With Ireland expected to obtain 13pc of its energy sources from renewables by 2010, professional graduates are now needed to help the growth of the market.

Educational establishments around the country are beginning to offer courses in renewable energy systems. The aim is to provide professionals in design, installation and maintenance of existing and emerging, renewable systems.

Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) is the first institute in the country to offer a degree in renewable and electrical energy systems, while other universities and colleges around the country are offering either postgraduate or certificate courses.

A three-year course, LIT's programme will cover areas such as electronics, electrical technology, mathematics and computing, as well as consultancy surveying for renewable energy development and energy systems installations.

It will educate students on the electrical systems used to connect renewable energy to electricity grids.

LIT's course aims to train graduates in all aspects of renewable energy, but particularly wind, which has been the true success story of renewables.

There has been huge interest from students, says course leader, Joe Dunk. "We had 105 first preference applications for the course, which shows the extent of interest , , very good for a new course.

"The market is growing at about 9pc per annum and the feedback we got from people in the business was that the [trained] people aren't there." While the majority of students will be school-leavers, Dunk says he has received a number of enquiries from electrical engineers looking to expand their skills.

There is also a system of direct entry into the second year and a number of electricians have shown an interest.

"There are a lot of misconceptions about renewable energy and a lot of things coming together now that weren't there 30 years ago, " says Dunk. He feels that students aren't doing enough research on the topic.

"Over the next five years you're going to see a massive explosion of the number of wind farms and biofuel technologies. It's an interesting area."

This feeling is backed up by Larry Staudt, manager of the Centre for Renewable Energy at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DKIT). "The whole energy scene is going to change utterly, " he says.

DKIT offers a master's degree in renewable energy systems and Tipperary Institute offers a certificate in renewable energy. Other colleges are looking at integrating renewables into electrical engineering programmes.

PREVAILING WINDS Students at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DKIT) will get hands-on experience of wind energy when the new master's degree in renewable energy systems technology starts in September.

The institute opened the world's first college campus turbine last October and it is set to be an integral part of the programme. The course will be available on both a full and part-time basis. There will be nine taught modules in wind, solar, water and bioenergy, as well as energy policy or environmental economics and grid integration of renewables.

The programme is based on materials licensed from Loughborough University in the UK, which has the world's best known master's degree in this area. Course applicants must have a second-class honours science degree.

The wind turbine at DKIT now produces almost two thirds of the institute's power.

It cost more than 1.1m, but is cutting DKIT's electricity bill in half.

There has been a strong interest in DKIT's course, says Dr Larry Staudt, manager at the Centre for Renewable Energy at DKIT: "There's a rising interest all around the country in renewable energy."