Last edited 30 May 2022

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Net-zero carbon opportunities for electrotechnical contractors

[edit] Net Zero Carbon Opportunities for ECA members

[edit] Planning for a Green Pivot v 1.2

Highlighting new opportunities, training and accreditation for electrotechnical contractors in the world of the ‘Green Economy’

[edit] Key information

Much of the work in reaching our Net Zero Carbon 2050 targets fall within the scope of the electrical contractor
Funded schemes may require specific training and accreditations
Contains guidance on schemes, training and accreditations

[edit] What, Why, When, How?

With so much rhetoric regarding NET Zero Carbon, it can be difficult for the electrical contractor to know what way to go. With previous ‘green’ schemes coming and going over the years, there can be an element of uncertainty as to whether this direction of travel will be maintained. The ‘cliff-edge’ changes to the Feed-in-tariff (FIT) led to much disruption and heartache to Solar PV installers, with many exiting the industry.

ECA are confident, that with the government’s commitment to achieving Net Zero Carbon by 2050 and the overall international acknowledgement that the risk of inactivity in addressing climate change is an existential threat, that the industry should be confident in its continued direction of travel.

Importantly, for the UK to meet its commitments, the bulk of the work must start now. The Government has indicated £12 Billion of investment for the Green Economy, released its 10-point plan, energy white paper and launched the brief Green Homes Grant- giving industry and the public further confidence that ‘the work starts now’.

(Note: we anticipate additional announcements in the run up to COP26)

[edit] Opportunities

Aside from societal change, much of the work required to meet our Net Zero Carbon targets require the skill set of the electrician. Numerous opportunities are available to the electrical contractor and many of these are depicted in Figure 1: Potential low-carbon works for the electrician.

This guidance will focus on immediate areas that the electrical contractor can consider as part of their ‘green pivot’, highlighting the technologies, training and certification routes and also schemes driving adoption of these technologies.

[edit] Electrification of transport

Electric Vehicles (EV) With the 2030 ban on sales of internal combustion vehicles (ICE), the move to electric vehicles will accelerate from an early adopter base- through to mainstream exponentially. As such there will be ever-increasing demands for the supportive infrastructure:

Electric Vehicle Charge point (EVCP) installations: o Domestic
- Commercial
- Local authorities
Ultra-rapid charging infrastructure
- Significant public and private funding are being put into expanding the public ultra- rapid charging infrastructure. Often this is utilising a combination of close-coupled onsite solar PV generation and EESS. Note: Gridserve has opened the first of 100 dedicated EV charging sites planned for the next 5 years, facilitating the charging of 36 EVs at any one time, in Braintree, Essex.

ECA has produced guidance on EV chargepoint installations and the process of OLEV registration:

[edit] Rail network

The mass expansion of the full electrification of railways is expected. Currently, only 38% of the UK's rail networks are electrified (https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/media/1842/rail-infrastructure-assets-2019-20.pdf)

Minor networks are being trialled utilising battery storage and local generation options to mitigate against the deployment of 3rd rail / overhead lines along the duration of the track.

[edit] Shipping ports

Shipping ports are responsible for more than double the CO2 emissions created by the rail networks. There will be an increase in works to electrify all UK shipping ports, many of which are currently supported through diesel and gas plant.

[edit] Electrification of heating

There is an increasing focus on moving the majority of our heating in the built environment from fossil fuels (gas/oil) to electricity. This is due to the increasingly decarbonised electrical energy system. The two main options are through heat-pumps (favoured by Government policy) and through direct electrification of heating.

Deployment of both should be conducted in addition to a fabric first approach to reduce the thermal demands of a building, thereby reducing the electricity demands on the network and balancing the running costs against current gas-fuelled buildings.

Note: Arguments exist against the use of electrification of heating due to running costs, however, by bringing down the thermal demand of the building through insulative measures cancels this out. Additionally, the supply of gas is essentially subsidised, and environmental levies are in the main added to the electrical component of our energy supplies. There are proposals to readdress this (https://www.regen.co.uk/graphic-of-the-month-reconfiguring-domestic-environmental-levies-into-a-carbon-levy-to-incentivise-low-carbon-heating/)

[edit] Heat-pumps

Following the Governments 10-point plan, 600,000 heat-pumps will be required to be installed every year by 2028 leading to an exponential ramp-up in the numbers of installers of this technology over the next decade.

