Course Summary:

Sustainable supply of the population with energy and the ecological and resource-friendly handling of raw materials is an important task of today and of the future. In order to cover the increasing worldwide demand for energy in future, engineers are required who are specialists for sustainable energy supply taking ecological and economic issues into consideration. Participants are prepared and instructed in the future-oriented field of energy supply which has immense growth potential, and trained as experts with extensive know-how in the field of raw materials.

Course Objectives:

• To integrate an international perspective to reflect new research findings and current practice in sustainable use of resources that can be applied within Africa and elsewhere
• They will learn important concepts and techniques for sustainable management and acquire special management skills. 
• This program addresses the full spectrum of natural resource management including landscape planning, plant, water and wildlife resources and the scientific methods of resource management like systems analysis and inventory methods. 
• It takes participants well beyond the boundaries of traditional disciplines, such as forestry and agriculture. 
• The program includes important leadership and management skills such as rhetorics, project management and conflict facilitation. 

Course Outline

Economics of Energy, Resources and the Environment

• Identify the fundamental principles of the economics of natural resources;
• Explain the concept of external impacts of resource use and methodologies for supporting ‘the polluter pays principle’;
• Understand how a value is placed on environmental damage and the potential hazards of doing so;
• Explain the design and operation of the gas and electricity markets;
• Identify major factors impacting on the world oil market and their wider economic and environmental ramifications; and
• Describe the economic theory underpinning environmental regulation and critically discuss contemporary Australian climate change policy.

Energy Technologies

• Have an understanding of conventional energy technologies and their role in climate change;
• Be able to assess low carbon energy alternatives, their role in a decarbonised energy system and their impact on decision support tools in policy making;
• Have awareness of the impact of distributed energy generation resources on existing energy systems; and
• Critically evaluate the practical implications of achieving a decarbonised energy system, from an engineering, economic and policy viewpoint;

Law for Energy and Resources

• Understand the international legal framework for the management of energy and of natural resources and solve some key issues of international energy law;
• Understand the relevant legal framework for issues regarding climate and renewable energy law and explain some key concepts;

Resource Development and Sustainable Management

• Illustrate the differences between resources and reserves, and explain why and how resources are characterised and developed;
• Understand how key concepts in economics and finance can be applied to evaluating resource projects;
• Critically assess the major mineral and petroleum techniques, processes, methods and practices;

Project Management for Energy and Resources

• Define a project, its characteristics and the role of the project manager;
• Identify the causes of project failure and suggest ways in which these can be overcome;
• Explain the application of the theoretical frameworks within a project environment;
• Produce a project plan;
• Identify their own motivations, strengths and weaknesses as members of a project team.

Nuclear Energy

• A basic understanding of how nuclear energy is used to generate electricity
• An understanding of how fuel is extracted, processed and turned into fuel for nuclear reactors
• An understanding of the major issues associated with decommissioning of nuclear energy power stations and storage of spent fuel

Energy Efficiency and Conservation

• Understand key concepts and methods for energy efficiency and conservation;
• Learn energy management and control techniques;
• Take a systems engineering approach for energy management and conservation; and
• Understand Policy measures for energy efficiency and conservation.

Macroeconomics and Sustainability

• Explain the fundamental principles of macroeconomics;
• Describe how the government and central bank employ fiscal and monetary policy to achieve economic stability and growth;
• Understand the origins of the sustainability problem  and the concepts of sustainable development;
• Critically assess the relationship between economic growth and environmental quality; and 
• Understand contemporary issues in macroeconomics and environmental sustainability, including the role of public policy.

Big Data Analytics in Energy and Resources Management

• BDA origin, processing and handling;
• How BDA is used in other applications (outside energy and resource management applications;
• How BDA is used and how it can be used in energy and resource management applications;
• How BDA is used and how it can be used in future energy and resource management applications for changing behaviour