Mechanical Engineering
The design, building and use of mechanical systems, using physics and math to solve real-world problems. Mechanical engineers work on everything from medical research to efficient transportation, constantly iterating and problem solving.
What would you do?
- Research the structure and mechanics of devices
- Design prototypes on computers
- Test designs for reliability and strength
- Oversee factories and testing centers
- Investigate and diagnose broken systems
To fight climate change, mechanical engineers…
Generate sustainable energy
- Build stronger, more efficient wind turbines
- Design cooling and sun-tracking systems for solar panels
- Design turbines for hydropower
Create efficient systems
- Improve heating and air conditioning for buildings
- Engineer energy-efficient motors for public transportation
- Manufacture objects using less energy
Capture carbon dioxide
- Design turbines, compressors and other machines that pull gases from the air
- Find ways to store CO₂ underground or in containers
Make waste useful
- Capture energy from heat in waste plants
- Absorb methane from landfills
Relationship to climate change
Mechanical engineering is key to renewable energy, efficient systems and more.
Use mechanical engineering for these Project Drawdown solutions:
- Appliance & Equipment Efficiency
- Aviation Efficiency
- Building Envelopes
- Building Systems
- Cement Production
- Concentrated Solar
- District Cooling
- District Heating
- Electric Bicycles
- Electric Cars
- Electric Scooters & Motorcycles
- More solutions →
Featured expert
Nikhil Sirur
Lead Mechanical Engineer for Ford electric vehicles, working on EV charging equipment, with past work at Lucid Motors. He was inspired to engineer electric cars after seeing the air pollution caused by gas vehicles.
View his profile →
Get started
A great fit if you’re interested in designing and building things, problem solving, and testing machines.
Recommended classes
High school: Physics (H), AP Physics 1/2, AP Physics C, Autoshop 1/2
College: Electronics, Intro to Engineering, Combustion Processes, Energy Conversion Principles, Convective Transport and Computational Methods
Project ideas
- Join a school or local robotics team
- Join a school or local solar/electric car team
- Test the compressive strength of recycled and new materials
- Test the tensile strength of recycled and new materials
- Harness wind or water power with a simple mill
- Experiment with CAD
- Learn from experts and professors in the field
More resources
- Mechanical Engineers (BLS)
- Turntide Technologies reinvents the motor
- Climeworks: A Technology to Reverse Climate Change
- Are Sustainability Engineering Roles in Demand?
Written by Agastya Parikh, Palo Alto High School (2027)
