Sustainable Energy
– choosing among options
10.391J, 1.818J, 2.65J, 3.564J, 11.371J, 22.811J, and ESD.166J
Fall 2008 Term
Instructors: M.W. Golay
| J. Freidberg | J.W. Tester | E. Drake | W. Green
| A. Peterson
Course
Description
·
Energy technologies for 21st century regional and global
needs and environmental challenges
o Renewable (solar, biomass, wind, hydro, geothermal)
o Nuclear (fission, fusion)
o Fossil (gas, oil, coal)
Energy storage, transmission, end-use and
efficiency/conservation issues
Energy technology assessment in a political, social, economic and environmental context with life cycle assessment and systems integration methods
Course Information
- Credits:
(3-1-8)
- Meets Tuesday & Thursday: 3-5 pm | Room 26-100
- Course grades based on homework, mid-term quiz,
and term project
More Information
- MIT Open Course Ware for 10.391
Spring 2005 and IAP 2007
- Stellar site for Fall
2008
- Course text: Tester, J. W., E. M. Drake, M. W. Golay,
M. J. Driscoll, and W. A. Peters. Sustainable
Energy: Choosing Among Options.
Contact
Fall 2008 TA: Blandine Antoine (blandine@mit.edu)
Examples of Final Projects (Spring 2008)
And pdf
versions of some 2000-2004 final papers
|
Solar Energy
Storage |
|
Potential for reducing annual automotive mileage and fuel
consumption through development of modern urban/suburban mass transit
systems. Land use? Barriers? |
|
Energy storage: Technology opportunities and their
integration into interruptible renewable energy sources. |
|
Commercial Aviation fuel reduction |
|
Examination and comparison of large corporations that have
committed on some scale to “sustainability”, e.g., Interface, Ford, GE, BP,
etc (focus) |
|
Examining Different Policy Options for Increasing Access
to Energy in Sub-Saharan Africa and |
|
Impact of large scale dam construction on the economy in
developing regions |
|
Consider benefits/problems associated with future
widespread transition of US auto fuels to biomass sources; identify better
strategies? |
|
Technology Review and Analysis of Implementation Impact
for Plasma Enhanced Melting (PEM) for Waste Disposal and Energy Production |
|
Is the off-grid energy self sustaining home a viable
option for wide spread adoption? |
|
Grid Connected Vehicles. 1. Effects of connecting large
numbers of vehicles to the transmission grid, 2. Air quality, 3. Feasibility
of bidirectional grid connections |
|
Plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Is driving PHEVs charged on wind is a good
step towards sustainability in |
|
Is the off-grid energy self sustaining home a viable
option for wide spread adoption? State-of-the-art and future potential.
Costs, benefits? |
|
National Energy Strategy for |
|
Potential for |
|
National energy strategy for |
|
The Effects of Further Development and Use of Mass Transit |
|
Will fusion ever be economic? |
|
Application of behavioral research to energy efficiency
policy |
|
Economic impact of a carbon tax across sectors |
|
Feasibility of Algae-based Biodiesel |
|
Environmental impact of large-scale palm oil cultivation
in southeast Asia for producing biofuels and
relation to land management decisions |
|
LCA issues for converting biomass energy crops into biofuels |
|
Estimation and comparison of large corporations that have
“committed” to “sustainability” (more
focus) |
|
Use of “fee-bates” by governments to encourage energy
efficiency and shift consumer choices in purchasing automobiles, appliances,
etc. |
|
Building Efficiency. Economic feasibility of options for
improving building efficiency/usage in urban redevelopment projects/ low
income housing in US cities |
|
Local Food. Environmental impacts and energy requirements
of large scale operations vs local ones. |
|
What can policy instruments do for increasing the
deployment of renewable energy in |
|
Geothermal energy development in |
|
National energy strategy for |
|
#2 Nuclear Power in
|
|
Is a zero net energy building- or campus- a realistic
sustainable goal? |
|
PURPA: Lessons learned in the promotion of alternative
energy |
|
National energy strategy for UAE |
|
|
|
Is there a next generation for nuclear power in the |
|
Assess future of a local company called GreenFuel Technologies – their technology uses power
plant flue gases to grow algae for making biodiesel & ethanol |
|
Economic Controls for Greenhouse Gas Emissions |
|
Efficient mix of solar thermal and photovoltaics
for buildings. |
|
Oil Sands Recovery |
|
Feasibility of CO2 Emission Control and Industrial
Development in |
|
Geothermal: Why I Never Hear About It |
|
|
|
The future of Solar beyond conventional PV – Can they
really make a difference as a major alternative energy supply? |
|
Can advances in bionanotechnology
provide better solutions to the problems of sustainable energy on a large
scale? |
|
Toxic Waste produced by nuclear energy |
|
Exploring the Potential of |
|
Is the Tata Motor Company’s Nano
car a good thing for developing countries? |
|
What CCS demonstration projects are being implemented now;
when might the technology actually start being deployed in the electric
sector? |
|
Will the technology of modern biology enable the
production of competitive fuels? |
|
Can nuclear power be used in developing countries
effectively and safely? |
|
Think in 2008: The rise and fall of an electric car. Will
it work the third time? |
|
Wind Energy technology: Lessons learned from |
|
inclusion of externalities in stationary power generation
from coal |
|
Sustainable Energy in Developing Countries: |
|
Examination of current electrical power grid, limitations
and future designs. |
|
Geothermal Economics. Examine current geothermal
technologies and their potential relationship to an economically competitive
market |
|
PBMR coupled with hydrogen production |
|
Rate decoupling. How can the utilities’ earnings be
“uncoupled” from consumption? Most energy utilities increase their revenues
by increasing sales. |