Undergraduate Teaching 2024-25

Engineering Tripos Part IIB, 4I7: Electricity & Environment, 2017-18

Engineering Tripos Part IIB, 4I7: Electricity & Environment, 2017-18

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Module Leader

Professor M Pollitt

Lecturer

Professor M Pollitt

Timing and Structure

Lent term. 2 hour sessions. Assessment: 100% coursework.

Prerequisites

Students should have a basic engineering knowledge of electricity (first year undergraduate) and a familiarity with the units and notation associated with energy science and engineering. An understanding of undergraduate engineering thermodynamics is desirable if the full benefits of the course are to be achieved. Assessment will be structured so as to be accessible to students from a range of backgrounds although basic undergraduate physics or engineering proficiency is expected.

Aims

The aims of the course are to:

  • provide students with a firm foundation in modern electricity policy with an emphasis on the UK.
  • introduce students to a wide a variety of mature and emergent electricity generation and demand side technologies.
  • expose students to the local, regional and global environmental effects of energy use.
  • introduce the key considerations of energy policy and develops frameworks by which progress against policy goals may be achieved.

Content

This module is a postgraduate module of Cambridge Judge Business School. It has its origins as an elective course of the MPhil in Technology Policy and the MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development. The module is of the standard size adopted in the Engineering Department and the Judge Business School, i.e. a nominal 16 hours. The course is delivered via one two-hour lecture each week for eight weeks.

Overview - Class Introduction - Michael Pollitt

Lecture 1

  • History of Electrical Power and Energy Policy.
  • Fundamentals of the UK and USA Electricity System.
  • UK Energy Policy and Politics.
  • Recent UK Energy White Papers.

Environmental Effects of Fossil Fuel Use and what to do about them (Michael Pollitt)

Lecture 2

  • Air Pollution
  • Climate Change
  • Science of energy related climate change
  • Strategies for reducing risk
  • Impact of climate change negotiations

Electricity Demand (Michael Pollitt)

Lecture 3

  • Economics of Electricity Demand
  • Technological aspects of electricity demand
  • Social aspects of electricity demand
  • Demand side policy

Wind Energy (Jim Platts)

Lecture 4

  • Attributes of wind power
  • Technology and history
  • Wind resources and grid integration
  • UK and EU wind policy
  • Wind turbine manufacture

Fossil fuel generation, storage and future electricity markets (Michael Pollitt)

Lecture 5

  • Current status of fossil-fuel power generation.
  • Economics of Carbon Capture and Storage
  • Electricity storage
  • The economics of electricity storage
  • Future electricity market design

Renewables and the Electricity System (Michael Pollitt)

Lecture 6

 

  • Renewables context
  • Potential for renewables in the UK.
  • Place of renewables in electricity system.
  • How to subsidise renewables.
  • Lessons form around the world.

Electricity Networks (Richard McMahon)

Lecture 7

  • Transmission and distribution system engineering considerations
  • Design and operation
  • History of the grid and legacy issues
  • Distributed Generation
  • High voltage DC and interconnection

Nuclear Power, Electricity Security and EU Policy (Michael Pollitt)

Lecture 8

  • The economics of Nuclear Power
  • Energy Security
  • EU Energy Policy
    • EU 20:20:20 by 2020 Targets
    • EU 2030 Targets
    • Roadmap 2050

Coursework

 

Coursework Format

Due date

& marks

First piece of coursework

Use the UK 2050 calculator to generate own electricity related scenario.

Learning objectives:

  • To develop an internally consistent quantified energy scenario for a real economy
  • To get a sense of the scale of the difficulty of the energy transition challenges for electricity

Individual report

1000 words

anonymously marked

12 February 2018

[30/100]

Second piece of coursework

Essay on the 2030 decarbonisation challenge facing the UK electricity system.

Learning objectives:

  • To discuss the challenge of decarbonising the UK electricity system by 2030.
  • To cover both the economic and engineering challenges facing the UK electricity system.

Individual Report

2000 words

anonymously marked

24 April 2018

[70/100]

 

Booklists

Expected reading:

Jamasb, T., Nuttall, W. and Pollitt, M. (2006) Future electricity technologies and systems. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press N.B. Discount available for students on CUP books at CUP bookshop. Printed book at: HD9697.A2 J34 Engineering: DE159 Mar: 26 AC 58 UL: 220:01.c.27.63

Grubb, M., Jamasb, T., and Pollitt, M.G. (2008) Delivering a low-carbon electricity system. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Printed book at: JBS: TD195.E4 G72 2008 Engineering: DE.166

 

Recommended reading:

Nuttall, W.J. (2005) Nuclear renaissance: technologies and policies for the future of nuclear power. Bristol: IOP Pub. Printed book at: JBS: TK9145.N87 Engineering: XA.31 UL: 429:5.c.200.5 (South Front 6)

Jamasb, T. and Pollitt, M. (2011) The Future of Electricity Demand Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Printed book at: JBS: HD9685.G72 J35 2011 Engineering: DE.190UL: 235.c.201.356 (South Front 6)

MacKay, D.J.C. (2009) Sustainable energy without the hot air. Cambridge: UIT E-book via withouthotair http://www.withouthotair.com/download.html Printed book at: Engineering: DE.164

HM Government 2050 Pathways analysis Report via DECC Publications http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/tackling/2050/2050.aspx

Examination Guidelines

Please refer to Form & conduct of the examinations.

UK-SPEC

This syllabus contributes to the following areas of the UK-SPEC standard:

Toggle display of UK-SPEC areas.

 
Last modified: 11/08/2017 12:29

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