Sustainable Energy in the Domestic and Commercial Environment Project
The Sustainable Energy in the Domestic and Commercial Environment (SEDCE) Project is a response to the New Zealand Energy Strategy and the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy launched by the government in 2007.
The Electricity Supply and Electrotechnology industry training organisations (ESITO and ETITO) expect these strategies will impact directly on their industries. They are keenly aware of the growing focus on environmental sustainability and the important role ITOs will play in disseminating the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve improved energy efficiencies in the built environment.
Within the project, each ITO will determine the skills and knowledge required by practitioners in their respective sectors and then develop new training material as necessary.
All qualifications will be registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) which is maintained by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA).
The project will also produce an education plan to document how new training material will be implemented.
For more information contact Brian Fawdray.
Education Plan for Sustainable Energy now available
The Education Plan for Sustainable Energy in the Domestic & Commercial Built Environment is now available for download in PDF format below. Alternatively, you can request a printed copy.
Education Plan for Sustainable Energy
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Updates
July-August 2011
Nineteen new unit standards developed for the National Diploma in Renewable Energy (Level 4) were placed on the NZQF in the Renewable Energy Systems subfield (this new subfield was mentioned in the May-June report). The qualification itself is expected to be placed on the NZQF by mid-September.
Changes were made to the education plan based on feedback received from key stakeholders. The plan is now ready to publish. To request a copy, please email Brian Fawdray.
The next phase of the SEDCE Project is to help facilitate the introduction of the new qualification. This will involve:
- developing a method to recognise competency of renewable energy workers
- proposing additional renewable energy content in the New Zealand Diploma in Engineering to provide a pathway for people who want to progress to technician or engineering levels within the renewable energy industry
- confirming compatibility with Australian renewable energy training
- confirming with EWRB the relationship between the National Diploma in Renewable Energy (Level 4) and the electrical registration category of Electrical Installer - Renewable Energy.
May-June 2011
A new “Renewable Energy Systems” subfield and three domains were established within the Engineering & Technology Field on the NZQF. The domains will hold the newly developed renewable energy assessment standards when the NZQA evaluation process is completed in about August 2011. ESITO and ETITO are accredited to assess to Level 6 in the new subfield.
A full draft of the Renewable Energy Education Plan was completed and ready for review by key stakeholders at the end of June. The breadth of consultation during development of the National Certificate in Renewable Energy (Level 4) and the education plan is demonstrated by the numbers. Twenty-four different organisations provided direct information and advice while another 25 were consulted for miscellaneous reasons during the project. In addition, the education plan contains some 42 references to websites containing reports and other relevant information researched to support statements and conclusions in the plan.
April 2011
The NZQA approval process for the developed National Certificate in Renewable Energy (Level 4) is continuing. Four ITOs (PGDRITO, EXITO, BCITO, AgITO and HortITO) with a possible interest in challenging the proposed new Renewable Energy Systems subfield and three new domains within it have all given their endorsement.
Development of the RE Education Plan is continuing with particular focus on demand for RE training. RE systems are currently being installed and research suggests there should be a rapid increase in PV installations from 2012 onwards as power prices rise and PV costs reduce. However there is little current demand for RE training, and future demand is unlikely to match the increase in installations unless there is an installer certification and the public is aware of it. This presents a problem to ETITO, the ITO with coverage for the qualification, and to potential providers because funding considerations mean they need some assurance over student numbers before introducing the course. Discussions with EECA and other interested bodies are proposed to address this concern.
February-March 2011
The National Certificate in Renewable Energy (Level 4) and related unit standards were forwarded to NZQA in February 2011 and are currently following due process to establish them on the NZQF. To address recently raised concerns from one party in the industry advisory group, a revision is planned following approval by NZQA and before the end of 2011 to widen strand options by defining some elective units within the set of unit standards already developed. It was determined that this was the better course to take rather than delay establishment of the qualification and unit standards on the NZQF.
ETITO has also applied for a new subfield entitled “Renewable Energy Systems”.
The Education Plan template is designed and entries are being made to sections as information is returned from a wide range of stakeholders. Organisations approached as potential contributors of material or advice for the plan include : EE-Oz, ECANZ, EECA, EMANZ, IPENZ, ITF, Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drain layers NZ, NZ Green Council, NZCTU, SEANZ, Solar Industries Association, BETA, ESITO, ETITO, Energy Options, and all ITPs.
