MECE 643 Renewable Energy Engineering and Sustainability

Lecture Outline – Fall 2018

MEC E 643
Renewable Energy Engineering and Sustainability

Lecture Outline

Location: NRE2 – 090

Time: Mondays, 5.00 PM – 7.50 PM

Term: Fall, 2018 (Sept. to Dec.)

Instructor: Dr. Amit Kumar

Professor
NSERC/Cenovus/Alberta Innovates Associate Industrial
Research Chair in Energy and Environmental Systems
Engineering
Cenovus Energy Endowed Chair in Environmental Engineering
Deputy Director, Future Energy Systems

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Office: 10-263 Donadeo Innovation Centre for Engineering
Tel: 492-7797
E-mail: Amit.Kumar@ualberta.ca
Office Hours: Mondays, 1 PM – 3 PM

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MECE 643 Renewable Energy Engineering and Sustainability
Lecture Outline – Fall 2018

Copyright 2018

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 MECE 643 Renewable Energy Engineering and Sustainability
Lecture Outline – Fall 2018

Objectives

The objective of this course is to expose engineers with different renewable energy
sources. This course covers the technical, economic and environmental aspects of
renewable energy sources.

General Comments

 This course will involve lectures which will cover topics and discussion on selected
renewable energy technologies.

 Assignments are an integral part of this course. This is not a subject that can be
mastered only by reading a book or a paper, assignments are a key part of the
learning experience.

 Students may e-mail the professor with questions (the replies to which will usually be
sent to all class participants).

 Whenever required important information are circulated by e-mail. E-mails will be

sent to your U of A e-mail address as listed on the bear tracks.

 All notes and overheads for the course are subject to copyright; to reproduce these
for distribution other than for your own personal use in the course is prohibited
unless specific permission is granted.

 Class participation is important in this course. It does not mean physical presence
only, it mostly should be interpreted as how a student enriches materials discussed
in the class by collegially giving opinions, presenting facts, providing suggestions and
solutions, posing questions, and pointing to current affairs related to the energy and
sustainability. Please see the marking scheme at the end of the outline for the
weightage of class participation. The instructor will monitor each student’s class
participation according to the above description during the term and marks will be
assigned accordingly.

 The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity

and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding
academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect.
Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the
Code of Student Behaviour (online at www.governance.ualberta.ca) and avoid any
behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism,
misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is
a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University.
Policy about course outlines can be found in §23.4(2) of the University Calendar.

 Audio or video recording of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching

environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the
instructor or as a part of an approved accommodation plan. Recorded material is to
be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other
purpose without prior written consent from the instructor.

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 MECE 643 Renewable Energy Engineering and Sustainability
Lecture Outline – Fall 2018

Reference Text

 There is no textbook for this course. Journal articles, related reports, case studies
and handouts will be given in class by the instructor.

 Reference books:

o Tester JW, Drake EM, Golay MW, Driscoll MJ, Peters WA. Sustainable
Energy - Choosing Among Options. Cambridge, MA, USA: MIT Press;
2005.
o Sørensen B. Renewable Energy. Third Edition. San Diego, USA: Academic
Press; 2000.
o Aubrecht GJ. Energy. Second Edition. Upper Saddle River NJ, USA:
Prentice Hall; 1995.
o Boyle G. Renewable Energy: Power for a Sustainable Future. Oxford, UK:
Oxford University Press; 1996.
o Bisio A, S Boots. The Wiley Encyclopedia of Energy and the Environment.
New York, USA: Wiley; 1997.

 Some common websites:

o US Department of Energy - http://www.doe.gov
o US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) – http://www.nrel.gov
o Natural Resources Canada (NRC) - CANMET Energy Technology Center -
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/es/etb/cetc
o Energy Information Administration (EIA) - http://www.eia.doe.gov
o International Energy Agency (IEA) - http://www.iea.org
o Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) - http://www.nea.fr
o National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) - http://www.netl.doe.gov
o Zero Emission Research Initiatives (ZERI) - http://www.zeri.org
o Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) – https://canwea.ca/
o Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) - http://www.seia.org
o American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) - http://www.awea.org

 Additional reading material will be given during the course.

Comments and Guidelines for Assignments

There will be two assignments in this course. Assignment submission guidelines are
given below.

Assignments Guidelines
Assignment 1 –  Based on literature review of a specific topic.
Journal Review  The topic of the journal review for each week will be determined
by the instructor.

 Role of Journal Review Leader (Scheduled Student)

 The journal review leader is responsible for finding

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 MECE 643 Renewable Energy Engineering and Sustainability
Lecture Outline – Fall 2018

Assignments Guidelines
additional article(s), book chapters, data bases, websites
to research the topic. The topic of the journal review
should not be closely related to the student’s term
project. The journal review leader is responsible for:

o Presenting in point form the issues or questions to

be discussed (Power point).
o Presenting her/his main findings from researched
sources (Power point).
 The presentation should be as interactive as
possible, e.g. by posing questions, pointing
to the views expressed in the class, material
in the news etc. Think of giving a classroom
lecture.
 The presentation should be aimed for about
15-20 min. (i.e. have about 15-20 slides).
Exact duration will be decided by the
instructor and conveyed in the class.
o After the presentation the journal review leader
should summarize the discussions in the class and
his/her findings in a short report (see below).

