EST 694 - Energy and Buildings: Technology, Policy, and Behavior

Buildings consume vast amounts of energy and resources, and are one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Major advances in building design and technology over the past decade have given us tools to make buildings more energy efficient, but buildings lag far behind their potential. There are many avenues to green the built environment sector, including technological innovations, occupant behavior programs, retrofits of existing buildings, and innovative building codes. Ultimately, reducing energy consumption in the building stock will require an interdisciplinary approach and some combination of a range of program and policy types.

This course will introduce students to the many interdisciplinary issues surrounding energy use in buildings, with a particular focus on the intersection of policy with technology, economics, social science, and behavior. The course will combine lectures, student-led discussions, guest speaker(s) and field trip(s) to green buildings, depending on scheduling.

3 credits

Grading Letter graded (A, A-, B+, etc.)