When our daily energy requirements are met by ‘Green Energy’ then we utilise items such as wind, tides or geothermal heat. ‘Green’ basically means that all the energy is renewable. It’s interesting to note that in some instances we’re actually travelling back in time to utilise some of the older energy skill sets e.g. Wind Power (Windmills etc.) Overall, this is the method of using modern techniques to provide areas such as eco-effiency and planet friendly options.
Solar Thermal and Solar Water Heating Collectors are examples of what can be used in the house as part of renewable energy technologies. Following on it is items such as the Photovoltaic Panels (PV’s) that develop electricity through suitable roof-panels. Another key element is that of Biomass Energy, which relates to Stoves and Boilers burning Wood, Fuel and Pellets. There is the old heat from the Sun now known as Ground Source Heat Pumps. When we think about Wind Power and Hydropower we have two of the more habitual forms of energy generation.
Through a brief review of each we can look at those wanting to train and work in this area and the skills that they will need. Considering the points raised so far, this is expected to be somewhere in the domain of the Plumber, the Gas Engineer and the Electrician. It would be worth gathering information from as many different sources as possible, so check out our other pages on Electrical, Green and Plumbing careers. So it is worth checking out the sites for a variety of training providers as a result bookmark (CTRL-D) this page so you can come back.
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. 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. 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.
Within Solar Energy overall, Solar Water Power is now commonly used in the UK. Solar Water heating systems can provide over 50 percent of a household’s hot water requirement during the year. 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 and ‘Energy Crops’ – This is a general term for all forms of plant and animal material e.g. wood, straw, poultry litter and ‘energy crops’. 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. Added to all this is the lack of C02 produced as a by product of the whole process. 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.)
By the growth of Short Rotation Crops (SRC) the UK is able to maximise the ‘Energy Crops’ return against the plant production overall. Of equal importance is the production of perennial grasses because of their yield of dry matter. Whilst Agricultural and Municipal waste may appear lesser known they are essential to the whole process. Agricultural Waste is commonly formed as a by-product of traditional work in agriculture. Because it comes from food or wood Municipal Waste is also considered a useful biomass product.
Systems Based On Geo-Thermal Energy: Used in the generation of warm water and electricity this energy mainly comes from the Sun and heats the Earth. Having a consistent ground temperature of around 12 degrees centigrade is fortunate for the UK as it allows both the heating and cooling of buildings. With four units replaced for every one unit of energy used these heat pumps are very effective. This system can go even further if energy efficient items such as wind turbines or solar electrical panels are used.
Systems Based On Wind Energy: As an energy source wind energy has to be one of the oldest forms of energy creation in history. Whether to a home or local grid when the energy has been generated it must be delivered to appoint if usage and cannot be stored. The UK alone is considered one of the best sources of wind generation within Europe. For the fact remains that within the UK we have the ability to generate 10 percent of our requirement from Wind Production as opposed to the current value of 1 percent. Instead of producing electricity at a rate of 2-10p per kWh we could be generating at 2p per kWh. Because of this it is estimated that it takes between half a year to three quarters of a year to cover the costs.
Finally, we have Hydropower; an area in which the UK does well within Europe. Just like a thousand years ago we are looking utilising energy from water. That aside it is fair to say that some 2 percent of the UK’s electrical load comes from this source.
A hydropower system transforms the kinetic energy of the moving water into another type of energy by means of a turbine. The important thing is that without relying on water storage the turbines can generate electricity. ‘Micro-Hydro’ utilises a chunk of the outdated sluices and dam systems that have been killed off by the large national distribution methods. 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 capital cost of installing a micro-hydro system can run between 200 and 3000 pounds per kW of energy output.
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.
With the rise in demand for domestic installations both Electricians and Plumbers are well placed to take advantage of this technology. Not only in the EEC but also in the UK ‘Green Energy’ is rapidly gaining ground as the way forward and a range of financial incentives are in place to support this. It is by gaining the right certificates across the board that will help opportunities and job security for the long term. To that end it may be worth thinking about combined training where you can get plumbing or electrical training along with green knowledge.
(C) 2009 S. Edwards. Try Green Certification or plumbercourse.co.uk/Solar-Training.html.