| SES # | TIMES | TOPICS | READINGS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | |||
| A1 | 9 - 10:15 am | Introduction: How energy is supplied and used, resources, depletion rates, U.S. and global energy consumption and demand (Golay) | SE: Chapters 2 and 4. |
| A2 | 10:15 - 10:30 am | Course organization and format | |
| A3 | 11 - 12:30 pm | Energy sustainability Issues: Security, availability, environmental impacts, poverty - complex trade-off systems (Drake) | SE: Chapter 1. |
| A4 | 1:30 - 2:30 pm | Environmental footprint exercise; discussion of sustainability frameworks (Drake) | |
| A5 | 3 - 4:30 pm | Homework #1: Energy sustainability(Drake) (work in class - submit next morning) | |
| Day 2 | |||
| B1 | 9 - 10:30 am | Energy supply portfolio - U.S. and Global: Past, present, and future; Hubbert curves, exponential versus linear growth (Tester) | SE: Chapter 2. |
| B2 | 11 - 12:30 pm | Energy resource availability (Tester) | |
| B3 | 1:30 - 2:30 pm | Global change science; energy use issues (Prinn) | SE: Chapter 4. |
| B4 | 3 - 4:30 pm | Review Homework #1 Additional example problems General discussion | |
| Day 3 | |||
| C1 | 9 - 10:30 am | Toolbox Lec #1: Energy analysis and basics of thermodynamics (Tester) | SE: Chapter 3. |
| C2 | 11 - 12:00 pm | Toolbox Lec #1 (cont) (Tester) Introduction to energy storage and distribution, issues, energy chains Examples worked with the class | |
| C3 | 1:00 - 2:30 pm | Toolbox Lec #2: Economic analysis of energy technologies and systems - discount rates, net present value, externalities (Golay) | SE: Chapter 5. |
| C4 | 3 - 4:30 pm | Homework #2: Energy system thermodynamics and economics (Tester and Golay) (work in class - submit next morning) | |
| Day 4 | |||
| D1 | 9 - 10:30 am | Future auto technologies: Fuel cells, electric vehicles (Sadoway) | |
| D2 | 11 - 12:30 pm | Electricity supply and distribution systems (Golay) | SE: Chapter 17. |
| D3 | 1:30 - 2:30 pm | Toolbox Lec #3a: Systems analysis methodologies (Drake):
| SE: Chapter 6. |
| D4 | 3 - 4 pm | Review homework #2 (Drake, Golay, and Tester) | |
| Day 5 | |||
| E1 | 9 - 10:30 am | Electric transmission and distribution system; transition from centralized supply to more distributed supply; reliability; deregulation implications (Ilic) | |
| E2 | 11 - 12:30 pm | Building sector - energy use and conservation opportunities in the U.S. and at MIT (Glicksman) | SE: Chapter 20. |
| E3 | 1:30 - 2:30 pm | Building developments in growing new economies - e.g. China (Glicksman) | |
| E4 | 3 - 4:30 pm | Homework #3: Energy analysis tools (Drake, Beckham) (work in class - submit next morning) | |
| Day 6 | |||
| F1 | 9 - 10:30 am | Energy transmission, distribution, storage (Tester) | SE: Chapter 16. |
| F2 | 11 - 12:30 pm | Transportation sector: Fuels and vehicle technologies (Bandivadekar) | SE: Chapter 18. |
| F3 | 1:30 - 2:30 pm | Toolbox Lec #3b: Systems analysis methodologies (cont.) (Drake):
| SE: Chapter 21. |
| F4 | 3 - 4:30 pm | Review Homework #3 (Drake and Tester) General discussion | |
| Day 7 | |||
| G1 | 9 - 10:30 am | Fossil fuels and carbon management (Incropera) | SE: Chapter 7. |
| G2 | 11 - 12:30 pm | Nuclear energy (Golay) | SE: Chapter 8. |
| G3 | 1:30 - 3 pm | Renewable energy overview (Tester) | SE: Chapter 9. |
| G4 | 3:30 - 4:30 pm | Introduction to energy technology modules - biomass and geothermal, in addition to fossil and nuclear above | |
| Day 8 | |||
| H1 | 9 - 10:00 am | Wind energy fundamentals (Tester) | SE: Chapter 15. |
| H2 | 10:30 am - 12:00 noon | Cape wind project (Gordon and Watson) | |
| H3 | 1:00- 2:30 pm | Solar energy technologies (Kern) | SE: Chapter 13. |
| H4 | 3 - 4:30 pm | Final exam - in class (2 in-class problems) and a take home essay problem due 1 day after day 9 | |
| Day 9 | |||
| I1 | 9 - 10:30 am | International efforts to abate global change (Jacoby) | |
| I2 | 11 - 12:30 pm | New Energy Frontiers:
| |
| I3 | 2 - 4 pm | Open forum - pathways to sustainability (Drake, Incropera, Tester, Golay) | SE: Chapter 22. |
| I4 | 4 pm | Course feedback and wrap-up | |
Table of Contents
Study Materials
Readings
This section contains documents that could not be made accessible to screen reader software. A "#" symbol is used to denote such documents.