January 2011
Due to resource constraints at ETITO, the newly developed renewable energy qualification documents intended to be submitted to NZQA in December 2010 did not occur. The revised date for dispatching the documents will be in February 2011.
The second phase of the project is to develop an Education Plan for Sustainable Energy in the Domestic and Commercial Built Environment. The plan will contain a wide range of information around the newly developed qualification and potential extension from it into other trade sectors. Proposed sections will include: career paths, sustainable energy employment demand profiles, training pathways, articulation routes between qualifications, recommended secondary study pathways, trade registration and accreditation implications, provider resources, and fulfillment information. A comprehensive education plan will have a structure that accommodates all relative trade areas in due course even though there might not be an immediate need for other qualifications to be developed. Potential contributors of information and advice for the Plan will be invited to participate in early February 2011.
December 2010
Final formatting of the new qualification and associated unit standards continued with the intention of submitting to NZQA for approval before the end of the year.
October-November 2010
Industry consultation and course development continued through November to the point that the structure and content of a Certificate in Renewable Energy Level 4 was established. Initially the qualification will have four strands covering photovoltaics, wind, micro-hydro and design. Additional strands may be added in future if needed.
August-September 2010
After receiving further feedback and a holding a continuing series of meetings with individual consultant group members, a qualification and pathways that will meet most needs is close to final definition. It is intended that any further feedback is received by 19 October 2010 so that the Consultant Group conference on that date is a final affirmation of the structure and content.
Consultant group members have indicated workers in the small scale Renewable Energy (RE) industry are needed at varying levels of competency. At least four required levels are:
- “Mounters” who are capable of installing pieces of RE equipment but not carrying out electrical work.
- Registered Electrical Installers with RE competencies who are permitted to install and maintain electrical conductors.
- Those registered to perform Prescribed Electrical Work and connect to public power supplies, i.e. Electricians, Electrical Engineers, and Electrical Inspectors.
- Specialist skills including design (demand, resources), energy management, energy auditing, hybrid energy systems, etc.
Consensus is for the cornerstone qualification to be at level 4 and covering installation, commissioning, servicing and maintaining small scale renewable energy (electricity) installations. Entry to the course will be for registered electrical workers, i.e. electrical installers, electricians, electrical engineers and inspectors, or by completion of approved qualifications that provide the necessary prerequisite electrical knowledge to understand the level 4 RE course material.
Two lower level qualifications are suggested, the first for “mounters”, the second to provide the prerequisite electrical knowledge for entry into the Level 4 course for non-electrically registered applicants. Detailed design of these two courses is currently sidelined while priority of development resources is given to the Level 4 course. It is possible that further investigation might reveal existing courses that partially or fully meet these requirements.
The New Zealand Qualification Authority (NZQA) is introducing an updated NZ Qualifications Framework in October this year. One objective of the new framework is to reduce the number of national and local qualifications by amalgamating all similar qualifications into one national qualification with programes within them to cater for specialist strands. We will be seeking advice from NZQA on how this will affect the RE qualification but a possible outcome will be that this qualification will become a programme within a wider Energy or Renewable Energy national qualification with other programes within it being developed by other industry groups. This process will have a bearing on the name of the qualification. For example, the certificate awarded might be for the "National Certificate in Renewable Energy [strand] Level 4" where an example of strand might be "Installing, Commissioning and Maintaining Small Scale Grid-connected Photovoltaic Systems" .
July 2010
Considerable feedback and discussion on the structure and content of an Renewable Energy (RE) qualification was received from Consultant Group members. Meetings were held with three consultant group members who are also employers in the small RE sector to further understand their priorities with respect to staff training in RE related competencies. Following the issue of a second document intended to accommodate received feedback, a second round of comments has commenced. There appears to be consensus for a course composed of common compulsory units plus strands for each small RE technology. While the majority agree that photovoltaics are the prevalent technology and a PV strand should be developed first, discussion is continuing on whether PV should be compulsory for all students, or alternatively, the course should be structured to allow completion of, say, wind or micro-hydro generation strands independent on the a PV strand.
Click below to download previous project updates.SEDCE Project updates, 2010
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