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A Future in Green Energy - Solar Energy Courses

Would you enjoy helping others to save money and look after the environment? Get trained for work in the renewables industry and you'll have the skills to do it. In just a few short months from now, you could be helping people in the UK or abroad to reduce the amount of CO2 they consume, and cut their energy bills considerably. The world can't continue to consume oil and gas at current levels. Everyone is aware of the need to reduce their carbon emissions. Members of the public are being urged to ease back on their consumption, and look to efficient renewable energy sources.

British householders can get government grants for certain energy efficient improvements. As well as being good for the planet, this is also very good news for domestic installers with the right certifications and expertise. And so it makes a lot of sense to add some training on renewable energy to any regular electrical or plumbing course you do. If you qualified as an electrician some time ago, you may want to update your knowledge of renewables.

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What Is Green Technology?

Modern technology is considered green when it utilises resources that are naturally replenishable.

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. Consequently there's a growing demand for green engineering work.

Solar Energy Systems

Free energy from the sun can be absorbed by solar heating equipment and converted into domestic warm water. 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. In order to collect the most heat possible from the sun, they should be installed on a roof that faces south.

Another means of harnessing solar energy is through the use of photovoltaic cells which can convert sunlight into electricity. These panels are again fixed onto (preferably) south facing roofs (or walls). The more sunlight they absorb, the more electricity they generate. As this is DC electricity, an inverter in the loft is required to convert it to AC. From there the AC electric is connected to the electrical consumer panel that delivers electricity around the house. 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.) Any solar electricity that isn't used up can either be stored in batteries for a cloudy day, or sold back to the National Grid.

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. Planning permission isn't usually needed to install PV cells, although listed buildings and houses in conservation areas should check with their local authorities.

Heat From The Ground

Solar energy is naturally stored in the ground - in the UK the ground source heat is constantly around 12 degrees centigrade. To retrieve that heat, several hundred metres of geothermal plastic piping is buried underground, and filled with an eco-friendly non-freezing solution. It absorbs the warmth as it circulates around the piping, and delivers it's heat to the connecting 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. If consumers choose a ground source heat pump system to replace electric radiators, they'll find the new system much more efficient.

Developing All The time

The right 'green energy' course will cover everything you need to pursue a worthwhile career in domestic renewable energy. You'll be taken through the basics of electrical and plumbing skills in the domestic market, before moving on to specific green technologies. Most courses will also deal with what government assistance is available and how people apply for it.

As solar energy and heat pumps will give you the most work, you'd be sensible to focus on those. All aspects of your training should be geared towards real-world demand, and lead to recognised certifications. Additional options on certain courses could cover biomass, or grey and rainwater harvesting.

Work For Years To Come

By law, each house in Britain now needs an Energy Performance Certificate before it can be sold. This tells potential buyers how much energy is being consumed and where improvements could be made. Sometimes suggested changes can reduce bills by many hundreds of pounds per annum. The government will give out grants when certain systems are installed by properly qualified installers.

But that's just the start. The UK government is aiming for fifteen percent of the country's energy to come from renewable sources by 2020. 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.