Electricity and the Environment
EX 1111 is offered this winter:
Course at a glance
- Fully online asynchronous course.
- Aimed at industry executives, environmental professionals, project managers, power producers and regulators, those working in government agencies, utility companies and energy agencies, as well as developers and investors interested in expanding their career or business with renewable energy.
- Credentialed by the Foundational Technologies Institute (FTI), an independent organization, to meet standards of quality, practicality, and alignment to business needs.
What you will learn
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
- Describe the relationship between CO2 and temperature through the greenhouse effect.
- Define the albedo effect and outline its role in energy reflection.
- Outline the environmental impacts associated with different electricity generation technologies.
- Describe different policy tools used for Greenhouse Gas mitigation (including price-based instruments, command and control regulations, and technology support policies).
- Describe the principal characteristics of all major forms of energy storage.
- Outline the strengths and challenges of battery, thermal, compressed hydro, and compressed air energy storage systems.
- Outline the energy storage potential of Alberta.
- Describe some of the limitations and challenges to utility-scale energy storage.
Offered:
Take note:
- Assessment activities include discussions, assignments, and quizzes.
Jan 8, 2024Jan 21, 2024
Asynchronous online learning, eClass
14 hours of instruction
In asynchronous online courses, students are expected to move through the course material at the same pace as their peers, but there are no real-time virtual classroom sessions to attend. All components of this type of course are accessible through eClass, the University of Alberta’s eLearning management tool. format details

Your Instructor
Gabriel JohnID: gabriel-john
Gabriel John is a professional agrologist with extensive experience in program design and implementation in the areas of climate change, emissions management, clean energy, and emerging technologies. His government and academic work in the past decade has focused on developing strategic policies and innovative programs in the complex energy-environment nexus. Gabriel currently works on strategic environmental and sustainable energy policies and programs, including leading the development of policies relating to renewable development and the de-carbonization of the electricity sector.
Class info
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This is an asynchronous online learning course.
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14 course hours in total
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Cost assistance: may be eligible for the Canada-Alberta Job Grant, the Canada Training Benefit, and the Skilled Immigrant Micro-Loan.
— view all 28 funding opportunities -
Please be advised that some of our courses fill quickly, early registration is encouraged to secure your spot. See our refunds, withdrawals & transfers policies for detailed information.
This course has no prerequisites
Students from all educational backgrounds welcome. You can register for this course without applying and enrolling in a program.
Take note:
- Assessment activities include discussions, assignments, and quizzes.
Currently counts towards:
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└ core course
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└ course option
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└14-hour course option
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└14-hour course option
Applicants intending to enrol in a program are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to lock in their course requirements since they are prone to change.
*If you are already enroled in this program, please refer to your specific program requirements as outlined at the time of your admission: Bear Tracks > Academic Advisement.
Looking for different course dates?
New course schedules are released each June and November.