What Solar Training Courses Do I Need
Posted by Jason Kendall in Uncategorized, tags: advice, career, computer, education, games, hobbies, home, money, self improvement, shop, software, technology, Uncategorized, web, work‘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.)
Looking at each area in turn we will consider some of the skills needed by those who want to train in this field. Thinking about the issues already, this is definitely of interest to those in the field namely Plumbers, Electricians and Gas engineers. Certainly by getting information from many sources we can look at the career potential for Electricians, Gas and Plumbers. If you want to come back to check out links and adverts for training organisations then you will need to bookmark this page by using CTRL-D.
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.
Within Solar Energy overall, Solar Water Power is now commonly used in the UK. These systems are very efficient and can deliver 50 percent of a household’s hot water requirement annually. There are two options to fit these items the first is to get a professional fit and the second is a DIY system, the former will cost around 2-5k and the second between 500 and 1500 pounds.
Biomass Energy: Is a capture all phrase including all natural materials e.g. wood, straw and poultry litter but nowadays also includes new items such as ‘Energy Crops’ Due to its adaptability it can produce a range of energy forms from heat and electricity through to combinations of both. Indeed within the European Markets the UK has some of the leading levels of Biomass material at hand. The lack of C02 given out by this form of energy is another positive element in the whole process. Often it is the process whereby C02 is reduced, by having a tree planted in place of another that is felled for energy production that helps overall.
Growing fast elements such as Willow and Poplar under the banner of Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) helps to meet the need for ‘Energy Crops’ within the UK. Of equal importance is the ability to produce dry matter and perennial grasses are very good for this. Other less known materials within this field are Agricultural and Municipal Waste. The natural offshoot of agricultural work is often called Agricultural Waste. Because it comes from food or wood Municipal Waste is also considered a useful biomass product.
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.
Wind Energy - An Update On Old Technology: Wind Energy as a sustainable source of energy has been going for millennia. Recently though, there has been the trend to generate energy and deliver this onto either homes or the local grid. The ability to provide wind generation is considered to be greatest in the UK. 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. Overall electricity could be generated from as low as 2p per kWh instead of the current 2-10 p per kWh. From this the estimation of the cost recovery period is around 6-9 months overall.
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.
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.
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 2009 Scott Edwards. Look at CLICK HERE or Green Engineer Careers.
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