Renewable Energy Skills Strategy SSC Collaborative Findings June 2010

1. Renewable Energy Skills Strategy SSC Collaborative Findings June 2010 SSC Comment on Technologies

2. Sector Comment • Offshore/Onshore Wind • Marine • Micro generation • Energy From Waste • Energy Assessment and Advice

3. Offshore/Onshore Wind • Wind • Wind is the most advanced sector in driving growth between now and 2020 and skills requirements better defined than for other technologies; • Estimate only around 4,000 directly employed in the sector (variances between estimates). • Employment tends to be in system integration and installation (32 per cent), and maintenance and operations (28 per cent). Manufacturing and other activities is limited (18 per cent). With the closure of the Vestas plant 500 manufacturing jobs have been lost. • Not clear if new jobs will emerge in the manufacturing sector, at least in the short-term; • Clipper plans to establish a turbine blade manufacturing plant in the UK and the company has plans for another facility assembling gearboxes and nacelles; • Siemens is also now considering establishing a UK operation to take advantage of growth in the offshore market; • Employment is higher in the on-shore wind sector (75 per cent of jobs) than off-shore (25 per cent of jobs); • Need to be able to demonstrate how onshore wind creates benefits for the local community – ease planning constraints; • Also need to remember additional workload and jobs potential for the design and construction of the high-voltage connections between marine installations and the National Grid.

4. Marine • Marine • Marine is at a much earlier stage of development, but may provide long-term opportunities for UK manufacturing; • Employment and skills needs currently limited to research and development activities, with a small manufacturing component. Estimated at less than 500 people currently employed and unlikely to increase substantially by 2020? • As the technology is deployed on a larger scale, employment and skills needs likely to be similar to those in wind; • Given the very early stage of development, the potential exists to develop not just commercial technology, but also a manufacturing base, with the potential for downstream component supply. • A suitable funding approach will need to be developed to allow a rapid response once a dominant technology emerges and training needs are identified. • Scotland is the furthest advanced of the UK nations with 9 marine energy centres having been proposed. • Wales is researching the marine energy possibilities off the South Wales coast. Though no specific proposals have been submitted.

5. Micro generation • Micro generation • System design, installation and maintenance activities are typically undertaken by employees within the building services sector (i.e. electrical trades and installation, plumbing, heating and ventilation and air conditioning and refrigeration); • Few additional jobs appear to have been created as tends to be a small part of existing installers workload (renewable just replacing traditional technologies); • Therefore extremely difficult to quantify total direct employment, or determine numbers required (not a straightforward calculation of time per job x no. of jobs gives FTE required); • If renewable solution installed in addition to traditional technologies (e.g. gas boilers), additional jobs may be created as these technologies are not displacing existing systems (many forecasts suggest households may have multiple micro generation systems installed); • Design, installation and maintenance of micro generation systems does not require very different skills than those which already exist within building services sector, but it will require some additional underpinning knowledge, in terms of system design, integration with other technologies and for some technologies – health and safety. Qualified trades persons could acquire this knowledge relatively easily via a short training course; • Need for management and leadership, business acumen and entrepreneurship skills for typically SME businesses to grow and diversify into renewable technologies; • Demand for technical training needs to be stimulated by the sector, however, until demand for work not likely to happen; • The rate at which these technologies can be deployed, and the availability of skilled people to do the work, will be a major determinant of future employment across these sectors.

6. Energy From Waste • Energy from Waste • This section covers three basic technologies: • Energy from Landfill Gas • Thermal processes • Anaerobic Digestion • The Landfill Directive sets demanding targets to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal landfilled, plus with increases in landfill tax, it is the cost of landfilling rather than an issue of space driving employer action especially in the short term. • Thermal processes include gasification and combustion as alternatives to landfill, though incineration has image issues with residents. • Energy and Utility Skills are developing an apprenticeship framework to deliver the skills required for Energy from Waste deployment. • Anaerobic digestion is applicable to the waste water industry and to the agricultural industries where they have been successfully utilised for a number of years. • Anaerobic digestion is a high priority within the low carbon arena. The gas produced can be used to generate electricity on site or delivered into the gas network for use by consumers. • The waste industry is not instantly appealing to those considering a career and work is required to highlight the technical and environmental opportunities that the Energy from Waste technologies present.

7. Energy Assessment and Advice Assessment and Advice The collection of data on the energy performance of buildings ( Asset Rating ) and the amounts of energy used in public buildings ( Operational Ratings ) have been important for the last two/three years following the implementation of the EU`s  Energy performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) – hence the production of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and Display Energy Certificates (DECs) – roles which have to be performed by qualified and accredited Energy Assessors. Energy Advice in both the domestic and commercial fields is now recognised as being increasingly  important and is thus  an emerging skill area – driven by a mixture of targets and legislation – in need of special attention. Energy advice includes what best physically to do to existing property to reduce carbon emissions and save energy  ( eg insulation of roofs and cavity walls, solid wall insulation, boiler renewal etc  - all coming under the heading of retrofitting )  and also advice on the installation and use of renewable energy sources ( solar PV, ground source heat pumps etc ) plus, importantly human behaviour. Roles for domestic and commercial energy advisers already exist and are set to expand rapidly as a result of current and emerging government policy . NOS exist in many areas and are being converted to qualifications . This is a new skill area – and work is urgently need to quantify demand and ensure learning provision is put in place .

8. Property, Facilities Management, Housing and Cleaning2 The Courtyard28 New North RoadExeter   EX4 4EPT:   0139 242 3399F:   0139 242 3373E:enquiries@assetskills.orgwww.assetskills.org ConstructionBircham NewtonKing's LynnNorfolk   PE31 6RHT:   0344 994 4400E:call.centre@cskills.orgwww.cskills.org Blue CourtChurch LaneKings LangleyHertfordshireWD4 8JP01923 26000001923 270969 (fax) ECITB@ecitb.org.uk Partner contact details Chemical and Pharmaceutical,Oil, Gas, Nuclear, Petroleumand PolymersUnit 5, Mandarin CourtCentre Park, WarringtonCheshire   WA1 1GGT:   0192 551 5200F:   0122 478 7830E:info@cogent-ssc.comwww.cogent-ssc.com Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies14 Upton RoadWatfordHertfordshire   WD18 0JTT:   0845 643 9001F:   0174 064 4799E:   customerservices@semta.org.ukwww.semta.org.uk Gas, Power, Waste Management and Water IndustriesFriars Gate 1011 Stratford Road, ShirleySolihullWest Midlands   B90 4BNT:   0845 077 9922F:   0845 077 9933E:enquiries@euskills.co.ukwww.euskills.co.uk Building Services EngineeringVega House, Opal DriveFox Milne, Milton KeynesBuckinghamshire   MK15 0DFT:   0190 830 3960F:   0190 830 3989E:enquiries@summitskills.org.ukwww.summitskills.org.uk Environment and Land-basedLantra HouseStoneleigh Park, near CoventryWarwickshire CV8 2LGT: 0247 669 6996E:connect@lantra.co.ukwww.lantra.co.uk