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GEP 476 Energy Services and Efficiency Syllabus

  • Semester: Spring 2024
  • Instructor: Professor Daniel Soto
  • Office: Stevenson 3610
  • Email: sotod@sonoma.edu
  • Meeting Time: M/W 1:00 pm -- 2:50 pm
  • Classroom: Stevenson 2412 Physical Geography Lab
  • Units: 4

Course Catalog Description

What are the most promising strategies to meet human needs with energy services with the least impact on the environment? You'll use mathematical models to estimate the energy use, cost, and carbon emissions for insulated buildings, heating and cooling, electric motors, and refrigeration. We'll use analytical and numerical methods for estimation and measurement. 4-hour lecture. Prerequisite GEP 374a or familiarity with basic electrical and thermal energy.

Course-level Learning Objectives

  • Estimate energy use and reductions using quantitative models for heat energy, electric energy, motors, and refrigeration.
  • Describe technical and social openings and barriers to increasing efficiency and lowering emissions in energy systems.
  • Communicate methods, results, and implications of energy efficiency improvements in clear written and oral language.
  • Develop and demonstrate consistent and sustainable work habits.

Class Topic Schedule

  • Week 1 -- 2: Efficiency Concepts
  • Week 2 -- 3: Conduction, Convection, Latent Heat
  • Week 3 -- 4: Radiation
  • Week 4 -- 5: Motors and Fan Law
  • Week 5 -- 6: Computer and Computational Tools
  • Week 7: Heating and Cooling Degree Days
  • Week 8: Heat Pumps
  • Week 9: Spring Break
  • Week 10: SSU Case Studies
  • Week 10: Energy Center Field Trip
  • Week 11 -- 13: Project Introduction Section
  • Week 13 -- 14: Project Methods and Data Collection
  • Week 14 -- 15: Project Analysis, Results, and Figures
  • Week 16: Project Editing and Presentations

Capstone Activity

This course contains a "capstone" project for all students that provides an opportunity to combine your analytical and writing skills into a single 2000-word professional-quality report. Projects may explore a technical demonstration or a policy study. Technical demonstration reports will describe the motivation for and testing of an experimental or demonstration apparatus. Policy reports will describe the identification and quantification of an energy efficiency opportunity at SSU or in Sonoma County. If you have ideas for projects that don't fit these exact descriptions please propose them. The full description of the capstone assignment and deliverables will be available on Canvas.

Coursework Grading

The course has three main graded components:

  • Synchronous Classwork: 15%
  • Asynchronous Homework: 35%
  • Exams: 50%

Synchronous Classwork is intended to be done in class and includes quizzes and activities.

Asynchronous Homework is usually to be completed before class in preparation for the class period and is awarded full credit if complete and on time.

Exams are completed at home and are either analytical work that includes an audio explanation or essays. Project assignments will be included in the exam grade. Exam questions are graded credit or no credit. There will usually be opportunities to resubmit exam questions for partial credit.

Exams and Asynchronous Classwork have a one-day grace period where late work receives 90% credit. Any work up to one week late receives 80% credit. Any late work turned in after one week late will receive 70% credit. Any synchronous classwork that is late will receive 70% credit.

However, students often have circumstances beyond their control that interfere with their studies. If you believe you have a compelling case for turning in a late assignment for full credit, make an office hours appointment with me and we can discuss it.

Class Text

There is no required text to be purchased for this class. Course readings will be supplied on Canvas.

Classroom Technology

I will announce when you need to bring a laptop to class to work on assignments. For every class, please bring a device that will allow you to access the internet and Google Docs and Sheets. If you don't have access to devices, I can point you to campus resources.

Attendance

This class is designed for you to learn from your classmates through synchronous discussions. Ideally you will attend during class time, but there will be many things that make that difficult (work, family, pandemics) and there is no grade for attendance. However, I may contact you over email if I think your attendance is affecting your learning.

If you have difficulty meeting your educational goals this semester because of outside difficulties, please reach out as early as possible and we can look for solutions.

Class Norms and Agreements

Respectful tone in classroom

Civility is required from all students during discussions and interactions. In general, I expect students to be supportive of each others learning goals.

Willingness to take risks and experiment

I frequently try new approaches to teaching and learning that you may find unusual. These are always with the intention of making this class as beneficial to you as possible.

Academic Integrity

There are many resources and technologies available that could be used to complete the work in this class: online solutions like Chegg, large language models like ChatGPT, and online calculators.

You may use any of these tools in ways that support your learning, but you must be able to explain any work that you turn in. If you cannot clearly explain the work you have turned in you will not receive credit.

University Policies

There are important University policies that you should be aware of, such as the add/drop policy; cheating and plagiarism policy, grade appeal procedures; accommodations for students with disabilities and the diversity vision statement. Go to this URL to find them. http://www.sonoma.edu/uaffairs/policies/studentinfo.shtml

Also important are the policies around withdrawals or incompletes and your options if you or your family falls ill. The university policies can be found at this link.

Health Concerns

In the event that your life or our class is directly or indirectly disrupted by a communicable disease outbreak, let me know and we'll construct a plan. If there is an interruption in classes, all deadlines will be postponed. After we return, I will post the new deadlines after consulting with students.

Natural Disasters

If the campus is closed, any assignments or work that were due during the closure will be postponed. When the campus is reopened, we will discuss a new schedule and new assignment due dates. If you are personally affected by a natural disaster but the campus isn't closed, you will be granted extensions on any work.

Basic Needs

Any student who believes their performance in the course may be affected by their access to sufficient food, stable housing, or their citizenship status is encouraged to seek out assistance from Sonoma State. If you are comfortable with it, please notify me as well so I can help direct you to any available resources.