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Sign up for the Basic Principles of the Near-Zero-Energy Building (NEA): Certification Course for Construction Technicians

The certification course “Basic principles of the almost zero-energy building”, developed by the Energy Efficiency Center EnEffect within the framework of the INSTRUCT project, financed by the Horizon 2020 program of the EU under Grant Agreement 894756, is aimed at professionals with the qualification “Construction technician “, but also applicable to other specialties of the professions “Builder” and “Builder-installer”. 

The current training scheme is in line with the requirements of the Bulgarian qualification framework, developing the knowledge, skills and competencies of construction technicians who graduated before 2022, which marks the introduction of specialized units of learning outcomes into the state educational standard for the profession “Construction Technician” , related to energy efficiency. The course includes 10 modules that form an initial understanding of the basic principles of the passive and near-zero energy building from the point of view of building physics:


0) Overview of the main terminologies, principles and legislation

1) Location, orientation and shape

2) Thermal insulation

3) Windows and shading

4) Air density

5) Thermal bridges

6) Ventilation with heat recovery (recuperation)

7) Heating and cooling

8) Integration of renewable energy installations

9) Renovation of existing buildings

10) Economic viability

The themes are supported by units of learning outcomes (ESU), which are divided into two levels: 1) ESU, providing a shared knowledge base related to the achievement of EUSR for all professions within professional fields 582 “Construction” and 522 Electrical and Energy, and 2) ERU, providing specialized knowledge for the specific profession 582010 “Construction Technician”.

A full description of the certification scheme and learning outcomes is available here.

The current scheme is a pilot stage towards the introduction of a system for continuing vocational education in the construction sector, which is expected to be developed and completed within the current project BUILD UP Skills Bulgaria 2030 with the participation of EnEffect, NAVET, SAVER, BCC and BACI.

To register for the course in Bulgarian, you need to log in or create a new account.

Disclaimer:

This projecthas received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 894756.

This publication reflects the views only of the authors. Neither the European Commission nor CINEA is responsible for any use which might be made of the information contained therein. The responsibility for the information and opinions expressed in this publication lies entirely with the author.

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INSTRUCT project website nominated in eu. Web Awards 2023

The Instruct Project website is nominated to the .eu Web Awards in the BETTER WORLD category! Don’t hesitate and vote for out website now!

Since 2014, this online competition has been recognizing the cream of the crop when it comes to websites using the .eu, .ею or .ευ extensions. Now the INSTRUCT project website has a chance to shine and win the marketing campaign for a budget of € 5 000. We kindly ask you to give your vote as we are fighting for the 1st prize!

How to vote?

Visit the website 2023 .eu Web Awards (eurid.eu), click NOMINEES in the main Menu, choose the category BETTER WORLD, and find INSTRUCTPROJECT.EU website on the 4th slide to click VOTE!

Selection of the winners and the prizes

Finalists with the highest scores from the jury will be selected as winners and will be announced during the Awards ceremony held on 16 November 2023.

The voting period runs until 18 August 2023! THANK YOU !

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EU-level forum partners

The EU-level forum aims at building up an EU-level forum for competence accreditation bodies for EE skills, comprising relevant associations that are responsible for the development of qualifications and certification schemes in the INSTRUCT member countries.

Interested to join the forum or to connect with one of its members? Then contact our INSTRUCT partner R2M Solution (Mohaddeseh Maktabifard – mohaddeseh.maktabifard@r2msolution.com)

Figure 1 Structure of INSTRUCT EU-level forum

1. FISE Qualification of Professionals in Building, HVAC and Real Estate Sector in Finland (FISE)

  • Website: https://fise.fi/en/certification-service/
  • Description: National-level accreditation body – FISE’s certification services provide support for the maintenance of professional skills in the entire industry and reinforce the culture of continuous learning in the construction industry. It consists of 81 certification designations.
  • Types of skills/qualification or certification schemes/labeling types: Qualification schemes/Certification schemes for educational organisations and training programs. The designation groups: Designers, site managers, construction project managers, supervisors and building investigators. Services include: certification for the following groups of construction project managers, general construction project manager (rap), senior general construction project manager (raps), designer of building physics, designer of concrete structures, material technical repair and alteration work, designer of concrete structures, designer of repair works to moisture damaged structures, principal designer, designer of fire safety, designer of timber structures, building designer, designer of steel structures
  • Country: Finland

