To transition to net zero, Australia needs a trained and experienced energy and related services workforce with the right skills, in the right places, at the right time.
In support of this, the Energy Efficiency Council (EEC), Australia’s peak body for energy management, energy efficiency and demand flexibility, has launched EEC Professional Certifications.
EEC Professional Certifications is an umbrella certification framework that brings together governments and industry to build the capacity and capability of Australia’s energy and related services professionals and tradespeople.
The framework will initially house three certifications for individuals:
– Certified Emissions Reduction Leader for Commercial Buildings to project manage integrated building energy retrofits that slash energy bills and emissions;
– Certified EnMS Advisor to effectively engage and influence large energy using businesses to set up energy management systems (EnMS) that enable them to realise continuous improvement in energy performance and emissions reductions; and
– Certified Insulation Installer to support households with lowering heating and cooling bills whilst ensuring improved health and comfort outcomes are realised by safely and effectively installing insulation.
Luke Menzel, CEO of the Energy Efficiency Council said,
“These certifications will enable industry and government to scale up efforts to retrofit Australia’s building stock, delivering the associated bill savings, emissions reductions, and health and comfort improvements. In the midst of an energy crisis, they also enable us to roll out skilled and certified individuals to support industry with reducing energy demand, minimising businesses’ and households’ exposure to volatile energy markets.”
These efforts are aligned with the Trajectory for low energy buildings and the National Energy Productivity Plan, which aims to improve Australia’s energy productivity by 40 per cent between 2015 and 2030. They are also key to enabling the Australian Government’s recent increase to its nationally determined contribution under the Paris Agreement, which commits Australia to reduce its emissions by 43 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.
The EEC is committed to ensuring that the energy and related services sector grows and delivers at the pace that is needed to roll out reliable, affordable and clean energy in support of a prosperous, net zero economy.
Scott Ferraro, the inaugural Chair of the EEC Professional Certifications Steering Committee, EEC Training and Professional Development Expert Board member and Program Director of Monash University’s Net Zero Initiative said,
“At the moment there’s a mismatch between the amount of work that’s required to deliver on net zero with regards to energy efficiency and energy management, and the actual skills that are out there in the market. EEC Professional Certifications enables us to bridge that gap by supporting professionals and tradespeople with developing and demonstrating their expertise.”
High-quality skills and jobs – particularly those that dramatically scale up the roll-out of energy management, energy efficiency and demand flexibility solutions behind-the-meter in homes and industry – will be key to delivering the energy transition and net zero transformation in Australia. EEC Professional Certifications is an integral framework for ensuring that this happens.