How solar energy is changing engineering and design?
- They are becoming lighter and smaller
- They are utilizing efficient materials
- The engineering and designs are becoming fresher and more dynamic
- Automation in designs is becoming more apparent
With the rise of solar energy across the world, most countries have begun their movement to go green. This 2017 saw a massive increase in the usage of renewable energy, clocking in at an all-time high. Along with a more efficient and environmentally-friendly form of energy, engineering and design has also been influenced by renewable energy. In the Philippines side of the Solar System, we can see the effects of solar energy towards how machines, devices, and solar homes are being designed.
Here are some of the engineering and design changes bought about by solar energy.
Lighter and Smaller
Thanks to the development of solar energy across the world, we are able to make smaller and more efficient versions of some of the machines that we use today. For example, solar powered vehicles tend to be lighter and have fewer moving parts, since they do not need fuel to get them running.
Smaller and lighter designs also mean that you would be using less materials than before, which saves up manufacturing costs, and can even help the environment. Thanks to solar power, items such as watches, calculators, chargers, and other gadgets are now more efficient. With how things are shaping up to be, expect some of the bigger machines to have a smaller solar-powered version in the next few years.
Efficient Material Usage
Along with the development of renewable energy, manufacturers and researchers all over the world have been able to create materials that would coincide with being environmentally-friendly and safe to use. This means using recyclable and reusable materials, which can take the place of the traditional materials that are being used in regular manufacturing. The goal of using renewable energy is to make it portable and lighter, and the materials being developed for the future would help achieve that vision.
Fresh and Dynamic
Each century of human history has seen major trends and changes towards design. This can be very evident with the architecture and engineering of various structures over the past few years, as you would be able to see the many different variations and intricacies of each design. These changes are not only cosmetic, but they are also helpful in making them more efficient and dynamic. With the era of renewable energy arriving in the next few decades, expect another design revolution arriving, which will see more focus on being practical, while still having some elegance.
Automation in Design
With the many advancements in technology during the past few years, design has become more automated, as computer programs and applications are able to assist designers with creating better designs. This level of design automation has not been seen before, and is something that the next generation of architects and engineers would be able to utilize in the upcoming years.
Key Takeaway
With advent of renewable energy sources like solar energy, the world would be able to see major changes in design that would coincide with it in the future. The design trend of the future aims to apply the efficiency of renewable energy sources, which means we would be seeing sleeker and smoother designs in the next few years.