Development of a green energy manufacturing laboratory course on clean energy and energy efficiency

Abstract

This paper describes the development of a new undergraduate green energy manufacturing laboratory course on clean energy and energy efficiency. The course is intended to provide an in-depth student leaning of clean energy technology and energy efficiency issues in manufacturing and industrial resources to reduce the environmental impact of their produced products and services. The course presents the various sources of renewable energy including wind, solar, and fuel cells as potential sources of energy and investigates the contribution they can make to the energy profile of the nation. The students calculate energy savings and environmental impacts through life cycle assessment for most energy efficiency methods in order to identify and assess energy conservation opportunities. In addition, the students demonstrate the appropriate usage of energy monitoring and measuring equipment commonly used by energy specialists and energy auditors. The course is taught as a lecture-practicum with an emphasis on clean energy and energy efficiency both in class and in laboratory. In particular, the key energy efficiency topics are discussed how they can be integrated into manufacturing coursework to include sustainability principles.