Household Energy Efficiency Skills Review
It is now widely accepted that domestic buildings account for 27% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions must be reduced to meet the target of an 80% reduction (based on 1990 emissions) before 2050. However, in 2050, it is estimated that around 80% of the existing housing stock will still be in use.
In the move towards a low carbon, resource efficient economy, each and every person must play a part. It is understood that domestic buildings account for around 27% of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions. The Climate Change Act 2008 sets out a series of carbon reduction targets, enforced to secure the future of the planet. Targets for reduction in the UK greenhouse gas emissions on 1990 levels stipulated in the act are a 28% reduction by 2015, a 34% reduction by 2020 and an 80% reduction by 2050.
In order to meet the 2050 target, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions must come from the domestic sector as well as the industrial and transport sectors. Experts anticipate that 80% of the UK's current housing stock will still be in use by 2050. With these points in mind, it is essential that an upgrade programme is set in motion to make the current housing stock in the UK more energy efficient. This programme would be delivered through the Home Energy Efficiency (HEE) industries, which includes heating, insulation and glazing, micro-generation, energy efficiency advice, and home energy assessment.
Some of the HEE industries are relatively new and most are running below the capacity that will be needed to meet the milestone targets set between now and 2050. Therefore the challenge we are faced with is the speed with which homes can undergo an upgrade. To meet this demand there must be a shift from single installation of HEE improvements towards an integrated installation of multiple measures.
The Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes (EEPH) commissioned Pro Enviro to undertake research to identify opportunities for improving the effectiveness of HEE skills delivery to the industry. Of particular importance to the Household Energy Efficiency Skills Review was the requirement to understand and establish the skills-knowledge needs as well as the skills gaps of the HEE industries, so that the most effective actions could be developed to rapidly move the industry forward.
The research included establishing:
- Current mechanisms and levels of skills and knowledge provision, and skills funding to the industry
- Current and future skills and knowledge requirements as well as gaps in skills and knowledge provision
- Existing examples of best practice and knowledge delivery initiatives including those incorporating employer-led demand
Pro Enviro highlighted that in order to change behaviour and meet targets, relevant skills and knowledge need to be embedded within the HEE industries. This needs a coordinated approach to skills strategy, development and provision, all of which must fit the practical needs of HEE businesses and is essential to allow appropriate levels of growth within the industries.
A number of factors which need to be considered were identified. These included the need for new skills; the need for top-up training to enhance existing skills; and the need for cross-sector skills gaps that apply to multiple or all HEE industries. Courses or training routes for these skills need to be developed and delivered quickly, often to people who already are in full-time work.
Perhaps the biggest challenge of all lies in the need to rapidly increase delivery capacity without compromising quality. While the integrated approach to upgrading homes will be more efficient, it will reqire coordination of both people and skills throughout the process and will be considerably more complex than traditional single technology installations.
As well as promoting the multi-skilling of individuals, other challenges include making sure the HEE industries are well promoted to attract high-calibre individuals in sufficient quantities, and ensuring those already in the industries are kept abreast of the needs and opportunities for up-skilling.
Householders need to be assured that those working on the fabric of their homes are competent; there is therefore a need for good certification, without a bewildering array of schemes and card types. HEE industries are a vitally important component of the transition to a low carbon economy. Ensuring companies within these industries have the right skills and knowledge at the right times will be crucial in meeting ongoing greenhouse gas emissions targets.
The Household Energy Efficiency Skills Review can be accessed via the EEPH website.
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