The following detailed FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS should help answer any outstanding questions you may have:

1. Why are Chevron Training offering training in renewable energy?

2. What do each of the courses offered in renewable energy teach me?

3. What way will these renewable energy training courses benefit me?

4. What is the market size for renewable energy going forward?

5. How much can I charge for Solar system and installation?

6. What is Solar Energy?

7. What is a Heat Pump?

8. How much can I save with a heat pump?

9. What is Bioenergy?

10. What is Biomass?

11. What is Biofuel?

12. What are the benefits of Bioenergy?

13. What Bioenergy conversion technologies exist currently?

14. What is wood energy?

15. What is geothermal energy?

1. Why are Chevron Training offering training in renewable energy?
   New Building regulations came into force from 1st July 2008 which require that all new dwellings must have at least one renewable energy source installed.
   
   Sustainable Energy Ireland require that all registered installers on their greener homes scheme undertake a FETAC certified renewable energy course in each of the technologies that they intend installing.
   
   To provide industry professionals with a nationally recognised qualification
   

2. What do each of the courses offered in renewable energy teach me?
   Each of the courses have been structured to qualify candidates to be able to correctly install the relevant renewable technology
   

3. What way will these renewable energy training courses benefit me?
   You will be able to register as a qualified installer with Sustainable Energy Ireland
   You will be able to capitalise on the fast growing renewable energy market
   You will have a nationally recognised FETAC qualification in each renewable technology
   

4. What is the market size for renewable energy going forward?
   From March 2006 to March 2008 there were almost 22,100 grants issued to householders by SEI under the greener homes scheme (49% of these were for Solar, 25% for Biomass, and 26% for Heat Pumps). From 1st July 2008, all new dwellings built must source 40% of their heat from renewable energy, this in effect requires that all new dwellings will have to have at least 1 and in some cases 2 renewable energy sources. In addition to this any householders retrofitting a dwelling are eligible to apply for a grant under the greener homes scheme also.
   

5. How much can I  charge for a Solar system and installation?
   Prices vary widely based on the quality of material used. A price of €5500 for, 6 sq meters of flat plat panels, insulated twin coil tank, pipe work and installation, would seem to be the industry average.
   

6. What is Solar Energy?
   Solar energy is the mother of most renewable energies on earth. The sun powers natural cycles on earth like the wind, water flow and plant growth.
   
   But the sun is also such a reliable source of heat and light that we sometimes take it for granted. Generations have used glass and other materials and structures to capture and magnify the sun’s energy and these systems have gradually evolved to form the basis of mature techniques that are used today to harness solar energy.
   
   There are 3 basic approaches used today to gain maximum benefit of solar energy in buildings:

   • Passive Solar

   • Active Solar Heating

   • Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Systems

   
   Passive Solar
   Passive Solar Architecture is a building design approach which seeks to:

   • maximize solar gains in the building (through good orientation and layout, and glazing)

   • avoid heat losses through ensuring a high level of insulation and air-tightness of the building

   • ensure a high degree of comfort by using controlled ventilation and daylighting.

   Anyone building a new house or refurbishing extensively an existing house should apply passive solar principles, and reduce their heating requirement by up to 80% at no or little extra-cost.
   
   Today, the most advance form of passive solar design has been translated into the Passive House standard. For more information, go to www.passiv.de

   Download Passive Solar Design – Solar Homes Catch the Sun

   Download A Buyers’ Guide to Low Energy and Passive Houses
   
   Active Solar Heating
   Active Solar Heating is one of the primary ways for buildings to use solar energy. This technology uses solar collectors to transform sunlight into heat to provide space and/or water heating. Solar water heating is the most common application of active solar thermal in Europe. A correctly sized solar water heating system can cover 50-60% of your hot water heating requirement with free solar energy.
   
   A solar thermal system providing space and water heating is generally referred to as a solar combisystem. It is generally sized to cover 30 to 40% of the annual heating requirement of a house in Northern Europe. In Ireland, a solar combisystem using air as a heat transfer medium is gaining in popularity. It has the advantage of combining solar heating and ventilation through the same system. It is particularly suitable for low-energy houses.
   
   By 2005, over 3,000 households used a solar heating system in Ireland, compared to about 5 million households in Europe.
   
   Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Systems
   ‘Photovoltaic’ means electricity from light. In essence, photovoltaic systems use daylight (not necessarily direct sunlight) to convert solar radiation into electricity. The light which shines on the PV cells creates an electric field causing electricity to flow. The greater the intensity of the light, the greater the flow of electricity.
   
   Photovoltaic systems use semiconductor materials to convert solar energy into electricity. This technology is widely used in consumer products such as solar calculators, watches or garden lights, and is increasingly used as a cost-effective solution in Ireland for stand-alone applications where a grid connection is too expensive (e.g. parking meters, caravans or remote holiday homes).
   
   Solar PV can also be used to provide free solar electricity to houses as well as for commercial and industrial applications. Recent developments in regulation mean that it will shortly be possible to connect solar PV systems to the grid, opening up a new era for solar PV in Ireland.

