CEM350: Urban Energy Systems and Energy and the Environment

Module code: CEM350

Module provider: School of Construction Management and Engineering, School of Built Environment

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Maria Vahdati, email: m.m.vahdati@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Dr Mate Janos Lorincz, email: m.lorincz@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 11 November 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

Energy underpins our current standard of living and economic development. The environmental impact of energy use and transition to a lower carbon economy presents significant challenges. This module is concerned with the technical, environmental, economic and social issues associated with the production of energy. It includes an overview of energy production and consumption trends, traditional means of energy production, renewable energy, sustainability, environmental issues and political and economic concepts in energy.  

Emerging technologies, especially alternative vehicles and electricity based heating systems, have potential to bring a rapid change in demand on urban energy systems. Such changes need to be understood at district and city scales and may also be best managed at these scales. This module will also consider the possible impacts of such changes and appropriate mitigation approaches, including the emergence of smarter energy grids. A particular focus is given to the rapidly changing role of energy distribution networks. Consideration of urban energy systems is used to introduce wider systems thinking approaches that offer new insights and currently have an evolving place in energy and sustainability research. Wider aspects of urban sustainability specifically related to energy use are also addressed. 

Aims: 

To provide a multi-disciplinary, integrated introduction to technical, environmental, economic and social issues associated with energy production, including the consideration of the practical constraints that limit the extent to which negative impacts can be ameliorated. 

To develop skills in analysing energy systems at an urban scale; as well as to introduce specific issues from the sustainability agenda that are more problematic in urban areas and closely linked with energy use. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Discuss, at a professional level, the significance of energy in the modern world, with due reference to social, economic, historic, environmental and technological contexts.
2. Make rational preliminary choices between energy technologies for any application on the basis of economic, social, environmental and technological factors, using quantitative arguments where appropriate.
3. Describe the uniquely urban factors that impact on the sustainability of energy supply and the factors that limit sustainable energy generation capacity in urban systems.
4. Describe alternative approaches for conveying energy to urban users to meet a variety of needs, including heating, transport and provision of electricity for electric only services.
5. Discuss he characteristics of typical renewable energy sources and demand sectors as well as options to improve balancing, such as energy storage and smarter energy grids.

Module content

• Trends in energy production and consumption 
• Energy economics 
• Fossil fuel heat and power generation 
• Nuclear power 
• Environmental impacts of energy production 
• Introduction to sustainability 
• Introduction to new and renewable energy technologies 
• Introductory Meteorology for Renewable Energy Systems 
• Urban characteristics and considerations with energy implications. 
• Urban energy systems. 
• Energy variability and options for supply/ demand alignment including storage. 
• Developments in urban energy infrastructure, including alternative (non-electricity) energy vectors,e.g. gas, hydrogen and heat networks 
• Smart grids. 
• Concepts in sustainability with specific urban implications. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

Alongside lectures and seminars, tutorials introduce techniques that are then explored further in the main assignment. Group investigations within the module delivery week provide additional engagement with the module content. A site visit will allow engagement with the energy industry.

Study hours

At least 55 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The below information applies toall full time and flexible modularstudents on taught PGT programmes in SBE

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Group work during the module week.

Reassessment

Additional costs