Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing humankind. As a response to it, profound changes to the way energy is produced and utilised are rapidly taking place. Energy Change encompasses the development of new energy technologies together with economic, social and policy measures needed for their widespread deployment. This course focuses on renewable energies and energy efficiency. It aims to help students identify the major ‘big picture’ questions in the area of energy resources and energy technologies and then develop technically sound ways of answering them.
The course commences with a brief description of the scientific evidence for climate change, followed by an overview of the main source of carbon emissions, energy production. A look into the main indicators of energy supply and consumption in the world sets the scene for discussing different scenarios for an energy mix that could limit the predicted increase in the world’s average temperature. Such energy mix relies heavily on the deployment of renewable energy technologies: biomass, geothermal, hydroelectric, solar, tidal, wave and wind. The scientific and technical foundations of these technologies are examined in order to assess their ultimate potential as well as their practical limitations. Because of the rapid pace of change in this field the course focuses on developing students’ skills in framing questions and finding answers, as well as being able to critically evaluate those answers and support them with scientific evidence.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
The course aims to equip students to:- Understand world energy resources and trends, critically analyse available information and develop their own knowledge using recently published information.
- Describe and quantify for each available energy resource: the size of the technical resource, conversion efficiencies, physical dependence on external factors, present and future trends, integration with the grid, economic aspects and broader contextual issues.
- Calculate the levelized cost of electricity for any given resource using current discount rates, predict future costs using experience curves and identify the limitations of each method.
- Explain the potential interaction between different energy sources, the grid, energy efficiency and present/future demand patterns.
- Develop a personal well-argued and quantified view of possible energy futures.
Other Information
- Lecturer: Dr Niraj Lal (niraj.lal@anu.edu.au)
- Convenor: A/Prof Kylie Catchpole (kylie.catchpole@anu.edu.au)
- Tutor: Ms Zeba Anjum (zeba.anjum@anu.edu.au)
- Guest lecturers: A/Prof Janette Lindesay, Prof Aidan Byrne, Dr Mike Smith, A/Prof Wojciech Lipinski, Mr Arni McKinley
Indicative Assessment
- Major project (40% total)
- Questions Portfolio (20%)
- Exam (20%)
- Letter to Minister (10%)
- Assignment (10%)
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Majors
Minors
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Students continuing in their current program of study will have their tuition fees indexed annually from the year in which you commenced your program. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1994-2003 | $1650 | |
| 2014 | $2952 | |
| 2013 | $2946 | |
| 2012 | $2946 | |
| 2011 | $2946 | |
| 2010 | $2916 | |
| 2009 | $2850 | |
| 2008 | $2592 | |
| 2007 | $2298 | |
| 2006 | $2190 | |
| 2005 | $2190 | |
| 2004 | $2190 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 1994-2003 | $3450 |
| 2014 | $3762 |
| 2013 | $3756 |
| 2012 | $3756 |
| 2011 | $3756 |
| 2010 | $3750 |
| 2009 | $3618 |
| 2008 | $3618 |
| 2007 | $3618 |
| 2006 | $3618 |
| 2005 | $3534 |
| 2004 | $3450 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7549 | 21 Jul 2014 | 01 Aug 2014 | 31 Aug 2014 | 30 Oct 2014 | In Person | N/A |