We have been hearing catchphrases like green engineering and cleantech for quite some time. And they keep coming; the latest one is design-for-environment.

Electronic engineers, like other sectors of society, have been an active part of the environment movement. In some ways, initiatives like green engineering embody tech world's share in the well being of the environment. So EEs were never too far from the "inconvenient truth."

But then something happened this year, transforming the whole green engineering landscape. The rising fuel prices were akin to a rude awakening and it made the whole environment debate a lot more real. The crisis renewed a sense of urgency, as it no more pointed to the world's collective conscience but to the individual self-interest of people.

Now the battleground of near-, mid- and long-term apps are redrawn around photovoltaics (PV), geothermal energy, batteries and fuel cells. And we are beginning to see far more clarity and seriousness in turning the vision of green energy into reality.

Conservation drive
Microcontrollers, for instance, are already on the front lines of the energy conservation drive. The drive for fuel efficiency and emission reduction amid rising fuel prices and environmental concerns are triggering demand for MCUs.

While hybrid and all-electric vehicles are still several years from joining the automotive mainstream, according to a Gartner study, green engineering initiatives will account for 50 percent of the automotive MCU market. Case in study: U.S. startup ElectroJet Inc. has provided China's Dayang Motorcycle Co. with a fuel injection system that is optimized for low air pollution and high fuel economy. A Freescale Semiconductor MCU controls the system for Dayang.

Freescale's MCU processes the signals delivered from intake pressure monitoring sensors to generate signals for ignition timing and fuel supply. ElectroJet sources claim that fuel injection system generates 65 percent less carbon monoxide and lowers fuel consumption by 12 percent.

Beyond MCUs and low-power chip designs, PV solar cells are making waves with a steady adoption, while other renewable technologies are also seeing healthy growth. Likewise, fuel cells are making strides both in cost and efficiency as research institutes around the world push the envelope.

It may be safe to say that 2009 could be the year of green engineering. However, this doesn't imply that it's going to be an easy ride. Instead, it seems more like a long drawn battle.

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