THE DAILY TELEGRAPHTaming the elements THE JOB SATISFACTION THAT COMES FROM WORKING IN A NEW INDUSTRY page J4Green credentials TIM SMIT OUTLINES HIS VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF THE EDEN PROJECT page J5NATURAL ASSETS WHILE BRITAIN’S WEATHER IS A CONSTANT SOURCE OF FRUSTRATION TO MOST OF US, IT DOES HAVE A FEW GOOD POINTS, WRITES THEA JOURDANThis windswept island nation is in a prime position to harness the power of tidal currents, wave power and sea breezes. Wind, water, sunlight — all of these seemingly uncontrollable elements can be tamed and made sources of renewable energy. And the move towards renewables seems to be gathering pace. In the energy sector renewables are the hottest tickets right now, partly because world leaders see the credit crisis as an opportune moment to put pressure on industries to turn over a new, greener leaf, and partly because they offera potentially limitless supply with eco-friendly costs. Fears about the long-term future of a dwindling amount of fossil fuels, security of imported supplies, as well as concern over their contribution to global warming means that the UK government is focusing on making renewable energy a policy priority. “Clean energy” developments are increasingly an essential part of its strategy to reduce CO2 emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. Even a dedicated department, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), was launched last year. “The department reflects the fact that energy policy and climate change are directly linked,” says Energy and Climate Change SecretaryEd Miliband. “My job is to make sure our policy on climate change is fair for ordinary families and our policy on energy is sustainable for future generations. We will do all we can to ensure affordable fuel bills for people, put Britain at the forefront of creating green jobs and play our part in ensuring every country meets the climate change challenge.” In 2007, according to the DECC, 4.9 per cent of the UK’s electricity supply came from renewable sources eligible under the UK’s Renewables Obligation. The obligation requires electricity suppliers to source a set percentage of their electricity from renewable sources. The level for 2008-2009 is 9.1 per cent. For companies that fall short,“buy out” payments must be made to meet their obligation, further boosting demand for renewable energy. Now with calls from Miliband to make all Britain’s homes near carbon zero by 2050, and more than 90 UK and international companies registering their interest with The Crown Estate’s Round Three programme for offshore wind farms, jobs in the renewables sector are set to rise. There are some 8,000 people presently employed in the renewables industry in the UK, and with the sector currently turning over around £290 million per year that figure is set to grow. The majority work in construction and deployment, but the industry also employs engineers andBritain now leads the world in getting electricity from offshore wind farmsalso received a boost in the shape of a new scheme that rewards home owners who produce heat from solar hot water panels on roofs, run by the green power company Good Energy. The UK not only has the best wind and wave resources in Europe it also has a worldleading manufacturing industry for small wind systems and is at the forefront‘‘scientists, land use developers and environmental experts. Ian Jenkins, director of Ruston WHEB, specialist recruitment company in clean technologies and renewables, says that the demand for executives in the sector is growing. “We have noticed a really steep rise in requests over the last three years, particularly in the wind sector which is becoming a mature business,” he says. “All the big utility companies are looking for people to manage their assets to invest in their own renewables and acquisitions.” The UK is the windiest nation in Europe and, since the completion of the two adjacent Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farms off the coast of Skegness, Lincolnshire, last year, Britain now leads the world in generating electricity from offshore wind farms. The new farms, built by the energy company Centrica, are set to produce enough power for 130,000 homes, raising the total electricity generated from offshore wind in the UK to 598 megawatts (MW) — enough to supply 300,000 UK homes. “We are now a global leader in a renewable energy technology for the first time ever,” says Maria McCaffery, chief executive of the BritishWind and Energy Association (BWEA). “Now is the time to step up the effort even further and secure the huge potential for jobs, investment and export revenues that offshore wind has for Britain.” Wave energy technology is at a comparatively young stage but here, too, Britain is at the cutting edge of technology. It helps that this island nation has the best coastal wave and tidal resources in Europe, assets that have the potential to add to the UK power market in the long-term. Wavegen, a subsidiary of Voith Siemens Hydro, developed and operates the UK’s sole commercial wave energy plant, the Limpet, on the island of Islay off Scotland’s west coast. Situated on the shoreline, the plant generates electricity by capturing wave power in an oscillating water column that drives a pair of rotating turbines, each of which drives a 250kW generator. Installed in 2000, it produces power for the National Grid. Britain is not quite so advanced when it comes to solar energy, however. At the moment, the nation languishes at the bottom of the league table, generating just 213,000kW therms of solar‘‘heat (compared to six million kW in Germany). One reason behind this could be that initial outlay to fit thermal panels can be expensive, costing around £4,000. However, with newer, more efficient designs both costs and payback time are falling. Solar energy hasof the development and deployment of both wave and tidal technologies. On the manufacturing side, the BWEA Small Wind Systems UK Market Report revealed a spectacular annual 80 per cent domestic market growth in small wind systems as well as expanding export trade. This rise is explained by the increased number of individual households purchasing turbines which cost from around £3,500 to include installation. In order to fully power a modern home, the domestic wind turbine would need to span five metres from tip-to-tip on a site with good wind conditions. British manufacturers are experiencing increasing year-on-year sales of small turbines, as domestic customers realise the benefits of generating their own electricity and selling it back to the National Grid. This emerging industry has the potential of delivering tens of thousands of muchneeded UK-based jobs to the ailing employment sector. JOBS ONLINE: jobs.telegraph.co.uk/ careers-insider@SARAH HANSONRenewables WIND, WAVE AND TIDALCAREERS IN THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2009The Daily Telegraph jobs.telegraph.co.ukJ 3Thursday, March 5, 2009jobs.telegraph.co.uk/cain association withProduced by Telegraph Create Special Reports
THE DAILY TELEGRAPHTaming the elements THE JOB SATISFACTION THAT COMES FROM WORKING IN A NEW INDUSTRY page J4Green credentials TIM SMIT OUTLINES HIS VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF THE EDEN PROJECT page J5NATURAL ASSETS WHILE BRITAIN’S WEATHER IS A CONSTANT SOURCE OF FRUSTRATION TO MOST OF US, IT DOES HAVE
J 4jobs.telegraph.co.ukTHURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2009THE DAILY TELEGRAPHCAREERS IN RENEWABLES GRADUATESThe Daily TelegraphGRADUATE INVENTORTHE FEELGOODEvery day there is a new sort of challenge. You can’t put a price on thatFACTOR GRADUATE SCHEMES TRAINING AND ON-THE-JOB EXPERIENCE IN RENEWABLES COULD WELL
THE DAILY TELEGRAPHTHURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2009jobs.telegraph.co.ukJ 5The Daily TelegraphTHE BIG INTERVIEW CAREERS IN RENEWABLESGONE WITH THEWIND THEEDEN PROJECT HAS DROPPEDCONTROVERSIAL TURBINE PLANS, BUT ITS GREEN CREDENTIALS ARE AS STRONG AS EVER. ESME MCAVOY REPORTSTen years ago, the Eden Project was
