ECONOMICS OF ENERGIES SOURCES

Single discipline educational activity

Course Sheet

Course code:

LM57012

Academic Year of enrolment:

2020

Year of supply:

2020/2021

Type of Course:

Related/Supplementary

Degree:

Course of 2nd Cycle Degree in MANAGEMENT, FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT

Disciplinary Sector:

Commodity Studies

Location:

Credits:

Programme Year:

Professor and Collaborators:

DEL SIGNORE Antonella

Cycle:

First semester

Hours of classroom activity:

Individual study hours:

135

Prerequisites:

there are none

Objectives

Educational objectives
- Energy study as a factor of production and development.
- Show the international and national picture of the situation of energy
resources.
- Provide knowledge on economic indices based on energy consumption
in order to make comparisons between economic systems, industrial
sectors and individual industries.
- Emphasize the professional function of the Energy Manager.
Expected learning outcomes
KNOWLEDGE
Since the current civilization is characterized by the enormous progress
made in the scientific and technological field, at the end of the course the
students will be in possession of the cognitive tools for:
explain the economic facts related to energy sources, starting from the
examination of the technical aspects;
- analyze the environmental effects of energy production.
CAPACITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
At the end of the course students will be able to:
- apply knowledge to the identification of the main critical issues
relating to the forms of energy currently used and potentially usable.
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
At the end of the course the students will have acquired the following
skills
communication:
- know how to use economic language adequately
- to expose and rigorously discuss the technical-economic reports relating
to the topics studied.

Contents

The course will be carried out in an interdisciplinary way trying to make
the facts and the technical aspects of the energy sources in connection
with the economic aspects of this sector. In fact, if on the one hand it is
quite easy to find documents on the technical aspects of energy, on
energy sources and on “machines”, or find manuals and treatises
concerning exclusively economic aspects of energy, on the other hand it
is more difficult to find literature that consider the technical aspects of
energy sources to explain the economic facts related to them. This is
particularly important for the analysis of the environmental effects of
energy production.
Since the current civilization is characterized by the enormous progress
made in the scientific and technological field, economists will be able to
perform their functions better if they take into account the technical
content of economic problems.
The various topics will be treated in such a way as to contain a historical
part, a technical part with the most important energy production cycles
and an economic-commercial part.

Extended Syllabus

Part I
- Energy in general. Energy sources. Classification and type. Energy
measurement. Earnings. Thermoeconomics. Historical aspects of the
engines and their technical evolution.
- Resources and reserves. World energy supply situation. The demand for
energy. Energy intensity and the causes of change in energy demand.
The Italian energy balance.
Part II
- Fossil fuels: generalities, historical aspects, resources and reserves,
chemical energy. Coal: historical aspects. Classification of carbons. Coal
transformation processes. Production and uses. International coal trade.
- Oil. Historical aspects. Research and extraction. Production and
international trade. Oil refining cycle. Petroleum products: evolution of
demand. Oil industry organization. The oil companies. Evolution of oil
contracts.
- Natural gas: technical aspects. Uses. Reserves, production, transport,
trade. Italian situation.
- Nuclear energy: historical aspects. Nuclear fuel cycle. Enrichment
processes: technical and economic aspects. Location of nuclear power
plants and environment. Functioning and characteristics of nuclear power
plants: types of reactors. Uranium market and evolution of enrichment
services contracts. The confinement of radioactive waste: technical
aspects and microeconomic and macroeconomic factors that affect its
economy.
Part III
- Renewable energy sources: geothermal, wind, solar, biomass, minihydraulics.
Technical and economic aspects.
- Electricity: historical and technical aspects. Hydroelectric and
thermoelectric power: technical and economic comparisons. The cost of
producing electricity from the various primary sources. Electricity market
and international exchanges. Load diagram. Rates. The electrical
intensity: two case studies compared.
- Energy saving: rational use of energy and energy management. Energy
management.
- Risks in energy production: for humans and the environment.
Comparisons between different sources. Environmental impact
assessment.

Recommended Bibliography

Mario Giaccio, Tecnologia ed Economia delle Fonti di Energia, Libreria
dell’Università Editrice, Pescara, 2000 (updating).
Material provided by the professor

Teaching Methods

The lesson course is divided into 72 hours of frontal teaching which
provide a strong interactive component between teacher and students

Evaluation methods

Verification of learning:

The verification of the preparation of the students will take place through
an interview (oral exam) on the subjects being taught. The evaluation will
be expressed in thirtieths.

Contacts/More Information

email: signore@unich.it
days and office hours: Thursday 10-12

Università degli Studi
"G. d'Annunzio"

Chieti - Pescara

Aree