View source for Energy engineering

{{Short description|Broad field of engineering dealing with energy}}
{{about||a technology perspective|Energy technology|a similar but not so broad sense|Power engineering}}

[[Image:Font_Romeu_France.jpg|thumb|alt=A concentrated solar power system|A [[concentrated solar power]] system]]
[[Image:Nellis_AFB_Solar_panels.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Solar panels|[[Solar panels]]]]
[[Image:E-112_Egeln_feb2005.jpg|thumb|alt=Wind turbines|[[Wind turbine]]s]]
[[Image:Electric_transmission_lines.jpg|thumb|right|alt=Transmission towers|[[Transmission towers]]]]

'''Energy engineering''' is a broad field of [[engineering]] dealing with areas such as [[energy harvesting]] and [[energy storage|storage]], [[energy conversion]], [[energy materials]], [[energy system]]s, [[efficient energy use|energy efficiency]], [[energy services]], [[facility management]], plant engineering, [[energy modelling]], [[environmental compliance]], [[sustainable energy]] and [[renewable energy]] technologies. Energy engineering is one of the most recent engineering disciplines to emerge. Energy engineering combines knowledge from the fields of [[physics]], [[math]], and [[chemistry]] with economic and environmental engineering practices. Energy engineers apply their skills to increase efficiency and further develop renewable sources of energy.
The main job of energy engineers is to find the most efficient and sustainable ways to operate buildings and manufacturing processes. Energy engineers audit the use of energy in those processes and suggest ways to improve the systems. This means suggesting advanced lighting, better insulation, more efficient heating and cooling properties of buildings.<ref name=Berkeley>Berkeley Engineering (2013).</ref> Although an energy engineer is concerned about obtaining and using energy in the most environmentally friendly ways, their field is not limited to strictly renewable energy like hydro, solar, biomass, or geothermal. Energy engineers are also employed by the fields of oil and natural gas extraction.<ref name=Berkeley/><ref>AGCAS editors (2011).</ref>

==Purpose==
Energy minimization is the purpose of this growing discipline. Often applied to building design, heavy consideration is given to [[HVAC]], [[lighting]], [[refrigeration]], to both reduce energy loads and increase [[efficiency]] of current systems. Energy engineering is increasingly seen as a major step forward in meeting [[Carbon neutrality|carbon reduction targets]]. Since buildings and houses consume over 40% of the United States energy, the services an energy engineer performs are in demand.<ref>Science Buddies (2013).</ref>

==History==
Human beings have been transferring [[energy]] from one form to another since their use of fire. The efficiency of the transfer of energy is a new field. The [[1973 oil crisis|oil crisis of 1973]] and [[1979 energy crisis|energy crisis of 1979]] brought to light the need to get more work out of less energy. The [[United States]] government passed several laws in the seventies to promote increased [[Efficient energy use|energy efficiency]], such as United States public law 94-413, the [[Federal Clean Car Incentive Program]].<ref>Berman (2011).</ref>

==Power engineering==
Considered a subdivision of energy engineering, [[power engineering]] applies math and physics to the movement and transfer of energy to work in a system.

==Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design==
[[Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design]] (LEED) is a program created by the [[United States Green Building Council]] (USGBC) in March 2000. LEED is a program that encourages green building and promotes sustainability in the construction of buildings and the efficiency of the utilities in the buildings.

In 2012 the United States Green Building Council asked the independent firm [[Booz Allen Hamilton]] to conduct a study on the effectiveness of LEED program. "This study confirmed that green buildings generate substantial energy savings. From 2000–2008, green construction and renovation generated $1.3 billion in energy savings. Of that $1.3 billion, LEED-certified buildings accounted for $281 million." The study also found the summation of all green construction supported 2.4 million jobs.<ref>Booz Allen Hamilton (2012).</ref>

==Energy efficiency==
[[Energy efficiency (physics)|Energy efficiency]] is seen two ways. The first view is that more work is done from the same amount of energy used. The other perception is that the same amount of work is accomplished with less energy used in the system.<ref>Battles and Burns (1999).</ref> Some ways to get more work out of less energy is to "Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle" the materials used in daily life. The advancement of technology has led to other uses of waste. Technology such as [[waste-to-energy]] facilities which convert solid wastes through the process of [[gasification]] or [[pyrolysis]] to liquid fuels to be burned. The [[Environmental Protection Agency]] stated that the United States produced 250 million tons of municipal waste in 2010. Of that 250 million tons roughly 54% gets thrown in land fills, 33% is recycled, and 13% goes to [[energy recovery]] plants.<ref name=Crawford_2013>Crawford (2013).</ref> In European countries who pay more for fuel, such as Denmark where the price of gas neared {{convert|10|$/usgal|$/l|order=flip}} in 2010, have more fully developed waste-to energy facilities.<ref>Thompson (2011).</ref> In 2010 Denmark sent 7% of waste to landfills, 69% was recycled, and 24% was sent to waste-to-energy facilities. There are several other developed Western European countries that also have taken energy engineering into consideration.<ref name=Crawford_2013/> [[Germany]]'s "[[Energiewende]]", a policy which set the goal by 2050 to meet 80% of electrical needs from renewable energy sources.<ref>Baake and Morgan (2013).</ref>

