I am currently writing this, please check back soon!
Below is an attempt to summarise my experience working with and living with renewable energy. It is incomplete, a draft version containing notes to myself and many acronyms, nevertheless I have it here on line as it may be useful!
Education:
- BSc in Physics, University of Kent at Canterbury UK
(August 2000). - MSc in Renewable Energy Systems Technology engineering (the CREST course), the première renewable energy engineering masters program in the UK
Completed units: 3/8 - Integration of Renewables, Solar 1 and Solar 2.
Currently studying: Wind 1.
At C.A.T.:
- I lived and worked at Centre for Alternative Technology , CAT, in Mid Wales (UK) from about 2000 until 2005.
- I worked for CAT’s Courses Department as the “Technical Course Coordinator” where I coordinated and taught on hundreds of CAT short courses and CAT’s Postgraduate Courses
- I also built, and still run, the CAT’s AEES course’s unofficial website.
- I lived as a member of their community where we tried to live in a sustainable way and lived for a number of years off grid.
Biofuels / Biodiesel:
I have, unintentionally, become somewhat of an expert on the use of bio-fuels in diesel vehicles. I have converted several engines to run directly on vegetable oil, built biodiesel reactors and waste oil processors and am constantly asked for informal advise and run informal tutorials on the subject of running engines on cooking oil and biodiesel.
I have written a book on biofuels, biodiesel and vegetable oil for McGraw-Hill, it will be published in late Summer 2008 - find it here on Amazon.
Solar Electric (PV):
I have been involved with many PV installations with DE, lots of stuff when working at CAT, teaching on PV courses at CAT.
I have completed “Solar One” and “Solar Two” modules of CREST course.
I installed the PVs for Greenpeace at Glastonbury Festival 2005 and 2007:
Ynyslas National Nature Reserve 7007:
I spent a month in 2008 touring the West Coast of the USA on the Rolling Sunlight, Greenpeace USA’s solar truck, collecting stories on global warming and climate change and talking to people about PV.
Solar Thermal:
Solar water heating, bits and bats of work with CL and the VEHC, loads of stuff at CAT, teaching at CAT, running the Solar Thermal practical session for the AEES course, and the CREST Solar One and Solar Two modules.
Wind Energy:
Ecogen, Bro Dyfi Community Renewables & loads of stuff at CAT.
And met-mast erection, weather monitoring, with Dulas.
and the CREST Wind One module.
Biomass:
biomass with CAT and DE
Hydro Electric:
hydro, several hydro installations with DE, CAT courses and, of course, the reality of living on the end of a micro hydro at CAT for years.
