ENVI 206
Renewable Energy and the Sustainable Campus Fall 2017
Division III
Cross-listed GEOS 206
This is not the current course catalog

Fluctuating oil prices and rising electricity costs disrupt the economy and help fuel regional and global insecurity. Extraction and combustion of fossil fuels degrades the environment. Modern understanding of how fossil-fuel consumption contributes to global climate change and new technologies are increasing the demand for renewable sources of energy and for more sustainable campus environments. What sources of energy will supply Williams College and nearby areas in the mid-21st century? How will campus buildings, old and new, continue to be attractive spaces while making much more efficient use of heat and light? How can the College’s operations and campus life become more sustainable? This course is a practical introduction to renewable sources of energy and principles of sustainability and to their application in the campus environment. Topics covered include: solar energy and energy efficiency, wind energy, biological sources of energy (biomass, biogas, liquid fuels), geothermal energy, and the environmental impacts of energy, water and food consumption. Lectures, field trips and individual projects emphasize examples from the campus and nearby area.