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Readings
This section features the readings for Part A and Part B of the course. Additional readings for both parts are also listed below.
Part A - IAP 2007
Textbook
SE = Tester, J. W., E. M. Drake, M. W. Golay, M. J. Driscoll, and W. A. Peters. Sustainable Energy: Choosing Among Options. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2005. ISBN: 9780262201537.
Readings by Session
Textbooks
SE = Tester, J. W., E. M. Drake, M. W. Golay, M. J. Driscoll, and W. A. Peters. Sustainable energy: Choosing among options. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2005. ISBN: 9780262201537.
GPP = DiPippo, R. Geothermal Power Plants: Principles, Applications and Case Studies. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Advanced Technology, 2005. ISBN: 9781856174749.
FGE = Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "The Future of Geothermal Energy: Impact of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) on the United States in the 21st Century." Idaho Falls, ID: Idaho National Laboratory, January 2007. ISBN: 9780615134383. (PDF - 14.1 MB)#
Readings by Session
| SES # | TOPICS | READINGS |
|---|---|---|
| I. Biomass energy | ||
| 1 | Introduction to biomass resource (Jeff Tester) Resource assessment - biomass types and magnitudes (Jeff Tester) Overview of chemical, thermal, and bio-conversion technologies (Jeff Tester) | Liu, Hong, Stephen Grot, and Bruce E. Logan. "Electrochemically Assisted Microbial Production of Hydrogen from Acetate." Environ Sci Technolo 39 (2005): 4317-4320. Ghirarid, M. L., and P. W. King, M. C. Posewitz, P. Ching Maness, A. Fedorov, K. Kim, J. Cohen, K. Schulten, and M. Seibert. "Approaches to Developing Biological H2 -photoproducing Organisms and Processes." Biochemical Society Transactions 33, part 1 (2005): 70-72. Bennetto, H. P. "Electricity Generation by Microorganisms." Biotechnology Education 1, no. 4 (1990): 163-168. |
| 2 | Thermochemical and hydrothermal conversion technology - gasification and liquefaction (Andy Peterson) Discussion of example and homework problems (Jeff Tester and Gregg Beckham) | |
| 3 | Ethanol as a fuel (Jeff Tester) Ethanol production across its full life cycle (Jeremy Johnson) Discussion of homework problem set (Jeff Tester and Gregg Beckham) | |
| 4 | Advanced technologies and opportunities:
| |
| 5 | Special Lecture: "Biomass to ethanol and evolving story of expectations and opportunities." (Dr. Michael Pacheco, Director national Bioenergy Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory) | |
| II. Future of fossil fuels and carbon management | ||
| 6 | Origins and characterization of fossil fuels Consumption and production trends Metrics for assessing fuel production options Reserves and resources: What's left; how long will it last? A supply-side model: Hubbert's Peak | SE: Chapter 1, pp. 2-9 and 20-32. SE: Chapter 2, pp. 51-85. SE: Chapter 7, 337-341. |
| 7 | Thermodynamics of fossil fuels:
Clean coal technology options: Super-critical, oxy-combustion and IGCC systems. There is no free lunch: The costs of clean coal | SE: Chapter 3, pp. 88-108. SE: Chapter 7, pp. 295-324 and 341-358. |
| 8 | Radiation transfer and the global energy balance Radiative forcings and the greenhouse effect Carbon dioxide emissions: Past and future trends An approximate carbon cycle model | SE: Chapter 4, pp. 158-172. SE: Chapter 7, 329-337. |
| 9 | Trends in the Earth's average temperature and sea level Effects of ice melting Strategies for stabilizing atmospheric CO2 concentrations at 450 to 550 ppmv. The Future of Coal. Results of a special MIT study (Howard Herzog) The Future of Tar Sands. A special lecture (Murray gray) | SE: Chapter 4, 172-184. Socolow, Robert H., and Stephen W. Pacala. "A Plan to Keep Carbon In Check." Scientific American 295, no. 3 (September 2006): 50-59. Hawkins, David G., Daniel A. Lashof, and Robert H. Williams. "What to Do About Coal." Scientific American 295, no. 3 (September 2006): 68-75. Brainard, Jeffrey, and Richard Monastersky. "Congress Debates Climate Change." The Chronicle of Higher Education 53, no. 25 (February 23, 2007): A20. |
| III. Geothermal energy | ||
| 10 | General overview of the geothermal resource (Jeff Tester) Worldwide production of geothermal electricity and heat (Ron DiPippo) Drilling - gaining access to the resource for exploration and production (Jeff Tester) | GPP: Chapter 5, sections 5.1 to 5.6. GPP: Chapter 7, sections 7.1 and 7.3 to 7.5. SE: Chapter 11, sections 11.1, 11.2, and 11.5. |
