Power Engineering and Environment

The aim of this course is to teach the students basic understanding of conections between sciences and technologies that are used in traditional, alternative and potential future energy systems. The course provides an understanding of inter-connections between energy technologies and social and environmental issues.
A special accent is given to understanding of basic concepts and principles in the field of renewable energy technologies.
Discussed issues are complemented by a number of practical examples and excursion. Students prepare a seminar, with a more detailed discussion on the issues addressed.

Students will acquire the following competences:
- Safe, environmentally-friendly, reliable and economical management of energy systems in the context of sustainable development .

Required prerequisit knowledge from courses: Engineering mathematics, Engineering physics, Engineering chemistry.

1. Introduction
   • Overview of course contents and teaching materials
   • About the study of the course
   • Websites in connection with the course

2. Sustainability and Sustainable develpment
   • Definitions
   • Interdisciplinary view on power engineering
   • Growth of population and migrations
   • Biocapacity and carbon footprint
   • Global climate change
   • Reduction of the ozone layer
   • Waste
   • Remaining global influences and threats
   • Strategies of sustainable development
   • Circular economy

3. Energy technologies with fossil fuels
   • Searching for fossil fuels, production and storage
   • Coal
   • Oil
   • Natural gas
   • Alternative fossil fuels
   • Combustion technologies and thermal power plants
   • Cogeneration
   • High temperature thermal and electrical systems
   • Word, Europe and Slovenia

4. Energy technologies with renewables
   • Hydroelectricity
   • Exploitation of sea waves
   • Harnessing tidal
   • Exploitation of the heat of the sea
   • Harnessing the wind
   • Utilization of biomass
   • Geothermal energy
   • Photovoltaics
   • Hydrogen technologies
   • Harnessing solar energy to generate electricity
   • Harnessing solar energy for heating

5. Introduction to nuclear technologies

6. Energy consumption – industry
   • Process control and energy management
   • Integration of processes
   • Systems with adjustable speed

7. Energy consumption – buildings
   • Nearly zero-energy buildings
   • Passive, hybrid and low-energy cooling systems
   • Daylight and passive solar systems
   • Windows and glazing
   • Ventilation
   • Incandescent
   • Management systems for buildings

8. Energy consumption – transport
   • New internal combustion engines
   • The design of vehicles and new materials
   • Fuel cells
   • Alternative vehicles
   • Transport and traffic management

9. Energy savings by conservation
   • Heating and ventilation
   • Heat pumps
   • Insulation
   • Lighting

10. Energy savings by recycling

11. Energy management
    • The role of energy managers
    • Energy management at the level of family
    • Energy management at the company level
    • Energy management in Slovenia, Europe and World
    • Legislation: waste, environment, emissions,…

12. Energy technologies of the future
    • Introduction
    • Conversion side
    • Consumption side

13. Seminary

Knowledge and understanding:
Understanding of sustainable development and circular economy.
Knowledge of classical and alternative energy technologies.
Understanding of basic principles of energy conversion systems.

