These Writings are a set of observations about engineering topics from various perspectives. Some central organizing themes are:

  • observations on the engineering profession and our potential contributions to society, especially in the fields of renewable energy and infrastructure designs for sustainability
  • challenges in engineering studies
  • choosing universities, specialties and career paths
  • how one applies one’s efforts in an institution
  • and other errata about engineers at various points in their careers.

The primary motivation is to maximize the number of people that succeed in the engineering profession, especially where it touches on renewable energy or other types of projects that make our societies more stable, healthy, self-reliant and harmonious. More people worldwide should have access to clean and affordable energy, water, food etc., and engineers are key to making that happen. Young people can go on to enjoy rewarding careers in those sorts of endeavors.

Why are these written? In years of teaching at Reykjavik University, the Universities of Wisconsin and Minnesota, and other settings, students and young engineers have asked me many career-related questions. Sometimes it takes time to research and articulate my opinions. Setting them down in writing holds me accountable and lets me respond more clearly to more people. 

So who might you be? Well, one engineering candidate reading this might be entering their studies, and looking forward to their Early Career and fresh assignments. Another might be in the Middle Game with 5-10 years under their belt, trying to figure out how to advance and build their career portfolio. Another might be a seasoned 20-30+ year veteran that is pondering the next moves in the Late Career stage.

Who am I, and what is my perspective? Sorry for talking in third person here, hate using the first person singular pronoun.

William Harvey, P.E. is a project engineer and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, originally from Wisconsin (hence the Badgers). He specializes in renewable energy projects, principally geothermal. His experience includes design, supervision and management of mechanical, nuclear, chemical and electrical power plant aspects. He has served in all project phases for flash and binary geothermal plants, including projects commissioned in the Americas, Africa, Turkey and Asia. His roles span detailed design, owner’s engineering, and independent engineering (working for lenders). Dr. Harvey (that’s me) has delivered training for industrial clients and organizations such as the Electric Power Research Institute, the Geothermal Resources Council, Kenya Electricity Generating Company, Costa Rica’s Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad, the Iceland School of Energy at Reykjavik University, and the International Finance Corporation, among others. He writes and lectures extensively on geothermal and renewable energy topics. He is a contributing author for the textbook Geothermal Power Generation: Developments and Innovation (2016).

For the most part, my perspective is very “conservative/conserving” when it comes to energy projects, careers, the environment, finances, and life in general. I like hardhats and steel toed boots, factors of safety, Columbia and Keen, modest vehicles and index mutual funds. We all start to recognize our stodgy constraints after a few decades, and then need to be open to and support other points of view like those of venturesome developers and entrepreneurs that are capable of taking bigger risks to drive the world forward.

We help:

  • Developers define and create new renewable energy projects, from conceptual through detailed design and commissioning, so they can expand their portfolios,
  • Owners execute upgrade opportunities for existing projects, so they can sustainably increase output and revenue,
  • Young Engineers define and travel along their career arcs, so they can join others in these productive endeavors, and
  • Prospective Engineering Students make wise decisions regarding their fields of study and initial choice of assignments.

Metis Renewables, LLC is my consulting vehicle. If you or your organization have some objectives in your engineering or energy endeavors where we can support you, please drop me a line at william.harvey (at) metisrenewables.com.