Articles
Even appliances at home can help remind you of how important the infrastructure is that supports our way of life, and all the effort that goes into building, operating and maintaining it.
Somewhat superfluously we recently purchased a sensor-enabled bin for the kitchen. You wave your hand, the bin opens and then closes a few seconds later. It’s great – until the batteries run out. There’s no handle to open the bin manually, creating much complaining. Until somebody changes the batteries. This marvellous high-tech bin goes unnoticed for months while it’s working. As soon as it stops working, everyone becomes aware of it.
Many engineers will be aware of this phenomenon. People tend to only pay technology attention when it stops working. But to take the allegory perhaps a step too far, the bin also illustrates how closely the supply of energy has integrated into our modern lives and how easy it is to take it for granted.
Surveys repeatedly show that energy generation and supply is a topic high in our readers’ priorities. This month’s 8 Questions is about costs and regulation, shows that this remains the case. Even when acting as consumers, engineers are more aware of the issues than the benighted “general public”. 8 Questions reveals some interesting opinions on who should pay the bill for low-carbon energy and energy efficiency.
The issues and debate around energy are as numerous as they are complex, but some energy technologies, such as solar photovoltaics, are proving their viability and staying power. As the solar PV market matures and installations and budgets become larger, the demands on the engineers who commission, operate and maintain solar projects are rapidly evolving. The cover feature on looks at the common technical risks that impact solar projects and how engineers assess these and the associated costs.
This month we also cover the newest type of infrastructure, data centres. The internet and communications are becoming as closely interwoven into the fabric of our lives as energy. We reveal the clever engineering these market-leading buildings use to guarantee their reliability and reduce their environmental impacts.
Elsewhere we explore some of the most intriguing areas of technology development – including the use of plants to detect explosives, the continuing efforts to extend the efficiency and effectiveness of combustion engines, and the technical challenges in developing complex miniature robots for surgery. We also explore some of the latest concepts in education for engineers by talking to the people behind a new type of engineering university in Herefordshire.
In the meantime, rechargeable batteries have been bought for the bin, in an attempt to reduce its operating costs. There’s room for improvement even in a bin, showing that perhaps we should all try to be more aware of how our modern conveniences of life are delivered.