Engineers!
Engineer’s Next Focus -- Renewable Energy
No running water. No electricity. Kids walking to school. And bicycles in place of today’s gas-guzzling vehicles. It sounds like our world many generations ago. If current trends continue, it will soon become our future too. Engineers should focus on inventing easier and more efficient ways to use renewable energy to power homes, offices, and other buildings that are becoming a growing necessity in our energy-hungry world.
Many cities have already taken the initiative. New York City, the twentieth greenest city according to the Popular Science magazine, is also focusing on using renewable energy. Currently, New York City has partnered with Verdant Power, a company which seeks to generate electrical power from renewable sources, in the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy Project. The RITE Project, which was initiated in 2002, is in the process of installing three hundred tidal-powered Free Flow™ turbines in New York’s East River, a previously overlooked energy source. According to Verdant Power, these turbines will generate enough to supply power to 8,000 homes. This project has set a precedent for other places, such as Ontario and Seattle, to use their rivers, the St. Lawrence and Puget Sound River respectively, as effective energy sources. Engineers could build upon the current technology to create smaller and more efficient turbines. The turbines, which currently stand 19.7 feet tall, could be created for shallower waters. Engineers could also construct an efficient water turbine fit for the vast oceans which cover approximately 71% of the earth.
Solar energy is also an efficient renewable energy resource. According to the March 2007 issue of Popular Science, San Francisco, California, also known as Fog City, is the second greenest city. In Fog City, the sun doesn’t reach the rooftops very often. However, San Francisco did its research in implementing solar panels that require less solar energy. The solar panels located on the Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco’s largest convention center, can power the 1.6 million square feet building during events, and over 180 homes when the center is closed. In April 2006, Silicon Valley’s Microsoft followed, installing solar panels on 31,000 square feet of its campus roof. According to SunPower, a company specialized in solar panels, the benefits are tremendous. Carbon emissions will be reduced by 4,000 pounds over thirty years, which is equivalent to planting over 1,000 trees, or removing 800 cars off the road. In the future, solar panels could be developed to fit more purposes. For example, engineers can develop durable sheets of solar panels which could be used on mountain roads. They could also engineer solar panels in different way, so that people who are aesthetically conscious can have solar panels on their roofs that look like shingles.
The United States is not the only country that is helping in reducing carbon emissions. According to the European Wind Energy Association, Spain installed wind turbines with a capacity of 3,515 megawatts of wind energy, and is now ranked second place globally in installed wind energy capacity. China isn’t far behind. In 2007, China had a 156% increase in its wind energy capacity over the previous year, ranking fifth globally. U.S. ranks first in installed wind energy capacity. Oregon has proved to be a leading factor. The Klondike Wind Farm, one of the six largest wind farms in the nation, powers over 6,100 homes. Engineers can construct wind turbines which capture more energy in a more efficient manner. As proposed by an Arizona State University student, wind turbines can be mounted on overpasses, thus powered by a 10 miles per hour wind produced by cars. The proposed design, along with others, also takes care of aesthetic concerns, which are key deciding factors in installing the efficient renewable energy sources. Also, smaller wind turbines for backyards can be created to power the home, without being a glaring and unsightly obstruction.
Engineers can work together to create more efficient inventions which convert water, solar and wind power into electricity, to power our heaters, air-conditioners, and numerous other electrical items that have firmly rooted themselves in our modern lives. These inventions will generate energy without harming the environment. Engineers should focus on making easy and efficient inventions, using renewable energy sources, to power the buildings and appliances that play significant roles in our lives. With this, our past will no longer be our future. Instead, our future will be a bright and healthy one.