The Swiss engineering master's degree

Energy availability, consumption, and management are among the most interesting and challenging topics of the future. Even in Switzerland, energy consumption is constantly rising, and politically, it has become an accepted fact that we must find ways to reduce energy consumption on a long-term basis. Climate change, energy availability, national security of energy supply are strong driving forces towards a change. In order to prepare Switzerland for this change, the Federal Council has developed the Energy Strategy 2050. This should enable Switzerland to take advantage of the new situation and maintain its high standard of supply. At the same time, the strategy will contribute to reducing Switzerland's energy-related environmental impact. The Energy Strategy 2050 has three main pillars: energy efficiency, implementation of renewable energy, and withdrawal from the use of nuclear energy.
This course is aimed particularly at students who have an interest in energy challenges, and it provides the necessary knowledge for understanding the multifaceted aspects of the topic. The course objectives are to introduce the students to the worldwide importance of energy, to have a clear idea about the sources available, gain knowledge about the different production techniques, gain insights on the consumption trends and understand the relevance of energy management. The students will acquire a vision of the energy technology and will be able to form opinions based on scientific facts. 
In this course, we will address primary and secondary energy sources, energy transformation technologies, the relevance that energy has on global warming and the related environmental issues. The course has an engineering approach with large use of real cases and several examples related to the Swiss energy scenario. A light review of thermodynamic laws and concepts will be covered in order to be able to objectively evaluate the different energy conversion technologies.

Prerequisites

This course aims to raise students' awareness of energy issues and is intended for a broad audience. Knowledge of the fundamentals of thermodynamics and energy engineering is advantageous but not mandatory.
The course will be taught in English in Zürich and in French in Lausanne

Learning Objectives

• To become acquainted with short, medium, and long-term energy sources that are available nationally and/or worldwide; to gain an understanding of the technical connections of efficient employment of energy in the future (Energy Strategy 2050, global warming);
• Ability to understand and communicate with specialists from various sectors such as energy management, energy production, and energy consumption;
• Ability to make a sensible choice between different technical systems that satisfy the requirements and the available energy sources, including economic, ecological, and social aspects. This involves: 
  • the knowledge of the economic potential of energy systems,
  • the knowledge of methods of rational energy use, and
  • the ability to quantify energy conservation with thermodynamic methods.

Contents of Module

This module addresses the following aspects:

• Primary and secondary sources of energy 
• Energy demand and potential
• Recall of Thermodynamics and fundamentals of energy science
• Energy conversion and storage
• The economic aspects of energy production and consumption
• Energy sustainability

Teaching and Learning Methods

Ex-cathedra teaching, presentations, case studies

Literature

• “Fundamentals of Engineering Thermodynamics”
  Michael J. Moran, Howard N. Shapiro
  Wiley
• “Energy Science: Principles, Technologies, and Impacts” 
  John Andrews, Nick Jelley
  Oxford University Press