What Green Engineer Courses Should I Consider

It is the use of tides or wind to deliver our daily energy needs that form ‘Green Energy’. They are thought to be ‘Green’ due to the fact that they are easily restored and natural. Often by going back in time we see the value of wind power and windmills as modern energy sources. Regardless of this, we are mainly talking about using modern techniques to offer planet friendly and eco-efficient solutions.

The home environment for example encompasses a range of energy ideas including Solar Thermal and Solar Water Heating solutions. Next on the list you would find the actual solar electricity Photovoltaic Panels (PV’s) – which basically generate electricity through roof-installed panels. A further factor resolves around stoves and boilers which are known as Biomass Energy. We now also have Ground Source Heat Pumps which is simply the heat from the Sun. Considering items such as Wind Power and Hydro Turbines we are finally getting to very old forms of energy production.

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.

For the UK this is often considered the most popular form of ‘Green Energy’. With the ability to provide almost half the annual need for hot water in the house then Solar Water heating systems is very important. The cost of fitting depends on whether you do it yourself – 500 to 1500 pounds or whether you get a professional fit in which it will cost between 2-5k overall.

Biomass Energy Systems – Includes all natural forms derived from plant and animal products such as wood, straw, poultry litter and ‘energy crops’. It’s the ability of this power source to generate diverse forms of energy such as heat and electricity that makes this so adaptable. It is a useful point to make that the UK is one of the major producers of Biomass fuels within Europe. It should be borne in mind that the whole process is designed to produce energy without an impact on CO2. That being said the process where each tree felled is replaced by another helps to reduce the overall effect on C02 as a part of energy produced.

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.

Hydropower is a subject that suits the UK energy production system. Having said that the art of using energy from moving water, as like wind power is very traditional. Interestingly enough this type of energy production meets 2 percent of the UK electrical demand in total.

By using a turbine a Hydropower system can transfer the kinetic energy of moving water into another form. By using a dam or a natural river process these turbines do not require water storage. Alternatively ‘Micro-Hydro’ systems use hitherto outdated sluices and dams to generate electricity. This process alone could meet 200mW of the UK requirement. When considering the install cost of items such as this it is worthwhile to think about the return which rests somewhere between 200 pounds and 3k per kW of energy created.

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.

It is the drive for installations in the domestic sector that looks to favour jobs such as plumbers and electricians. With EEC and UK recognition of renewable energy getting ever-higher on the political agenda, the grants and financial aid for introduction of these systems can only increase. As a new industry, there are a range of new certificates to gain whether new or coming to this industry from a likeminded source. Training such as electrical or plumbing that incorporates green technology would be very useful for the future.

Copyright 2009 Scott Edwards. Visit CLICK HERE or Green Certification.