• GJERKEŠ, Henrik. Koncept krožnega gospodarstva, gradbeništvo in primer občine Kočevje. V: VOLFAND, Jože (ur.), et al. Prehod v trajnostno gradnjo in življenjski cikel stavbe : priročnik za krožno gospodarstvo. Celje: Fit media, 2020. Str. 56-61, ilustr. ISBN 978-961-6283-60-1. E-version
• ŠIJANEC-ZAVRL, Marjana, JEJČIČ, Neva, TOMŠIČ, Miha, GJERKEŠ, Henrik. Razogljičenje stavb - usposabljanje, prepoznavanje kakovosti in merila za trajnostno gradnjo in prenovo. V: UMBERGER, Marko (ur.). Peter Novak. V Ljubljani: Slovensko društvo za sončno energijo, 2023. Str. 55-60, ilustr. ISBN 978-961-96287-0-6.
• GJERKEŠ, Henrik. Pregled, analiza in predlog alternativne oskrbe z energijo : LDC Letališka Mercator: končna verzija. Ljubljana: Gradbeni inštitut ZRMK, 2021. 32 str., ilustr.
• ŠIJANEC-ZAVRL, Marjana, TOMŠIČ, Miha, GJERKEŠ, Henrik, POTOČAR, Erik. Implementation of the EPBD in Slovenia : status in 2020. [Brussels: European Union, 2021]. 1 spletni vir (1 datoteka PDF (27 str.)), ilustr. E-version
• GJERKEŠ, Henrik. Toplotne črpalke v kontekstu trajnostnega ogrevanja v Sloveniji. V: UMBERGER, Marko (ur.). Toplotne črpalke : revija. Ljubljana: UM svetovanje, 2019. Str. 39-44, ilustr. Catalogue
• PRAZNIK, Miha, TOMŠIČ, Miha, ŠKERLEP, Tomaž, JEJČIČ, Neva, KRAPEŽ, Primož, GOSTIČ, Samo, SKOK, Jurij, BROŽIČ, Dušanka, KOS, Jože, KOMEL, Primož, GJERKEŠ, Henrik, et al., PRAZNIK, Miha (urednik). Usposabljanje novih energetskih svetovalcev za delo v mreži ENSVET : version tečaja. Ljubljana: Gradbeni inštitut ZRMK, 2015. 2 zv. (loč. pag.), ilustr. [COBISS.SI-ID 512114715]
• https://interestingengineering.com/
• https://www.nature.com/
• Renewable Energy- A Primer for the Twenty-First Century, Bruce Usher, 2019 2019 Catalogue E-version
• Physics and Technology of Sustainable Energy, E. L. Wolf, 2018 Catalogue
• G.Boyle, Renewable Energy, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2003. Catalogue E-version

• Written exam • Public presentation and defense of seminary. 70/30

Prof. dr. Henrik Gjerkeš. Habilitation field: Mechanical engineering.
Henrik Gjerkeš from Ljutomer graduated at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Maribor and received his master's degree and in 1999 PhD at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana. Since 2006, he has been employed at the University of Nova Gorica, where he is a lecturer in 6 courses at the School of Engineering and Management, the School of Environmental Sciences and the Graduate School, and a member of the Senate, the Scientific council and the Committee for academic affairs. In 2012, he was additionally employed at the Building and Civil Engineering Institute ZRMK, where he leads activities in the field of sustainable energy use and participates in numerous domestic and international projects - from strategic to completely concrete solutions to problems in industry and local communities. Between 2009 and 2011, he was a minister of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia, responsible for local self-government, regional policy and the absorption of European funds. The basic field of work is mechanical engineering (heat transfer and process engineering), which he upgraded in his non-linear career path with knowledge of modern sustainable technologies, circularity, renewable energy sources, waste management, industrial ecology and regional politics. He is the mentor of 20 completed master's and 8 diploma theses. His bibliography comprises 243 items, of which 24 are scientific articles with 128 net citations and an h-index of 8 (WoS/Scopus, COBISS, September 2024).

Selected bibliography

BERCE, Jure, HADŽIĆ, Armin, MOŽE, Matic, ARHAR, Klara, GJERKEŠ, Henrik, ZUPANČIČ, Matevž, GOLOBIČ, Iztok. Effect of surface wettability on nanoparticle deposition during pool boiling on laser-textured copper surfaces. Nanomaterials. [Online ed.]. Feb. 2024, vol. 14, iss. 3, [article no.] 311, str. 1-17, ilustr. ISSN 2079-4991. [COBISS.SI-ID 184768771]

GJERKEŠ, Henrik. Opredelitev in implementacija krožnega gospodarstva. Geotermija v Pomurju : 21. znanstvena konferenca Pomurska akademija Pomurju. : 24. in 25. november 2023. [COBISS.SI-ID 173814531]

GJERKEŠ, Henrik, JAKIN, Tomaž. Trajnostni učinki povišanja stopnje lokalne energetske samooskrbe pri sistemu daljinskega ogrevanja stavb. Svet strojništva. sep. 2023, letn. 12, št. 1/2, str. 43-49, ilustr. ISSN 1855-6493. [COBISS.SI-ID 166391555]

GJERKEŠ, Henrik, ŠIJANEC-ZAVRL, Marjana, Akademija strojništva 2023, 22. 11. 2023, Ljubljana. Analysis of circular economy implementation in local community. Svet strojništva. 2023, letn. 12, št. 03/06, str. 148-149, ilustr. ISSN 2350-3505. [COBISS.SI-ID 173807107]

