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TRA430 Energy, Matter, Code: Systems Design for Sustainable Innovation 
lp1 HT26 (7.5 hp)

Course is offered by Tracks

Contact details

Aim

The intensive, interdisciplinary course is built around the three foundational strategic pillars of 21st-century engineering and sustainable development: Energy, Matter, and Code.

The primary goal is to equip students and practitioners with the methodology of integrative design—a whole-system optimisation approach—to achieve radical leaps in resource efficiency and transformative innovation. This methodology optimises systems like buildings, vehicles, factories, equipment, and processes as whole systems for multiple benefits, making the efficiency resource significantly larger and cheaper than currently supposed.

Students will learn to break down traditional disciplinary silos and apply systemic thinking across the mobility, built environment, and industrial sectors. By mastering the synthesis of these three elements, participants will gain a new toolset for confronting global challenges and delivering disruptive, multi-benefit solutions that are simultaneously profitable, resource-efficient, and sustainable.

This course provides a platform to work and solve challenging, cross-disciplinary, authentic problems from different stakeholders in society, such as the academy, industry, or public institutions.

Course-specific aims:

  • To master the methodology of Integrative Design—a whole-system optimisation approach—to achieve radical leaps in resource efficiency and disruptive, profitable innovation across the built environment, mobility, and industrial sectors.
  • To equip students with the strategic frameworks and technical knowledge required for the three foundational pillars: Energy(efficient, electric, and renewable systems), Matter (circular economy and resource innovation), and Code (digitalisation and systemic control).
  • To teach the optimisation of whole systems to capture multiple benefits, significantly increasing returns and profitability from single efficiency expenditures.
  • To promote networking and collaboration among Chalmers students with shared interests across different disciplines and connect them with the instructors and their professional networks.

Learning outcomes

General learning outcomes for Tracks courses (Please choose 4 of these that will be included in the examination of the course):

  • Critically and creatively identify and/or formulate advanced systems' problems, lead and participate in the development of new products, processes and systems using a holistic approach by following an integrative design process. 
  • Show insights about and deal with the impact of architecture and/or engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental and societal context. 
  • Orally and in writing explain and discuss information, problems, methods, design/development processes and solutions

Course-specific learning outcomes (use active verbs, see examples above in the general learning outcomes):

  • Integrative Design Mastery: Apply the whole-system optimisation approach (Integrative Design) to analyse and redesign complex systems (buildings, mobility, industry) for radical resource efficiency and superior performance.
  • Energy Systems: Evaluate and design for maximal energy efficiency and electrification, including systems like high-performance buildings, industrial heat recovery, and sustainable mobility energy structures (e.g., V2G, minimised charging losses). 
  • Matter & Circularity: Apply principles of the circular economy, including Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), dematerialisation, and industrial symbiosis, to optimise material use, reduce waste streams, and lower embodied carbon. 
  • Digitalisation & Control: Utilise digital tools, data, and intelligent systems (such as IoT, AI/ML, and Digital Twins) to model, simulate, and dynamically manage resource consumption in complex engineered environments. 
  • Systems Thinking: Suggest transformative solutions by actively enlarging problem boundaries and synthesising knowledge across the Energy, Matter, and Code domains. 

Content

Module I. Energy: Systems Efficiency & Electrification 

  • Focus: The transition to renewable and highly efficient systems.
  • Topics Include: The Radical Potential of Efficiency (integrative design method), Sustainable Mobility Energy Systems (vehicle electrification, battery-to-grid, charging losses), High-Performance Building Systems (passive design, deep energy retrofits), Industrial Efficiency and implications for energy demand-side management (heating, electricity and cooling).

Module II. Matter: Circularity and Resource Innovation 

  • Focus: The circular economy, materials science, and engineering for sustainability.
  • Topics Include: Circular Economy Models (Life Cycle Assessment, dematerialisation), Materials Science for Decarbonisation (bio-based materials, recycled metals, lightweighting), Urban Metabolism (designing buildings as material banks), and Industrial Symbiosis (optimising processes to eliminate waste).

Module III. Code: Digitalisation and Systemic Control 

  • Focus: How data and intelligent systems drive optimisation.
  • Topics Include: Smart Systems & IoT (using sensors, AI/ML for dynamic resource management), and Digital Twins & Simulation (modelling complex systems). 

Organisation

General Tracks organisation:

The main part of the course is a challenge-driven project. The challenge may range from being broad societal to profound research-driven. The project task is solved in a group. The course is supplemented by on-demand teaching and learning of the skills necessary for the project. The project team will have one university examiner, one or a pool of university supervisors and one or a pool of external co-supervisors, if applicable.

Literature (under revision)

With input from the teaching team, students will develop the ability to identify and acquire relevant literature throughout their projects.

Examination including compulsory elements

Each week, students are expected to:

  • Complete required readings in advance of class
  • Watch pre-recorded lecture(s) in advance of class
  • Attend all class activities
  • Actively participate in discussions and activities
  • Complete in-class Puzzlers
  • Integrative Design Pitch
  • Integrative Design Report

 

A final grade for the class will be awarded to each student, based on:

Attendance/Participation 25%

Weekly Puzzlers 25%

Applied Integrative Design Pitch and Report 50%

 

Schedule (will be aligned with the participants)

TimeEdit

 

Course summary:

Course Summary
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