Alternative Energy Market

I have been offered many jobs since I graduated but none seem to lie in the path of what interests me the most, that is alternative energy

Chances are they won't. Your best bet is likely to pick something close or a good company that can offer you some good experience. A healthy level of background experience will help you in general and in the future when a suitable job position opens that interests you. Don't forget that company diversification can mean that in the future the company you work for could be involved with renewable energy projects (a bit like what happend with me).

As a side note, $30 trillion seems rather high (it's not like every power station and process will switch completely over to renewable sources). Unless there is a seriously major break thru in our lifetimes I expect the renewable market to slowly increase over a long period of time, but not seriously replace such existing sources as gas, petroleum, coal and nuclear (of which we still have plenty).

On a side note, got me a new 200 turbine wind farm project to build and commission. That should keep me out of trouble for a while.

Don't understand your pessimism regarding renewable energy. Right now I'm involved in nationwide effort to create and expand community college curriculum at the request of the Large Wind Turbine industry due to a dearth of skilled employees to fill vacant positions. The LTW market here in the US is growing exponentially and the market is robust and competitive. Other renewable energy sources (i.e. concentrating solar thermal) are undergoing extensive R&D efforts because of it's potential profitability, not just because it's "the right thing to do." The problem is not with the feasibility of RE, but with the inertia of the fossil fuel based economy, which has enjoyed nearly a century of dominance. We will run out of fossil fuels, that is a fact. The debate revolves around exactly when this resource will finally be depleted. In the meantime, there is that issue about global climate change...

WindGenMan

I am from India here we have only one firm called "SUZLON" who had earlier collaboration with a German firm. Now they are the leaders and have been doing very well. Recently they have acquired a German firm mfg. Gear Boxes for wind mills. Also they have set a mfg. unit in China. Here there seems to be little competition compared to U.S.

Guest:

I don't think that any single technology or industry will solve the energy shortage. Instead, a mix of candidate technologies will successfully reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. My personal YES vote technology list is as follows:

Pond scum based biodiesel for transportation needs. See: http://www.empivot.com/watch.php?mdid=596

Nuclear for electricity, now that the tree huggers seem to be reversing their positions

Solar

Wind

Tidal

My NO vote list is:

Ethanol, because of its low efficiency and impact on food production and cost

Hydrogen/Fuel cells, because of the energy cost of producing and the difficulty of dealing with compressed, liquified or adsorbed hydrogen in a consumer automotive environment.

I hope you enjoy your future career as much as I did mine.

DickL

I am surprised that geothermal energy didn't even make it to your list. Why is that? From an engineering standpoint the harnessing of energy I would expect utility of a source to be directly related to the energy concentration (ie: solar energy has a low concentration even though there may be vast quantities of it and so it would be more costly to develop and use than say hydropower energy).

Geothermal energy has a large concentration and it is directly beneath our feet. Seems that should be considered a prime candidate for recovery.

Personally, I am skeptical of the impact of CO2 PRODUCED BY HUMANS on the overall CO2 and GH gas emissions relative to the global warming issue, and certainly coal/NG/oil are much more concentrated forms of energy than solar power. But it just seems to me that if you want to solve the problem of CO2 emissions by alternative energy sources one should go after the most concentrated forms of energy readily available (such as nuclear, hydropwer and geothermal).

Agua Doc:

You're right on the geothermal and I didn't think of it when writing. Good call. It's there waiting to be used, either in shallow wells for improved HVAC efficiency or deep drilled for power applications.

We have people tearing down hydropower dams for environmental "causes" so I wouldn't have too much hope for that. I agree on the man-made CO2, though.

Thank you for the reminder.

DickL

there are two geothermals now! The first is the clasic as used in Iceland, heat from the earths core. The second is the new kid on the block which is a heat pump, using the ground as a heat sink. Same name, different things.

INVENT SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

30 trillion is the small end of the scale as you have to look at the big picture try 100 trillion. The depletion of gas and oil in the next 15 years and the global warming the will need to be a way to do mass electrolisiss to get the sea water back to a level where we are all not under water. The cars and trucks will need to find a source to run on and no the food supply is not the way to go. We know that when bush called for oil to be removed from rock there were some big questions as to the amont of oil still in the ground.

dream my friend and dream big try it all and then some as without a change the world will be a place where we are all looking for the escape hatch.

Why the pessimism?

Alternative energy products available are few. Purchase a solar powered anything and you will find a lame product that produce little power, is undependable and made cheaply.

The biggest problem is batteries (storage). And although we have been working hard on alternative energies for more than thirty years we have not produced breakthroughs in storage. Perhaps it is why the McCain Campaign is promising rewards for battery breakthroughs.

Engineers have been working on the chemistry of batteries for years but nevertheless little has been forthcoming. We keep hearing that a much R&D is happening; we keep hearing the phrases "soon" and "within a decade – we keep hearing, and that is all. Companies like Firefly say they have breakthrough battery technology but the products are immensely expensive and have been disappointing in performance.

Thousands of pounds of batteries requiring frequent replacement present a disappointing prospect for electric vehicles. Ask yourself why Chevrolet has been promising the electric "Volt" for several years but still say it will be 2010 before production. And now they are complaining about storage being the hold up, production delayed again.

Wind has had great difficulties in public acceptance because of rotational noise, excessive maintenance and the need for towers - and you guessed it – storage issues. People reject wind power for aesthetic reasons. There are complaints from coastal states that offshore wind power stations will destroy tourism??? Even Ted Kennedy (King Democrat) opposed wind power in his own back yard.