   
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7. What is a Heat Pump?
   A heat pump is a system that can harness energy from free renewable sources for heating your house and producing your hot water. Through compression, heat pumps can ‘pump up’ heat at low temperature and release it at a higher temperature so that it may be used again.
   
   A heat pump does not look very different and can perform the same functions as a conventional gas or oil boiler i.e. space heating and sanitary hot water production. But it does it much more efficiently, using most of heating energy from free renewable sources. Heat pumps are a mature technology on which you can rely on just as any other well-established heating system. Heat pump units often last 20 years or more.
   
   Geothermal / Ground Source Heat Pumps
   Ground source heat pumps, also known as geothermal heat pumps, are used for space heating and cooling, as well as water heating. They operate on the fact that the earth beneath the surface remains at a constant temperature throughout the year, and that the ground acts as a heat source in winter and a heat sink in summer. They can be used in both residential and commercial or institutional buildings.
   
   How it works
   The earth’s surface acts as a huge solar collector, absorbing radiation from the sun. In this country the ground maintains a constant temperature between 11oC and 13oC, several metres below the surface. Geothermal Heat Pumps take advantage of this by transferring the heat stored in the earth or in ground water to buildings in winter and the opposite in summer for cooling. Through compression, heat pumps can ‘pump up’ heat at low temperature and release it at a higher temperature so that it may be used again. A heat pump looks similar and can perform the same functions as a conventional gas or oil boiler, i.e. space heating and sanitary hot water production. For every unit of electricity used to operate the heat pump, up to four units of heat are generated. Therefore for every unit of electricity used to pump the heat, 3-4 units of heat are produced.
   
   Installation in the Home
   The system has three main components: a series of pipes in the ground, a heat pump and a heat distribution system. Lengths of plastic pipes are buried in the ground, either in a borehole or a horizontal trench near the building to be heated or cooled. Fluid, normally water with anti-freeze, absorbs or emits heat to the soil, depending on whether the ambient air is colder or warmer than the soil. In winter, the heat pump removes the heat from the fluid, upgrades it to a higher temperature for use in the building, typically in under-floor heating. A distribution system is needed to transfer the heat extracted from the ground by the heat pump.The heat is often in the form of hot water and is distributed around the dwelling by radiators or a low temperature underfloor heating system.
   
   Payback and Maintenance
   The initial capital costs of installing a Geothermal Heat Pump system is usually higher than other conventional central heating systems. However, under the Greener Homes Scheme, there are now grants available which will reduce initial costs significantly. A large proportion of the outlay will be for the purchase and installation of the ground collector. The system is among the most energy efficient and cost effective heating and cooling systems available.
   
   Typically, four units of heat are generated for every unit of electricity used by the heat pump to deliver it, and the payback is typically about 8- 10 years. The life expectancy of the system is around 20 years. Once installed a heat pump requires very little maintenance and anyone installing a heat pump should speak with their installer regarding a maintenance agreement.
   

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8. How much can I save with a Heat Pump?
   Using free sources of energy
   Low temperature heat sources are available everywhere around us in very large quantities from renewable energy sources: outdoor air, surface water (rivers, streams, ponds) or the ground. These sources are continuously replenished with free energy from the sun, rain and wind. Waste heat can also be used. If your house is equipped with a mechanical ventilation system, heat from the exhaust air can also be converted to re-usable heat by means of a heat pump.
   
   Unbeaten efficiency
   Energy is needed to drive the heat pump, generally electricity. But for every unit of electricity used, it will generate 3 to 5 units of useful heat. The ratio between the useful heat produced and the electricity used is generally referred as the Coefficient of Performance (COP) to express the overall efficiency of a heat pump. The efficiency of a heat pump will depend mainly on the temperature of its energy source and the temperature at which the heat generated is needed. Basically, the higher the temperature of the heat source is and the lower the temperature of the useful heat is, the more efficient will be the heat pump. A heat pump using the soil as a heat source (constant temperature of 8 to 12°C) and floor or wall heating (water temperature of 35 to 55°C) is one of the best combinations, with an efficiency in excess of 400%. Compare that with the efficiency of a good oil or gas boiler (70-85%) and you will understand why heat pumps are so attractive.
   
   One of the most cost-effective heating technologies
   While heat pumps in residential buildings are usually more expensive initially to install than other heating systems, their greater energy efficiency allows you to recoup the extra cost in a few years. After that, you will make large savings in energy and maintenance costs compared with conventional heating systems. The following table presents a comparison of the costs related to different heating systems delivering 20,000 kWh for space heating and domestic hot water production in a typical 180 m2 house in Ireland.
   

9. What is Bioenergy?
   Bioenergy is energy derived from biomass. In essence bioenergy is the utilisation of solar energy that has been bound up in biomass during the process of photosynthesis. The photosynthesis process uses solar energy to combine carbon dioxide from the atmosphere with water and various nutrients from the soil to produce plant matter - biomass. Bioenergy is therefore a renewable energy resource.
   

10. What is Biomass?
    Biomass is all organic material, an example being plant matter. It is either:

    • the direct product of photosynthesis (for example plant matter – leaves, stems, etc.) or

    • the indirect product of photosynthesis (for example animal mass resulting from the consumption of plant matter).

