Energy engineering

The main job of energy engineers is to find the most efficient and sustainable ways to operate buildings and manufacturing processes.

This means suggesting advanced lighting, better insulation, more efficient heating and cooling properties of buildings.

[4] Often applied to building design, heavy consideration is given to HVAC, lighting, refrigeration, to both reduce energy loads and increase efficiency of current systems.

[5] Human civilizations have long relied on the conversion of energy for various purposes, from the use of fire to the development of water wheels, windmills, and, eventually, electricity generation.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a program created by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) in March 2000.

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.

Technology such as waste-to-energy facilities which convert solid wastes through the process of gasification or pyrolysis to liquid fuels to be burned.

Of that 250 million tons roughly 54% gets thrown in land fills, 33% is recycled, and 13% goes to energy recovery plants.

[10] In European countries who pay more for fuel, such as Denmark where the price of gas neared $2.6 per litre ($10/US gal) in 2010, have more fully developed waste-to energy facilities.

The gender distribution in the field remains prominent, with around 80% male engineers, though efforts to increase diversity are underway through scholarships and mentorship programs.

[17][18] These technologies are critical in reducing reliance on fossil fuels and ensuring the stability of renewable energy systems.

Other advances include artificial intelligence and machine learning applications for optimizing energy use in real-time, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems to mitigate emissions from existing power plants.