8. Energy Ecosystem

Introduction

The world is transitioning toward cleaner, greener, and more sustainable energy systems to address the challenges of climate change, growing energy demands, and the electrification of transport and industry. The Energy Ecosystem project invites students to design innovative solutions in energy generation, smart distribution, utilisation, and storage that respond to these global challenges. You will apply your diverse engineering skills to develop technology solutions that tackle critical issues, such as the all-electric revolution, improved range and charging speeds for electric vehicles (EVs), the utilisation of waste resources for power generation, efficient renewable energy storage, and advanced energy systems for portable devices and emerging technologies like flying cars.

Task

Your team is tasked with developing a novel energy generation, smart distribution, utilisation, and storage solution that addresses one or more future energy needs: clean power for EVs, efficient storage for renewable energy, or advanced energy solutions for portable devices and flying cars. The goal is to propose a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable technology that can meet the increasing energy demands of modern society while reducing environmental impact. Your design should also explore scalability and real-world applications, integrating it into existing infrastructure or emerging technologies.

Considerations

1. Technology
Students should explore innovative energy generation methods (e.g., fusion, solar, wind) or advanced energy storage technologies (e.g., batteries, supercapacitors, hydrogen cells). Focus on maximising energy efficiency, smart distribution and utilisation, increasing power density, and ensuring sustainability in the design. The technology should be scalable and adaptable to future societal needs.

Questions to consider:

2. Infrastructure
Your solution must be compatible with current and future energy infrastructure. Consider how your system will integrate with renewable energy sources (e.g., solar, wind, hydro), electric grids, and the charging networks for EVs and other technologies. Think about the scalability of the system and its ability to adapt to different environments and applications, such as residential areas, industrial complexes, or space missions. Think about where energy is available and the current grid infrastructure capacity to harness this available energy.

Questions to consider:

3. Market Factors
Consider market trends and demands for clean energy solutions in sectors such as electric transportation, renewable energy storage, and consumer electronics. Evaluate the economic feasibility of your design, including potential costs of research, development, production, and deployment. Identify potential partnerships with industries, governments, or research institutions to bring your solution to market.

Questions to consider:

4. Safety, Security, and Risks
Energy generation, distribution, utilisation, and storage technologies come with inherent risks, including concerns related to overheating, fire, and environmental hazards. Your design must comply with safety standards and regulations to ensure safe operation in a variety of environments, from vehicles to portable devices. Consider the potential environmental and human health risks associated with the materials or technologies used in your design.

Questions to consider:

5. Project Management Approach
Successful project delivery requires proper planning, team collaboration, and resource management. Develop a project management plan to track progress, assign responsibilities, and manage deadlines. Consider potential roadblocks and mitigation strategies to keep the project on track.

Questions to consider:

6. Costing and Feasibility
Provide an estimate of the total research, development, and production costs of your energy system. Consider the costs of materials, technology, and implementation at scale. Additionally, evaluate the economic benefits your design could bring, such as lowering energy costs for consumers or reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

Questions to consider:

7. Sustainability, Ethics, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Sustainability is a key component of this project. Your design should minimise environmental impact in both the materials used and the lifecycle of the system. Conduct a life-cycle analysis to assess the environmental footprint of your design, from production to disposal. Ensure that your solution aligns with global sustainability goals and contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, consider the ethical implications of your energy solution and how it can promote inclusivity in its design and application.

Questions to consider:

Further Information