ENEG11009 - Fundamentals of Sustainable Energy

General Information

Unit Synopsis

Sustainable engineering practices and climate change are critical topics in current socio-economic and political settings. Meeting the world's energy demand through renewable energy sources and exploring carbon-free alternative energy sources are the highly sought-after solutions. In this unit, you will learn how to apply fundamental laws of physics related to energy and electricity to solve engineering problems. You will also learn the concepts of voltage, and current and use Kirchhoff’s laws to analyse simple direct current (DC) circuits, and learn the fundamentals of alternating currents (AC). This unit also investigates current and future sustainable energy sources comprising solar, wind, hydro, and hydrogen, and relevant production processes. This unit also explores the effects of climate change on using renewable energy and the challenges faced in integrating renewable energy into the primary grid. This unit will promote progress toward the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goal 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 1
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 2
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites There are no pre-requisites for the unit.

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 3 - 2024

Term 3 - 2024 Profile
Online
Term 2 - 2025 Profile
Bundaberg
Cairns
Gladstone
Mackay
Online
Rockhampton
Term 3 - 2025 Profile
Online
Term 2 - 2026 Profile
Bundaberg
Cairns
Gladstone
Mackay
Online
Rockhampton
Term 3 - 2026 Profile
Online

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Online Quiz(zes) 30%
2. Online Test 30%
3. Project (applied) 40%

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).

Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades

Past Exams

To view Past Exams,
please login
Previous Feedback

Term 2 - 2024 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 40.00% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 16.81% response rate.

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Source: SUTE
Feedback
Students found it difficult to coordinate with team members to complete team project-based assessments.
Recommendation
The suitability of team-based assessment should be assessed.
Action Taken
This comment is no longer applicable since the group project is not offered in this revised unit any more.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Learning material needs improvement and needs structure.
Recommendation
Learning resources should be reviewed and more organised.
Action Taken
Learning material has been updated to reflect the updated learning outcomes.
Source: In-class discussion
Feedback
Progressive quizzes provided a good way to self-check progress and provide an understanding of the content.
Recommendation
This practice should be continued.
Action Taken
This practice is continued.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Some students found it difficult to understand the content's relevance to the degree.
Recommendation
Unit content should be reviewed.
Action Taken
The unit contents have been reviewed.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Students need more detailed feedback on assessments
Recommendation
Detailed feedback should be given to assessments.
Action Taken
Detailed feedback on assessments have been supplied.
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Students are expected to understand and fulfil the unit requirements.
Recommendation
The unit requirements should be emphasised not only in Week 1 but also consistently throughout the term.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Students expected improved Learning Resources.
Recommendation
Learning materials should be linked to practical applications in engineering and energy, providing students with examples of how theoretical concepts are used in practice. The lecture slides and tutorial problems and solutions should be updated to reflect these changes. Where relevant, multimedia resources should be used to enhance engagement.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Students expected to identify the learning opportunities from assessments.
Recommendation
Assessments should be reviewed to explicitly reinforce key engineering and energy concepts by incorporating real-world problem-solving scenarios. The Online Test and detailed markers comments should be implemented to guide students on areas of improvement and ensure that assessments progressively build on prior knowledge.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Students expected more feedback with their graded assessments.
Recommendation
Elaborated feedback should be provided on completed assessment tasks, guiding them on areas for improvement and fostering a deeper understanding of the subject matter.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Students found it difficult to identify the useful knowledge base and skills gained in completing the unit.
Recommendation
Each week's content should be clearly mapped to specific learning outcomes and provide a structured overview at the beginning of the term. A weekly summary highlighting key skills and knowledge gained should be integrated.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: SUTE
Feedback
Students found it difficult to identify the relevance of this unit to the course they are studying.
Recommendation
Students should be consistently informed about the alignment of unit learning outcomes and assessments with the graduate attributes.
Action Taken
In Progress
Unit learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Solve engineering problems incorporating energy, work, heat, and heat transfer.
  2. Understand the electrical fundamentals, including current, voltage, and resistance.
  3. Analyse basic direct current (DC) circuits.
  4. Understand the fundamentals of alternating currents (AC) and voltages, their generation, and applications.
  5. Explore different renewable energy sources, their production processes, storage, applications, and integration into existing systems.
  6. Produce a professional report by investigating technical and socio-economic aspects on a given renewable energy application.

The Learning Outcomes for this unit are linked with the Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standards for Professional Engineers in the areas of 1. Knowledge and Skill Base, 2. Engineering Application Ability and 3. Professional and Personal Attributes at the following levels:

 

Introductory

1.1 Comprehensive, theory-based understanding of the underpinning natural and physical sciences and the engineering fundamentals applicable to the engineering discipline. (LO: 1N 2N 3N 4N)

1.4 Discernment of knowledge development and research directions within the engineering discipline. (LO: 5N 6N)

1.5 Knowledge of engineering design practice and contextual factors impacting the engineering discipline. (LO: 5N)

1.6 Understanding of the scope, principles, norms, accountabilities, and bounds of sustainable engineering practice in the specific discipline. (LO: 5N 6N)

2.1 Application of established engineering methods to complex engineering problem solving. (LO: 5N 6N)

2.4 Application of systematic approaches to the conduct and management of engineering projects. (LO: 6N)

3.1 Ethical conduct and professional accountability. (LO: 6N)

3.3 Creative, innovative, and pro-active demeanour. (LO: 6N)

Intermediate

1.2 Conceptual understanding of the mathematics, numerical analysis, statistics, and computer and information sciences which underpin the engineering discipline. (LO: 2I 3I)

1.3 In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge within the engineering discipline. (LO: 1N 2I 3N 4N 5N)

3.2 Effective oral and written communication in professional and lay domains. (LO: 6I)

 

Note: LO refers to the Learning Outcome number(s) which link to the competency and the levels: N – Introductory, I – Intermediate and A - Advanced.

Refer to the Engineering Undergraduate Course Moodle site for further information on the Engineers Australia's Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineers and course level mapping information https://moodle.cqu.edu.au/course/view.php?id=1511

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 - Online Quiz(zes) • • • • •
2 - Online Test • • • •
3 - Project (applied) • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5 6
1 - Communication •
2 - Problem Solving • • • • •
3 - Critical Thinking • • • • •
4 - Information Literacy •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10