It seems as if we are being channeled into dependence on our enemies for energy. Every excuse is given to excise every form of using our own natural resources and power production - drilling, refining, coal, or nuclear are all opposed by the "Greens" while at the same time alternatives are opposed as unacceptable in one's own back yard.

Americans are especially gluttonous with power using an average of nearly a thousand kilowatts per month in their residences. The guru of global warming - hypocrite Al Gore - is reported to use many times this in his mansion and tells us to use one sheet of toilet paper while flying around in his private jet.

Someone please give us the good news that alternatives are real. If the past three decades are any indication of the lack of invention, I do not see alternatives coming to fruition and replacing fossil fuels without a severe reduction in the quality of life any time soon.

I would like to package a "kit" for the do it your self person that would enable them to convert there current gas gussler to a hybrid system.

A very small desiel engine that would power an electric motor to include supplemental battery power for quick speed or a combo battery capacitor arrangement and a solar roof. Weight of car around 2400 lbs.

Any ideas for a partnership.

Sam Puccinelli

312-285-4311

In the late 70's & early 80's i was very involved in the Wood Heat & Solar movement (sold them both). The same situations for that time were evident (gas/utility prices & concern for the enviroment, etc.). My advice - find something you like & are good at, and keep an option open in case Alt. Energy does become somewhat viable & profitable. It may take the same road again!

From my own experience, I would recommend that you try to obtain work which will give you the broadest exposure to different areas of engineering and management.

Concentrate on building and expanding your knowledge as much as possible; time spent in design and project engineering environments tends to quickly increase your knowledge and capabilities: get this knowledge and experience under your belt before seriously developing your management skills.

Don't be afraid to move jobs to widen your range of experience, and avoid "safe" jobs and government positions; they're best suited to people who just want a paycheck and a pension.

Some of the places to learn fastest are in the oil industry; tends to be tough, don't carry passengers, but know how to get things done, don't give up, and have resources to do big stuff. (eg Schlumberger, Halliburton etc)

Pay attention to what's going on elsewhere, and keep abreast; although you may not be working in a particular field at any given time, if you know what's happening there you have a much better chance to move into it if you want to.

If you learn as much as you can throughout your career you'll be well placed to pursue whatever you choose; at the end of the day it's all Engineering, and if you know your stuff and have a good range of experience you'll be in demand.

Good Luck!

Regardless of the money, which is a fantasy number anyway, made up by banks, and worth the paper it is written on, making and selling energy is obviously a profitable business. I've myself been asking people who have money, to lend me some to open a store that sells the stuff that is around. Some profits would be used to make better stuff. Pivotal components of Alternative, and Sustainable Energy are Batteries and Solar Systems. Regardless of any of the crap about "solar efficiencies", Solar and Batteries are the foundational components of renewable and sustainable energy systems. Figure out how long you might live, buy a whole life insurance policy, borrow money against it, and buy a failed gas station and sell currently available systems to finance your inventions, or better. I myself am interested in systems that work on a large and small scale, as well as anywhere on earth. This is the suggestion I have given myself. I was doing some other things before I needed advice. Avarice as a virtue is odd and dangerous. A brain and a mind, are two different things. Your Business Degree ought to recommend to you that you start your own business. Your Engineering Degree ought to provide you with good judgement as far as what to buy and sell, if nothing else. I did benefit from an Executive Leadership Workshop experience with Farr Associates. Determine finally whether of not you want to work for another, or for yourself. Further determine where you must live to have the life you want, or can simply handle. I myself live with diminished stature, now, because I at 55 require a regular schedule, and traveling is not as attractive as it once was. Be aware that your life is running out, and make your decisions accordingly. My suggestion as concerns the Insurance applies over the long haul with only your paycheck to pay the premium, and does not allow for family or other input. My Father went to Columbia, and got his Masters at Cornell. You may also join a professional association, like the Masons, or whatever MIT guys join, and hang out, as a strategy for educated drifting while you find the perfect place for you. Check my suggestions with your Father. Good luck on with a committed journey.

You might want to go to this link & check it out.

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52400

You can get to it from the globalspec DIRECTU2 world of Alternative Energy

http://globalspec.ip02.com/form/globalspec/viewhtml/9z1zlgtapjcpt823ubc2han61b4s56jvjj6lham66h8

under Careers & Commentary, (very informative & will answer some of your questions directly) enjoy!

Brian Braginton-Smith, Executive Director, Sustainable Resources Group:

"In recent published articles discussing the tremendous growth in renewable energy development, the reader will have noticed that the offshore wind energy sector has not shown the same trend. In simple explanation the economics have been very difficult to overcome, even with the most ardent enthusiasm. In the United States numerous projects have come forth and gained visibility only to disappear to the shelf after the reality of the cost and complexity of offshore development came out in due diligence reports."

" . . . (T)he truth about the costs and complexities of offshore wind energy are becoming clarified. The cost of offshore wind development is difficult to justify without some additional economic driver."

http://www.energypulse.net/centers/article/article_display.cfm?a_id=1760

I am in Solar R&D and (sadly) have similar things to say. Without more efficient, less corrosive methods of storage, without solutions to maintenance issues and better cost benefits, sustainables are still far from feasible as a replacement for fossil fuel any time soon without a significant drop in living standards. Conservation is important but represent only a small fraction of what is needed. The public is way too optimistic.

I don't know if you're interests are financial, altruistic or both. But it's probably going to be awhile until anyone gets rich on alternative energy. Another area that may be worth looking into is recycling. I wasn't aware of it, but there is a huge and growing demand for recycleable products, namely aluminum, plastic and paper. China is importing our separated garbage non-stop. Anything that could expedite the process would be important and worth $$$. Their hunger for our junk is only growing.

Good Luck