About
What is Alternative Energy?
Energy fueled in ways that do not use up the earth's natural resources or otherwise harm the environment, especially by avoiding the use of fossil fuels or nuclear power
Course Objectives
- Describe the nature and scope of alternative energy.
- Describe the nature and application of electricity.
- Compare different methods of generating electricity
- Compare different techniques for storage and use of electricity.
- Describe the application and operation of different non electric energy systems
- Identify ways to better manage energy consumption.
- Describe energy conservation techniques.
- Discuss how to convert a building’s energy supply to an alternative system.
What You Will Do
- List different insulating materials which may be commonly found inside electrical equipment?
- Determine a practical example to show the relevance of each of Kirchhoff’s Laws to a technician, in their daily work?
- Contact a number of suppliers of alternative energy generating systems (e.g. wind, solar).
- Find out all that you can about the types of systems they supply. Collect any relevant leaflets and brochures. If possible observe such systems in action.
- Design a floor plan and describe the current electricity use of a home which you are familiar with (but which uses only mains power supply).
- This might be the home of a friend, relative, or even your own home.
- Recommend ways in which this home might reduce reliability on mains supply (either in part or full) by introducing its own electricity generation system
- Compare the relative significance of alternative sources of energy including wind, solar, fossil fuels, hydro, etc.
- Explain electricity, including its nature, terminology and options for applying it as an energy source
- Explain the generation of electricity through a variety of means including: Photo voltaic cells, Wind powered generators, Petrol powered generators and Batteries.
- Describe procedures for appropriate use of electricity, including storage and safety
- Develop ways of reducing energy consumption, including effective temperature control.
- Evaluate a building and recommend appropriate measures for minimizing it's consumption of energy.
- Identify the restrictions or regulations which can affect the adoption of more appropriate energy applications for a specific property.
- Plan the conversion of a property from high energy consumption systems to an appropriate network of sustainable and lower energy consumption systems
Target Audience
- Energy Advisor
- Sustainability Consultant
- Climatology Roles
- Renewable Energy Development Engineer
- Towards other Engineering Fields: Hydro-electrical, Solar, Wind
- Renewable Energy Farming (Bio-fuels)
- Wind-farm Developer
- Wind-farm Fabricator/Operator
- Solar-farm Developer
- Solar-farm Fabricator/Operator
- Sustainable Transportation Roles
- Energy Saving Building/Manufacturing Roles
- Used towards further studies
- Research Roles
- Internship Roles
Outline
- Introduction: The Problems and the Energy Sources.
- Scope and Nature
- Terminology
- Energy consumption through history
- Climate Change
- Energy units
- Problems with Fossil Fuels
- Problems with other energy sources ... hydro electricity, nuclear, wind, solar
- Understanding Energy
- Terminology
- Understanding electricity
- Conductors and non-conductors
- Measuring electricity ...current, voltage, resistance
- Ohm's Law
- Circuits ... Series; parallel
- Kirchhoff’s law
- Power
- Power ratings
- Magnetism
- Electromagnetism and Solenoids
- Electric motors
- Inductors
- Lenz's law
- Generating Electricity
- Turbines
- Generators
- Fuel cells
- Wind Power
- Large Scale Wind System Design
- Small Scale Wind System Design
- Solar Energy
- Positioning a solar cell
- Small Scale Solar
- Future Developments in Solar
- Geothermal Energy
- Dry Steam Power Plants
- Flash Steam Power Plants
- Binary Cycle Power Plants
- Advantages of Geothermal
- How Geothermal is used
- Geothermal heat pumps
- Hydropower
- Tide and Current Power
- Tide Barrage
- Tidal Turbines
- Wave Power
- Nuclear Energy
- Fission Reactors
- Fusion
- Half Lives and Radioactivity
- Waste to Energy
- Storage and Using Electricity
- Terminology
- Cells - simple cell, car battery, gel, AGM, Nickel etc.
- Deep Cycle Battery
- Lithium Rechargeable Batteries
- Calculating Battery Requirements
- Inverters
- Alternators and Regulators
- Converters
- System Types
- EMR & electricity use
- Recommended Exposure Limits
- Safety with Electricity
- Non-Electric Systems
- Scope and nature
- Passive Solar
- Fire Wood
- Drying and storing wood
- Comparing different wood types
- Smoke fires
- Creosote formation in fire flues
- Environmental aspects of burning wood
- Biofuels
- Ethanol
- Small scale Biomass
- Passive Solar Energy
- Solar hot water ... flat plate collectors, evacuated tubes, open or closed circuit, passive or active systems, heat pumps
- Greenhouses
- Night insulation
- Solar Garden Water Features
- Energy Consumption
- Reducing energy consumption
- Pricing
- Population growth
- Large scale reduction of energy consumption - managing green cities, urban sprawl, peak demands, transport, etc.
- Energy Conservation
- How a home owner can reduce energy consumption
- Temperature control
- Minimizing light energy consumption
- Minimizing appliance energy consumption
- Insulation
- Water conservation
- Solar house design
- Converting to Alternative Systems
- Estimating Energy Needs
- Building Efficiency
- System Design
- System Designers
Training Methodology
Pathways Training and consulting adopts the newest techniques of human resources Training and consulting and, with the following:
- Theoretical lectures are delivered via PowerPoint and visual displays (videos and short films)
- Making scientific evaluation to the trainee (before and after)
- Brainstorming and role-playing
- Using case studies related to the scientific material being delivered and the trainees' work.
- The participants get the scientific and practical material printed and on CDs and Flash memories.
- Preparing records and reports of the participants' attendance and results, with a general evaluation of the training program.
- A group of the best trainers and experts in all fields and specialties professionally prepares the scientific material.
- After finishing the course, the participants get certificates of attendance signed, certified, and issued by pathways Training and consulting.
- Our training programs start at 9:00 o'clock in the morning and end at 2:00 in the afternoon, with snack buffet during the lectures.
- Providing a lunch buffet during the training program period, with organizing a lunch party on the training program final day for taking some photos and certificate awarding.
