Energy and Sustainable Development: Lecture Notes Freely Available

Access the lecture notes: https://hdl.handle.net/2268/329161

The world of energy is changing rapidly and is now gaining significant importance in public discussions and various teaching curricula. However, despite this, most of the time when people talk about the world of energy, they still use typical ’empty’ quotes, such as:

“The energy crisis is imminent; we will face an oil shortage starting in 2025!”​

“Nuclear power could address this energy crisis, but we will eventually deplete uranium resources, leading to the same issue.”​

“We have inexhaustible access to solar and wind energy; developing renewable technologies is all it will take to save us.”

There is clearly a lack of meaningful facts and figures when dealing with energy policy. Even when numbers are presented, they are often meant to impress rather than to inform.

The main objective of these lecture notes  is to acquire the skills to handle numbers that are understandable, comparable, and easy to remember, thereby enhancing the ability to effectively answer questions such as:​

“By adjusting thermostats one degree closer to the outside temperature, opting for smaller cars, and turning off phone chargers when not in use, can we prevent an energy crisis?”​

“Is the Earth’s population seven times larger than it should be?”​

“What are the energy storage requirements to manage daily fluctuations in the context of a European Union with 100% renewable energy production?”​

“Could we harvest energy from areas with high renewable energy potential and transport it to high-consumption areas?”​

“Would it be achievable to produce all the final energy consumed by humanity using nuclear power alone?”​

I hope you enjoy this teaching material and that it helps you better navigate the world of energy. As I am always looking to improve its quality, please feel free to send me any suggestions or feedback to make it better!

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