How Engineering Helps Society

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Engineering is one of those areas that most people take for granted and don’t give much thought to. 

The valuable work that these engineers undertake is all around us, in all areas of our lives. Engineering makes our lives better, helps us to enjoy life, saves lives and keeps us safe from harm.

So just how does engineering help society?

Once a person has trained as an engineer, their skills can then be used in many different ways. For instance, medical innovations need engineers to develop the necessary equipment and components in order to save lives. However, the medical world is not the only way that engineers benefit our society.

Engineers work in so many areas, they help to build roads, construct bridges and bypasses, they develop ways of producing more environmentally friendly power or ways in which we can recycle more. Electrical engineers develop safety devices and engineers help develop our cars to protect us from crash and injuries.

Put quite simply, engineers are involved in every stage of a process from the design, through the manufacture, development and implementation. There are so many different fields in which an engineer might work, but here we will just explore the role of an Energy Engineer.

Energy Engineering

Energy engineering covers a broad spectrum of areas which deal with energy efficiency, services, facility management, alternative energy and environmental compliance. Due to the Government legislation and carbon reduction targets, energy minimisation is a growing industry. To reduce our energy consumption, consideration must be given to lighting, refrigeration and eco-friendly ways of generating power such as solar panels and wind turbines.

Energy technology is a term used which refers to the skills, knowledge and equipment required for the production, distribution and use of energy. By the end of this decade, 15% of all energy consumed within the UK will have to come from renewable sources and for this reason there is a growing demand for Renewable Energy Engineers.

What does a Renewable Energy Engineer Do?

A renewable energy engineer is responsible for the design, development and implementation of renewable energy sources. These include wind, marine, biomass and solar technologies and an energy engineer’s job is to solve existing problems and develop creative solutions to capture, convert, store and manage renewable energy.

There are many areas to the job and becoming an energy engineer is a very rewarding career. A renewable energy engineer will be responsible for evaluating current sources of energy before designing and developing alternative solutions. The engineer may also wish to specialise in a certain area such as heating, lighting, air conditioning or energy procurement.

Renewable Energy Engineering as a Career

Due to Government targets, unique opportunities are being created in renewable energy. As an energy engineer you will be involved in the research, development and production of energy through renewable sources. You will be responsible for solving problems and developing ways to extract usable energy from sustainable sources such as bio fuels, hydro power, wind turbines and solar power.

For more information and careers advice you will find all you need to know on the web or speak to your careers advisor for further details.

*by andreascy*

The Importance Of Energy Monitoring

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description : 

Every home, every business office, and every factory depends on energy, so knowing how much it costs is extremely relevant to balance finances and to respect the environment too. 

In order to know how much energy is being spent and where it is being spent, you need an energy monitoring system.

How Does M&T Actually Work

Often referred to as Energy Monitoring and Targeting (M&T), this is a technical service provided by external companies that analyse and compile information regarding all aspects of energy usage, mainly in a business, company, or organisation. Once the request for an intervention has been sent, the energy monitoring specialists will consider the business production systems, the equipment and machinery being used, the behaviour of employees and co-workers and the place in which the building or office is located in order to fully comprehend factors like daylight availability, common climate in the area and humidity and heat characteristics.

This is the base line from which relevant information may be retrieved. Businesses and organisations may learn where and when they can apply energy savings, explain over the top wastes, detect consumption trends and finally develop a strategy to encourage energy savings and set targets. The analysis will also point out any possible malfunctions or maintenance errors that may have been harming the business’ energy consumption rates and immediately observe if any of those out of the chart abnormalities occur.

The way this specific reading is accomplished is by installing several meters that provide data on energy spending according to the desired time set and that can be as fast as 30 seconds. Data from meters allied to the information gathered from the analysed variables will be integrated into a chart or graph that defines a baseline and that sums up all of the necessary spending and wasting, and that also offers a comprehensive consumption scenario that indicates the actual energy performance of the business or organization.

All meter readings and evaluation reports are delivered to management in order to set targets and define strategies to generate a more effective energy consumption plan. These actions are then subject to further evaluation and permanent monitoring to ensure their effectiveness. Once the complete energy plan generated by the monitoring is integrated into the regular procedures of companies and organisations, energy cost savings will be constant. There is also a significant diminishing in the carbon footprint and lower GHG emissions.

M&T And Public Feedback

For some businesses, this may represent a better public opinion feedback as well as financial incentives and grants for energy efficiency. In the industry, a complete understanding of energy costs may provide to a division the total energy bill between different segments of production or by product stages, and this will lead to a comprehensive understanding of production costs. From this point onwards, changes and adaptations are encouraged in order to set a better average and promote efficiency in all energy related consumptions. 

Industrial companies that require the use of various processes including the use of fume abatement, offer technology which can monitor the energy usage, highlighting areas that can be improved.

*by andreascy*