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 – Typically referred to as Solar Energy this section is mainly made up of two types of Solar Panels each using different methods to achieve similar results. To begin with we have the idea of drawing energy from the Sun and making hot water known as Solar Water Heating Collectors. Added to this is the generation of electricity from solar radiation known as Photovoltaism or more commonly Solar Electrical panels. To get best results these panels need to be situated 30 degrees from the horizontal, on a south facing roof and obviously free from blockages such as trees and buildings.
For the UK this is often considered the most popular form of ‘Green Energy’. Solar Water heating systems can meet the need for more than half of all hot water needs in the domestic market. The typical cost for installation ranges from 500-1500 pounds for a DIY system all the way through to 2-5k for a professional fit.
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.)
‘Energy Crops’ such as Willow and Poplar play a major part in the process under the banner of Short Rotation Coppice (SRC). Also producing high yields of dry matter are perennial grasses. Municipal and Agricultural waste products are both little known but essential materials to this field. Agricultural Waste is commonly formed as a by-product of traditional work in agriculture. Of equal importance is Municipal Waste, which comes from wood and food.
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 Based Systems – As an energy source wind energy has to be one of the oldest forms of energy creation in history. That aside the ability to generate energy and transfer this onto homes or the local grid has been a relatively new option. The UK alone is considered one of the best sources of wind generation within Europe. Although, within the UK we currently only utilise 1 percent of electricity from wind, yet the potential rests at a surprising 10 percent. Rather than electricity production running at 2-10 p per kWh it could be run at 2p per kWh. It is from this that the recovery process takes around 6-9 months.
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.
A hydropower system uses a turbine to create energy from moving water. It is by either water drops or Natural River runs that turbines can work through this process Alternatively ‘Micro-Hydro’ systems use hitherto outdated sluices and dams to generate electricity. Having said that this process could still generate 200mW of the National Capacity. The capital cost of installing a micro-hydro system can run between 200 and 3000 pounds per kW of energy output.
It can be seen that the route to ‘Green Energy’ is growing considerably, especially in light of the need for increasing energy outputs throughout the Western World. Within the UK and mainly the domestic sector we are well placed to take advantage of the schemes listed above.
With the bulk of development work in the domestic field both the Plumbers and Electricians are set to capitalise in this area. You can now get a range of grants to support the growth of renewable energy ideas within the European market. This is a new industry but getting the right certification can only improve job security and opportunities for the future. By mixing green training with those of electrical or plumbing you could cover both angles.
Author: Scott Edwards. Check out CLICK HERE or Green Engineer Courses.
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