It is the use of tides or wind to deliver our daily energy needs that form ‘Green Energy’. They are considered ‘Green’ because they are environmentally friendly. When considering elements such as Wind Power and Windmills in many cases we are looking at the history of energy production. This option is preserved by the use of technology, eco-efficient options and planet friendly alternatives.
Solar Thermal and Solar Water Heating Collectors are examples of what can be used in the house as part of renewable energy technologies. Equally there is the basic electricity generated through roof-installed panels. Following on from this is a process known as Biomass Energy which includes Boilers burning wood and the fuel they burn on. Then there are the Ground Source Heat Pumps which is simply the old form of heat from the Sun. Not all ‘Green Energy’ is new – by considering Wind Power and Hydropower we are looking at some of the oldest forms of energy.
We will also be able to cover off the skills for those who want to train in this field. Considering the points raised so far, this is expected to be somewhere in the domain of the Plumber, the Gas Engineer and the Electrician. Overall, whilst getting as many sources as possible this would certainly have value to Electrical, Green and Plumbing careers. Bookmarking this page (CTRL-D) allows you to come back when you want and check out your options.
Solar Energy Systems: By using different technologies, Solar Energy is effectively made up of two types of solar panels. Making hot water from solar energy is the first stage and is known as Solar Water Heating Collection. Secondly, Photovoltaic heat collectors – often simply referred to as Solar Electrical Panels – which transform the solar radiation into electricity. Solar Panels themselves need to be away from blockages, be on south facing roofs and finally be at angles of 30 degrees from the horizontal plane.
As a result, Solar Water Power is often considered the most common form of Solar Energy in the UK. Solar Water heating systems can provide over 50 percent of a household’s hot water requirement during the year. Getting a professional fitting will cost around 2-5k however doing the job yourself could be as low as 500 to 1500 in total.
Biomass Energy Technology: Historically this has come from plants and animals nowadays this also includes new ‘energy crops’. It is by using such material in new ways to create energy that makes it so exciting. It is a useful point to make that the UK is one of the major producers of Biomass fuels within Europe. Considering all this and the relative lack of C02 produced makes the whole process positive overall. Because the system often involves one tree being planted for another being felled that many wood crops are deemed to have come from sustainable sources.
To meet the need fast growing trees, known as Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) are utilised. Dry matter is also very sought after and perennial grasses are a good source of this. Equally significant within this practise sit Municipal and Agricultural waste products. To begin with Agricultural Waste is often produced as part of the agricultural process overall. Municipal Waste such as food or wood can also be utilised as a biomass product.
Geo-Thermal Energy Systems… Used in the generation of warm water and electricity this energy mainly comes from the Sun and heats the Earth. By using the ground source temperature of approximately 12 degrees we can either heat or cool buildings within the UK. Generally items such as Heat Pumps are thought of as very effective as they often bring in four units of energy for every one that as used in generation. It is the fact that such a return of energy, sometimes almost 100 percent, that heat source pumps often operate in line items such as wind turbines and solar electrical panels.
Systems Based On Wind Energy: When you consider the milling of grain and pumping of water it is easy to see how long wind energy has been with us. However, in more recent times there’s been the option to recover the energy for its own sake – and deliver this either to a home unit or to the local power grid. With regard to wind generation it is the UK that has the highest production within Europe. The fact remains that in the UK there exists the ability to realise 10 percent of our electricity requirement from wind power as opposed to the current value of 1 percent. Although electricity is still being produced from between 2-10 p per kWh it could be generated from as little as 2p per kWh. Due to this we are looking at 6-9 months in total to cover the costs.
Within the UK, Hydropower is an energy process that suits the energy generation model. Although new in its approach the act of creating energy from water has been going on for a long time. Within the UK, this form of energy production is responsible for somewhere in the region of 2 percent of all electrical needs.
The method of transforming the energy of moving water into another type with the aid of a turbine is known as a Hydropower system. By using a dam or a natural river process these turbines do not require water storage. ‘Micro- Hydro’ However, uses the dam and sluice systems that have been made redundant by the larger national distributions. Whilst considered a small form of electrical output this system has been thought to be able to give some 200mW of capacity to the UK. The expected cost of installing a system such as this would be between 200 pounds and 3k per kW of output.
Because of the energy need of the Western World we are now seeing a rapid rise in ‘Green Energy’. To be fair, the UK domestic market is leading the resurgence with the variety of schemes detailed above.
Once again it is the Electrician and Plumbing trades that are set to capitalise on the domestic installation process. With EEC and UK recognition of renewable energy getting ever-higher on the political agenda, the grants and financial aid for introduction of these systems can only increase. Gaining installation certification across these areas can only provide further opportunity and job security to anyone already in related fields or looking to retrain. To cover both ends you could consider blended training with electrical or plumbing training along with green systems.
(C) Scott Edwards 2009. Look at Solar Courses or www.plumbingcourse4u.co.uk/Green-Engineer-Careers.html.