Objectives[edit | edit source]
By the end of the Energy Fundamentals module, students will understand:
- Energy basics
- Working with dimensional units
- Global, national, local and personal energy use
- Renewable and non-renewable methods of energy production and their impacts
Goals[edit | edit source]
The following are some of the main goals for the Energy Fundamentals module.
Concepts[edit | edit source]
By the end of the Energy Fundamentals module, students will understand the following concepts (among others):
- Energy types and transfer
- Power loss and efficiency
- Laws of Thermodynamics
- Energy generation, storage and generation
- Models
- Power versus energy
- EROI
- Primary energy source versus energy carrier
Vocabulary and units[edit | edit source]
By the end of the Energy Fundamentals module, students will be able to confidently use the following vocabulary and/or units (among others):
- Conduction, convection, radiation, energy, power, length, area, volume, EROI, entropy, power loss, distribution, energy carrier, primary energy source
- BTU, therm, joule, quads, cal, Cal, kw, kWh, kg, m, ft, s, hr, m3, ft3, prefixes (m, k, M, G)
Calculations[edit | edit source]
By the end of the Energy Fundamentals module, students will be able to do the following calculations (among others):
- E=P*t
- gas mileage and cost
- efficiency
How to[edit | edit source]
By the end of the Energy Fundamentals module, students will be comfortable doing the following (among others):
- use a kilowatt meter
- electrical energy audit
- Back Of the Envelope calculations
Field trips[edit | edit source]
By the end of the Energy Fundamentals module, students will be have gone on the following field trips (possibly among others):
- Schatz Energy Research Center
- Campus Center for Appropriate Technology
- Redwood Coast Energy Authority