Heat-pumps are a true mechanical/electrical (M&E) function. Whilst it is, in every sense ‘electrification of heating’, in the main a lot of the installation works involve ‘wet’ skills- the plumbing and the traditional heating engineer’s skill set. There is however an abundance of electrical controls within a heat-pump installation, which in addition to the electrical connection and evaluation of the suitability of the supply to the building (a pre-requisite for DNO notification of heat-pump installations), fall more within the scope and capabilities of the electrical installer.

ECA propose two options for this:

Have in-house heating engineers or cross-train installers to be able to deliver the full works package.
Partner with an existing heating engineering company for the ‘wet’ works

For option 1, the following pathway has been proposed by the Heat Pump Association (HPA) in collaboration with the Chartered Institution for Plumbing and Heating Engineers (CIPHE):

Attain NVQ level 2 (min) plumbing and heating. (16- week course)
Take the technologically agnostic, CIPHE heating design course (2 days)
Take the heat-pump foundation course (2 days)
Take individual heat pump course (1-day ea)
Gain certification MCS or equivalent

Whilst this may be an option for some, partnering up with an existing heating installer/company may prove the easiest route.

[edit] Heat-pump design

For heat-pumps to operate correctly and efficiently, they must be designed accordingly. Historically heating systems were simply oversized to their application, to ensure that there was adequate output. This can no-longer occur. As such whole building heat loss calculations must be carried out to ensure that the right-sized heat-pump is installed and also that the right-sized heat emitters are used in each room. (Bringing down the thermal demand for the building is key and is why a fabric first approach should be adopted for all retro-fit works).

The electrical engineer is well placed to be able to take on the design side of a heat-pump installation as they are used to the methodology of circuit design. As such the CIPHE heating design course may be something to consider. Further information on heating design can be found in the CIBSE Domestic Heating Design Guide (imminent release of updated version due).

Due to the sheer numbers of heat-pumps intended to be installed to meet our Net Zero Carbon 2050 commitment, the UK will need involvement from both the traditional heating sector and electricians. It is also envisaged that industry may see an increase in multi-disciplined installers. There is certainly scope for developing Low Carbon Solutions companies or ‘arms’ of existing contracting companies, solely focusing on offering the whole gamut of ‘green technology’ installations.

[edit] Direct electrification of heat

Often overlooked, the direct electrification of heat can offer a good solution.

For well-insulated new buildings (such as those conforming to NZEB or PassivHaus standards) and buildings that have been extensively retrofitted, direct electrification of heat- such as electric underfloor heating (UFH), electric panel heaters and infra-red (IR) heaters offer a low-cost solution. Benefits include low product cost, low installation cost and less disruption during installation to the end-user.

Smart Storage Heaters are another solution for many properties and can work with various time-of- use (ToU) tariffs, offering the ability to ‘charge’ during off-peak times, which can also benefit DNOs through grid balancing.

Note: Current building regulations rely on SAP 2012 data, which penalises electric heating due to outdated embedded carbon factors (Primary Energy Factor) of the electricity network. However, the proposed uplift to Building Regulations Parts L and F cite that the latest version of SAP, which will be SAP 10.2, will be used which have up to date embedded carbon factors. This will favour the electrification of heating.

[edit] Solar PV & EESS

[edit] Solar PV

The solar PV market in the UK has experienced a bumpy ride over the past decade but has gone from virtually none existent to having very visible deployment nationwide. This was aided through the Feed-in-tariffs, which also left the industry bruised through numerous ‘cliff-edge’ cuts in tariff rates.

Post FITs, the industry has bounced back to a stable position and solar PV is being included in many new-build and retrofit projects. This is anticipated to increase. Building Integrated PV (BIPV) is now the preferred installation method for new-build properties, being embedded within the roof, providing increased aesthetics, reducing the consideration for snow and wind loading as well as displacing materials and associated costs from a traditional construction.

Smart Export Guarantees (SEGs) now exist, offering payments to the user for any energy exported. These average around 5ppkWh, but can be as high as 11ppkWh. Solar Energy UK provide an up-to- date league table of SEG rates on offer. However, the use of Electrical Energy Storage Systems (EESS)- batteries allow generators to make better use of their generated energy. Solar PV installations currently qualify under the Green Homes Grant- but solely for Local Authority works.

Innovative group buying schemes are emerging, such as Solar Together, who work with local councils, to offer their constituents well priced solar PV and EESS systems. Installers can register as a sub- contractor through the following link: Installers for Solar Together Application.

