New Entrant Renewable Engineer

There has never been a better time to look to the future and plan for the changes that you would like to make in your life and career. With the Government drive on reducing carbon emissions becoming more solid and defined every day, now is the time to take advantage of Renewable Technology training.

Incentives are already in place for those producing energy (electricity) by using Solar Photovoltaic Panels, Wind Turbines and Hydro Power. FITs (Feed In Tariffs) pay you for the energy you produce and use in your property or sell back to the grid.

Lined up for 2011 we have RHI (Renewable Heat Incentive) which will see customers rewarded for generating their own heat using: Solar Thermal panels, Heat Pumps or Biomass.

The financial reward will be determined by an estimate of how much heat the renewable energy systems will produce and a fixed amount is awarded based on the estimate.

With pay back incentives becoming available it is suggested that more and more people will alter their energy systems as this now makes installation more financially viable and coupled with the year on year savings it becomes an attractive investment for any home owner, especially those who are conservationally aware.

To qualify for financial incentives such as FITs and RHI the installer must be approved by MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) and the microgeneration product must carry the MCS mark.

To be able to provide training for Renewable Engineers in its entirety,  Able Skills has a dedicated Renewable Technology Training Centre which is state of the art and packed full of technology to provide training in: Heat Pumps, Solar Thermal, Rainwater and Greywater harvesting, Underfloor Heating, Domestic Ventilation and Woody Biomass and we have put together a package to suit anyone who is looking to start up a career and business as a Renewable Engineer.

In just 11 weeks we can provide you with training and assessment for:

Underpinning qualification and renewable technology pre requisite:

•    City & Guilds 6189 Level 2 Plumbing course

followed by

•    Renewable Energy Awareness certificate
•    Water regulations
•    Energy Efficiency
•    Vented and Unvented Hot Water Systems

needed to undertake training and assessment in

•    Solar Thermal and
•    Heat Pumps

As a bonus and whilst you are in the Renewables frame of mind, we will also provide training and assessment for

•    Rainwater and Greywater Harvesting and
•    Underfloor Heating (Installer)

All of the above listed Renewable Technology training courses are Bpec accredited so will provide Nationally recognised certification and a route in to the renewable technologies market.

And to ensure that you are completely ready to market your business and progress towards MCS approval and registration we will also provide a

•    MCS Quality System Manual and Workshop

By combining these qualifications into one discounted package,  you can save substantially against the separate purchase costs.

On successful completion of the above courses you will hold 9 industry recognised qualifications for the plumbing and Renewable technologies industries; the current industry recognised entry level to the plumbing sector is the C&G 6189.

We will also provide you with the recommended reading material: Level 2 NVQ/SVQ Plumbing Candidate Handbook by JTL.. In addition to this you will receive the relevant Bpec course manuals for each of the separate Bpec qualifications included in this package.

Course Structure:

This package of Plumbing and Renewable Technology qualifications can be achieved in around 11 weeks but following the 8 weeks for the Plumbing C&G 6189, there can be a break if required and the remaining courses can be spread over a longer period of time and delivered in stages; it does not have to be 11 consecutive weeks. This package option is also available using weekend training.

Following a deposit of £1000, the balance can be divided over the training period and paid in interest free instalments @ £436.87 per week for 8 weeks and then 6 instalments of £283.33.

City & Guilds 6189 – Level 2 Plumbing

This plumbing qualification course is a mixture of practical workshop and classroom training and will cover all the following units:

•    Safety
•    Key Principles
•    Common Plumbing Processes
•    Cold Water Systems
•    Domestic Hot Water Systems
•    Sanitation Systems
•    Central Heating Systems (Pipe work Only)
•    Electrical Supply and Earth Continuity
•    Sheet Weatherings
•    Environmental Awareness
•    Effective Working Relationships

Following training in all of the above units, assessment will be by a variety of methods including closed book on-line exams, open book on-line exams and practical assessments undertaken within the training centre.

All practical assessments are recorded, photographed and signed off by Able Skills qualified assessors, this is over seen by Able Skills own qualified Internal Verifiers. This system ensures that the entire course, practical through to written/online exams is carried out here on site at Able Skills and without delay.

Throughout your training we will provide all tools and materials required for you to successfully complete your assessments. All we ask is that you ensure that you have protective footwear and fire-retardant overalls are mandatory for this course.

We will also provide you with the recommended reading material: Level 2 NVQ/SVQ Plumbing Candidate Handbook by JTL.

This reference book will provide you with all the relevant information required to successfully complete this plumbing course. If you use this reference book as recommended by your instructor, it will help you achieve your goal.

We have relevant staff in place to cater for any difficulties you may encounter, including provision of readers for paper and online exams.