2. Ecolabelling Finland

  •  Website: https://www.nordic-ecolabel.org/
  • Description: Ecolabelling assures that the renovation projects are carried out with strict environmental requirements, good quality assurance and with regard to a good indoor environment.
  • Types of skills/qualification or certification schemes/labelling types: The Nordic Swan Ecolabel creates sustainable solutions based on a life cycle assessment and an overall goal to reduce the environmental impact from production and consumption of goods. Tough requirements in all phases of a products life cycle and continuously tightening of these requirements to create a sustainable development is the foundation of the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, and what distinguishes the label from other labels – as well as being an official, independent and 3rd party certification.
  • Country: Finland

3. The Renewable Energy Institute – Galileo Master Certificate (GMC)

  • Website: https://www.renewableinstitute.org
  • Description: The GMC exam has been administered globally since 1975, and is awarded to 5000 professionals each year, across 300 global training courses, in collaboration with 21 leading universities.
  • Types of skills/qualification or certification schemes/labeling types: GMC is awarded to professionals working for Siemens, Energy Saving Trust, British Gas, Nokia, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, Solar Power Scotland, British Army, United Nations Development Programme, NATO, Ministry of Defence; as well as professionals, government officials and students worldwide
  • Country: UK

4. DB ENERGY – White Certificates

  • Website: https://www.dbenergy.pl/en
  • Description: DB Energy is a leading company in the energy efficiency improvement sector which provides complex consulting and manages investment projects for large- and medium-scale industrial plants.
  • Types of skills/qualification or certification schemes/labeling types: Certification on the areas of: Cooling systems modernisation, replacing the traditional lighting with LED technology, installation of systems for energy recovery, thermal efficiency improvement and technological processes automation.
  • Country: Poland

5. National Agency for Vocational Education and Training (NAVET)

  • Website: https://www.navet.government.bg/en/
  • Description: State institutions responsible for maintaining the State Educational Standards and accreditation of vocational training centers
  • Types of skills/qualification or certification schemes/labeling types: NAVET develops the State Educational Standards by professions that define and consist of professional knowledge, skills and competencies. It also licenses and conducts the follow-up control of the Vocational training centers (for persons over 16 years of age) and of the Centers for information and vocational guidance. NAVET’s other services include: Study of European experience and good practices in the field of VET and adaptation of good practices at national level – EQF/ NQF, ECVET, EQAVET, validation of professional knowledge, skills and competencies acquired through non-formal and informal learning./ NAVET assists in the international recognition of VET documents.
  • Country: Bulgaria
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INSTRUCT final results available with a single click

The INSTRUCT project has culminated in a series of impactful dissemination materials, collectively encapsulating the project’s most significant achievements and outcomes.

The final webinar, published in 2 parts on INSTRUCT project YouTube channel, highlights the most important outcomes of the INSTRUCT project, summarized by the project representatives from 3 different countries: Poland, UK, and Finland.

Complementing the webinar, the final video offers a visual journey through the project’s milestones, effectively conveying the essence of its impact and innovations.

Additionally, the final brochures serve as concise and comprehensive documents, distilling the complex outcomes into accessible and informative formats.

Together, these dissemination materials not only illuminate the culmination of the INSTRUCT project but also serve as lasting resources that contribute to the broader understanding of its contributions to society.

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Give your opinion on the energy renovation of your home!

We all jumped into the energy-saving challenge! In our research project, we invite you to give your opinion on the energy renovation of your home. Would you like to fill out the 3-minutes survey to make a contribution to the research?

