GV2EGR: Energy Resources

Module code: GV2EGR

Module provider: Geography and Environmental Science; School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science

Credits: 20

Level: 5

When you’ll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Maria Vahdati , email: m.m.vahdati@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Dr Eugene Mohareb, email: e.mohareb@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 24 April 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

Energy underpins our current standard of living and economic development. The environmental impact of energy use and transition to a lower carbon economy presents significant challenges. This module is concerned with the technical, environmental, economic and social issues associated with the production and use of energy. It includes an overview of energy production and consumption trends, traditional means of energy production, renewable energy, environmental issues and economic concepts in energy.  The rapidly changing role of energy distribution networks, and consideration of urban energy systems is used to introduce wider systems thinking approaches that offer new insights.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Discuss, at a professional level, the significance of energy in the modern world, with due reference to social, economic, historic, environmental and technological contexts.
2. Make rational preliminary choices between energy technologies for any application on the basis of economic, social, environmental and technological factors, using quantitative arguments where appropriate.
3. Describe the uniquely urban factors that impact on the sustainability of energy supply and the factors that limit sustainable energy generation capacity in urban systems.
4. Describe alternative approaches for conveying energy to urban users to meet a variety of needs, including heating, transport and provision of electricity for electric only services.
5. Discuss he characteristics of typical renewable energy sources and demand sectors as well as options to improve balancing the grid, such as energy storage and smarter energy grids.

Module content

• Where does our energy come from (now and in the past) - UK and global view ? Will include fossil fuels, nuclear and renewables.
• How do we produce and use energy?
• Environmental and health impacts of energy production and use
• Energy and meteorology
• Decarbonising  the energy sector.
• Urban energy systems: Energy trilemma, microgeneration, decentralisation.
• Social aspects of  energy use
• Resource intensive cities
• UoR Campus Energy
• Waste
• Landfill gas
• Carbon management
• Site visit

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

• Weekly in person class including delivery and discussion of core lecture content. 
• Setting independent learning tasks to actively engage students with the weekly topic, with follow-up discussion in class. 
• 1:1 appointments and feedforward and feedback sessions to actively engage students with the assessments. 

Study hours

At least 20 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.