Page 1 Energy 101 Fall 2013

Energy 101
ENERGY, TECHNOLOGY & POLI CY

Course Title: Energy 101: Energy Technology and Policy
Institution: UTAustinx
Course Code: UT.1.01x
Course URL: http://www.tinyurl.com/utenergy101
Start Date: 15 September 2013
Duration: 11 Weeks

Instructor: Michael E. Webber, Ph.D.
Website: http://www.webberenergygroup.com
Email: energy101@edx.utexas.edu
Global Office Hours: Wednesday 0100-0200 GMT / Thursday 1530-1630 GMT

Teaching Assistant: Andrew King
Global Office Hours: Thursday 0100-0200 GMT / Friday 1400-1500 GMT

Teaching Assistant: Elizabeth Waite
Global Office Hours: Monday 0200-0300 GMT / Monday 1730-1830 GMT

Global Office Hours take place virtually in online spaces your instructors have established for
the cohort of students enrolled in this course. Through the Facebook page, Twitter feed, and
edX Discussion panel, you will be able to ask questions and get answers from Dr. Webber and
his two teaching assistants. More instructions and procedures regarding Global Office Hours
will be sent through email and posted online across these platforms.

Email: energy101@edx.utexas.edu
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/UTenergy101
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/UTenergy101
Course site: Check the discussion and announcements tab of the edX dashboard for
the latest updates, supplemental materials, and frequently asked questions

Course Objective: Fluency in Energy

Energy is the largest industry in the world. It differentiates modern society from pre-industrial
society and is one of the key drivers of quality-of-life, but at the same time is the biggest
polluter on the planet. Understanding energy requires a brand-new language.
By being fluent in energy, you will be able to think critically about energy issues.
Page 2 Energy 101 Fall 2013
Description:
This multidisciplinary course will give students from around the world an overview of energy
technologies, fuels, environmental impacts and public policies. Topics will be
interdisciplinary and will include an introduction to quantitative concepts in energy, including
the differences among fuels and energy technologies, energy policy levers, and the societal
aspects of energy, such as culture and economics. This course will cover brief snippets of
energy history, use real-world examples and look forward into the future. The course
consists of 30 separate modules scheduled over 11 weeks beginning 15 September 2013.
There are no outside reading assignments or pre-requisites for this course; it is designed to
be self-contained within the modules. Each module consists of a short lecture and interactive
exercises.

After this course you will:
Understand energy terminology, units, and magnitudes, such as joules, BTU and quad
Know the primary sources of energy
Be able to explain the sectors of energy consumption
Understand how energy is connected across sectors
Comprehend how energy production and conversion technologies work
Understand how energy policy and technology affect one another
Know how energy needs, sources and uses have changed over time
Be aware of how energy issues and economic issues are related
Be tuned in to emerging trends in energy issues

Schedule:
Course Opens 15 September 2013 at 0000 GMT at http://www.edx.org
Modules are released Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and must be completed within seven
days of release. For example, Module 2 will be released on 18 September 2013 at 0000 GMT
and must be completed by 25 September 2013 at 2359 GMT. An easy-to-use web tool for
calculating your local time when modules will be released and due can be accessed at
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html Select the month, day, year,
hour, and minutes under Select time and place to convert from. The default location is
UTC/GMT, which is the edX time standard. Then under Select places to convert to you can
search for your city or a nearby city, or select the time zone using either the buttons or the
dropdown menu. When all your options are selected, click convert time. The table on the
following page lists the local time for 0000 GMT. The same process works for determining
local time for global office hours.

Page 3 Energy 101 Fall 2013
A module-specific schedule is available to supplement this syllabus.
The course site will be active 15 September 2013 at 0000 GMT, so you can access the edX
dashboard and become familiar with the platform without balancing course material. Module
1 will be released 16 September 2013 at 0000 GMT
Week 1 Begins 15 September
Module 1: Introduction and Course Objectives
Module 2: Energy Transitions Over Time
Module 3: Energy Vocabulary and Literacy
Week 2 Begins 23 September
Module 4: Energy Basics & Fundamentals: Thermodynamics & Efficiency
Module 5: Energy Uses in America & the World
Module 6: Fossil Fuels I: Geological Formation of Fuels
Week 3 Begins 30 September
Module 7: Fossil Fuels II: Coal
Module 8: Fossil Fuels III: Natural Gas
Module 9: Fossil Fuels IV: Petroleum
Week 4 Begins 7 October
Module 10: Fossil Fuels V: Unconventional Fossil Fuels & Liquids
Module 11: Renewable Energy I: Overview
Module 12: Renewable Energy II: Hydro
Week 5 Begins 14 October
Module 13: Renewable Energy III: Wind
Module 14: Renewable Energy IV: Solar
Module 15: Renewable Energy V: Geothermal
Week 6 Begins 21 October
Module 16: Renewable Energy VI: Bioenergy
Module 17: Nuclear Power
Brief Midterm Examination
Module 18: Electricity Sector I: Overview
Week 7 Begins 28 October
Module 19: Electricity Sector II: Generation
Module 20: Electricity Sector III: The Grid
Module 21: Electricity Sector IV: Energy Pricing & Valuation
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Week 8 Begins 4 November
Module 22: Transportation Sector I: Overview
Module 23: Transportation Sector II: Advanced Fuels & Drivetrains
Module 24: Energy & the Built Environment
Week 9 Begins 11 November
Module 25: Energy & the Economy: Market Sizes
Module 26: Energy & the Environment
Module 27: Climate Change
Week 10 Begins 18 November
Module 28: Energy & Water
Module 29: Energy & Food
Module 30: Energy & Humanity

Week 11 - Begins 25 November
Final Exam
Closing Remarks
Course Review
Certificates
Time Commitment:
For Energy 101: Energy Technology and Policy, you should plan to dedicate at least 2 hours a
week to completing the modules. Each module consists of a short video lecture and a
collection of related interactive activities. There are neither outside reading assignments nor
any work that must take place outside of the edX platform. However, all students are
encouraged to monitor their energy consumption patterns and energy related news going on
in their local and national setting. You will be assessed based on your completion of the
activities within the modules, your overall engagement with course material, and 2 quizzes.
As outlined above, the 30 modules are distributed across 10 weeks, and all work must be
completed by 26 November 2013 at 0000 GMT.
Certificates:
After the close of the course, those who have successfully completed all the modules will
receive a certificate from edX. The certificate will be delivered in digital form through email,
and you can download and print it. It may take up to one week after the course closes to
receive your certificate, but if you do not receive an email containing your certificate for
download, a copy will be made available to you through the Dashboard at edx.org