Global sustainable energy
Coursera training, MOOC (2014). Given online by the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering of the University of Florida (US), this training covers concepts of work and energy and their relationship with our modern society. Each aspect of this relationship is analyzed, including consumptive patterns for the residential, commercial, industrial and transportation sectors. Sources for fossil fuels and the differences between reserves and production are also examined.
Module 1: History of energy
Main topics:
- Energy sources;
- Brush wind power machine;
- Steam and diesel engines.
Module 2: History of mechanized agriculture
Main topics:
- Crop yields;
- Fertilizers and pesticides;
- Fuel requirements.
Module 3: Transportation
Main topics:
- Fuel types;
- International consumption patterns;
- Driving techniques.
Module 4: Residential energy consumption
Main topics:
- Energy efficiency;
- Energy footprint;
- Energy savings.
Module 5: Commercial energy consumption
Main topics:
- Heating;
- Ventilating;
- Air conditioning (AC);
- Lighting;
- Energy efficiency.
Module 6: Industrial energy and total energy requirements
Main topics:
- Primary materials;
- Fossil fuels;
- Recycling.
Module 7: Energy availability
Main topics:
- Fossil fuel availability;
- Total energy requirements;
- Export Land Model.
Module 8: Marketplace
Main topics:
- Oil commodity market;
- Commodity exchanges;
- Speculation.
Module 9: Current warnings
Main topics:
- Peak Oil;
- Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC);
- Fungible products.
Module 10: Transformations I – electricity
Main topics:
- Energy efficiency;
- Renewable energy sources;
- Subsidies.
Module 11: Transformations II – oil
Main topics:
- Transportation sector;
- Energy efficiency;
- Driving techniques.
Reference