    EU Directive 2001/77/EC (RES-E) - promotion of electricity produced from renewable energy sources: 'Biomass' shall mean the biodegradable fraction of products, waste and residues from agriculture (including vegetal and animal substances), forestry and related industries, as well as the biodegradable fraction of industrial and municipal waste.
    
    Types of biomass that are used to provide bioenergy include:

    • wastes streams, including residues from forestry and related industries

    • recycled wood

    • agricultural residues and agrifood effluents

    • manures

    • the organic fraction of municipal solid waste

    • separated household waste and sewage sludge

    • purpose grown energy crops including short rotation forestry, miscanthus grass, etc.

    For more information download the SEI Briefing Document on Biomass or the Biomass Factsheet
    

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11. What is Biofuel?
    Biofuel is a term used for biomass which has been prepared/upgraded to provide bioenergy. Biofuel can be either:

    • Solid biofuel: e.g. wood pellets (aka Wood energy) and Straw, or

    • Liquid biofuel: e.g. biodiesel, which can be used as a vehicle fuel.
      

12. What are the benefits of Bioenergy?
    Bioenergy, or energy from biomass, supports a wide range of national policy goals:

    • Key energy goals including security and diversity of supply and the development of indigenous renewable energy sources

    • Key environmental goals such as greenhouse gas emissions reduction * and waste management

    • Key agricultural goals offering new opportunities for farmers in the context of CAP reform

    • Key social goals such as employment generation in rural areas and enhancement of local economies

    *Note 1: The carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted on combustion of biomass is taken up by new plant growth, resulting in zero net emissions of CO2 – bioenergy is considered to be carbon neutral. However, it should be remembered that there are some net CO2 emissions associated with bioenergy when looked at on a life cycle basis – emissions from fossil fuels used in cultivation / harvesting / transport of the biomass. These are generally small compared to the CO2 avoided by displacing fossil fuels with energy from biomass.
    

13. What Bioenergy conversion technologies exist currently?
    Bioenergy can be exploited primarily through:

    • Combustion: Biomass (e.g. wood chips) can be burned to provide process and/or space heating. The combustion of biomass can also be used to raise steam to drive engines / turbines which are coupled to generators producing electricity.

    • Anaerobic digestion: Biomass (e.g. animal manure) can be transformed to biogas by anaerobic digestion and the biogas can be used to fuel a gas engine or gas turbine, or burned in a boiler to provide heat or to raise steam.

    Other technologies for the exploitation of bioenergy include gasification and pyrolysis but these are not as commercially developed as combustion and anaerobic digestion.
    

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14. What is wood energy?

    Wood energy can be generated from:

    • industrial wood wastes

    • forest residues

    • energy crops

    Wood wastes
    Wood wastes are by-products from wood processing industries e.g. chips, bark and sawdust. These residues are used in boardmills as feedstocks for production and within sawmills and boardmills to provide heat for drying or space heating and to produce steam for the manufacturing process.
    
    Forest residues
    Forest residues consist of the tree tops and branches remaining after timber is harvested. Some forest residues need to be left on the forest floor to decompose and return nutrients to the soil. These can act as brash mats, which allow machinery to travel across soft ground. However, much of this material could be harvested with suitable machinery and used as a renewable fuel for energy production.
    
    Energy Crops
    Energy Crops are grown specifically for energy purposes. Short Rotation Forestry (SRF) is the production of wood fuel from trees with high juvenile growth, which are planted at close spacing and harvested on short rotations (typically every three years).
    
    Species such as Willow are ideal for SRF, as they are easy to establish, fast growing and suitable for a variety of sites and resistant to pests and disease.
    
    Land for short rotation forestry is likely to come from non-rotational arable set aside land and land that is not in arable use , ie. beef or sheep production.
    
    Wood Pellets and Wood Chips
    Wood pellets are made from wood shavings and sawdust. They are used in highly efficient and convenient automatic wood boilers. Wood pellets burn so effectively because they have a low moisture and ash content.
    
    Wood pellets are compact and easy to store. Typically they come in bags, but they can also be delivered in bulk by truck. Wood pellets can be ordered from local fuel merchants, and wood pellet stoves and boilers are now available in Ireland.

    
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15. What is wood energy?

    Geothermal energy refers to heat energy stored in the ground of the earth. Heat is supplied to the ground from two sources namely the hot core of the planet and the sun.
    
    Earth’s core
    The centre of the earth is approximately 4,200 degrees celsius. Some of this heat is produced from the geological process which helped to form the earth 4.5 billion years ago, but most of this heat is provided from the decay of radioactive isotopes. The majority of this heat arrives at the surface of the earth at too low a temperature to be used for heating or power generation activities. This deep geothermal energy can only be accessed when it arrives at the earth's surface through geological processes such as through fault lines on the earth’s crust (or areas of volcanic activity) or by drilling through the surface to access it.
    
    Sun’s radiation
    The second source of heat in the ground is from radiation from the sun. Solar thermal radiation is absorbed by the surface of the earth each day. This energy can be regarded as stored energy which stays relatively warm throughout the year. This heat can then be extracted by using a ground source heat pump for example.