It is the 9th of July and it has been exactly one week since I started working in Marches energy agency. Thanks to my previous visits I managed to get used to the working place fairly quickly and made myself comfortable in a nearby accommodation. So overall speaking it’s not a bad start and I’m really enjoying this whole experience.
In case you didn’t know, the charity I am working with (MEA) is an energy charity located in Shrewsbury, it’s an organization full of talented and passionate people who are dedicated to fight local fuel poverty and climate change. My role comes in to research the new green energy applications which can be potentially used by MEA in the future, also to look for new possible services MEA could bring in the future by learning from other bigger organisations. Their office building is very environmentally friendly and is also one of the few buildings that has a ‘A’ grade Energy performance certificate in UK.
After announcing my arrivial using MEA’s twitter account, my work at MEA has officially started. The first week I concentrated on the background research, as well as doing some office work that help me to get to know each aspects of charity’s work. I particularly like this flexible way of working as I can decide my own approach to the goal based on my interest. So far I have learned a number of house energy solutions, including their average performances and some difficulties/disadvantage. (Certain solution such as loft insulation may not be practical as it takes too much space and leaves loft unsuitable for storage). I have also looked through some files about government funding, and found great house energy efficient can not only bring financial advantage, but also lowers the risk of cardio-respiratory disease and brings mentally-well being. It’s also a good way to boost local economy as new application will bring more job opportunities. I really love the independent research as some results surprises me a lot and there’s always friendly staff in MEA when I need help.
For the next week, I plan to conduct further research about solar panel and storage battery application, which I believe can be a widely-used technology in the short future. I may visit a few solar PV manufacturers to learn some professional opinions about the future of this application. So please stay tuned for more information.
