<p>I want to do something involving sustainable energy, which type of engineering is most appropriate? I don't think it's environmental.. perhaps mechanical?</p>
<p>Thank You</p>
<p>It totally depends on the type of “sustainable energy” you want.
Mechanical or Chemical engineering. I think you really need to pursue a graduate degree in order to get a hand in the field - and make something impressive.</p>
<p>But words of caution - don’t get into sustainable energy because everyone is preaching about it. What I am saying is don’t get fool by Al Gore. I would love to have advancement in sustainable energy - cheaper and lower waste level.</p>
<p>I know for a fact that chemical engineering degrees are in demand for biofuel/renewable energy companies. I’m just not sure how much. </p>
<p>You should check out the careers section of sustainable energy companies you would want to work for and see what type of degrees they’re looking for for engineering positions. Also, look at who they recruit for their internship programs, if they have any.</p>
<p>Sustainable energy is a fad and is not going to result in many career prospects.</p>
<p>Are you going to back up your statement with any facts or data?</p>
<p>“The amount of venture capital that went toward green-technology companies fell to $4.85 billion in 2009, compared to $7.6 billion in 2008, according to numbers published on Wednesday by Greentech Media.” </p>
<p>[Green-tech</a> venture investing cools off in 2009 | Green Tech - CNET News](<a href=“http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10423018-54.html?tag=content;drawer-container#ixzz10sTRWo77]Green-tech”>http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10423018-54.html?tag=content;drawer-container#ixzz10sTRWo77)</p>
<p>Thin-Film Solar Investment Dries Up</p>
<p>[Thin-Film</a> Solar Investment Dries Up:Greentech Media](<a href=“http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Thin-Film-Solar-Investment-Dries-Up/]Thin-Film”>http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Thin-Film-Solar-Investment-Dries-Up/)</p>
<p>That’s all you have? Your first article compares green tech investments pre and post-recession and the other singles out one technology in a diverse industry. No way does that prove sustainable energy is a fad with no future. Any time someone asks you to back up your statements, you just paste a list of barely relevant articles.</p>
<p>Any doubts I had about you, Homer, being ■■■■■ were just thrown out the window. I think it’s pretty sad some business major with an inferiority complex needs to come in a forum where people are trying to receive constructive criticism on their plans for the future and put others down to make themselves feel better.</p>
<p>How do you expect green energy to take off when it is much more expensive to produce than fossil fuels?</p>
<p>[Green</a> Star Signs Contract to Fabricate Biodiesel Plant for Processing Algae Oil - MarketWatch](<a href=“http://www.marketwatch.com/story/green-star-signs-contract-to-fabricate-biodiesel-plant-for-processing-algae-oil-2010-09-23?reflink=MW_news_stmp]Green”>http://www.marketwatch.com/story/green-star-signs-contract-to-fabricate-biodiesel-plant-for-processing-algae-oil-2010-09-23?reflink=MW_news_stmp)</p>
<p>[New</a> plant owner optimistic about future of biodiesel | biodiesel, plant, clovis - News - Quay County Sun](<a href=“http://www.qcsunonline.com/news/biodiesel-40080-clovis-plant-clovis.html]New”>http://www.qcsunonline.com/news/biodiesel-40080-clovis-plant-clovis.html)</p>
<p>[Missouri</a> Biodiesel Plant Reopens Under New Name - Domestic Fuel](<a href=“http://domesticfuel.com/2010/09/14/missouri-biodiesel-plant-reopens-under-new-name/]Missouri”>http://domesticfuel.com/2010/09/14/missouri-biodiesel-plant-reopens-under-new-name/)</p>
<p>[BlueFire</a> CEO: Were in the homestretch - Ethanol Producer Magazine](<a href=“http://ethanolproducer.com/article.jsp?article_id=7010]BlueFire”>http://ethanolproducer.com/article.jsp?article_id=7010)</p>
<p>[NRG</a>, Eurus to build California solar plant - BusinessWeek](<a href=“Bloomberg - Are you a robot?”>Bloomberg - Are you a robot?)</p>
<p>[Solar</a> power farm launches near Baldwin | jacksonville.com](<a href=“http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2010-09-28/story/solar-power-farm-launches-near-baldwin]Solar”>Solar power farm launches near Baldwin)</p>
<p>[New</a> biodiesel station opens in Gonzales | thecalifornian.com | The Salinas Californian](<a href=“http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20100925/NEWS01/9250332/New-biodiesel-station-opens-in-Gonzales]New”>http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20100925/NEWS01/9250332/New-biodiesel-station-opens-in-Gonzales)</p>
<p>[Utah</a> firm signs contract for algae biofuel plant | BrighterEnergy.org](<a href=“Brighterenergy.org”>Brighterenergy.org)</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=16418&ewrd=1[/url]”>http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=16418&ewrd=1</a></p>
<p>[SunPower</a> to build 10MW solar plant in Delaware | BrighterEnergy.org](<a href=“Brighterenergy.org”>Brighterenergy.org)</p>
<p>Fad or not, it still is an expanding field. Sure, it might have been a little better if financiers wouldn’t have blown a damn hole through our economy with their Financial Weapons of Mass Destruction. How much is it now, 600 trillion dollars in derivatives? Heck, make it a quadrillion already. Just make sure the business-types completely destroy all the capital-intensive industries (we engineers jump ship) and they are the ones who fulfill all those future contracts. What will you be selling? CO2 and solid waste? That is the only thing I see them capable of mass producing!</p>
