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Asked by TheyCallMeWermy to Oliver on 7 Mar 2015.
Question: What field of science is best for renewable energy research?
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Oliver Brown answered on 7 Mar 2015:
A somewhat tricky question to answer, because renewable energy research is a big joint effort between many fields! I have colleagues in Physics working on new kinds of solar cell, things like biofuels and recyling are more of interest to chemists and chemical engineers. Mechanical engineers take the lead in larger, more established renewable energy technologies like wind turbines, hydroelectric, and geothermal plants.
If you’re interested especially in science and not engineering, then I would say Physics, or Chemistry. More specifically the field in Physics is ‘Semiconductor Optoelectronics’ — semiconductors are the material that solar cells are made out of, and optoelectronics is a fancy way of saying ‘to do with light and electricity’! I *think* the relevant field in Chemistry is just called ‘Environmental Chemistry’, though I don’t know for sure!
If you’re interested in renewable energy research, and are planning on going to university, there are a lot of Physics/Chemsitry with Environmental Studies courses available these days!
Comments
TheyCallMeWermy commented on :
definitely something that interests me, thanks!
Vicky commented on :
I know this is not aimed at me, but depending on what you want to do in the field of renewable energy, you might also want to consider an engineering degree – many universities now do things like mechanical engineering specialising in developing renewable energy technology.