On February 15th, the National Academy of Engineering presented their “Grand Challenges for Engineering”, a rather complete and informative presentation of the issues which will (or should) be the focus of scientific and engineering development for the 21st century. (Complete Report Here)
Areas and categories for these challenges range from energy production to medicine, environmental protection, urban development, the security of cyberspace, preventing terrorist attacks and improving security for the general public. The broad scope of the challenges presented in depth here points not only to the work that has yet to be done, but also the progress that has been made already by recent developments. For instance, the fact that one of their main points calls on the development of solar energy points to the fact that for decades there has been work in this field, and new methods for harnessing solar power (developed in recent years) may finally allow us to bring solar energy onto the grid on a large scale.
Staying on the solar energy subject, what seems to contradict reason is the fact that, in spite of the increasing costs and excessive pollution associated with fossil fuels, and the free and clean potential of solar power, we still do not have large scale usage and implementation of solar energy in either rural or urban environments.
It would seem to me, at least, that merely by virtue of the fact that the sun provides a nearly endless potential supply of free energy, utility companies with a vested interest in lowering their operational costs while increasing their capacity would have led the way in developing solar energy quickly. For whatever reason(s), however, that has not been the case.
Additionally, it would seem that the government, in response to the regular increases in utility prices and the ever growing need for energy, would have further bolstered the development of solar energy in response to consumer demands. This too, however, has not been the case.
In addition to the necessary research and contributions by the scientific community, local, state and federal governments will need to begin introducing and passing legislation that not only encourages, but perhaps forces the development of alternative energy sources, with solar being the cornerstone of development. Without the involvement, encouragement, and even a little arm twisting by the government, the scientific and private sector communities will not have the common goal to focus their energies on, nor will they have the necessary impetus to work diligently and quickly on a feasible solution.
Solar energy is here, of course, in a variety of forms. Solar panels have been with us for a great deal of years, but they lack the efficiency to produce the necessary power per square inch, and their present form is expensive to manufacture. However, new developments such as lightweight solar film that can be produced, transported and installed at much lower costs, have assisted in offering attractive alternatives to traditional solar panel technology. Additionally, a solar energy plant that is online in the southwest (Nevada, I believe) utilizes concave mirrors that focus the sun’s energy onto a tube of oil that is superheated and pumped through a steam plant (generating electricity in a manner similar to coal-burning plants, without the coal burning). These recent developments point to the fact that we are not far from developing a viable, practical method for implementing solar energy into our lives and helping us reduce our reliance on coal or other fossil fuels.
Over the course of the next several days I’ll attempt to delve into some of the other subjects covered in the Engineering Challenges, although I’ll likely be brief and provide additional information where I can. However, if you have the opportunity, I highly recommend exploring the link above and really investigating their list of the engineering challenges that we have to face as we move further into the 21st century.
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February 21, 2008 at 10:39 am
[...] back to exploring the list of Engineering Challenges facing the world in the 21st century (The Challenges Ahead), the second item on the list relates to the successful development of Fusion energy as a power [...]