Index.php
From Softwaremetrics
Commercial Self-Paced Courses For Green Engineering
'Green Energy' is the use of resources such as wind, tides and geothermal heating to provide us with our everyday energy requirement. Collectively they are thought to be 'Green' because they are ecologically sound and easy to replace. 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.) Generally, this is the result of using up to date ideas, specifically those that are planet friendly and eco-efficient.
In the home environment, one can see examples such as Solar Thermal and Solar Water Heating Collectors. Equally there is electricity that is generated through roof-installed panels. Following on from this is a process known as Biomass Energy - which includes Boilers burning wood and other fuels. There is also the ground heat from the Sun - now known as Ground Source Heat Pumps. At the end there are two of the most mature forms of energy production in the UK - albeit renamed now to Wind Turbines and Hydropower.
Solar 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. To begin with, we have the concept of drawing energy from the Sun to heat 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. Solar Panels themselves need to be away from all light blocks, and should be on south facing roofs 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. Typically, to fit this type of equipment will cost between 500 and 1500 pounds for a DIY kit - all the way up to 2-5k for a full professional fitting.
Biomass Energy Based Systems: Including all natural energy forms derived from plant and animal products - such as wood, straw, poultry litter and 'energy crops'. Due to its adaptability, it can produce a range of energy forms - from heat and electricity through to combinations of both. The ability to generate electricity is one of the UK's main green strengths - as it has one of the larger Biomass legacies within Europe. It should be borne in mind that the whole process is designed to produce energy without an impact on CO2. Having a tree planted in place of another (that is felled for energy production) helps overall.
'Energy Crops' trees such as Willow and Poplar play a major part in the process - under the banner of Short Rotation Coppice (SRC). Perennial grasses are also responsible for large quantities of dry matter. Other less known materials within this field are Agricultural and Municipal Waste. Agricultural Waste is commonly formed as a by-product of traditional agricultural work. Of equal importance is Municipal Waste, which comes from recycled wood and food.
Geo-Thermal Energy: This is primarily the heating of the Earth (mainly from the sun) and can be utilised in electricity and warm water production. By using the ground source temperature of approximately 12 degrees, we can either heat or cool buildings within the UK. Heat pumps are recognised as a very good form of power generation, generally giving back four units of energy for every one used. By using energy from solar electrical panels or wind turbines to power them, heat source pumps can be almost 100 percent renewable in energy production.
Wind Energy Systems: Wind Energy as a sustainable source of energy has been going on for millennia. That aside, the ability to generate energy and both transfer this into the home or the local grid has been a relatively new option. To be fair, the UK has the highest level of wind generation within Europe. It is interesting to note that whilst we can produce 10 percent of our entire power requirement from wind power, at present we only produce 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. Because of this, it is estimated that it takes between half a year to three quarters of a year to cover the installation costs.
Lastly, we have a discipline that the UK does well - namely Hydropower. The ability to utilise energy from moving water, much like wind power, has been going on for thousands of years. In total, this could produce something like 2 percent of all electricity required in the UK.
A hydropower system transforms the kinetic energy of the moving water into another type of energy by means of a turbine. Utilising natural river runs, or water drop-offs (through dams,) the turbines can work without a reservoir of water. It is by using the eroded national distribution systems, that allows for outdated sluices and dams to be used by techniques known as 'Micro-Hydro'. Having said that, this process could still generate 200mW of the National Capacity. Installing systems like this could cost between 200 pounds and 3k per kW of energy created.
Due to the energy requirements worldwide, 'Green Energy' is naturally growing at a fast rate. Within the UK and mainly the domestic sector, we are well placed to take advantage of the schemes above.
Electrician and Plumbers are thought to be key in providing expertise during domestic installations. It is the political view of this type of energy generation that results in grants and financial aid becoming ever-more prevalent. As a new industry, there are a range of new certificates to gain. By mixing green training with those of electrical or plumbing, you could cover both angles.
