ENG93000: Sustainable Future Engineering Management

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SOUTHERN CROSS UNIVERSITY
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Table of Contents
Engineering Management for Sustainability of Future...................................................................3
Part- A..............................................................................................................................................3
Current electricity supply chain and future electric supply-........................................................3
Kitchen appliances are environmentally sustainable or not-.......................................................5
Electric car-..................................................................................................................................6
Part- B..............................................................................................................................................7
Site visit-......................................................................................................................................7
Smart and livable cities-..............................................................................................................8
Whole of life asset management-................................................................................................9
Monbiot article-.........................................................................................................................10
Conclusion-................................................................................................................................10
Reference-......................................................................................................................................11
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Engineering Management for Sustainability of Future
This assignment describes about the flaws of engineers and how management of engineers can
develop sustainable and eco-friendly methods for the better survival of the humankind. It also
describes newer sustainable method implementation in older technologies to improve and
develop better living conditions.
Part- A
Current electricity supply chain and future electric supply-
I picked the topic as electricity is one among the most important sources of energy that is
currently in use across the globe. Since the beginning of electricity generation, there have been
issues relating to its uses and managements. Supply of electricity is conducted using a series of
processes. It includes-
 Process of generation- Generation process includes the raw materials used in the production
of electricity. Raw materials include coal, water, wind, etc.
 Method of transmission- It includes the method of supplying the electricity generated at high
voltages to the demand centers. Transmission is done using tower cables, underground
cables, transformers, etc.
 Method of distribution- It is the transportation of electricity to the customers that require
electricity in lower voltages. It is done using substation transformers, wire poles, and
underground cables.
 Users- It includes customers that require electricity for household uses or commercial uses.
All these processes maintain the successful generation to uses chain.
Since the use of electricity is increasing day by day, to meet such demand various new
advancements are required for the successful delivery of clean, cheap, and reliable energy. The
production of electricity process requires materials present in nature thus putting an impact to the
environment as the main source of electricity is fossil fuel, a non-renewable resource that is
depleting rapidly (Chen et. al. 2013). Other natural factors for generating energy even though
present are not as efficient due to the lack of research and equipment. Developments of newer
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technologies are still in progress for minimizing the losses occurred in generation and
transmission of electricity (Laslett et al. 2017). Environmental impacts are being minimized by
using available methodologies such as using non-hazardous elements during the extraction of
raw materials from the Earth. Manufacturing energy-efficient machines and appliances help in
energy conservation. Currently, researches are being performed to use hydrogen cells to generate
electricity and minimize the use of fossil fuels and to use the resources provided by the nature to
maintain sustainable solution regarding the environmental impacts (Onoue et al. 2012)
Figure 1: Fuel cell utilization of the future generation
Source: (Onoue et al. 2012)
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Figure 2: Future of the electricity supply system
Source: (Onoue et al. 2012)
Kitchen appliances are environmentally sustainable or not-
I’ve picked this topic to represent my views and ideas on manging and manufacturing a
sustainable kitchen appliance (dishwasher) because of its common uses in household and in
businesses. A dishwasher requires a lot of water for its processing (Belke et al., 2018). The
Hannover principles speak of various sustainable methods that can be implemented in an asset
for it to be sustainable. These principles can be applied in a dishwasher by minimizing the
requirements of water and energy. I would manufacture a dishwasher using various recyclable
elements (steel, recyclable plastic) so that after its lifecycle it can be recycled for different
purposes. To rely on natural energy flow as stated in the Hannover principles, I would
incorporate solar panels so that the dishwasher can be solar-operated. I would eliminate the water
wastage by incorporating cleaning filters and equipment in the dishwasher. This will terminate
the wastage of water and the water can be re-used for other purposes in the house. I would limit
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the energy consumption by using energy efficient components resulting in less uses of energy.
Designs of the dishwasher can be constantly upgraded by implementing newer available
technologies that are dependent on sustainability and betterment on the environmental aspect
(RöDder et al. 2018).
Figure 3: Users of dishwashers and its utility factors with respect to Living Standard Management (LSM) and
Environmental Awareness (EnAw) from around the globe
Source: (Belke et al. 2018)
Electric car-
I’ve selected this topic to represent my views and ideas on electric vehicles and their impacts on
sustainability in the environment. Cars, since being produced are a huge factor that has
implemented a negative impact on the environment. Use of fuel is the main source for the
operation of a car till date. Since from the early production era, I’ve seen the emission norms are
getting strict to control its impact on the sustainability of the environment. Till today, cars using
fossil fuels are being produced but with standard emission norms. But still cases of emission are
present in a car.
