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Energetic and Natural Resources

Code: 106785
Credits: 6
2026/2027
Degree programme Type Course
Environmental Sciences OB 2

Contact lecturer

Name :
Daniel Campos Moreno
Email :
daniel.campos@uab.cat

Teaching staff

Joan Escuer Solé

Group languages

You can consult this information at the end of the document.

Prerequisites

In order to follow and integrate properly the contents of this course it will be necessary to have taken (and passed, preferably) previously the courses of 'Fonaments de Física', 'Fonaments de Geologia' i 'Fonaments de Química'.

 

Objectives

This course should provide the students the ability to assess and quantify the main sources of natural resources that human beings have available to develop their basic functions and/or their economic activities (in particular the transofrmation and production of energy), and up to what extent such resources are being used and/or overexploited nowadays in our society.

Likewise, the course will introduce the main processes used for extracting and processing such resources, and what is their expected evolution for the following decades (in particular within the context of the energy transition). It will also provide the students with tools to quantify and assess critically the physic, energetic, economic end environmental costs/impacts associated to such uses and processes.

 

Learning outcomes

  • CM44 (Interpret the social, economic and environmental impact of issues related to demographic flows, global change or management in companies.) Interpret the social, economic and environmental impact of issues related to demographic flows, global change or management in companies.
  • CM46 (Contrast the different current and future options for environmental risk management, especially in the context of resource management, human health, and global and climate change.) Contrast the different current and future options for environmental risk management, especially in the context of resource management, human health, and global and climate change.
  • KM57 (Identify the complex network of knowledge necessary to comprehensively address the main contemporary challenges in environmental science.) Identify the complex network of knowledge necessary to comprehensively address the main contemporary challenges in environmental science.
  • KM58 (Recognise the relationship between human activity and processes of global and climate change, in particular the actors involved in this relationship and the possible strategies for adaptation/mitigation.) Recognise the relationship between human activity and processes of global and climate change, in particular the actors involved in this relationship and the possible strategies for adaptation/mitigation.
  • KM62 (Identify the main concepts and technologies involved in the management of natural and energy resources, as well as their distribution and consumption.) Identify the main concepts and technologies involved in the management of natural and energy resources, as well as their distribution and consumption.
  • SM55 (Integrate different types of scientific, technological and social knowledge necessary for the in-depth analysis of environmental processes related to human health, climate change, and environmental management in companies, among others.) Integrate different types of scientific, technological and social knowledge necessary for the in-depth analysis of environmental processes related to human health, climate change, and environmental management in companies, among others.

Contents


1. Introduction: the global problem of the finiteness of energy and natural resources


2. The exploitation and consumption of resources in our society


3. Transport and distribution of energy in the current models


4. Fossil fuels


5. Extraction and management of nuclear fuels


6. Geothermal resources


7. Hydrolectric resources


8. Eolic resources


9. The energy from the Sun


10. Storage and recovery/reutilization of resources and energy


11. Future scenarios: the energy transition


12. Case studies


 


Learning activities and methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
Autonomous work 86 3.44
Tutorials 10 0.4
In-class lectures 38 1.52
Visits to UAB Campus facilities related to energy efficiency 2 0.08
Gamified activities in the classroom 8 0.32

The subject includes 38 hours of theory classes (which include both lectures and demonstration sessions related to the course contents), 8 hours of seminars (in which gamified activities will be developed in the classroom reproducing practical cases/projects related to the management of natural resources and energy), and 2 hours of external visits to different existing facilities on the UAB Campus directly related to management and consumption energy efficient/sustainable at university.


In addition, the subject provides for a certain number of hours of personal dedication to study (which may include both theoretical study and consultation of documentation through the Internet or other means) plus the hours that students will have to use in carrying out the work and evaluated deliveries that the different teachers of the subject will entrust to them.




Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Assessment

Continuous assessment activities

Title Weight Hours ECTS Learning outcomes
2nd partial exam 35/100 2 0.08 KM57, KM58, KM62, SM55
Gamified activities in the classroom 30/100 2 0.08 CM44, CM46
1st partial exam 35/100 2 0.08 KM57, KM58, KM62, SM55

i) The evaluation criteria contemplate the realization of two independent partial exams, each to evaluate a part of the syllabus of the subject. Each of them will have a weight of 35% of the total final grade.

ii) In addition, different gamified interactive activities will be carried out (during the last weeks of the course). These activities will be associated with written submissions and oral presentations that will represent a total of 30% of the final grade, and will involve on-site deliveries in the classroom as part of this evaluation.


For this course, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies is allowed only in the evaluation activity of "Interactive Activities", and exclusively for bibliographic or information search and/or correction of texts. The student will have to clearly identify which parts have been generated with this technology, specify the tools used and include a critical reflection on how they have influenced the process and the final result of the activity. The non-transparency of the use of AI in this assessable activity will be considered a lack of academic honesty and may lead to a partial or total penalty in the grade of the activity, or greater sanctions in cases of deliberate malpractice.



To pass the course the student will have to:

i) Get a minimum average grade of 5 (over 10).

ii) Get a minimum grade of 3,5 (over 10) in each of the three main evaluation activities (the two partial exams and the interactive activitites). In case this requirement is not fullfilled the final grade that will appear in the expedient will be (i) the average grade in case it is below 4,5, (ii) 4,5 in case it is above this value.