In the frame of INSTRUCT project, we would like to invite you to share your opinion on the quality of the energy-efficiency renovations that have been made in your building. This questionnaire is addressed exclusively to house owners who have carried out an energy-efficiency renovation in their homes. It also raises questions about workers’ competencies in a very simple way.

The survey is conducted in 6 European countries to collect feedback from different regions and identify the added value of skilled professionals to buildings and homeowners.

 

 

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Join us at ‘Sustainable Energy Skills in the Construction Sector Workshop 3.0’ on 9th September during SP2022!

The European construction sector is one of the areas with the highest potential when it comes to reducing annual energy consumption. Facing many challenges to achieve ambitious energy efficiency objectives, this sector aims to go forward by applying successful training initiatives and supporting policy instruments.

For this reason, the creation of BUILD UP Skills, an EU Initiative to improve the qualification and skills of Europe’s building workers, acted as a springboard to stimulate the demand for energy efficiency skills. Furthermore, focusing on the continuing education of craftsmen and other on-site building workers, this initiative is home to most of the projects presented during the Sustainable Energy Skills in the Construction sector workshops 1.0 and 2.0. 

This workshop is a continuation of two previous Sustainable Energy Skills in the Construction Sector Workshop at SP2020 and SP2021. The objective of this workshop is to share expertise, lessons learned, and developed methodologies on energy efficiency skills competencies, and qualifications across the building design, operation, and maintenance value chain.

All specialists from the construction sector interested in the topic of energy efficiency are welcome to join us in person or online during

Sustainable Energy Skills in the Construction Sector Workshop 3.0

9th September at 9 a.m.

REGISTRATION

Participating projects: INSTRUCTBUSLeagueTRAIN4SUSTAINPRO-HeritageARISESEEtheSkillsBusGoCircularThe nZEB Roadshow and nZEB Ready

Participating European Commission representative: Luca Angelino, Project Adviser, EASME

Session Chair: Mohaddeseh Maktabifard (R2M Solution)

AGENDA

09.00 – 09.15Welcome statement
Luca ANGELINO
European Commission, EASME
09.15 – 09.30Workshop overview
Mohaddeseh Maktabifard
R2M
09.30 – 09.45PRO-Heritage (GA ID: 785211) – End date: 31 Jul. 2022
Gerald Wagenhofer
UBW
09.45 – 10.00TRAIN4SUSTAIN (GA ID: 894514) – End date: 31 Oct. 2022
Uli Jakob
JER
10.00 – 10.15INSTRUCT (GA ID: 894756) – End date: 30 Nov. 2022
Lukasz Wilczynski
ASM
10.15 – 10.30BUSLeague (GA ID: 892894) – End date: 28 Feb. 2023
Jan Cromwijk
ISSO
10.30 – 10.45The nZEB Roadshow (GA ID: 892378) – End date: 31 May. 2023
Horia Petran
NIRD URBAN-INCERC
10.45 – 10.55Q&A 1
All the panelists
10.55 – 11.10SEEtheSkills (GA ID: 101033743) – End date: 31 May. 2024
Lihnida Stojanovska-Georgievska
UKIM
11.10 – 11.25ARISE (GA ID: 101033864) – End date: 29 Feb. 2024
Paul McCormack
BelfastMet
11.25 – 11.40BUS-GoCircular (GA ID: 101033740) – End date: 29 Feb. 2024
Jan Cromwijk
ISSO
11.40 – 11.55nZEB Ready (GA ID: 101033733) – End date: 31 Aug. 2024
Horia Petran
NIRD URBAN-INCERC
11.55 – 12.05Q&A 2
All the panelists
12.05 – 12.20Discussion, wrap-up and next steps
Mohaddeseh Maktabifard
R2M
12.20 – 12.30Conclusion
Luca ANGELINO
European Commission, EASME
12.30End of the session
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