‘Green Energy’ is the use of items such as wind, tides and geothermal heating to provide us with our everyday energy fulfilment. Collectively they are thought to be ‘Green’ because they are ecologically sound and easy to replace. If we think of some of the older energy skills e.g. Wind Power then in many ways we are going back in time. However, it is the result of eco-efficient and planet friendly options that this process is maintained.
In the home environment one can see examples such as Solar Thermal and Solar Water Heating Collectors. To gain electricity from roof panels you would need items such as solar electrical panels (PV’s). Biomass Energy is the next phase and this involves Fuel, Pellets, Stoves and Boilers burning Wood. Of course then there is the heating from the Sun often just called Ground Source Heat Pumps. Finally, we have two of the most traditional forms of energy generation that have gone through some resurgence over the last few years; these being Wind Power, Wind Turbines and Hydropower (including Water Wheels.)
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 and ‘Energy Crops’ - This term encompasses all forms of natural products such as plant and animal material. It is therefore extremely useful in that it can make a range of power sources including heat and electricity. Furthermore within the European Markets the UK is one of the central producers of Biomass fuels. Added to all this is the lack of C02 produced as a by product of the whole process. Due to this much of the UK wood crop is noted as sustainable in order to ensure that C02 produced during any heating process is absorbed.
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 naturally formed as a by-product of conventional agricultural activity. Whereas Municipal Waste is derived from wood or food and can be used for biomass energy.
Systems Based On Geo-Thermal Energy: Basically this is the warming of the Earth from the Sun and is often used in the manufacture of warm water and electricity. In the UK we are lucky that we can heat and cool buildings from the ground source temperature of around 12 degrees. Heat pumps are recognised as a very good form of power generation generally giving back four units of energy for everyone used. Without a doubt the energy generated from wind turbines and solar electrical panels alongside heat source pumps can be almost 100 percent renewable.
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.
Hydropower is a subject that suits the UK energy production system. The ability to utilise energy from moving water, much like wind power, has been going on for thousands of years. Interestingly enough this type of energy production meets 2 percent of the UK electrical demand in total.
Using a turbine a Hydropower system can transform the energy of water into other forms. Turbines use either a water drop (e.g. through a dam) or by a natural ‘run of the river’ - thereby having no water storage reservoir. ‘Micro-Hydro’ utilises a chunk of the outdated sluices and dam systems that have been killed off by the large national distribution methods. Having been viewed recently this form of electricity supply could provide 200mW of the UK capacity. Costing between 200 pounds and 3k per KW of energy output gives a good example of the overall cost of a project such as this.
The demand on ‘Green Energy’ continues to develop in light of the energy demands worldwide. That said the UK is well placed, especially in the domestic sector to take full advantage of the various items above.
Electricians and Plumbers in particular are expected to provide the main thrust of domestic installation expertise. It is due to the political view of this type of energy generation that results in grants and financial aid becoming ever more prevalent. Equally important is the role of gaining qualifications to install items that we have talked about. To that end it may be worth thinking about combined training where you can get plumbing or electrical training along with green knowledge.
Copyright Scott Edwards 2009. Browse around Solar Courses or www.plumbingcourse4u.co.uk/Green-Engineer-Careers.html.
categories: computer,education,self improvement,advice,web,career,home,work,money,technology,software,games,hobbies,shop
Tags: advice, career, computer, education, games, hobbies, home, money, self improvement, shop, software, technology, Uncategorized, web, work