ENS 209 - Renewable Energy Systems

Course Units: 1.0

The study of renewable energy resources and the conversion technologies available to utilize them to meet society’s energy needs. Topics include forms of energy; First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics; energy conversion and efficiency; sustainability; energy storage. Historical perspective on world and U.S. energy usage, conversion technologies, and energy resources. Fundamentals of the conversion processes and systems involved in the use of solar thermal and photovoltaic, wind, bioenergy, geothermal, thermoelectric, hydro and ocean technologies. The use of hydrogen as a fuel and technologies to produce and use it. Economic and environmental issues relevant to renewable energy resources. Class will be supplemented with laboratory demonstrations and field trips to visit existing renewable energy systems. Prerequisite(s): MER 231 or PHY 122 Corequisite(s): ENS 209L CC: SET ISP: ENS, STS