Bpec Renewable Energy Awareness certificate

The course covers provides an overview of the following technologies:

•    Solar Photovoltaic systems
•    Solar Thermal systems
•    Biomass domestic systems
•    Biogass systems
•    Micro wind systems
•    Micro hydro systems
•    Ground source heat pumps
•    Air to water heat pumps
•    Air to air heat pumps

The aim of the course is to raise awareness and help the delegate identify appropriate renewable technologies. The course helps the delegate identify:

•    Which type of technology bests suites a specific application
•    What end uses best suit the technology
•    Driving forces for using renewable technologies
•    Basic understanding of how technologies work and their working components
•    Where grants can be accessed and how this fits with MCS
•    Typical installation and running costs
•    Realistic pay back periods
•    The issues relating to installing green technologies
•    Planning and building control issues / requirements
•    Co2 savings for each technology

Bpec Water regulations

The course will cover the following areas and will conclude with an assessment to check knowledge and competence:

•    Introduction, background and legislation
•    The Water Regulations
•    Materials and substances in contact with water
•    Requirements for water fittings
•    Water System Design
•    Installation Commissioning
•    Cross Connections
•    Black flow prevention
•    Cold Water Services
•    Hot Water Services
•    WCs and Urinals
•    Sanitary Appliances and water for outside use

Bpec Energy Efficiency

The course modules cover:

•    Course aims and objectives
•    Energy efficiency cosiderations
•    The environment
•    Customer benefits
•    Boiler efficiency
•    SEDBUK ratings
•    CHESS best practice
•    Combination boiler
•    Soakaways
•    Radiator sizing
•    Boiler sizing
•    Weather compensation
•    Commissioning systems

This is a nationally recognised qualification and a certificate of competence will be issued on successful completion of the 30 question multiple choice assessment at the end of the course.

Bpec Solar Thermal

This BPEC accredited course is delivered in Able Skills Renewable Technologies Centre using our drain back and pressurised systems. The rigs are fitted to a full roof which allows the delegate to get hands on experience with realistic installation conditions.

•    Introduction to Domestic Solar Hot Water Thermal systems
•    Types of Solar Collector
•    Background to solar thermal and the market
•    Hot Water Storage and Installation
•    Site surveying & preparing to install systems
•    Fitting collectors on different applications
•    Plumbing layout and design
•    Control and Power Requirements
•    Commissioning and fault finding
•    MCS Grants and funding
•    Payback periods for solar thermal installations
•    Managing the customer
•    Practical Installation of panels

The course is a nice balance between presentation delivery and hands on practical tasks, such as fitting the panel and commissioning the system, filling and flushing. There is an assessment on the final day to ensure competence.

Bpec Heat Pumps

Heat Pumps course modules cover:

•    Environmental issues, background and advances in GSHP & ASHP
•    Main types of GSHP/ASHP systems
•    Site surveying and identification
•    System Design
•    Heat loss calculations for heat pumps
•    Installation methods
•    Commission systems
•    Fault finding and rectification
•    Servicing requirements for GSHP/ASHP systems
•    Legislation around refrigerant handling

At Able Skills Renewable Technologies Centre we have a large array of heat pumps which we can utilise for various exercises and fault finding tasks. We also have exploded views of actual heat pumps to aid identification of key components and therefore identification of the relevant circuits such as:

•    Refrigerant circuit
•    Heat distribution
•    Collector circuit

All of our pumps are working units and have programmable controls to replicate a complete installation. Through our unique Christianni teaching system we can also demonstrate heat pump efficiency gains through pre heating the collector circuit with solar or alternative renewable sources. Please see our mobile renewable training rigs for more details.

Bpec Rainwater and Greywater Harvesting

Each delegate will sit an assessment to demonstrate competency on the second day.

•    Rainwater & Greywater harvesting overview
•    Legislation surrounding these technologies
•    Health & Safety, installation and commissioning
•    Rainwater Harvesting calculations and sizing
•    Systems & Components
•    Water Quality Standards and their categories
•    Installation & Commissioning procedures
•    Maintenance and fault finding
•    Resources, external bodies and the code for sustainable homes
•    Assessment

Following theory and practical training, candidates who successfully complete the Rainwater and Greywater  Harvesting assessment will receive  BPEC certificates of competence and will also be able to carry out work in accordance with the scope of this course

Bpec Underfloor Heating (Installer)

The course is a good balance between theory and knowledge to practical application. Delegates will be required to complete a full under-floor installation including commissioning, this will be carried out in Able Skills Renewable Technology Centre.

The key objectives of the course are:

•    Explain the basic principles of underfloor heating (UFH) systems
•    State the advantages of UFH systems
•    Describe floor systems and finishes
•    State the various types of UFH systems available
•    Explain the operations of UFH systems
•    Describe general installation and testing requirements
•    Explain post installation activities for – commissioning, system operation and maintenance, troubleshooting and customer information/use.

MCS Quality System Manual and Workshop

Day 1

•    Presentation on the MCS scheme, policy, process and documentation
•    Overview of the technologies covered
•    Potential costs involved per technology or package
•    Creating the MCS quality manual
•    Registration process and documentation

Day 2

Workshop focusing on individual needs and the generic process used to ensure the MCS registration and approval is successful. The output from this workshop is an individual action plan and a suite of documentation and tools tailored to your needs and business.

Course Structure:

This package of Plumbing and Renewable Technology qualifications can be achieved in around 11 weeks but following the 8 weeks for the Plumbing C&G 6189, there can be a break if required and the remaining courses can be spread over a longer period of time and delivered in stages; it does not have to be 11 consecutive weeks. This package option is also available using weekend training.

Following a deposit of £1000, the balance can be divided over the training period and paid in interest free instalments @ £436.87 per week for 8 weeks and then 6 instalments of £366.66

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