Opportunities In Renewable Energy With Green Certification

Wouldn't you like to build a career that not only pays you well but is also beneficial to the earth's resources? Train to become a Green Engineer, and you can. People are increasingly looking at green energy systems to reduce their CO2 emissions - within twelve months from now you could be a certified installer of energy efficient equipment.

Current global fuel supplies have a limited lifespan. We're constantly being told to use less energy in our day to day lives. We are all being encouraged to think more carefully about how we use energy, and where we can be more efficient. In the UK, householders with the oldest and lowest rated boilers can apply for grants to cover some of the costs of replacement. This is both beneficial for the environment, and for the appropriately qualified tradesmen and women who can carry out the work.

And so if you're keen to learn how to be a plumber or an electrician, don't overlook the opportunities in the renewable energy market. And if you're already a qualified tradesman or woman, you might think about bolt-on green courses to add to your portfolio.

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'Green' Energy Solutions

Planet earth provides us with a rich source of renewables from which to extract more energy for our own use. Whether we get rain, wind or sun, we can harness the energy and put it to further use.

Today's technology now allows us to benefit from solar energy in our homes if the right equipment is installed. That's why there's a need for skilled workers with green certifications.

Solar Power

Energy radiated from the sun can be converted into hot water through solar thermal systems. We've had solar thermal systems in Britain since the seventies, so today's models are now very well developed. They're used alongside existing heating systems and can supply almost all the hot water a British family might need from late spring to early autumn. If we look at the whole year, roughly fifty per cent of their hot water will come from solar power.

There are two forms of collectors - namely evacuated tubes and flat plates. They should be fitted to roofs that are ideally facing towards the south. Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels capture energy from the sun and use it to generate electricity. Again, PV panels are designed to be attached to a roof or wall that is preferably south facing. As sunlight shines onto the panels an electric field is created that goes to an inverter inside the roof. This is then connected to the fuse board of the house to supply electricity for lighting and appliances.

As sunshine and light don't cost anything, owners of PV systems can save up to almost half their usual costs on electricity bills. (Clearly from a financial standpoint they also need to recover their initial investment.) The Grid will also automatically be fed any unused PV electricity, so if householders go away for two weeks, their solar power won't be wasted. The amount energy suppliers pay for solar electricity has been increased two and three fold in the UK due to government legislation in early 2010. Clearly the latitude of the property will impact how much energy is generated. So will the direction the panels are facing, the overall size of the PV array and any obstructions which block the light.

Geothermal Heat

Ground source heat (which in Britain remains fairly constant at twelve degrees centigrade) can be used to create electricity and warm water. Heat pumps are connected to great lengths of underground geothermal piping that contains a non freezable substance. The solution flows through the pipes and collects heat which is taken to the heat pump. The most efficient way to use this heat is in underfloor heating systems, but it can also be used for heating water in radiators. Heat pumps need a small amount of electricity to run them, but the savings by far outweigh the costs.

Developing All The time

A good training course will prepare you for a rewarding career as a competent green engineer. 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. As solar energy and heat pumps will give you the most work, you'd be sensible to focus on those.

Green engineering training courses are developing all the time, as this exciting technology progresses. If you have a special interest in water recycling, look for options that include rainwater and grey water harvesting.

A Future-Proof Career

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. Sometimes suggested changes can reduce bills by many hundreds of pounds per annum.

And up to 80 per cent of the cost of installation work can often be claimed from the government if owners have 'green' systems fitted by qualified professionals. But that's just the start. Today renewable energy provides less than two percent of all domestic energy.

But by twenty sixteen the law states that for every new property built that figure must be fifteen percent. We can no longer close our eyes to the need for safer, sustainable power. For that reason, those who become skilled and qualified now will find themselves in the right place at the right time.