First Energy Course: Beyond Electric Machinery

The goal of the first course in energy is to introduce the students to the wide area of electric power while making it relevant to their daily encounters. As educators, our philosophy for teaching the first course in energy must change dramatically from just an energy conversion class to broader topics that are relevant to all electrical engineering students. In this paper, we present the experience of the University of Washington in teaching a modular course in energy that can be taught in units and sequences determined by the instructor. By the end of the course, the students should understand most, if not all, of the following topics: history of power systems, worldwide energy resources, power plants, generation and transmission of energy, environmental impact of generating electricity, renewable energy systems, main components of a power system, power grids, energy exchange and trade, and blackouts. Other essential topics such as electric safety, power electronics and electric machines are also included. The electrical machines are taught using interesting and familiar applications to the students.