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Energy & Carbon in the Built Environment (ABPL90405)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Dual-Delivery (Parkville)
From 2023 most subjects will be taught on campus only with flexible options limited to a select number of postgraduate programs and individual subjects.
To learn more, visit COVID-19 course and subject delivery.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 1
Semester 2
Overview
Availability | Semester 1 - Dual-Delivery Semester 2 - Dual-Delivery |
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Fees | Look up fees |
Cities are responsible for more than 70% of energy use and associated greenhouse gas emissions. The operation of buildings alone represents around 40% of energy use in many developed economies. Reducing energy use and transitioning towards zero greenhouse emissions in the built environment is therefore critical to sustain the Earth’s ecosystems and the general environmental equilibrium of the planet. This is further recognised by the UN sustainability goals, namely Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. With a growing world population, most of which going to live in cities, addressing this current and upcoming challenge is paramount.
The aim of this subject is to equip students with the skills and knowledge required to analyse, quantify, visualise and improve the energy performance of buildings, neighbourhoods and cities, at different scales of the built environment, towards zero greenhouse gas emissions.
This subject is designed to capitalise on the multi-disciplinary nature of participants. As such, it uses active discussions, interactive problem solving, peer review and group work, among other teaching and learning activities. In addition, the major assessment task is designed to allow for a significant amount of flexibility as you will be able to determine the focus of your own assignment. You will also be able to vote to determine subject content towards the end of the semester.
Intended learning outcomes
- Identify, map and evaluate the key drivers of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions at different scales of the built environment
- Quantify the life cycle energy and greenhouse gas emissions of particular systems, across scales of the built environment;
- Design a range of interventions that improve environmental performance in the built environment and quantify the improvement
- Appreciate the potential of interdisciplinary action towards reducing net energy use and zeroing greenhouse gas emissions in the built environment
- Design and use different information graphics and data visualisations to communicate complex information effectively
Generic skills
- 1. Solve complex problems creatively, using a combination of systemic, design and analytical thinking 2. Rapidly and correctly estimate quantities and their order of magnitude 3. Work in teams and capitalise on interdisciplinary knowledge 4. Provide constructive feedback to peers 5. Communicate effectively using data visualisation techniques where appropriate
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
Knowledge and interest in environmental performance such as passive buildings, urban environmental policy and planning, energy modelling, renewable energy, renewable materials or other relevant field
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Ongoing online quizzes (8 in total, up to 15 minutes in duration, covering critical concepts of the subject), 1000 words equivalent in total.
| From Week 1 to Week 11 | 20% |
Bottom-up energy and carbon assessment of a neighbourhood. Group work, including oral presentation (15 mins per group, covring Crritical condition ), 2 A1 posters per group and calculation notes for the group as required. 2000 words equivalent per student.
| Week 6 | 35% |
Towards carbon neutrality proposal (focusing on particular solution to improve the performance of the existing neighbourhood) including three individual tasks: oral presentation (10 minutes), 1 A1 poster and calculation notes as required. 3000 words equivalent.
| Week 12 | 45% |
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Principal coordinator James Helal Mode of delivery Dual-Delivery (Parkville) Contact hours Face to face seminars 3 hours per week or online modules where available. Attendance in weeks 6 and 10 is compulsory. Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 28 February 2022 to 29 May 2022 Last self-enrol date 11 March 2022 Census date 31 March 2022 Last date to withdraw without fail 6 May 2022 Assessment period ends 24 June 2022 Semester 1 contact information
- Semester 2
Principal coordinator James Helal Mode of delivery Dual-Delivery (Parkville) Contact hours Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 25 July 2022 to 23 October 2022 Last self-enrol date 5 August 2022 Census date 31 August 2022 Last date to withdraw without fail 23 September 2022 Assessment period ends 18 November 2022 Semester 2 contact information
Time commitment details
You are expected to work at least 100 hours on your own.
Last updated: 31 January 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
There are no specifically prescribed or recommended texts for this subject.
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 31 January 2024