In a nutshell, ‘Green Energy’ utilises natural resources such as sunlight, wind, tides and geothermal heat to provide our daily energy requirement. They are thought to be ‘Green’ due to the fact that they are easily restored and natural. The older energy skill sets often have value set in times gone by especially when we think of wind power and windmills. Generally this is a result of using up to date ideas, specifically those relating to planet friendly and eco-efficiency.
It is the use of simple renewable energies such as Solar Thermal and Solar Water Heating Collectors that suits the home environment. Following on it is items such as the Photovoltaic Panels (PV’s) that develop electricity through suitable roof-panels. Equally important is that of Biomass Energy which includes Stoves, Fuel, Pellets and Boilers burning Wood. There is the old heat from the Sun now known as Ground Source Heat Pumps. Considering items such as Wind Power and Hydro Turbines we are finally getting to very old forms of energy production.
For those wanting to train in this area we will expand on each section and cover off some of the skills required. Working in the field of Plumbing, Gas or as an Electrician you can see that the points raised would be of value to you. It would definitely be worth looking at modern careers such as Electricians, Plumbers and Green engineers and see how they relate to this information. So we have researched this site and added links and adverts for interested parties and bookmark via CTRL-D.
Solar Thermal Energy Systems – Often called Solar Energy, this is fact based on two types of solar panels each using different ideas to get their results. As a first draft there are elements absorbing energy from the sun and creating hot water known as Solar Water Heating Collectors. Whereas Solar Electrical panels or Photovoltaic heat collectors transfer solar radiation into electricity. Across the board, Solar Panels should be mounted on a south facing roof, at an angle of 30 degrees away from horizontal, and to some extent away from blocking trees, surrounding buildings and chimneys.
With Solar Power being so common within the UK it is now Solar Water Power that often comes to mind. With the ability to provide almost half the annual need for hot water in the house then Solar Water heating systems is very important. The average cost of installing this type of equipment is expected to range from 500 to 1500 pounds for a DIY system, through to 2-5k for a professionally installed system.
Biomass Energy Systems – Although in the modern world this now includes ‘Energy Crops’ it also takes in suitable plant and animal substances. Considering its ability to produce energy in the form of heat and electricity this type of energy is extremely flexible The ability to generate electricity is one of the UK’s main concepts as it has one of the larger Biomass legacies within Europe. One of the main factors of this style of energy is the result without the impact on C02. To that end, many wood crops come from sustainable sources (as one tree is felled, another is planted in its place; thus the new tree absorbs the CO2 produced during the heating process.)
Within this field is the need for the use of ‘Energy Crops’, such as fast growing trees, e.g. Willow and Poplar or other entities grown on a Short Rotation Coppice (SRC). Perennial grasses are also responsible for large quantities of dry matter. Within this process also sits the lesser known Agricultural and Municipal Wastes. Using normal agricultural activity, Agricultural waste is a natural by-product. Another biomass element is that called municipal waste and this comes from wood or food goods.
Geo-Thermal Energy Based Systems – This is where both warm water and electricity can be produced as by products of the natural heating of the Earth by the Sun. Using the ground temperature of around 12 degrees in the UK we can both heat and cool buildings. With four units replaced for every one unit of energy used these heat pumps are very effective. The energy generated by a heat source pump can in fact be considered 100 percent renewable, if the power to operate the pump comes from solar electrical panels or a wind turbine.
Wind Energy Programs: Without a doubt wind energy has to be one of the oldest forms of energy production known to man. Where the local power grid or even the home demands it recently the energy being created has been diverted there. In fact, the UK has the largest wind resource within Europe. Potentially we can produce 10 percent of our annual energy needs through wind power although at present within the UK we still only use 1 percent. Instead of producing electricity at a rate of 2-10p per kWh we could be generating at 2p per kWh. Therefore, recovery of cost takes approximately 6-9 months overall.
Then there is Hydropower – something within Europe that the UK excels in. Having said that the art of using energy from moving water, as like wind power is very traditional. In total, this could result in something like 2 percent of all electricity produced in the UK.
By using a turbine a Hydropower system can transfer the kinetic energy of moving water into another form. No water reservoirs are required as the turbines either run through a water drop system or the natural run of the river. ‘Micro-Hydro’ however avoids this system killed off by the larger national distribution methods and plans to use the outdated sluices and dams. Although a lesser known form of electricity output this process could supply 200mW of UK demand. So installing a system like this could cost between 200 pounds and 3k per kW of energy created.
It is down to the worldwide energy requirements that sees the growth in ‘Green Energy’. Considering this schemes laid out above the UK domestic market appears to be one of the core beneficiaries of this technology.
It is the drive for installations in the domestic sector that looks to favour jobs such as plumbers and electricians. With ‘Green Energy’ rising up the political agenda in Europe a range of financial aids and grants is becoming available. Getting the right qualifications can often provide job security in a new field such as this. Training such as electrical or plumbing that incorporates green technology would be very useful for the future.
Author: Scott Edwards. Go to Green Engineer Training or plumbingtraining4u.co.uk/Green-Engineer-Courses.html.