 Journal Review Report

 Subsequent to completing your journal review you have one
week to prepare the report.
 The reports are due at 5:00 pm on the 7 th day after you
have done your journal review presentation.
 Reports are to be handed-in ONLY to the instructor.
 Marked reports will be available to you in about two-three
weeks after you have handed in your report from the course
instructor.
 Late reports are NOT accepted unless there is a valid
excuse (e.g. a medical excuse).
 In the unlikely event that plagiarism is committed, the
maximum penalty will be sought for the individual(s)
involved to protect the reputation of the program and to
recognize the efforts of the other students registered.
Consult the regulations of the University on plagiarism and
other offenses http://www.ualberta.ca/~unisecr/appeals.htm

 Journal Review Report Format

o Review report must not be more than 5 pages of text

excluding the graphs, calculations, title page, tables and
references. Follow guidelines given in General Report
Format for preparing the report.
o Additional guidelines will be given with the assignment,
if required.

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 MECE 643 Renewable Energy Engineering and Sustainability
Lecture Outline – Fall 2018

Assignments Guidelines
 Journal Review Presentations

o The presentation will be evaluated based on its content

(accuracy, quality of material and references used,
thoroughness, ANALYSIS etc.), the delivery, and the
ability of the presenter to engage the audience.
o The mark is assigned by the instructor in consultation
with the opinion of other students filling the feedback
form.
o A copy of the presentation should be submitted to the
instructor for evaluation.

 Class’s role in journal review sessions (participation

marks)
o Individual students must have read/researched the
designated readings.
o Participate or initiate discussion and/or pose questions
regarding various aspects of the topic reviewed.

Assignment 2 –  Students are required to form groups as suggested by the

Group Project instructor.
 Groups must be formed by Sept. 24, 2018 and should select a
group liaison person for communications. Students who are
without a group by the above date will be assigned to a group
by the instructor.
 Each group must propose a project (also an alternate) by filling
the Term Project Proposal Form by Oct. 1, 2018 at 5:00 PM in
the class. Instructor will inform the topic for the group by Oct.
8, 2018.
 The project topic should be relevant to the scope of the course.
 The term project should provide an analysis/evaluation of the
topic from technological, economical, environmental,
policy/legislative, and to lesser extent social perspectives.
Depending on the topic, the aforementioned aspects will have
different degrees of emphasis, but all should be explored.

Interim Report

 Each group should provide an interim report by Nov. 5, 2018

by 5 PM in the class.
 Interim report must not be more than 5 pages of text excluding
the graphs, calculations, title page, tables and references.
Follow points 1-6 given in General Report Format
Guidelines for preparing the report.
 Interim report should provide information regarding:
o Progress towards the goals and synopsis of findings to
date.
o Remaining tasks and timelines.

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 MECE 643 Renewable Energy Engineering and Sustainability
Lecture Outline – Fall 2018

Assignments Guidelines
o Any deviations from the original plan and justification.
o List of researched/identified resources whether used to
date or planned to be used.
o Challenges, if any.
 The evaluation of interim report will be based on the progress
made to date and how well the report addresses the five issues
mentioned above.
 Additional guidelines will be given with the assignment, if
required.

Final Report
 Each group should provide a final report (printed and electronic
copy) by Dec. 7, 2018 at 4:00 PM or earlier.
 This report must NOT exceed 25 pages of text (excluding the
graphs, calculations, title page, tables and references).
 Follow guidelines given in General Report Format Guidelines
for preparing the report.
 Each extra page will result in 5% penalty.
 Late reports will NOT be accepted.
 The evaluation of the reports will be similar to the scheme
presented in the General Report Format Guidelines.

Group Project Presentations

 Each group should present the findings of their project in class
on Dec. 3, 2018.
 The presentation will be evaluated based on its content
(accuracy, quality of material and references used,
thoroughness, ANALYSIS etc.), the delivery, and the ability of
the presenter (or group) to engage the audience.
 The mark is assigned by the instructor in consultation with the
opinion of other students filling the feedback form.
 Presenting in point form the issues or questions to be
discussed (Power point).
 Presenting main findings from researched sources (Power
point).
o The presentation should be as interactive as possible.
o The presentation should be aimed for about 20 min. (i.e.
have about 20 slides). 5 minutes should be left for
questions/comments.
 After the presentation the group should incorporate the
discussions/comments in the class along with their
findings/analysis in the final report.
 A copy of the presentation should be submitted to the instructor
for evaluation on the day of presentation i.e. Dec. 3, 2018.

General Report Format Guidelines

1. Page limit should be strictly followed otherwise it will result in deduction of marks (5%
penalty for extra pages). Page limit for each assignment is given in table above.

