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Solving the Energy Puzzle: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Energy Transition

Learn how to analyse energy transition cases from technological, legal, economics, spatial, and social perspectives.

9,273 enrolled on this course

Clean windmills and dirty smoking factories
  • Duration

    7 weeks
  • Weekly study

    4 hours

Today, energy systems are confronted with pressing global challenges: economical and social development, poverty eradication, adequate food production, health for all, conservation of ecosystems, peace and security. A major transformation – the energy transition - is required to address these challenges.

In this course we will take the multidisciplinary approach to examine the energy transition question, providing you with the framework and methods to analyse the question yourself. Will you solve the energy puzzle?

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Skip to 0 minutes and 14 seconds Energy is critically important for human development. It has always been like that.

Skip to 0 minutes and 27 seconds Current global energy use is unprecedentedly high. Climate change will hit us hard. It will affect global food production heavily. It will damage global biodiversity heavily. It will lead to significant sea level rise. And that, in turn, will lead to loss of fertile land but also mass migration.

Skip to 0 minutes and 52 seconds It is still possible to see futures in which we develop and build and implement other energy systems. But it is extremely complicated because technological solutions depends on what is possible in a certain region– the potential for wind energy, potential bioenergy.

Skip to 1 minute and 14 seconds This is, of course, about energy technologies, energy systems, infrastructure, but also economics, social science. It is about planning, governance, policy, and law.

Skip to 1 minute and 30 seconds All the science fields need to work together to provide answers to these type of questions. In this seven-week, free, online course, you will learn how this complexity can be dealt with and how those science fields can work together to provide you answers for those type of transitions.

What topics will you cover?

  • Energy transition and sustainability
  • Technical aspects of energy transition
  • Spatial Planning
  • Integrated Energy System
  • Psychological aspect of energy transition
  • Law aspect of energy transition
  • Energy Systems
  • Economic aspect of energy transition

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Identify the major sustainability issues around the global energy system and the necessity of the energy transition.
  • Explain energy systems structure, content and performance.
  • Explain that the economics of energy transition is about giving incentives to energy producers and consumers to make other decisions.
  • Identify the basic principles of energy law.
  • Explain the spatial consequences of shifting towards a renewable energy system with sensitivity to specific regional or local circumstances.
  • Describe the human dimensions of sustainable energy systems.
  • Apply the methods and skills from different perspectives of energy transition in an analysis of the energy transition issues in the learner's country

Who is the course for?

Anyone should be able to participate in this course. However, basic knowledge of energy transition will be helpful. The course will be taught at bachelors/masters level.

What do people say about this course?

"Thank you, Professor Faaij and other teachers for this very interesting course."

Who will you learn with?

I am Distinguished Professor Energy System Analysis at the University of Groningen and Academic Director of Energy Academy Europe. I am also a member of expert groups in bio-energy and energy policy.

Who developed the course?

University of Groningen

The University of Groningen is a research university with a global outlook, deeply rooted in Groningen, in the north of the Netherlands.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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