Electric cars are the new range of automobiles that are offering an emission-free operation.
These cars run on electrically charged batteries, causing no emission such as the fuel operating
cars. These cars do not harm the ozone layer. The batteries of these electric vehicles excludes the
use of harmful acids and lead particles but still use other less harmful elements such as lithium,
nickel, and cobalt. Construction of such cars requires more investments comparing to the cars
that run on fuel. Due to their cost, purchasing of electric cars is very less. Other factors that
affect their selling are their limited speed, very few on-road charging points, mileage, and
maintenance (Mullan et al., 2011). An electric car may be environment-friendly but the
production of their energy source can put a negative effect on the environment. If the energy
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production is environment-friendly and the car is energy efficient, only then an electric car will
be sustainable to the environment (Feige 2017).
Part- B
Site visit-
I visited the site proposed for developing waterfront townhouses for SCU student
accommodation. I’ve observed that there are lots of trees and bushes present in the site. It is near
the road and will provide better transportation facility for the students. The water area will cover
houses from both sides and will provide a cool and beautiful atmosphere for the students. This
can also enhance and boost the morality of the students. The site is near the university campus so
students can walk or use bicycles for commuting. This will help in keeping the air pollution level
low and help the students physically by keeping them healthy and fit.
Figure 4: Site visit
Reasonable vegetation will be cleared as for the requirements of constructing the townhouses
and pathways. Maximum of the vegetation can be integrated into the build as it will provide a
better environment and keep the ecosystem unharmed. Park’s will be included in the site for the
students. It will also help in preserving the ecosystem of the site. Replantation of plants will
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reinstate the loss caused due to cutting down of the trees in the building of the proposed
residential area.
The waterfront townhouses will be built in rows near the edges of the water holes. The houses
will be built around the larger trees to save it from cutting down, thus saving the nearby
ecosystem. To prevent the water from being polluted, the drainage system will be routed to the
sewer line. Lights incorporated in the houses will be LED for a very little energy consumption
(Zeb Akhtar et al., 2016). Solar panels will be set in the roofs and used for conserving natural
resources. All street light in the vicinity will be solar based with automated sensors for its
ON/OFF operations during day and night (Cornaro et al. 2015).
Using current smart technologies such as motion sensors while building the waterfront houses
will keep the building’s condition in check. Using sensors for environment pollution factors will
keep the pollution level of air, water, soil, and noise in check so that the ecosystem doesn’t get
affected due to the houses. Using smart water and energy meter, we’ll be able to keep the uses of
resources in check (Abba et al. 2018).
Finally, I can conclude that constructing in the site may affect the ecosystem a little but can be
reinstated for the betterment for the ecosystem.
Smart and livable cities-
A city can be considered smart when it is planned using various measures and advanced
technologies. The city can be transformed into a smart city by updating various outdated
technologies present since the building of the city. The term “livable” is used to describe the
city’s environmental conditions. If a city has no vegetation, over-populated, houses are cramped,
roads are lean, no public commutation services, lacks energy supply, no street lights, no security
checks; it is not called smart and livable. All these aspects are to be eliminated to make a city
smart and livable.
There are mainly three areas that act as the foundation of a smart city. These key areas will result
in efficient management relating to sustainability and livability-
 The efficiency of resource-
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Since technologies are present in every operation of a city, using these resources efficiently and
smartly can help in the betterment of the city’s sustainability and livability. Improvements can be
done in the transportation sector by providing cheaper bus service, car and bike sharing options
thus will result in traffic congestion management, decrease in non-renewable fuel consumption,
lesser greenhouse gas emission, and will also save time for the businesses, commuters and
residents. Example for improving in the transportation sector to make the city smart includes
using automated real-time information technologies, smart parking technologies, etc. Using
smart technologies such as motion sensors, smart water, energy and gas sensors, etc. will help in
reducing the consumption of water, energy, and gas, thus providing information regarding the
conditions of buildings and their efficiency in consumption of natural resources and energy
(Marsal et al. 2015).
 Better communication and connection between the government and the citizen via websites
and surveys-
Using smart technologies, the government officials concerned with the city and its citizens can
understand and resolve the issues related to the city. Using communication channels such as
phone applications and websites for requests, queries, and feedbacks, the concerned officials can
be in contact and stay updated regarding the conditions of the city and resolve the issues
regarding any matters quickly and efficiently.