It will be considered that a student will obtain the qualification of \"Not Assessable\" if does not present the assignments (tassignments andor oral presentation during the interactive activities), and/or does not appear in any partial exam.

Retake:

i) Those students that have attended a minimum part of the evaluation activites (corresponding at least to 2/3 of the final grade) but do not get the minimum grade to pass the course, or that want to improve their grades, have the option of a retake exam that will be independent for each partial.

ii) The interactive activities, as well as all assignments in the course, will not have a retake option.

Given the characteristics of some of its evaluation activities, this course does not offer the option of a Unique-Assignment evaluation.

Bibliography

Books

V. Ruiz. El Reto Energético. Almuzara, 2013 (2a ed).

J. González-Velasco. Energías Renovables. Reverté, 2005.

C. Riba Romeva. Recursos Energètics i crisi. Octaedro, 2012.

D. Yergin. The New Map: Energy, Climate and the Clash of Nations. Penguin Books, 2021

R.L. Jaffe and W. Taylor. The Physics of Energy. Cambridge Univ. Press, 2018

D.J.C. Mackay. Sustainable Energy: Without the Hot Air. (https://www.withouthotair.com/)

P. Fresco. Energy Fakes: Mitos y Bulos sobre la transición energética. Barlin Libros, 2024.

 

IEA Reports

World Energy Outlook. https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-outlook-2023

The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions. https://www.iea.org/reports/the-role-of-critical-minerals-in-clean-energy-transitions

Clean Energy Transitions Programme 2022. https://www.iea.org/reports/clean-energy-transitions-programme-2022

Technology Innovation to Accelerate Energy Transitions. https://www.iea.org/reports/technology-innovation-to-accelerate-energy-transitions

World Energy Investment 2023. https://www.iea.org/reports/world-energy-investment-2023

Global EV Outlook 2023. https://www.iea.org/reports/global-ev-outlook-2023

Renewable Energy Policies in a Time of Transition. https://www.iea.org/reports/renewable-energy-policies-in-a-time-of-transition

Recommendations of the Global Commission on People-Centred Clean Energy Transitions. https://www.iea.org/reports/recommendations-of-the-global-commission-on-people-centred-clean-energy-transitions

 IRENA Reports

Critical Materials For The Energy Transition. https://www.irena.org/Technical-Papers/Critical-Materials-For-The-Energy-Transition

Managing Seasonal and Interannual Variability of Renewables. https://www.iea.org/reports/managing-seasonal-and-interannual-variability-of-renewables

Financing clean energy transitions in emerging and developing economies. https://www.iea.org/reports/financing-clean-energy-transitions-in-emerging-and-developing-economies

Smart Electrification with Renewables. https://www.irena.org/Publications/2022/Feb/Smart-Electrification-with-Renewables

Innovation landscape for smart electrification. https://www.irena.org/Publications/2023/Jun/Innovation-landscape-for-smart-electrification

Innovation landscape for a renewable-powered future. https://www.irena.org/publications/2019/Feb/Innovation-landscape-for-a-renewable-powered-future

Community-Ownership Models. https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2020/Jul/IRENA_Community_ownership_2020.pdf?la=en&hash=A14542D0C95F608026457B42001483B9B82D1828

Capturing Carbon. https://www.irena.org/Technical-Papers/Capturing-Carbon

Scenarios for the Energy Transition. https://www.irena.org/publications/2020/Sep/Scenarios-for-the-Energy-Transition-Global-experience-and-best-practices

Other Reports

IPCC. Mitigation of Climate Change 2022. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/

World Energy Council: Five Steps to Energy Storage. https://www.worldenergy.org/assets/downloads/Five_steps_to_energy_storage_v301.pdf

Technical support for RES policy development and implementation. https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/949ddae8-0674-11ee-b12e-01aa75ed71a1

EEA: Energy Prosumers in Europe. https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/the-role-of-prosumers-of

Carbon dioxide removal: Nature-based and technological solutions. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_BRI(2021)689336

Recursos online

Demanda Red Eléctrica Española. https://demanda.ree.es/visiona/home

Global Wind Atlas. https://globalwindatlas.info/en

European Wind Atlas. https://map.neweuropeanwindatlas.eu/

Photovoltaic Geographical Information System. https://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvg_tools/en/

Global Solar Atlas. https://globalsolaratlas.info/map

Energy Transition Model. https://energytransitionmodel.com/

De l’Euro al Joule. https://www.eur2j.cat

Central Gorona del Viento. https://www.goronadelviento.es/

Web d’Energia de la UAB. https://www.uab.cat/web/energia-1345825228693.html

 

Software

Excel

 

Course groups and languages

The information provided is provisional until November 30. After this date, you will be able to consult the language of each group through this link. To access the information, you will need to enter the course CODE

Type of teaching Group Language Semester Shift
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(SEM) Seminars 1 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(VEXT) Visites externes a entitats 1 Catalan second semester afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 2 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(VEXT) Visites externes a entitats 2 Catalan second semester afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 3 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(VEXT) Visites externes a entitats 3 Catalan second semester afternoon
(SEM) Seminars 4 Catalan second semester morning-mixed
(VEXT) Visites externes a entitats 4 Catalan second semester afternoon