Several Solar PV training courses are available, and these are listed in the Low Carbon Technology and Assessment Courses on Table 1, page 9 and 10 of the Net Zero Carbon Opportunities for ECA members; Planning for a Green Pivot v 1.2 (Note: The widely used City & Guides 2399 has been discontinued).

[edit] Electrical Energy Storage Systems (EESS)

As mentioned above EESS allow clients to better utilise their on-site generation. Whilst in the past this was the sole driver for EESS installations, the increasing offerings of time-of-use (ToU) tariffs from energy suppliers, allows users to buy energy when it is discounted, or in some instances be paid to take up excess grid capacity. This can facilitate lower running costs of a property, but the energy can also be sold back to the grid during periods of high demand, at a higher price- thereby enabling ‘gaming’ and driving adoption.

Currently, EESS training is, in the main, provided by manufacturers, with no standard industry training available. However, the IET has recently released the second edition of the Code of Practice for Electrical Energy Storage Systems (December 2020), which contains up to date information on design, installation and configurations. Members intending on installing EESS are advised to familiarise themselves with this publication.

Note: An MCS Electrical Energy Storage System training course is currently being developed and should be available in the latter half of 2021.

[edit] Energy Efficiency

It is also worth considering energy efficiency training as clients are becoming aware of the need to reduce their energy consumption and the electrical contractor can be key to identifying and facilitating some of this. This could provide a useful conversation piece with clients and potentially leading to additional works.

ECA has produced two checklists available for members and clients to aid with these decisions:

https://www.eca.co.uk/business-industry-support/energy-environment/energy-efficiency-technologies/energy-efficiency-checklists

However, it may be that you wish to have accredited services that you wish to offer in this regard. Courses such as the Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA), Non-Domestic Energy Assessor (NDEA) can prove useful, as well as being able to offer EPCs.

Training links are listed in the Low Carbon Technology and Assessment Courses on Table 1, page 9 and 10 of the Net Zero Carbon Opportunities for ECA members; Planning for a Green Pivot v 1.2

[edit] Low Carbon Technology and Assessment Courses

The Low Carbon Technology and Assessment Courses on Table 1, page 9 and 10 of the Net Zero Carbon Opportunities for ECA members; Planning for a Green Pivot v 1.2 shows a selection of current low carbon technology installation courses along with retrofit (PAS2035) and energy assessor courses that are available. (Note these are subject to change).

Additional free online training on various aspects of energy efficiency is provided through the Schneider Energy University. https://www.schneideruniversities.com/ This is a useful resource and covers a variety of solutions. It is free to register and to use and the solutions presented are manufacturer specific.

[edit] Grants and schemes

Public Funded Works

Publicly funded works such as those under ECO3 or delivered through local authorities are likely to require works to be delivered under the PAS2035 framework.

(Note: An example of the requirements were through the Green homes Grant (GHG) which was launched in autumn 2020 and concluded on 31st March 2021 providing a (short) stimulus for a post-Covid recovery coupled with an economic drive for towards the Green Economy. It is anticipated that a robust long-term successor scheme will be announced prior to COP 26.)

The installer is required to have the following registration/certification in order to tender for and install under such schemes:

Trustmark registration for types of works being installed
- (ECA members can obtain TM for electrical works. Specific technologies (such as PV), will need additional registration once training and certification has been attained)
Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) registration for each type of technology being installed:
- SolarPV
- SolarThermal
- Heatpumps(ASHP/GSHP)
Certified under PAS 2030 (2017) or PAS 2030 (2019)
Certified under PAS 2035:2019 (for installations on park homes, high rise buildings (HRBs) and buildings that are both traditionally constructed and protected)

[edit] MCS Certification

Whilst the requirement for MCS certification came into question following the demise of the Feed- in-Tariffs, ECA deems merit in attaining certification with the scheme for the following reasons:

Requirement for the client to obtain Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) from solar PV, wind and micro-CHP up to 50kW.
Requirement for installations installed under PAS 2030 / PAS2035
Requirement for installations installed under Green homes Grant (GHG)

(Note: for all the above schemes equivalent to MCS may be considered. At this moment in time the only alternative is Flexi-orb, which offers similar certification to MCS but may not be recognised by all energy suppliers.)

[edit] MCS Installation Standards

The installation standards of MCS are split into core requirements and certification along with standards to each relevant technology, as shown in Figure 4 MCS Scheme Structure.

