Climate change is an urgent global challenge demanding engineering solutions and large-scale, systems-oriented coordination. In Sustainable Energy, you’ll join thousands of global learners in examining conventional and renewable energy generation technologies, studying how they are deployed throughout the world, and evaluating their roles in the future energy landscape. Technologies include solar power, wind power, storage, nuclear power, hydropower, and bioenergy.
In addition to technological components, you’ll become familiar with the economic, political, and social dimensions of energy project planning. Professionals from diverse backgrounds must work together to determine pathways to decarbonization amidst scientific uncertainty and unique geopolitical challenges. You will be presented with advanced tools and strategies to explore pathways to decarbonization in specific contexts, and to build consensus among stakeholders.
The course is instructed by Michael Golay, Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Additional experts in various technologies will offer guest lectures, including:
Dr. Patrick Brown, National Renewable Energy Lab
Dr. Diane Rigos, MIT Energy Initiative
Dr. Alex Kalmikov, Lead Data Scientist, Aetna
Dr. Francis O' Sullivan, Orsted North America
Dr. Charles Forsberg, MIT Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering
Dr. Donald Sadoway, MIT Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Dr. Dennis Whyte, MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center
Dr. Zach Hartwig, MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center
Dr. Gregory Stephanopoulos, MIT Department of Chemical Engineering
Dr. Vrushank Phadnis, MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering
Course image is the cover to Sustainable Energy, Choosing Among Options, second edition, reprinted courtesy of The MIT Press.
Please note: edX Inc. has recently entered into an agreement to transfer the edX platform to 2U, Inc., which will continue to run the platform thereafter. The sale will not affect your course enrollment, course fees or change your course experience for this offering. It is possible that the closing of the sale and the transfer of the edX platform may be effectuated sometime in the Fall while this course is running. Please be aware that there could be changes to the edX platform Privacy Policy or Terms of Service after the closing of the sale. However, 2U has committed to preserving robust privacy of individual data for all learners who use the platform. For more information see the edX Help Center.
