Kevin Sparrow, Industry Portfolio Manager – BSE at the EAL Awards, delves deeper into the value of training and continuing professional development in achieving net zero goals.
As we strive to achieve net zero targets, households and businesses are turning to low-carbon technologies, including electric mobility points, electric vehicle charging points, solar PV, and electric energy storage systems. These systems require specialized knowledge, skills and understanding to be designed, installed and operated safely and correctly.
Transition to low carbon technologies
Consumers are choosing these new technologies to reduce their carbon footprint and energy costs (including electricity arbitrage), and it helps provide them with a reliable energy source for the future. MCS, which creates and maintains standards that allow certification of products, installers and their installations, has found that solar PV remains the most popular renewable technology among UK homeowners, with more than 183,000 certified solar PV installations installed across the country in 2023.
Low carbon technologies are now more integral to electrical apprenticeship standards than ever before, resulting in new apprentices increasing their appreciation for these consumer electrical systems and installations (PEIs), alongside traditional electrical installations.
The Standard for Installation and Maintenance Technicians in England has also become recognized as an environmentally friendly apprenticeship. It bears the Coronation Seal of King Charles III (this apprenticeship qualification is also offered in Northern Ireland). Welsh trainees will also learn about PEI and low carbon technologies in their purpose-built qualifications.
Demand for skilled electricians
For solar PV, the Electrotechnical Skills Partnership (TESP), formed by the Electrical Contractors Association (ECA), Joint Industry Board (JIB), National Electrotechnical Training (NET), SELECT and Unite the Union, found that the UK has a solar capacity of about 15 gigawatts.
The research found that increasing solar installation would require up to 500 additional qualified electricians per year.
TESP wants to ensure public safety by using solar PV and other low-carbon technology installations, so they should only be implemented by competent electricians who have acquired high skills in the relevant technologies.
Therefore, last year, TESP launched the “Electrician Plus” concept, which includes a mechanism to recognize CPD qualifications in industry and award them with a Kitemark.
EAL is the only AO to offer all of the following with the new Kitemark:
– EAL Level 3 Award in Small Scale Solar PV Systems Installation – 600/5175/9
– EAL Award Level 3 in Requirements for the Installation of Electric Vehicle Charging Points – 603/3929/9
– EAL Award Level 3 in Design, Installation and Commissioning of Electrical Energy Storage Systems – 610/2091/6
Approved qualifications must operate in full compliance with the industry assessment strategy and will be reviewed in detail by ECS’s Technical Approval Group.
Where appropriate, these qualifications will also be recognized by MCS. This will give contractors confidence that they are obtaining good quality and valid industry qualifications.
Low carbon technologies are constantly evolving and influencing ways of working – an example is Amendment 3:2024 to BS 7671:2018 which aims to clarify the differences between the connections of one-way and two-way RCDs and circuit breakers.
Obtaining high-quality training and continuing professional development, aligned with the Kitemark “Electrician Plus”, is the best way to improve skills and gain industry recognition in these technologies.
This will then help ensure that these systems are installed safely and correctly and that contractors meet industry requirements and gain appropriate recognition. This is particularly important in solar and electric energy storage facilities, which have a range of important safety and technical aspects, such as DC arc flash and fire hazards, that contractors may not be aware of. A range of standards and requirements affect these systems, including CDM, BS 7671, BS 7430 and BS 5839-6.
Continuing Professional Development for Energy Storage will cover how to size batteries for specific applications and island mode operation, along with key electrical installation design issues, modes of operation, design issues, DC systems, and a range of other topics following industry guidance from MCS, IET and PAS 63100: 2024.
Trainees will receive practical training and undertake practical assessments to ensure they have the skills necessary to put theory into practice. Continuing professional development in these technologies will align theory and practice to help you gain the right skills, knowledge and understanding to excel.
Our commitment to sustainability
Some training providers have been able to attract funding to offer these qualifications, and another option for eligible contractors is the JIB Skills Development Fund, which provides financial assistance for training courses for those receiving further education and training in the electrical industry.
This fund, allocated to JIB member companies, is intended for electrical workers and apprentices registered for courses beyond the normal requirements of the JIB classification system.
JIB member companies can benefit from grants allocated to train and upskill their workforce, helping to make their businesses more competitive. This funding is up to 75% of course fees, up to £1,250 per person, per course, per year, so it can add up very quickly to help your business grow.
We want as many engineers and employers as possible to acquire sustainability and green technology skills to the right standards. So, if you are thinking about expanding your business and improving your skills in these technologies, there is no better time to improve your skills to achieve net zero.
Find out more about the EAL Awards and qualifications here
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