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Careers With Renewable Energy Courses

Would you enjoy helping others to save money and look after the environment? If you get trained and qualified in green engineering you can do just that! Whether you want to work in the UK or overseas, you could be installing equipment that saves CO2 consumption and cuts energy bills within months of starting a course. The world can't continue to consume oil and gas at current levels. Carbon emissions will have to be reduced. Members of the public are being urged to ease back on their consumption, and look to efficient renewable energy sources.

Grants are available in the UK to replace inefficient boilers and utilise more 'green' forms of energy. So domestic engineers with the correct skill-sets can find themselves in high demand. Therefore if electrical or plumbing work appeals to you, adding some 'green' skills could be very beneficial. Any experienced electricians or plumbers can take short courses in renewable energy solutions.

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What Is Green Technology?

Planet earth provides us with a rich source of renewables from which to extract more energy for our own use. By harnessing the energy from the sun, the wind or the tides we can create alternative sources of power. Windmills and waterwheels have been around for a long time, but modern technology can now take advantage of solar power and geo-thermal energy to power homes and businesses. Consequently there's a growing demand for green engineering work.

Solar Energy

Energy radiated from the sun can be converted into hot water through solar thermal systems. We have a plentiful range of systems to choose from today, as this technology has been developing for many years. They are used in conjunction with conventional boilers or heating systems, and can provide most of the hot water for a UK family throughout the summer months. Year round, something in the region of 50 per cent of the hot water could be met by solar energy. Solar collectors come as either flat plates or evacuated tubes. Installation is quite straightforward - in fact some of the tubular versions can be built whilst actually on the roof.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels capture energy from the sun and use it to generate electricity. PV panels can be installed on roofs or walls with good exposure to sunlight. A DC electric current is created which has to be converted to AC by an inverter which is usually placed in the loft. From there the AC electric is connected to the electrical consumer panel that delivers electricity around the house. Solar electricity is renewable energy that doesn't release any carbon dioxide or other harmful pollutants. Home owners will reduce their bills and their carbon footprint. Equally they can't waste any solar electricity, as the national grid is automatically fed back any electricity that isn't being used. In the UK energy companies by law have to pay agreed rates to householders per kilowatt hour of electricity, but this can vary depending on the tariff they're on. Key factors that will impact the amount of electricity generated are the size of the system, the geographical location, the angle of the panels and any shading from buildings or trees etc.

Heat From The Ground

Geo-thermal energy is heat from the sun that's naturally stored in the earth. If land is plentiful the surface ground collector method is used to get the heat out. If it isn't, the borehole collector method is used. Either method requires burying a few hundred metres of plastic piping filled with an eco-friendly liquid. The solution flows through the pipes and collects heat which is taken to the heat pump.

Homes with underfloor heating will notice the biggest benefits that heat pumps can bring. Heat pumps do need some power to operate, but for every one unit of energy they use, they generate four units of energy in return.

Continually Developing

Typical training will give you a greater understanding of renewable energy and the careers you can pursue. As well as basic certification in domestic plumbing and electrical work, you'll cover legal requirements, health & safety plus how and where government funding can be applied. You should acquire the right skills and accreditations to able to work with solar thermal and solar PV systems, and geothermal heat pumps.

However, as technology and the law on environmental construction evolves, so too will training in this sector. Your course may also offer options on how to install rainwater harvesting systems or grey water recycling systems for example.

A Step In The Right Direction

Every home being sold in the UK must now have an Energy Performance Certificate which states it's current consumption and advises on ways to become more efficient.

Often more modern or alternative equipment can lower running costs significantly. Plus there are financial incentives in the UK for homeowners to upgrade their energy efficiency, providing systems are fitted by installers with appropriate certifications.

But that's just the start. By the year 2016, the law states that all new houses will have to produce a minimum of 15 per cent of their energy from replenishable supplies. Issues concerning climate change and rocketing fuel costs mean that green renewable energy is emerging as an excellent business for anyone with the right skills.