| 11 | Reservoir engineering and characterization (Jeff Tester and Nafi Toksoz) Energy conversion systems and power plant fundamentals (Ron DiPippo) Assign and discuss example and homework problems (Ron DiPippo) | GPP: Chapter 6, sections 6.1 to 6.6. GPP: Chapter 8, sections 8.1 to 8.5. SE: Chapter 11, section 11.3. |
| 12 | Environmental impacts of geothermal uses (Ron DiPippo) Review of power plant homework problems (Ron DiPippo) | GPP: Chapter 9, sections 9.1 to 9.5, 9.8, and 9.9. SE: Chapter 11, sections 11.1.4, 11.4, and 11.5.2. |
| 13 | Economic modeling (Jeff Tester) Enhanced/engineered systems - HDR technology (Jeff Tester) Prognosis: "The future of geothermal energy" (Jeff Tester and Ron DiPippo) | FGE: Chapters 1 to 9. SE: Chapter 11, sections 11.5 to 11.8. |
| IV. Nuclear power | ||
| 14 | Nuclear power prospects and technologies (Michael Golay) Advanced reactors (Michael Golay) | |
| 15 | Nuclear fuel cycle, proliferation, and waste disposal (Michael Golay and Andrew Kadak) | |
| 16 | Nuclear energy and global warming (Michael Golay) | |
| 17 | Non-electrical nuclear energy products:
| |
Part A and B
Energy Security Leadership Council. "Recommendations to the Nation on Reducing U.S. Oil Dependence." Securing America's Future Energy, December 2006. (PDF - 3.34 MB)#
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "The Future of Geothermal Energy: Impact of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) on the United States in the 21st Century." Idaho Falls, ID: Idaho National Laboratory, January 2007. ISBN: 9780615134383. (PDF - 14.1 MB)#
Part A
Munson, Richard. From Edison to Enron: the Business of Power and What It Means for the Future of Electricity. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 2005. ISBN: 9780275987404.
Depledge, Joanna, and Robert Lamb, eds. Caring for Climate: A guide to the Climate Change Convention and the Kyoto Protocol. Revised 2005 edition. Bonn, Germany: Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC), 2005. ISBN: 9789292190200. (PDF - 4.9 MB)#
Lovins, Amory B., E. Kyle Datta, Odd-Even Bustnes, and Jonathan G. Koomey. Winning the Oil Endgame. Snowmass, CO: Rocky Mountain Institute, 2004. ISBN: 9781881071105. See a video lecture at MIT World.
Browne, John. "What Will It Take to Attain Sustainability?" World Energy 10, no. 1 (2007).
Loomis, Richard R., and Susan Salter. "Can BP Come Clean?" World Energy Monthly Review (September 2006).
Nickisch, Curt. "Geothermal: Hot New Energy Source?" WBUR News report, January 22, 2007.
Part B
King, David A. "Introduction: Energy for a Sustainable Future." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A 365 (2007): 883-895.
Barber, James. "Biological Solar Energy." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A 365 (2007): 1007-1023.
Edwards, P. P., V. L. Kuznetsov, and W. I. F. David. "Hydrogen Energy." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A 365 (2007): 1043-1056.
Grätzel, Michael. "Photovoltaic and Photoelectrochemical Conversion of Solar Energy." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A 365 (2007): 993-1005.
Holloway, Sam. "Carbon Dioxide Capture and Geological Storage." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A 365 (2007): 1095-1107.
Ion, Sue. "Nuclear Energy: Current Situation and Prospects to 2020." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A 365 (2007): 935-944.
Kerr, David. "Marine Energy." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A 365 (2007): 971-992.
Leithead, W. E. "Wind Energy." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A 365 (2007): 957-970.
Sigfusson, Thorsteinn I. "Pathways to Hydrogen as an Energy Carrier." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A 365 (2007): 1025-1042.
Llewellyn Smith, Chris, and David Ward. "The Path to Fusion Power." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A 365 (2007): 945-956.
Socolow, R. H., and S. H. Lam. "Good Enough Tools for Global Warming and Policy Making." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A 365 (2007): 897-934.
Tester, Jefferson W., Brian J. Anderson, Anthony S. Batchelor, David D. Blackwell, Ronald DiPippo, Elisabeth M. Drake, John Garnish, Bill Livesay, Michael C. Moore, Kenneth Nichols, Susan Petty, M. Nafi Toksoz, Ralph W. Veatch, Roy Baria, Chad Augustine, Enda Murphy, Petru Negraru, and Maria Richards. "Impact of Enhanced Geothermal Systems on U. S. Energy Supply in the Twenty-First Century." Phil Trans R Soc A 365 (2007): 1057-1094.