Dripping Water

New Era For Energy (hydro electric power) Consulting

By Dominic Donaldson

 The move from fossil fuels to new generation and renewable energy sources means that Energy Consultants face an immediate challenge with each new client: geography. Depending on where in the world the need lies for power, the availability is ultimately decided by the resources available. While solar power has enjoyed a healthy development in the commercial and domestic market, other forms of renewable energies have proved more difficult to utilise. As the technology develops, it is the role of the Energy Consulting industry to promote the options available.

Biomass: as a fuel, biomass is derived from organic waste from agriculture such as plant material and faecal matter. Crops can also be grown specifically to produce bio fuel, a term that has had a prominent place in the media of late. The positive aspect of using biomass as a fuel is that very little carbon is returned to the atmosphere as a by-product of energy production, unlike fossil fuels. The negative press regarding cultivating plants for their biomass potential has arisen out of concerns of famine due to a reduction in food crop production. Despite this, biomass remains a viable contender as one of the major new generation renewable energy sources for Britain.

Wave: wave power initially received negative feedback regarding its economic viability; it has transpired that the calculations made were wrong, and now there is a renewed interest for investment into this renewable energy source. There are several designs that harness the potential of energy from waves, and these should not be confused with tidal power. One of the most promising prototypes around at the moment has been dubbed the ‘anaconda’. This is a rubberised tube that is squeezed as waves pass over the surface; the rippling which is then produced travels the length of tube and powers turbines at the end. This is touted to be the most energy efficient wave power technology to date, with the least amount of potential maintenance.

Wind: wind has been used as a source of power for centuries to directly grind grain and to pump water. Today’s technology uses the wind to generate electricity through turbine movement which in turn power generators that produce electricity. Currently, wind power is responsible for about 1 per cent of energy production worldwide, but in Europe, it is a popular option for generating electricity. New plans that are being implemented in the UK propose the erection of 3000 turbines with the potential of supplying 30 per cent of the electricity.

Geothermal: geothermal energy is a source that is not easily harnessed in the UK but has great potential in many countries. Although the potential for its utilisation is worldwide, in some areas, the required heat source is locked away beneath kilometres of rock and therefore remains economically impractical. In areas where geothermal energy is readily available, the cost per watt can be half of that produced by natural gas plants. Iceland, Japan and the United States are areas where this type of technology could support a growing demand for energy consumption, with the increase in potential for the US alone estimated at a staggering 2000 per cent.

Increasing development and investigation into these alternative energy sources will provide an increase in demand from Energy Consultants to suggest bespoke systems for industry and the domestic market. With this in mind, the reduction in fossil fuel availability and use doesn’t necessarily reflect in a reduction of energy supply. The role in Energy Consulting will be to promote the latest systems available to a client that will be gentle on both the budget and the environment.

Dominic Donaldson is an expert in the engineering industry.

Find out more about Energy Consulting and why Wales is ideal for career relocation visit Need A Job.

Your Source For Conserving Water Solutions

Living Green is Good for the Environment and for You
By SimonSkinner

 You hear a lot these days about how important it is to live a greener life that you should lighten your carbon footprint on the earth. Sometimes it seems like we’re getting lectured everywhere we turn.

But there are several ways you can live a greener life that are easy to implement. Most cities have garbage services that pick up recyclable materials in addition to your trash. It is simple to set up a separate container for cardboard, plastics and other recyclables. On trash day, your garbage service takes it away and does all the hard work of recycling all those materials.

Another easy way to live greener is to join your local Freecycle email list. Instead of throwing away items and buying new stuff all the time, use the Freecycle list. If you have an item you don’t want anymore, simply list it. Chances are, someone in your community can use it and they’ll come take it off your hands for free. Likewise, if you need something, post your needs and see if someone can help you score the items for free. This reduces trash in the landfills, and everyone gets what they want.

When you do things around the house, there are a lot of green products you can use that cost very little. If you replace your standard incandescent light bulbs with energy-saver bulbs, you can save a considerable amount on your energy bill, and the costs of the bulbs are very similar to the incandescent bulbs. These compact fluorescents last much longer than a traditional bulb as well as using less energy.

Out in the yard, solar lights can save energy and help illuminate dark areas. There are enough different designs on the market now at varying prices to make them affordable to most people. They don’t require an electrician to install them, and with the new solar technologies, they are brighter than solar lights used to be. They even have solar powered holiday lights you can use to decorate your yard without using cords and increasing your electric bill.

Another place to go green and save money is with batteries. Today’s rechargeable batteries last a long time, recharge easily, and save you money. When they finally do run out of their charging ability, rechargeable batteries are recyclable. Just drop them off at your local hardware store for recycling along with any broken fluorescent bulbs.

As you can see, it is easy to begin going green. It is not only good for the environment, it is better for you and it will save you money. Living green will soon become a habit, and before you know it, you’ll be looking for more ways to be even greener. So don’t be afraid to take that first step. It’s easier than you think.

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Saturday, November 22nd, 2008 at 8:55 pm and is filed under environmental. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.