Energy engineering question

[energypassion97]

Hello everybody,

I am Victor Moussalli, 17 years old, just starting grade 12 of high school. My passion is energy efficiency. The only types of engineering that I like are: environmental, energy, and electrical. I want to know what is the best path to take; university or not, to guarantee a good job later on as many of my older buddies are now struggling to find jobs despite their engineering majors.

Thank you,

Victor Moussalli

[Enthalpy]

Hi Energypassion97, welcome here!

 

"Best path to take to guarantee a good job": does that exist? Probably not. Engineering evolves quickly - software and electronics more so than mechanical engineering, but all do - and what looks in demand today won't be in 20 years. World trade evolves quickly as well, and development and production made in Europe 20 years ago is now imported from China.

 

I got my engineering diploma 30 years ago, and no single comrade works in the topic he specialized in then.

 

I suggest that you pick as broad knowledge as possible - in engineering AND sciences AND languages and also maths, possibly economy and management if compatible with your tastes.

 

Energy efficiency and renewables need very varied knowledge anyway, so you need a broad education. In addition to the environmental, energy, and electrical you mentioned, you need for sure: materials, production methods, mechanical design, thermal design. Very interesting as well to my taste, and they should belong to every engineer's programme as much as maths do.

 

Biology is an obvious future, including for energy, and must probably belong to the background of general engineering. Hope you like it more than I do.

[Enthalpy]

And some chemistry obviously, I forgot it. Necessary for any person, even more so for an engineer. Not necessarily everything about synthesis, analysis methods and the rest - but a working intuition about the risks of inorganic compounds, the compatibility with materials, the stability at heat, risks for the environment, all this general knowledge. Just an example: Solar thermal plants store heat in molten nitrates; you must know in a titanium container is acceptable, or if the spillage of lubricating oil is a worry.

 

The biggest hurdle for energy efficiency and for renewables is the cost, because fossile fuels are so cheap. Some sort of capability to estimate costs would be necessary; I don't know how to acquire it.

[energypassion97]

Enthalpy,

Thank you for answering.I got your point,do you think I should major in physics and minor in energy?

And one question, isn't energy cheaper?e.g: isn't putting solar panels more efficient in terms of cost then using fossil fuels?

What do you guys advise me to do if I wanna work in energy?

Major in energy

Major in EE

Major in ME

Major in EE,minor in energy

Major in ME,minor in energy

Major in ME,minor in EE,specialization energy

Major in EE,minor in ME,specialization energy

Major in physics,minor in maths,THEN any of the above.

None(in this case please suggest for me..)

Please answer with 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9

I need an urgent answer because I am lost.

[fiveworlds]

Have you tried applying to the electricity company? Here you need to have a high IQ and they take you on as apprentices.

[Enthalpy]

Education systems vary too much among the countries, I can't give a sensible opinion.

 

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Cost of energy: even to produce electricity, which is a minority use, coal is the cheapest by far. Gas follows, then oil.

Which isn't surprising: just dig it, set one fire.

 

Presently, electricity from wind is more expensive than hydrocarbons, slightly less than from nuclear plants as long as you don't need to store it - which it still to be done.

 

Then, you have solar thermal electricity, more or less affordable, also built in big size, and which stores energy from day to night.

 

Beyond that... Geothermal energy looks perfect (available anywhere when needed, small footprint) but isn't developed enough to assess its cost clearly.

 

Photovoltaics is expensive, probably the worse in that limited list. Organic cells might improve it.

 

Then you have other forms of energy besides electricity, for which renewables exist as well - but fossil hydrocarbons are so cheap. Things like biodiesel, vegetable oil or bioethanol compete only because their bear very light taxes as food, while vehicle fuels bear heavy taxes.

 

Nothing nice to write for a renewables enthusiast like me, but that's the hard reality. The best step to take right now may be to store electricity obtained from the wind; renewable fuels are a farther goal.

[energypassion97]

Have you tried applying to the electricity company? Here you need to have a high IQ and they take you on as apprentices.

Which electricity company are you talking about?Anyways, I don't see how I would do that since I have only one summer left before starting university..:/ What do you suggest?How can I raise or even test my IQ?

Thank you very much.

Education systems vary too much among the countries, I can't give a sensible opinion.

 

Hmmm, I thought that putting a solar panel on the roof was more affordable and cheaper then using coal for electricity.. Why did the energy thing start, I don't get it. Is it because fossils are disappearing?

----------

 

Cost of energy: even to produce electricity, which is a minority use, coal is the cheapest by far. Gas follows, then oil.

Which isn't surprising: just dig it, set one fire.

 

Presently, electricity from wind is more expensive than hydrocarbons, slightly less than from nuclear plants as long as you don't need to store it - which it still to be done.

 

Then, you have solar thermal electricity, more or less affordable, also built in big size, and which stores energy from day to night.

 

Beyond that... Geothermal energy looks perfect (available anywhere when needed, small footprint) but isn't developed enough to assess its cost clearly.

 

Photovoltaics is expensive, probably the worse in that limited list. Organic cells might improve it.

 

Then you have other forms of energy besides electricity, for which renewables exist as well - but fossil hydrocarbons are so cheap. Things like biodiesel, vegetable oil or bioethanol compete only because their bear very light taxes as food, while vehicle fuels bear heavy taxes.

 

Nothing nice to write for a renewables enthusiast like me, but that's the hard reality. The best step to take right now may be to store electricity obtained from the wind; renewable fuels are a farther goal.

[studiot]

Any form of engineering is about compromise and balancing one competing (and often conflicting) requirement against another.

 

If I listed some characteristics to think about for a general engineering product, in no particular order,

what would be your reaction?

 

Reliability, Length of service life, Serviceability, Efficiency, Recycleability/Disposal requirements, Safety,