==Statistics==
The median yearly salary for an energy engineer is $64,587 U.S. dollars. 83% of energy engineers are male while the remaining 17% are female. 65% of energy engineers have less than five years of experience in their profession.<ref>PayScale (June 12, 2013).</ref>

==Education==
A bachelor's degree is a primary requirement of becoming an energy engineer, while a student who wants to become an energy engineer does not directly need to get a degree in energy engineering, several universities across the world have established departments or centers offering energy engineering degrees, to better prepare future engineers for their career. One of those programs is the IEP PEM Certification which is offered at [[Virginia Tech]] University.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cpe.vt.edu/pemcert/ |title=Professional Energy Manager Certificate |publisher=Cpe.vt.edu |access-date=2020-04-26}}</ref> The Certified Professional Energy Manager (PEM) was created in conjunction by the Institute of Energy Professionals (IEP) and Energy University. Since 2009, Energy University has provided energy efficiency education to more than 130,000 professionals worldwide. The program offers more than 150 courses.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.energymanagertoday.com/energy-university-intros-online-energy-manager-certification-086994/|title = Energy University Intros Online Energy Manager Certification|date = 12 November 2012}}</ref>

==Notable energy engineers==
*[[Martin Bercovici]] (1902–1971), Romanian electrical engineer 
*[[Claudia Sheinbaum]] (born 1962), Mexican scientist and head of government of Mexico City

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* {{cite web|author=AGCAS editors|title=Energy engineer - Job description |url=http://www.prospects.ac.uk/energy_engineer_job_description.htm |publisher=Graduate Prospects Ltd. |date=December 2011 |access-date=2013-06-11}}
* {{cite web|last1=Baake |first1=Rainer |last2=Morgan |first2=Jennifer |title=U.S. Energy Policy Should Take a Lesson From Germany's Energiewende |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-15/u-s-energy-policy-should-take-a-lesson-from-germany-s-energiewende.html |publisher=[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]] |date=May 15, 2013 |access-date=2013-06-13}}
* {{cite web|last1=Battles |first1=Stephanie J. |last2=Burns |first2=Eugene M. |title=United States Energy Usage and Efficiency: Measuring Changes Over Time |url=http://www.eia.gov/emeu/efficiency/wec98.htm |publisher=[[Energy Information Administration]] |date=October 17, 1999 |access-date=2013-06-11}}
* {{cite web|title=Energy Engineering |url=http://coe.berkeley.edu/departments/engineering-science/energy-engineering.html |work=[[UC Berkeley College of Engineering|Berkeley Engineering]] |publisher=[[University of California]] |access-date=2013-06-13}}
* {{cite web|last=Berman |first=Brad |title=History of Hybrid Vehicles |url=http://www.hybridcars.com/history-of-hybrid-vehicles/ |publisher=HybridCars.com |date=June 14, 2011 |access-date=2013-06-13}}
* {{cite web |title=What is Energy Engineering? |url=http://www.science-engineering.net/engineering/usa/what-is-energy-engineering |work=science-engineering.net |publisher=BigChoice Group Ltd |access-date=2013-06-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121021051038/http://www.science-engineering.net/engineering/usa/what-is-energy-engineering |archive-date=2012-10-21 |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite web|author=Booz Allen Hamilton |author-link=Booz Allen Hamilton |title=Green Jobs Study |url=http://www.usgbc.org/resources/green-jobs-study |publisher=[[U.S. Green Building Council]] |date=January 1, 2012 |access-date=2013-06-11}}
* {{cite journal|last=Crawford |first=Mark |title=Turning Trash into Treasure |url=https://www.asme.org/getmedia/514e2be1-81a9-4944-8a04-9a1d02aabd22/Turning-Trash-Into-Treasure_pdf.aspx |journal=Mechanical Engineering |publisher=[[ASME]] |year=2013 |volume=135 |issue=May 2013 |pages=42–47 |doi=10.1115/1.2013-MAY-3 |access-date=2013-06-12}}
* {{cite web|title=Energy Engineer Salary |url=http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Energy_Engineer/Salary |publisher=[[PayScale]] |date=June 12, 2013 |access-date=2013-06-13}}
* {{cite web|title=Energy Engineer - Key Facts & Information |url=http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/science-engineering-careers/EnvEng_energyengineer_c001.shtml#keyfactsinformation |publisher=[[Science Buddies]] |access-date=2013-06-11}}
* {{cite web|last=Thompson |first=Derek |title=Gas Prices Around the World: Cheaper Than Water and $10 a Gallon |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/05/gas-prices-around-the-world-cheaper-than-water-i-and-i-10-a-gallon/238226/ |publisher=[[The Atlantic]] |date=May 3, 2011 |access-date=2013-06-13}}

==External links==
*[http://www.aeecenter.com Association of Energy Engineers] 
*[https://www.worldenergy.org/experiences-events/world-energy-congress World Energy Engineering Congress]
*[http://www.eme.psu.edu/eneng/ Penn State Energy Engineering]
*[http://www.theema.org.uk/ Energy Managers Association]

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[[Category:Energy engineering| ]]
[[Category:Engineering disciplines]]