Curriculum Modules
With funding from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, Rutgers faculty and staff developed curriculum modules across various technical, business, environmental, engineering and policy topics related to offshore wind energy.
How to Incorporate the Modules
The modules are ready to be incorporated into existing Rutgers courses and for presentation as standalone programs. Rutgers professors and instructors can incorporate the modules through Canvas. Once logged in, select “Commons” on the left side bar, and search for “RutgersOSW.” The offshore wind energy modules will appear. Once you decide which module(s) you would like to incorporate, select the “Import/Download” button and the module will then be added to your existing course.
Feedback
We kindly ask that you complete the evaluation form at the end of the semester or after your standalone program to provide feedback on the module(s). If you incorporated more than one module into your course or standalone program, then please complete this form for each module.
Available Modules
Offshore wind energy educational modules have been developed by Rutgers University faculty and staff covering topics of business and economics; engineering; environment and ecosystems; and social sciences. A brief description of each module is provided below.
Questions?
If you need assistance with the modules, please contact Amy Mandelbaum at amy.mandelbaum@rutgers.edu
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Module: Offshore Wind Supply Chain
Description: This module provides an overview of the offshore wind supply chain, including the design, construction, installation, and maintenance of offshore wind turbines and their components. Students will learn about the various suppliers and contractors involved in the supply chain, as well as the challenges and opportunities associated with this rapidly growing industry.
Audience: All students, researchers and practitioners involved in the offshore wind industry who are involved in research, policy, workforce, supply chain and/or logistics activities: contracting-procurement-logistics support.
Developed by: Kevin Lyons, Co-Director, Office of Climate Action; Associate Director, Rutgers Energy Institute; and Associate Professor, Department of Supply Chain Management (Rutgers-Newark) klyons@business.rutgers.edu 973-353-3347
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module: The Economics and Finance of Offshore Wind Energy Electricity Generation
Description: This module covers the economics of wind generation near the ocean and offshore. It discusses the economics of the private and social costs compared to the benefits of wind generation. It also shows the demand and supply for electricity within a regional grid, focusing on the largest and oldest grid involving power market competition globally. This is the PJM Interconnection, which is an hourly-priced spot and forward wholesale market and grid that all generation plants that all NJ plants sell their power. That is, except those with power contracted to specific parties and the PJM still moves that power geographically. The module would cover the strengths and weaknesses of wind compared to the baseload of natural gas and coal-fired and nuclear plants. The background of state and federal economic incentives and subsidies of wind generation in New Jersey (such as renewable energy credits and federal income tax credits). The challenges of transmission connection (on and offshore) would be discussed. Lastly the typical household use of electricity within PJM will be discussed.
Audience: The intended audience is any undergraduate or graduate student with a major in a STEM area, business or economics majors or minors, or a non-matriculated student that wants a training in wind generation, such as an employee of a wind generation firm.
Developed by: Richard A. Michelfelder, Associate Professor, School of Business (Rutgers-Camden) richmich@camden.rutgers.edu 856-225-6919
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module: Introduction to a Wind Turbine System
Description: This module covers aerodynamics, hydrodynamics, structure, composites/materials, and manufacturing concepts, design optimization methods, and more. This is the first module in the “Wind Turbine Modeling, Analysis, and Design Optimization” series.
Audience: Appropriate for all levels
Developed by: Onur Bilgen, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (Rutgers-New Brunswick) o.bilgen@rutgers.edu 848-445-5869
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module: Components of and Related Physics in a Wind Turbine System
Description: This module covers aerodynamics, hydrodynamics, structure, composites/materials, and manufacturing, concepts, design optimization methods, and more. This is the second module in the “Wind Turbine Modeling, Analysis, and Design Optimization” series.
Audience: Sophomore to graduate (pre-requisite: minimum knowledge in calculus/ordinary differential equations if the participant is not an engineering student)
Developed by: Onur Bilgen, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (Rutgers-New Brunswick) o.bilgen@rutgers.edu 848-445-5869
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module: Modeling of a Wind Turbine as a System
Description: This module covers aerodynamics, hydrodynamics, structure, composites/materials, and manufacturing, concepts, design optimization methods, and more. This is the third module in the “Wind Turbine Modeling, Analysis, and Design Optimization” series.
Audience: Sophomore to graduate (pre-requisite: minimum knowledge in calculus/ordinary differential equations if the participant is not an engineering student)
Developed by: Onur Bilgen, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (Rutgers-New Brunswick) o.bilgen@rutgers.edu 848-445-5869
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module: Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of a Wind Turbine
Description: This module covers aerodynamics, hydrodynamics, structure, composites/materials, and manufacturing, concepts, design optimization methods, and more. This is the fourth module in the “Wind Turbine Modeling, Analysis, and Design Optimization” series.