All scheme documents are freely available from the MCS website.

https://mcscertified.com/standards-tools-library/

[edit] Contractor requirements within MCS

An MCS contractor must operate a Quality Management System (QMS) and this should be proportionate to the size and activities of the business.
The MCS contractor must operate from an identifiable physical trading address.
The MCS Contractor shall be a member of, and when dealing with domestic customers shall have agreed to comply with a code of practice (consumer code) relevant to the scope of the
business.
All personnel undertaking the design, installation, set to work and/or commissioning
activities must have received adequate training, and be able to demonstrate competence in each of the areas/operations in which they are involved.
- A non-exhaustive list of recognised training courses recognised by MCS is listed within the annexe of MCS Competency Guidance

[edit] How to register with MCS

Applicants should contact an accredited certification body such as NICEIC who operate the MCS scheme.
The accredited certification body will then provide the appropriate application form, notify of applicable fees and the information required. (Note: applicants may apply for multiple microgeneration technologies at this point.)
The certification body will review the application
The applicant shall provide, where requested, details of recent or current installations. Access to installations selected by the certification body should be arranged. (Note: At this stage, the contractor nor the installation is MCS certified)
Assessment for initial certification will include both office assessment and site assessment covering the technologies applied for.
The contractor proposes any corrective actions for non-conformities raised by the certification body.
The certification assesses the corrective actions (if any) and once fully satisfied that the requirements of MCS have been met, certifies the Contractor.
The MCS contractor can now re-commission the installation and issue a new commissioning certificate and register the installation on the MCS Installation Database (MID)

[edit] PAS 2030 and PAS 2035

With an increased focus on retro-fit activities, PAS 2030 and PAS 2035 schemes are increasingly being required and are specifically required for any public-funded works such as the Green Homes Grant and the Energy Companies Obligation (ECO). Compliance is a mandatory requirement of schemes wanting to operate under Trustmark.

ECA anticipate this to be the case for most, if not all, funded works going forward. 13

A PAS (Publicly Available Specification) is a fast-track standardization document – the result of an expert consulting service from BSI. It defines good practice for a product, service or process. PAS 2030 and PAS 2035 have been developed to apply this to all energy-related retrofit works in the built environment.

[edit] PAS 2030

PAS 2030 is a certification for the installer of specified work within the scheme. Examples of the types of work covered by PAS 2030 include:

Heating: including Condensing Boilers (Gas\LPG\Oil) Fired (Domestic and Non-Domestic), Heating Controls. Under-Floor Heating, Flue Gas Recovery, Heating Systems Insulation (pipes and cylinders), Warm Air Units
Insulation: including Cavity Walls, Loft, Pitched Roof, Flat Roof, External Wall, Internal Wall, Hybrid and Floor and Draught Proofing
Electrical: including Lighting Controls (Non-Domestic only), Light Fittings, Storage Heaters
Renewable technologies: including Micro CHP, Ground Source Heat Pumps, Air Source Heat Pumps, Biomass Boilers, Solar Thermal, Solar Photovoltaic

Pricing for the Pas 2030 Installer scheme is based on the number of individual measures you want to be assessed for. Existing registered contractors can benefit from reduced prices by combining scheme assessments.

[edit] PAS 2035

Retrofit Advisor (likely to be moved to a web/phone service)
Retrofit Assessor
Retrofit Co-ordinator
Retrofit Designer
Retrofit Evaluator

One person may fulfil multiple roles.

An overview of the intended operation of the PAS2035 scheme and the role of the retrofit co- ordinator can be viewed in the video: The Retrofit model

The role, qualification and accreditations are shown in the PAS 2030 / PAS 2035 role and requirements Table 2 page 15 and 16 of the Net Zero Carbon Opportunities for ECA members; Planning for a Green Pivot v 1.2

Further information can be found at www.retrofitacademy.org

Retrofit Installer, Assessor and Co-ordinator training are listed in the Low Carbon Technology and Assessment Courses on Table 1, page 9 and 10 of the Net Zero Carbon Opportunities for ECA members; Planning for a Green Pivot v 1.2

[edit] Summary

Decide on what technologies and services you wish to offer.
Take the relevant industry training course.
Consider MCS certification; Familiarise yourself with criteria requirements: mcscertified.com. Register with MCS through your certification body (e.g. NICEIC).
Register with Trustmark regarding the relevant technologies you wish to install.
If required, gain certification for PAS 2030 as an installer through your certification body (e.g. NICEIC )
If required gain certification for PAS 2035 for various roles Retrofit Academy.
Consider partnering for the wet heating aspect.
Consider Energy assessment as an entry point to customers.