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 MECE 643 Renewable Energy Engineering and Sustainability
Lecture Outline – Fall 2018

2. This exclude title page, table of contents, list of figures, list of tables, figures, tables
and references. Exceeding the page limit will result in marks deduction.
3. Line spacing – 1.5; font – 11; Arial.
4. A hard copy of the report should be submitted along with electronic submission
through e-mail.
5. In evaluating all the reports special emphasis will be given on English Language.
6. References should be in standard format given below.
o References should be indicated by number(s) in square brackets in line with
the text. You can refer to the authors by name but it should always be
followed by number(s).
o References should be numbered in the order in which they appear in the text.
o Examples:
[1]. John AB, Wilson BC, Smith CD. The method of referencing. Journal
of Energy 2006; 100(1):51-61.
[2]. Bird DE, Kumar EF. The concept of energy planning. 7 th ed.
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: Pearson; 2006.
Reference of a chapter in an edited book:
[3]. Pollock G, Smith G, Stern D. How to learn LEAP. In: Donald A,
Prince DE, editors. Details of forecasting models, Edmonton, Alberta:
Model Publishing Inc; 2006, p. 100-120.
Reference of a website:
[4]. Dravid R, John AB, Lawson BC. The art of modeling. Available from:
http://www.modeling.ca (accessed on Jan.1, 2006).
Reference of a paper in a conference proceeding:
[5]. Humphrey DG, Chu J. Optimization of a corn processing simulation
model. Proceedings of the Winter Simulation Conference, December 13-
16, 1992, Arlington, Virginia, USA. Swain JW, Goldman D, Wilson JR,
Crane RC, eds., ISBN:0-7803-0798-4, ACM Press, New York, USA,
pp.1349-1355.

7. Below is the marking scheme and required sections for the report.

Marking Scheme

1. Organization and Presentation

Figures, tables, labels, legends, references, title page, coherence /12
2. Technical Content
(a) Summary (complete, independent, concise) /12
(b) Introduction
- brief statement of motivation/purpose/objectives/scope /8
(c) Findings
- summary of findings with brief explanation (tables, graphs, etc.)
- calculations/statistics* (clear, complete, neat, explained) /16
(d) Discussion
- logical subsections
- interpretations of findings and not simply stated (ANALYSIS)
- figures/tables referenced and explained
- thoroughness in researched references and references’ quality /40
(e) Conclusions
- reiteration of objectives

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 MECE 643 Renewable Energy Engineering and Sustainability
Lecture Outline – Fall 2018

- major conclusions/findings qualified /12

Total = /100
* not all types of topics may require such section

Marking Scheme

Items Weighting
Assignment 1
 Journal Review report 25%
 Journal Review Presentation 10%
Assignment 2 – Group Project
 Group Project Proposal 5%
 Group Project Interim Report 10%
 Group Project Final Report 35%
 Group Project Presentation 10%
Class participation 5%
Total 100%

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 MECE 643 Renewable Energy Engineering and Sustainability
Lecture Outline – Fall 2018

MEC E 643 – TENTATIVE (!) Lecture Schedule and Outline

Lec. No. Lecture Topics Comments/Remarks
& Date
1  Course overview
Sept. 10  Overview of current energy
usage (overall energy
consumption, world and
Canadian perspective)
2  Sustainability issues with GHG Deadline for selection of topics for
Sept. 17 emphasis & International journal review presentations
initiatives
 Life cycle analysis
3  Techno-economic assessment of Deadline for groups’ formation
Sept. 24 renewable energy systems
 Economy of scale
 Learning curve concepts
4  Geothermal energy Deadline for final project proposal
Oct. 1  Journal review presentations Guest Lecture – Dr. Martyn Unsworth,
Professor, Department of Physics,
University of Alberta
5 No lecture University closed – Thanksgiving
Oct. 8
6  Fuel Cells Guest Lecture – Dr. Marc Secanell,
Oct. 15 Associate Professor, Mechanical
Engineering, University of Alberta
7  Bioheat and Biopower
Oct. 22  Biofuels and Biorefining
 Journal review presentations

8  Journal review presentations

Oct. 29
9  Clean coal technologies Deadline for submission of interim
Nov. 5  Carbon capture and storage report by 5 PM
Guest Lecture – Dr. Raj Gupta,
Professor, Chemical and Materials
Engineering, University of Alberta
10  No lecture Reading Week
Nov. 12
11  Solar energy (PV) Guest Lecture – Dr. Xihua Wang,
Nov. 19 o Trends & Technology Assistant Professor, Electrical and
Computer Engineering, University of
Alberta
12  Wind energy Guest Lecture – Dr. Yunwei (Ryan) Li,
Nov. 26  Wind system grid connectivity Professor, Electrical and Computer
 Journal review presentations Engineering, University of Alberta
13 Group Project Presentation Deadline for final report
Dec. 3 submission Friday, Dec. 7 by 4 PM

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