Audience: Sophomore to graduate (pre-requisite: minimum knowledge in calculus/ordinary differential equations if the participant is not an engineering student)
Developed by: Onur Bilgen, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (Rutgers-New Brunswick) o.bilgen@rutgers.edu 848-445-5869
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module: Wind Energy Forecasting
Description: Wind measurements, analysis of wind data, wind resource and power forecasting, wind power curve modeling and monitoring, operations and maintenance. This is the first module in the “Introduction to Wind Energy Modeling, Forecasting, and Operation” series.
Audience: Sophomore to graduate (pre-requisite: an introductory class to probability and/or statistics)
Developed by: Ahmed Aziz Ezzat, Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (Rutgers-New Brunswick) aziz.ezzat@rutgers.edu 848-445-3625
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module: Power Curve Modeling
Description: Wind measurements, analysis of wind data, wind resource and power forecasting, wind power curve modeling and monitoring, operations and maintenance. This is the second module in the “Introduction to Wind Energy Modeling, Forecasting, and Operation” series.
Audience: Sophomore to graduate (pre-requisite: an introductory class to probability and/or statistics)
Developed by: Ahmed Aziz Ezzat, Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (Rutgers-New Brunswick) aziz.ezzat@rutgers.edu 848-445-3625
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module: Operations and Maintenance
Description: Wind measurements, analysis of wind data, wind resource and power forecasting, wind power curve modeling and monitoring, operations and maintenance. This is the third module in the “Introduction to Wind Energy Modeling, Forecasting, and Operation” series.
Audience: Sophomore to graduate (pre-requisite: an introductory class to probability and/or statistics)
Developed by: Ahmed Aziz Ezzat, Assistant Professor, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (Rutgers-New Brunswick) aziz.ezzat@rutgers.edu 848-445-3625
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module: Wind Turbine Control
Description: Power extraction and control, bottom-fixed wind turbine control, and floating offshore wind turbine control
Audience: Sophomore to graduate (pre-requisite: minimum knowledge in calculus/ordinary differential equations if the participant is not an engineering student)
Developed by: Laurent Burlion, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (Rutgers-New Brunswick) laurent.burlion@rutgers.edu 848-445-2046
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module: Numerical Modeling of Offshore Wind Systems
Description: This module includes tutorials on how to use the FLORIS, SOWFA, and OpenFAST modeling tools for wind energy.
Audience: Appropriate for all levels (pre-requisite: background in fluid dynamics and ideally some computational fluid dynamics experience; knowledge of C++ is preferred)
Developed by: Ruo-Qian (Roger) Wang, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering (Rutgers-New Brunswick) rq.wang@rutgers.edu 848-445-4288
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module: Offshore Wind and Fisheries
Description: This module describes some of the ways that traditional ocean users (offshore fisheries) and offshore wind may interact as offshore wind farms get developed. It uses the mid-Atlantic as a test case to explore potential interactions and uncertainties, fishery management issues, and what mitigation might look like. The module includes a slide deck and an associated exercise for students to explore overlap of fishers and offshore wind leases using federal datasets, such as the NOAA Socioeconomic Impacts of Offshore Wind portal.
Audience: Undergraduate or graduate students, may also work for lay audiences
Developed by: Daphne Munroe, Associate Professor, Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, (Rutgers-New Brunswick and Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory) dmunroe@hsrl.rutgers.edu 856-785-0074 x4325, and Josh Kohut, Professor, Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, (Rutgers-New Brunswick) kohut@marine.rutgers.edu 848-932-3496.
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module: Beneath the Surface: Offshore Wind Farms as Artificial Reefs
Description: This module describes how offshore wind farms act as artificial reefs and how they change the marine community assemblage. In the module, we define what an ecosystem is, how it functions, and why is it important, using soft and hard bottom ecosystems off of NJ as a case study. It will explore what is known from research in other parts of the world about how introducing offshore wind farms can alter ecosystems, and uses videos and examples from Block Island. An activity is outlined in which the students outline how they expect the ecosystem to change after wind farm installation, and asks them to identify some positive changes (more diverse assemblage; potentially higher productivity), and negative changes (competition may lead to displacement of community that was there before).
Audience: Undergraduate or graduate students
Developed by: Jason Morson, Associate Research Scientist, Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory (Rutgers-New Brunswick) jmorson@hsrl.rutgers.edu 856-785-0074 x4316
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module: Life Cycle Analysis of Offshore Wind
Description: This module describes the potential environmental impacts related to the 1MWh electricity to the grid from offshore wind installations. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a state-of-the-art methodology for assessing multiple environmental impacts of a system over time and space throughout its life cycle from cradle to grave. The module will use the Mid-Atlantic as a test case to explore how life cycle assessment can inform technology development and system planning. Additionally, participants will learn how LCA can be used for eco-design and product development, manufacturing, how environmental improvement is synergistic to logistics, and uncertain life stage of EoL in OSW.
