Biorenewable Systems Analysis

Catalog description

This course will introduce students to the major foundational concepts in the field of Sustainability and cover in-depth technoeconomic (TEA) and life cycle analysis (LCA), the two predominant tools utilized to quantitatively evaluate economic, social, and environmental sustainability of products, processes or services. While the course emphasizes quantitative methods, readings and discussions will also include social and ethical aspects of sustainability, which are critically important and will help to frame analyses with these considerations in mind. Social considerations will include issues of race, equity and justice. TEA is a methodology for the assessment and comparison of the technical and economic feasibility of emerging technologies. LCA is a systematic and holistic approach that enables designers and planners to identify the most impactful stages of a supply chain so that we might strategically intervene to improve the system. Emphasis on the unique challenges of bio-based systems will be highlighted throughout. Students will also develop estimation, data verification skills, how to consider uncertainty in analysis, and learn how materials and energy flows lead to impacts to ecological and human systems. This course will facilitate development of critical thinking skills to holistically consider systems to develop the human, materials and energy transactions that can lead to more renewable and sustainable systems.