Successful First Quarter for the Green Energy Centre’s Renewable Training Academy
The award winning Green Energy Centres recently unveiled the UK’s first Renewable Training Academy of Excellence at their base in Ferndown for trades people wanting to learn about renewable energy and develop their skills in greener technologies.
The Academy is a fully interactive innovative institution offering high quality training in all aspects of energy efficiency – including training rigs, mock roof installations of photo-voltaics, solar thermal and air source heat pumps etc.
Danny Godfrey, Managing Director of the Dorset based Green Energy Centres (interactive and educational showrooms which demonstrates how homes can lower their carbon emissions) commented: “I absolutely thrilled as to the reaction we’ve had for the Renewable Training Academy. My dream has always been to bring the renewable technology industry deeper into the public domain so that sustainable technologies can be even more accessible to people and utilised within their homes.”
With rising fuel prices and concerns over climate change there is an increasing demand for greener and lower carbon producing technology. The problem, Danny Godfrey points out is that within the market place there is a lack of local and knowledgeable trades people with current in depth knowledge and experience of these newer technologies. Danny said: “Over the next 40 years the renewable technology industry is going to expand greatly, it is imperative to provide an opportunity for trades people and young adults wishing to enter into the industry to update their skill set so that they are ready to meet this new demand.”
The price of greener technologies has certainly come down in recent years, making it a much more affordable option to the public and with the government’s introduction of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) more and more households are turning to greener options – not only are they better for the environment, but in the long run they are money saving as well.
Indeed, the government recently confirmed their commitment to reducing the UK’s greenhouse gases by 80 percent by 2050. In order to achieve this, carbon reducing schemes and incentives have begun to be put in place. The Department of Energy and Climate Change stated that over 100,000 homes use microgeneration technologies and this number is set to rise as the government wishes to reach its target that all new builds will be carbon neutral from 2016.
Danny Godfrey commented: “From speaking to those in the industry there is a lot of confusion over which technology is the most appropriate to use for particular households, added to the fact there are numerous grants on offer – some people can feel rather overwhelmed by the information. What we intend to provide at the Training Academy is a hands-on, no-nonsense, plain English guide to understanding the industry and technologies on offer so that plumbers, builders etc can improve their knowledge, confidence and update their skills.”
Training offered by the Renewable Training Academy includes:
- How to sell renewable technologies
- Tuition on the installation and maintenance of renewable technologies
- Advice on regulations and standards
- Guidance on government targets
- Guidance on grants available from the government, local authorities and energy specialists
- Advice on how to calculate household carbon energy expenditure and how to improve energy rating
- Unravelling industry terminology
If you would like to find out more about the Renewable Training Academy then log onto the website at www.renewabletrainingacademy.co.uk.
If you would like to find out more about The Green Energy Centre or the Renewable Training Academy or would like to interview Danny Godfrey, please contact Darren Northeast of Darren Northeast PR (working on behalf of The Green Energy Centre) on 01202 676762 or pr@darrennortheast.co.uk.
Dorset Launches Green Energy Centres
November saw the launch of two green energy centres, one in Ferndown and one in Christchurch.
They are one stop shops that have been established to promote renewable energy technology.
The products displayed include ground and air source pumps, photovoltaics, solar thermal, timber windows, cavity wall insulation, loft insulation, solar sun tubes, wood burning stoves and low energy lighting etc.
The concept is that members of the public can walk into one of the centres, details of their way of life are fed into a computer and their carbon footprint is processed and issued. They will then discover that all the products mentioned above are working models and would eventually be encouraged to consider fitting these in their home to reduce their carbon emissions in their home.
For more information please visit - http://www.caringforourworld.co.uk or call the advice team on 0800 975 0166
Greener Class Rooms
The Green Energy School Project has recently invested £13,000 to buy and refit a bus. Working with West Dorset District Council and other local authorities, schools will be offered the opportunity to receive a visit from the Green Bus so that children will have the opportunity to see and learn, first hand about the renewable energy technologies. Once the pilot programme has been tried and tested in 15 local schools, the project will be accessible to a further 30 schools in 2011 and then rolled out nationally for 2012, along with a local and national competition.
Lesson plans are in the process of being written which will complement the Green Energy Bus. These plans and resources will be accessible on the website. The Green Energy Centre understands that it is imperative that our children are educated in reducing carbon emissions as our world is their future. Choices made today will affect our world tomorrow.
Hitting The Headlines
The Green Energy Centres have recently been hitting the news! The BBC recently spent nearly a whole day filming at our Ferndown Green Energy Centre, with it being featured in a ten minute slot on the BBC’s Politics Show on BBC2.
The BBC are also promoting the centres on their website, please visit http://tiny.cc/JWXnq
A spokesperson from the centres have also appeared on BBC Radio Solent, on The Good Life Show and as a news interview piece. Although the project is still in its infancy, interest is mounting because people can see the enormous potential that the centres have to engage and educate people in renewable technology.
Act on CO2 Partnership
We have been working closely with the Department of Energy and Climate Change in order to promote the benefits of insulation to the general public and have been successful in having CWI included in the coverage.
The adverts will run from next Monday 11th January kicking off with a centre spot during the break in Emmerdale followed by an early evening news slot on Wednesday together with coverage in the general press and radio stations (national TV coverage both on terrestial and satellite stations) – these will feature both loft (including top ups) and cavity wall insulation and also advise on the savings that can be made by having these measures installed.
There will be a particular focus on householders with a regional bias for the East of England, North and South East – the Act on CO2 website will be the main contact point which is also linked to our postcode locator and should generate additional leads for our members.
To find out more visit Act on CO2′s official website: http://actonco2.direct.gov.uk/actonco2/home.html