Audience: Undergraduate students as part of sustainability minor, and graduate students who may be interested in learning about life cycle analysis and offshore wind energy
Developed by: Serpil Guran, Director, Clean Energy Innovation Center, Rutgers EcoComplex (Rutgers-New Brunswick) sg795@njaes.rutgers.edu 609-499-3600 x4225
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module: Wind Energy’s Economic, Social and Environmental Impacts to Communities
Description: This module describes wind energy’s economic, social and environmental impacts to communities.
Audience:Undergraduate or graduate students, may also work for lay audiences
Developed by: Nathaniel Wright, Associate Professor of Public Policy and Administration (Rutgers-Camden) nathaniel.wright@rutgers.edu 856-225-2962
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module 1: Introduction to the Problem
Topic: Environmental Psychology
Description: This module contextualizes the problem by providing a general overview of the problem of climate change and some of its local impacts on the state of New Jersey in particular.
Audience: Undergraduate or graduate students, may also work for lay audiences
Developed by: Sean Duffy, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology (Rutgers-Camden) seduffy@scarletmail.rutgers.edu 856-225-6204
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module 2: The Advantages – and Limitations – of Wind Energy Over Other Alternatives to Fossil Fuels
Topic: Environmental Psychology
Description: This module continues on the themes discussed in the “Introduction to the Problem” module by discussing different renewable or carbon neutral energy resources and why wind has advantages over many of these processes.
Audience: Undergraduate or graduate students, may also work for lay audiences
Developed by: Sean Duffy, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology (Rutgers-Camden) seduffy@scarletmail.rutgers.edu 856-225-6204
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module 3: History of the Use of Wind Energy
Topic: Environmental Psychology
Description: This module briefly introduces the history of the use of wind energy while providing brief introduction to the basic structure and operations of a wind turbine, and those out at sea.
Audience: Undergraduate or graduate students, may also work for lay audiences
Developed by: Sean Duffy, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology (Rutgers-Camden) seduffy@scarletmail.rutgers.edu 856-225-6204
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module 4: Introduction to Environmental Psychology
Topic: Environmental Psychology
Description: This module introduces the topic of environmental psychology: what it is and some of its central theories.
Audience: Undergraduate or graduate students, may also work for lay audiences
Developed by: Sean Duffy, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology (Rutgers-Camden) seduffy@scarletmail.rutgers.edu 856-225-6204
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module 5: Environmental Psychology of Climate Change
Topic: Environmental Psychology
Description: This module discusses how people understand the risks imposed by climate change, behavioral contributions, the psychosocial impacts, the barriers limiting action, and how psychologists can help.
Audience: Undergraduate or graduate students, may also work for lay audiences
Developed by: Sean Duffy, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology (Rutgers-Camden) seduffy@scarletmail.rutgers.edu 856-225-6204
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module 6: Environmental Psychology of Wind Energy
Topic: Environmental Psychology
Description: This module discusses some of the issues that people have identified when thinking about wind energy more generally, such as the aesthetic and perceived health impacts.
Audience: Undergraduate or graduate students, may also work for lay audiences
Developed by: Sean Duffy, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology (Rutgers-Camden) seduffy@scarletmail.rutgers.edu 856-225-6204
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module 7: Summarizing 30 Years of Social Science on Wind Energy
Topic: Environmental Psychology
Description: This module summarizes the recommendations of two researchers who draw conclusions from 30 years of social science research papers on promoting wind energy. Many of the suggestions are useful in the context of understanding offshore wind.
Audience: Undergraduate or graduate students, may also work for lay audiences
Developed by: Sean Duffy, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology (Rutgers-Camden) seduffy@scarletmail.rutgers.edu 856-225-6204
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module 8: Classroom Exercise for Developing a Scale Measuring Knowledge and Attitudes about Offshore Wind
Topic: Environmental Psychology
Description: This module introduces presents an exercise Dr. Duffy developed with two sections of a Statistics course he taught in Spring 2023. Dr. Duffy used offshore wind as a case study for developing a survey instrument that tapped into what people know and think about offshore wind. This will be expanded into a larger project in Summer 2023 using survey research methods.
Audience: Undergraduate or graduate students, may also work for lay audiences
Developed by: Sean Duffy, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology (Rutgers-Camden) seduffy@scarletmail.rutgers.edu 856-225-6204
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module 9: Results of the Offshore Wind Scale
Topic: Environmental Psychology
Description: This module will be updated with the results of the full survey.
Audience: Undergraduate or graduate students, may also work for lay audiences
Developed by: Sean Duffy, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology (Rutgers-Camden) seduffy@scarletmail.rutgers.edu 856-225-6204
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link
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Module 10: Conversations about Offshore Wind
Topic: Environmental Psychology
Description: This module presents common questions and replies on wind energy.
Audience: Undergraduate or graduate students, may also work for lay audiences
Developed by: Sean Duffy, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology (Rutgers-Camden) seduffy@scarletmail.rutgers.edu 856-225-6204
Rutgers Canvas: Canvas Commons resource link