Green skills – not quite black and white

Against the backdrop of the Government’s Green Deal and commitment to reducing red tape in environmental regulation , a new green skills agenda is emerging.

Just last month the University of Exeter launched the UK’s first sustainable MBA, while Business Secretary Vince Cable pledged an investment of £6.5 million into engineering skills for the renewable energy industry. And earlier this year, the National Skills Academy for Environmental Technologies was launched, generating new and upgraded skills to National Occupational Standards.

As the academic and business worlds respond to the need for improved skills for the design, installation and use of green technologies and innovations, it is equally so in the housebuilding sector; for both individuals and firms it is now more important than ever before to ensure their green skills are a top priority.

Because, with a wealth of energy efficient technologies and practices becoming embedded into the construction process, incorrect installation could damage homes being built.

For example, roof-mounted renewable technologies, such as solar or photovoltaic systems, or microwind turbines, are increasing in popularity as a way of generating savings in both energy and cost. Yet inefficient installation could result in roof leakage or structural damage to the walls of a home. Our guide to installation of renewable energy systems on roofs of residential buildings, advises builders on how to mitigate just that.

But it is not just professionals who would benefit from increasing their green skills. Many of the technologies being installed in the homes of tomorrow, and retrofitted onto existing homes, require residents to adapt the way they live – as our report into water consumption revealed.

The report highlighted cases in which people avoid using water efficient fittings and appliances, choosing to fill kettles from bath taps, as low-flow kitchen taps led to homeowner frustrations. The potential positive impact of installing water efficient fittings is therefore not achieved, as people do not know how or want to interact with the technology.

A report we will be publishing shortly looks further into this issue, analysing current understanding of how people interact with their homes – something we believe can fundamentally affect a home’s energy consumption and its ability to achieve maximum efficiency.

For sustainably targets to be met and maintained, the whole industry has something to learn; from those people designing and building homes, to the consumers living in them. Many organisations, like the NHBC Foundation, are doing all they can to advise on how to get the best from new technologies, but without the commitment of the public and professionals alike, these efforts may prove fruitless.

Latest developments

Boris Johnson has shown explicitly that he is committed to enhancing the green skills in the capital’s property sector and promoting the development of energy efficient homes. At a CBI conference last week, Mr Johnson appealed to property owners to retrofit their properties to encourage the development of green skills and the energy efficiency of properties, particularly houses.

A £100 million fund has already been set up by the mayor, to go towards retrofitting London’s schools, libraries and hospitals. Additionally, City Hall have offered to ‘green’ 55,000 homes before May next year. Not only will this reduce energy bills in homes and commercial properties, it will boost the capital’s green skills base.

Mr Johnson has also initiated a Green Growth Business Bootcamp programme, to help entrepreneurs in London develop environmental technologies and grow their businesses, which shows his dedication to sustainable business more widely. The Bootcamp takes the form of business training sessions, run at Kingston University, where entrepreneurs will be given advice on identifying sustainable business opportunities and developing sustainable business models.