ECE 5364: Electric Energy and Environmental Systems

Course Description

Role of electricity from fossil and nuclear fuels, and renewable resources. Impact of high voltage transmission lines. Health effects of electricity generation. Assessment of cogeneration cycles and demand side management. Emission control in the US electric utility industry. Evaluation of uncertainties in quantifying emissions impacts. Prerequisites: none. (3H,3C). Fall Semesterss. Topics covered include (See course syllabus):

• Role of electricity in energy balance
• Environmental impacts of electricity from fossil fuels
• Environmental impacts of electricity from nuclear fuels
• Environmental impacts of renewable energy sources
• Kyoto Protocol issues
• Assessment of health effects of electricity generation
• Strategies for combined heat and power production
• Emission control in the US electric utility industry
• Life cycle assessment activities
• Energy efficiency, DSM and conservation
• Uncertainty evaluation model
  

ECE 5364 is completely web-based, and it can be taken for 3 graduate level credits. Any VT student with graduate standing can take this course, there are no pre-requisites. Anyone with a vt.edu PID can enroll themselves. The course is fully online, students will have come to class only twice - for the midterm and final only. All lectures (audio, text, web browsing) will be done online. Lectures will be posted on a weekly basis and students will have a week to study the material and answer homework questions and quizzes. All homework assignments will be turned in via the class website. Please look at www.learn.vt.edu site to get an idea about the Blackboard platform that will be used to conduct the class. There will be chatrooms and threaded discussions among students. Students are not required to come to campus to attend classes. For students who are in Blacksburg and in No VA area, they are asked to come to class for the mid-term and the final exams only. Students who are in other locations can submit their exams via email attachment, exams are sent to the student via email. The lecture materials, text book, homework and homework solutions, sample test materials are posted on the class website, and managed through Course Info.

Textbook(s)

All lectures (audio, text, web browsing) will be made available online.

Instructor: Saifur Rahman
Professor
Alexandria Research Institute
206 N. Washington Street
Suite 400
Alexandria, VA 22314
Tel : (703) 518-8080 (O)
Fax: (703) 518-8085
Email: srahman@vt.edu
Website: www.ari.vt.edu/people/rahman

Go to Course Site