Students return to their Sustainable Island energy analysis and are asked to attempt to be a visionary in addressing future island energy needs. They are given a list of ten 21st Century emerging energy technologies that will likely become available in the future for use on their island.  They are asked to recommend what the best new energy conversion techniques might be in the future by doing a Jigsaw Analysis (they do two Jigsaws with 5 emerging technologies each).

The ten technologies are the following:

1. Geothermal Energy Methods
2. Space-Based Solar Power for Earth
3. Small Nuclear Reactors
4. Small Modular Hydropower
5. Airborne Wind Turbines
6. Ocean Generation Mechanisms (Tidal and Ocean Currents)
7. Biomass/Biofuel Energy Conversion
8. Bladeless Wind Turbines (i.e. Saphonian)
9. Concentrated Photovoltaics
10. Renewable Energy in Urban Environments (Solar and Wind)

In their expert groups the students attempt to answer the following questions:

• What defines this energy technology--what does it do?
• What breakthroughs are needed for this technology to be viable?
• As a best guess, what is the earliest that this technology would become available for use on your island?
• How much energy production is possible from single units, multiple units, etc.?
• Based on future energy needs of the island and population growth, how much of the energy burden do you think this technology could capture? Back-of-the-envelope calculation methods are reasonable way to approach this question.
• What is the approximate CO₂ contribution of this technology, taking into account manufacturing and production, and any other possible effects?
• Are there any other social/environmental consequences of this technology?

This project is an in-class ACL project in a course called "Mechanical Energy Systems Engineering". There first time they were five groups with 5-6 team members.  Student groups are formed randomly, and they are given three class periods to complete (two Jigsaw periods, and then one class for all the groups to report out). Students are primarily Junior, Senior, and Graduate Mechanical Engineering students that have had Thermodynamics and Fluids, Material Sciences, etc. Students in this class are primarily Junior, Senior, and Graduate Mechanical Engineering students that have had Thermodynamics, Fluid Mechanics, and Material Sciences. The course is a 4.0 credit hour quarter class and meets twice a week for 1 hour 50 minutes, for 10 weeks.  This project is the final project for the class and all course materials have been covered with the exception of "21st Century Technologies and Advances" which is covered with this project.

This module connects to the KEEN framework through the three C's in the following way:

• Students demonstrate constant curiosity about our changing world as the module helps student be curious about emerging energy technologies that may be viable in the future.
• Students make connections by integrating information from many sources to gain insight and assess and manage risk; students are given starter references and criteria to evaluate the technologies, then they decide as a group after researching the topics what would be the best future technologies.
• Students demonstrate curiosity by exploring a contrarian view of accepted solutions; the students debate within the group to come up with rankings and final conclusions about what new emerging technologies would be viable for their island.

The final product is a presentation and report on their findings after completing the two Jigsaw activities.