Achievement

The IGERT students took a course ECE 590: Energy for the 21st century which provides them a critical introduction to the different means of producing energy. The IGERT students as well as students from engineering and sciences and in the energy and the environment track of the technical entrepreneurship masters' program took the course.

Topics covered by this course include: 1. fossil fuels: oil, gas, coal 2. other sources: nuclear, hydroelectricity, wind 3. new sources of renewable energy: solar (thermal, photovoltaic), biomass/biofuels 4. longer-term energy sources: fusion 5. energy transport: hydrogen generation, fuel cells 6. electricity grid, electricity utilization 6. economic aspects of the evolving energy production and utilization landscape

The students did three projects: the first on the thermodynamic limits of energy conversion, the second on the scientific and economic merits of different biomass/biofuel approaches, and the third energy conservation in buildings.