner way. In the chapter of renewable energies we will approach the wind energy, tides, solar, biomass and geothermal energy. The recent developments in high potential energy production using fuel cells, batteries and nuclear fusion will also be presented.
The last topic refers to the energy conservation, with particular emphasis for the energy certification of houses and buildings and finally the importance of the capture and storage of carbon dioxide and techniques in perspective.

  1. Alternative energies
  2. Renewable energies
  3. Solar energy
  4. Energetic certification

To know the different energy production techniques and in particular the alternative energies;
To assess the adequate techniques for the implementation of different alternative energy production methods according to the needs of the analyzed places;
To develop a critical spirit of the technological systems used for energy production.

Part I – Energy concepts and alternative energies; Fossil fuels.
Part II – Renewable energies: wind, tides, solar, biomass and geothermic.
Part III – Potentially important energies: hydrogen and fuel cells; methane and nuclear fusion.
Part IV – Efficient use of energy and energetic certification.

Texts and materials will be available at the e-learning platform.
Scott Bennett, Encyclopedia of Energy, Global Media, 1st edition, 2007.
Gabriel Cruden, Energy alternatives,  Thomson Gale, 2005.
Fraser Armstrong & Katherine Blundell,  Energy…Beyond Oil, Oxford University Press 2007.
Zekai Sen, Solar Energy Fundamentals and Modeling Techniques: Atmosphere, Environment, Climate Change and Renewable Energy, Springer-Verlag London Limited 2008.
Bent Sørensen, Renewable Energy: Its physics, engineering, use, environmental impacts, economy and planning aspects, Elsevier Science, Third Edition, 2004.
John Twidell &Tony Weir, Renewable Energy Resources, Taylor & Francis, Second edition, 2006.

E-learning.

Continuous assessment is privileged: 2 or 3 digital written documents (e-folios) during the semester (40%) and a presence-based final exam (p-folio) in the end of the semester (60%). In due time, students can alternatively choose to perform one final presence-based exam (100%).