HSE looks at horizon of solar and marine renewables
Elaine Brass
28th July 2009
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has created two horizon scanning documents looking at the health and safety (H&S) implications of the growth of solar and marine renewable energy in the UK.
In the two documents, the HSE looks at the issues of construction and maintenance in both sectors and recommends that the HSE considers the resource implications and skills requirement of expansion over the next 10 years.
With marine renewable energy, the HSE states that theoretically, because the UK has some of the strongest waves and tidal currents in the world, marine renewable energy could provide up to 20 per cent of UK electricity. The HSE document states that this could potentially mean a large roll-out of marine renewable units around the UK coastline over the next 10-15 years once technologies have been proven. H&S considerations include risks during construction and installation of marine energy devices in the sea, using specialised boats.
There are additional risks involved with other activities associated with marine energy, such as diving, large equipment and laying of cables to connect to the electricity grid. There will also be H&S risks during maintenance of these units and potentially during their manufacture, a large amount of which will take place in the UK. Potential external risks to marine energy operations could come from boats and shipping.
The HSE solar energy horizon scanning document focuses on the two types of technology in common use for the exploitation of solar energy – solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal power (STP). The solar industry is growing by 30 per cent a year and world PV capacity is predicted to rise from 100 megawatts (MW) to 40000 MW by 2020.
HSE states that the H&S risks associated with solar energy will be from the manufacture, installation and maintenance of solar devices and there may be training and competency issues for the sector, for example working at height. Plus, competency may be particularly relevant with STP where plumbing skills and ‘Gas Safe’ registration may be required to allow integration with gas central heating. There may be potential domestic electrical safety issues associated with PV panel installation and integration with the National Grid maintenance, such as working at height.
In addition, HSE notes there might be potential health risks from exposure to chemicals used in the development of highly efficient solar PV, which are known to be highly toxic and also during their transportation, disposal and recycling.
The HSE produced horizon scanning documents on biomass and wind energy in February this year.