ŠIJANEC-ZAVRL, Marjana, JEJČIČ, Neva, TOMŠIČ, Miha, GJERKEŠ, Henrik. Razogljičenje stavb - usposabljanje, prepoznavanje kakovosti in merila za trajnostno gradnjo in prenovo. V: UMBERGER, Marko (ur.). Peter Novak. V Ljubljani: Slovensko društvo za sončno energijo, 2023. Str. 55-60, ilustr. ISBN 978-961-96287-0-6. COBISS.SI-ID 169930755]

MOŽE, Matic, ZUPANČIČ, Matevž, STEINBÜCHER, Miha, GOLOBIČ, Iztok, GJERKEŠ, Henrik. Nanosecond laser-textured copper surfaces hydrophobized with self-assembled monolayers for enhanced pool boiling heat transfer. Nanomaterials. [Online ed.]. Oct. 2022, vol. 12, iss. 22, str. 1-20, ilustr. ISSN 2079-4991. [COBISS.SI-ID 129879555]

MOŽE, Matic, ZUPANČIČ, Matevž, SEDMAK, Ivan, FERJANČIČ, Klemen, GJERKEŠ, Henrik, GOLOBIČ, Iztok. Revisiting the corresponding-states-based correlation for pool boiling critical heat flux. Energies. May 2022, vol. 15, iss. 10, str. 1-19, ilustr. ISSN 1996-1073. [COBISS.SI-ID 107631363]

TOMŠIČ, Miha, GJERKEŠ, Henrik, ŠIJANEC-ZAVRL, Marjana, BAČLIJA BRAJNIK, Irena, PREBILIČ, Vladimir. Potentials and limitations of local fiscal policies as instruments for sustainable development in Slovenia. Energy efficient building design and legislation. Paris: RILEM Publications, [2019]. Str. 237-244, ilustr. ISSN 1461-1147. [COBISS.SI-ID 5361915]

PETKOVŠEK, Jure, HENG, Yi, ZUPANČIČ, Matevž, GJERKEŠ, Henrik, CIMERMAN, Franc, GOLOBIČ, Iztok. IR thermographic investigation of nucleate pool boiling at high heat flux. International journal of refrigeration. [Print ed.]. Jan. 2016, vol. 61, str. 127-139, ilustr. ISSN 0140-7007. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2015.10.018. [COBISS.SI-ID 14351643]

ŠIJANEC-ZAVRL, Marjana, STEGNAR, Gašper, RAKUŠČEK, Andraž, GJERKEŠ, Henrik. A bottom-up building stock model for tracking regional energy targets : a case study of Kočevje. Sustainability. 2016, vol. 8, no. 10, str. 1-16, ilustr. ISSN 2071-1050. [COBISS.SI-ID 4550139]

GJERKEŠ, Henrik, MALENŠEK, Jože, SITAR, Anže, GOLOBIČ, Iztok. Product identification in industrial batch fermentation using a variable forgetting factor. Control eng. pract.. [Print ed.], Oct. 2011, vol. 19, iss. 10, str. 1208-1215, doi:10.1016/j.conengprac.2011.06.011. [COBISS.SI-ID 11995931]

GOLOBIČ, Iztok, PETKOVŠEK, Jure, GJERKEŠ, Henrik, KENNING, D.B.R. Horizontal chain coalescence of bubbles in saturated pool boiling on a thin foil. Int. j. heat mass transfer. [Print ed.], Dec. 2011, vol. 54, iss. 25/26, str. 5517-5526, doi: 0.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2011.07.039. [COBISS.SI-ID 11996187]

GOLOBIČ, Iztok, GJERKEŠ, Henrik. Interactions between laser-activated nucleation sites in pool boiling. International journal of heat and mass transfer. [Print ed.]. 2001, vol. 44, no. 1, str. 143-153. ISSN 0017-9310. [COBISS.SI-ID 4009243]

GJERKEŠ, Henrik, GOLOBIČ, Iztok. Pool boiling CHF on a laser heated thin plate. International journal of heat and mass transfer. [Print ed.]. 2000, vol. 43, no. 11, str. 1999-2008. ISSN 0017-9310. [COBISS.SI-ID 3587355]