<p>Great, just what we need: more ethanol! Everyone knows that ethanol causes the price of food to go up, so why the heck is the govt. still subsidizing it?</p>
<p>"How do you expect green energy to take off when it is much more expensive to produce than fossil fuels? "</p>
<p>Gov’t requirements. Many states have renewable energy porfolio standards that require a certain percertage of the energy sold be be green energy. There is talk of a proposed federal requirement in the works.</p>
<p>echogal i’m going to give you some sound advice here: mechanical, chemical, electrical, and materials science all have applications in renewable energy tech…but for now just focus on becoming an engineer. From the looks of it you are probably not even out of high school yet and you really have no idea what it is going to take for you to actually do something in this field (most likely a Ph.d but you don’t even know what that entails yet).</p>
<p>So work hard in high school, especially math and physics and then when you get to college look at what kind of research is being done by professors at your school. Approach them and ask what kinds of opportunities they have for undergrads in their labs.</p>
<p>Do not base your major on the possibility of working in renewable energy, instead look at what kinds of things different engineering disciplines do in the industry or the kinds of research they do and then decide. Sustainable energy technology is approached from all different sides of the engineering spectrum.</p>
<p>“There is talk of a proposed federal requirement in the works.”</p>
<p>The federal bill (cap and trade) has been dead for quite some time.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I don’t think that is the bill he was talking about. That said, I agree with you in that I doubt any bill of that sort would get passed at the federal level any time soon. The political inertia that is resisting it right now is much too great, and if the dems lose their super-majority, you can bet that Obama won’t be able to do a darned thing about that. For the time being, it is election season, so even people who support such a bill will steer clear because it is political kryptonite.</p>
<p>So-called “green energy” and technology comes in two flavors: those that actually are economically beneficial and superior to existing technology, and those which serve no purpose other than lining the pockets of some special interest group and making leftists feel good about themselves. The former will happen anyway, because the private sector will make them happen. The latter will only happen if the government takes our hard-earned tax-dollars and hands it over to special interests (researchers, businesses, etc.) to spend on wasteful projects whose benefits are puny in comparison to their cost. THIS INCLUDES NUCLEAR POWER IN AMERICA.</p>
<p>If solar power, etc. really showed the promise that their proponents say they do, there would be no need for the government to step in and do anything about it. Private investors would be lining up to invest in these promising technologies. As it is, the only way the government can get private investors and businesses to work with these technologies is to either force them or subsidizing them. Simple econ 101 tells us that this is the market’s (i.e., society’s) way of saying “we don’t want solar/ethanol/etc.” At least, not at the actual, unsubsidized cost of production.</p>
<p>way to highjack this kid’s thread</p>
<p>Thanks for your advice Enginearsfun… I am working on my University of Maryland app and I have to chose which engineering, I’m deciding between mechanical and materials science.</p>
<p>Homer, whether climate change exists or not, or whether society would exchange alternative energy with fossil fuels, funding and research is growing steadily in the clean energy field. I’m sure there would be jobs in that field in the coming years.</p>
<p>“Clean” Energy is still a misnomer because you need energy first to transfer the properties of energy.
Where is it is abundantly available Solar energy works great for stationary purposes just not when using mechanical or moving parts. Solar Thermal also works great in sunny areas and can greatly reduce one’s hot water heating bill. </p>
<p>Where it is abundantly available Wind energy works great but engineers had to design a longer motor to turn the propellers slowly enough without killing off the birds.</p>
<p>Where it is abundantly available, geothermal and dams are great but where not available…then you need
Nuclear Power, which is great but the public perception has been negative against it which slowed down plant production and now parts, labor, and legal ramifications hinder it from moving forward fast enough.</p>
<p>Oil still and will always rule over Ethanol (and Natural Gas) which is not a good enough substitute or rational economic choice.</p>
<p>The US will never give up coal either because we make too much off of it in international trade and the “clean” coal filters are cheap enough now and work quite efficiently. They just have to be changed fairly often which becomes expensive.</p>
<p>It will probably take at least 20 years before clean energy turns a profit.</p>