 Government efficiency and their processes of the administration-
If the work of the concerned government is efficient then there will be more collection of tax
revenues and can be used in developing the city’s infrastructure and conditions making the city
more livable and sustainable. An efficient government also provides faster solutions in planning,
decision making and also in the management of the citizen’s concerned issues (Sofeska 2017).
Whole of life asset management-
It is the management of an asset such as a product developed by industry for commercial use. It
deals with the quality, operation, re-usability, and the impacts of an asset in the world. An asset
to be released in the global market has to be standardized using certain sets of regulations and
quality checks. This topic defines the overall requirements of an asset from design
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manufacturing, life cycle till the disposal of the asset. I can understand the principles and
regulations required when designing and promoting a product or asset for its use. The rules and
regulations maintain the overall quality of an asset and its proper use and maintenance till the
life-cycle of the asset ends. I understood the values of planning and scheduling a task in an
industry. I came to know the responsibilities of an engineer from when an asset is being designed
and the role of each entity associated in the production of an asset. Finally, I can conclude that it
is vital that each entity performs their entitled task without mistakes to avoid the asset’s failure
and to keep an effective plan regarding assets risk management and its consequence before
promoting an asset to the market for real-life use.
Monbiot article-
George Monbiot in his article “The Earth is in a death spiral. It will take radical action to save
us” said about the critical condition the Earth is facing. He spoke of the changes that have
degraded the Earth’s condition by letting us know about the measures still not taken by mankind
instead damaging the Earth’s system day by day. He spoke of the complexity of the Earth system
that can change abruptly and erase the continuity of humankind in an unpredictable instance. He
spoke about the economic growth and its incompatibility followed by the consummation of
resources that is still growing and in large quantity. He spoke of the political issues related to the
destruction of the Earth’s system and its adverse effects and concluded his article by warning us
about the man-built system we live in and telling us to help ourselves in saving the Earth’s
ecosystem and us in it.
I, from this article, can conclude that it is now or never to save our Earth for our future
generations or else the whole civilization may be extinct forever with just the unstable Earth left
behind with no life in existence.
Conclusion-
From this assignment, I can know the values of being a better engineer to develop a better future
for sustaining the earth’s ecosystem for our future generations and for ourselves.
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Reference-
Abba, Sani & Nyam, Itse (2018) Design and Evaluation of a Low-Cost and Flexible Data
Acquisition System Using Sensor Network for Smart Homes. Sensors & Transducers. 227 (11),
73–81. [online]. Available from: http://search.proquest.com/docview/2156320785/.
Belke, Lara et al. (2018) Global consumer study to identify the potential of water-saving in
dishwashing. Energy Efficiency. [Online] 11 (7), 1887–1895.
Chen, G et al. (2013) Life cycle carbon emission flow analysis for electricity supply system: A
case study of China. Energy Policy. [Online] 61 (C), 1276–1284. [online]. Available from:
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1426850284/.
Cornaro, Cristina et al. (2015) Comparative analysis of the outdoor performance of a dye solar
cell mini‐panel for building integrated photovoltaics applications. Progress in Photovoltaics:
Research and Applications. [Online] 23 (2), 215–225.
Feige, Irene (2017) Get behind electric cars. Nature. 549 (7670), 20. [online]. Available from:
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1937769270/.
Laslett, Dean et al. (2017) A large-scale renewable electricity supply system by 2030: Solar,
wind, energy efficiency, storage and inertia for the South West Interconnected System (SWIS) in
Western Australia. Renewable Energy. [Online] 113713–731.
Marsal-Llacuna, Maria-Lluïsa et al. (2015) Lessons in urban monitoring taken from sustainable
and livable cities to better address the Smart Cities initiative. Technological Forecasting &
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Mullan, Jonathan et al. (2011) Modelling the impacts of electric vehicle recharging on the
Western Australian electricity supply system. Energy Policy. [Online] 39 (7), 4349–4359.
Onoue, Kiyoaki et al. (2012) Japan’s energy supply: Mid-to-long-term scenario – A proposal for
a new energy supply system in the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake. International Journal
of Hydrogen Energy. [Online] 37 (10), 8123–8132.
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RöDder, Maximilian et al. (2018) EnergiBUS4home – Sustainable energy resourcing in low-
energy buildings. Energy. [Online] 159638–647.
Sofeska, Emilija (2017) Understanding the Livability in a City Through Smart Solutions and
Urban Planning Toward Developing Sustainable Livable Future of the City of Skopje. Procedia
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Zeb Akhtar et al. (2016) LED Lightbulbs as a Source of Electricity Saving in Buildings. MATEC
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