About this course

The course provides an introduction to technical, environmental and economic aspects of converting renewable energy resources, methods for energy analysis, as well as how energy systems are built to supply society with energy services for stationary and mobile purposes.

The course has four main themes:

  • Part I - The Energy System and Key Concepts: Be familiar with sustainable development and the structure of the energy system at the national and global levels. Know units for energy and power, and master calculation methods for power demand, energy production, efficiencies, and capacity factors.
  • Part II - Renewable Energy: Be familiar with renewable energy sources, gain knowledge of the main technologies that convert these sources into useful energy, and understand the most important societal and environmental consequences of using renewable energy. Be able to carry out calculations of efficiencies, capacity factors, power output, and energy production for renewable energy projects.
  • Part III - Integration and the Future of Renewable Energy: Understand the main challenges and solutions related to integrating renewable energy into the existing energy system. Have knowledge of how the national and global energy system may develop in the decades ahead.
  • Part IV - Analyses: Be familiar with the principles and execution of basic energy chain analyses, and be able to carry out calculations of CO₂ emissions, cost-benefit analyses, and levelized cost of energy (LCOE).

Learning outcome

Knowledge

After completing the course, students will have a good overview of renewable energy resources, current transformation technologies, solutions for distribution and storage of energy, as well as energy demand for stationary and mobile purposes.

The student must:

  • Know databases/websites for energy statistics and apply existing national and international statistics for the entire energy system.
  • Know how renewable energy sources occur, the most common technologies for transforming the sources into stationary and mobile purposes, and the consequences this has for society and the environment.
  • Be able to use the most common methods for energy analysis, including energy efficiency, energy chain analysis, cost-benefit analyzes, and levelized cost of energy.

Skills

Students should be able to describe how the conversion of different energy resources plays together in an energy system, and be able to perform basic technical and economic calculations for different energy resources and technologies.

General competence

Students receive training in describing, analyzing and calculating technical, economic and systemic aspects of various renewable energy solutions.

  • Learning activities

    Lectures, exercises, group work.

  • Teaching support

    Canvas

  • Syllabus

    • Holden I: Erling Holden, Jacob Joseph Lamb, Andrés Olivares, Habtamu Bayera Madessa. 2024. Fornybar energi. Universitetsforlaget.
    • Holden II: Holden, E., Banister, D., Gössling, S., Gilpin. G. & Linnerud, K. (2020). Grand narratives of sustainable mobility: A conceptual review. Energy Research & Social Science, 65, 101454.
    • LN: lecture notes

    Subject to changes.

  • Prerequisites

    FORNY100, FORNY150, FYS100, MATH100, or equivalent.

  • Assessment method

    Combined assessment:

    • Group term paper counts 25%.
    • Final written exam (3 hours) counts 75%.

    Students who have previously passed one or more components of the combined assessment in the course are not required to retake these when repeating the course.



    Term paper Karakterregel: Letter grades Hjelpemiddelkode: C3 All types of calculators, all other aids – including digital aids Written exam Karakterregel: Letter grades Hjelpemiddelkode: B1 Calculator handed out, no other aids

  • About use of AI

    Written exam: K1 - No use of AI

    Term paper: K2 - Specified use of AI

    The use of AI is permitted for the semester assignment for idea generation, translation, and structuring of text. It must be explained how AI has been used in the assignment.

    Mandatory activity: K3 - Full use of AI.

    The use of AI is permitted, but it must comply with the Guidelines for Use of Artificial Intelligens (AI) at NMBU.

    Descriptions of AI-category codes.

  • Examiner scheme

    The external examiner approves the examination and grading arrangements. All exam scripts and the semester assignment are assessed by the internal examiner (the course responsible).

  • Mandatory activity

    Five (5) exercises.

  • Teaching hours

    60 hours lectures and exercises.

  • Reduction of credits

    10 credits overlap with FORN200 (previous version).

  • Admission requirements

    Minimum requirements for entrance to higher education in Norway (generell studiekompetanse)