Material and energy flow analysis
ENV-501 / 4 credits
Teacher(s): Binder Signer Claudia Rebeca, Hecher Maria Anna, Moreau Vincent
Language: English
Withdrawal: It is not allowed to withdraw from this subject after the registration deadline.
Summary
This course provides the bases to understand material and energy production and consumption processes. Students learn how to develop a material flow analysis and apply it to cases of resource management. They analyze the implications of their models on resource use, economic activities and policy.
Content
- Resource management and Industrial Ecology
- Methods for analysing resource management issues
- Material Flow Analysis
- Extended input output analysis
- Urban and regional metabolism
- Applications to minerals, metals, water and energy
- Course project based on industry and/or regional cases
- Data sources, quality and uncertainty
- Overview of existing software packages and databases
- MFA as support system for decision and policy making
Keywords
- Industrial Ecology
- Resource management
- Modeling
- Material flow analysis
- Input output analysis
- Industry cases
- Policy implications
Learning Prerequisites
Recommended courses
Life cycle assessment
Important concepts to start the course
Linear algebra
Transport phenomena
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, the student must be able to:
- Develop a material and energy flow analysis for a relevant resource problem
- Justify and critically reflect on system analysis
- Derive policy implications for production and consumption processes based on their results
- Assess / Evaluate and understand the modeling results of other students
- Apply a software package for system modeling
Transversal skills
- Access and evaluate appropriate sources of information.
- Use both general and domain specific IT resources and tools
- Use a work methodology appropriate to the task.
- Give feedback (critique) in an appropriate fashion.
- Demonstrate the capacity for critical thinking
- Demonstrate a capacity for creativity.
- Write a scientific or technical report.
- Collect data.
Teaching methods
Interactive lectures and exercises with a graded group project
Invited lecturers from the private sector
Expected student activities
We expect students to participate in all lectures and exercise sessions including visits in the industry. Students should complete the exercises on a weekly basis to understand the theory and practice of MFA. The course and group project build on MFA models and student are expected to work effectively on their own, in small groups and with the help of lecturers. They are expected to present their projects' results to practice partners.
Assessment methods
Student will be evaluated in two ways:
- A midterm exam to evaluate theoretical part of the cours (40 % of the final grade)
- An oral presentation and a written report for a group project to evaluate the students capability to model, analyze and interpret a practical resource problem (60 % of the final grade)
Supervision
Office hours | Yes |
Assistants | Yes |
Forum | Yes |
Resources
Bibliography
Baccini, P., Brunner P., Metabolism of the Anthroposphere - Analysis, Evaluation, Design. The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2012
Binder CR. Material Flow Analysis (MFA). Berkshire Encyclopedia of Sustainability: measurements, indicators, and research methods for sustainability, Berkshire Publishing Group; 2012.
Moreau, V., & Massard, G. (2017). Material and Energy Flow Analysis. In Oxford Encyclopedia of Environmental Sciences. Oxford University Press. DOI: 10.1093/acrefore/9780199389414.013.10
Additionnal literature references will be provided during the semester on moodle
Ressources en bibliothèque
Notes/Handbook
All teaching material will be accessible via moodle during the semester
Moodle Link
In the programs
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: During the semester (winter session)
- Subject examined: Material and energy flow analysis
- Lecture: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: During the semester (winter session)
- Subject examined: Material and energy flow analysis
- Lecture: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: During the semester (winter session)
- Subject examined: Material and energy flow analysis
- Lecture: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: During the semester (winter session)
- Subject examined: Material and energy flow analysis
- Lecture: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: During the semester (winter session)
- Subject examined: Material and energy flow analysis
- Lecture: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: During the semester (winter session)
- Subject examined: Material and energy flow analysis
- Lecture: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: During the semester (winter session)
- Subject examined: Material and energy flow analysis
- Lecture: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Semester: Fall
- Exam form: During the semester (winter session)
- Subject examined: Material and energy flow analysis
- Lecture: 2 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks
- Exercises: 1 Hour(s) per week x 14 weeks