Cape Town - The SA National Energy Development Institute (Sanedi) and the Institute of Energy Professionals Africa (IEPA) have launched a new training initiative where 50 young and mostly unemployed electricians would be trained to help make thousands of buildings in South Africa more energy efficient.
The young electricians would soon begin the 3-month EPC Practitioner Skills Programme enabling them, with the energy usage data required, to issue Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and give buildings a rating based on the amount of energy consumed per square metre.
Sanedi renewable energy manager Karen Surridge said owners of buildings such as office facilities, educational institutions, sporting facilities and community centres were required to obtain and prominently display an EPC by December 7 this year, and if building owners did not comply, they would face a fine of R5 million or five years’ imprisonment.
“With buildings estimated to be responsible for between 30% and 40% of carbon emissions worldwide, the South African government has introduced the regulations primarily to encourage building owners to work towards making their buildings as energy efficient as possible,” she said.
Surridge said EPCs were issued by companies accredited by the South African National Accreditation System (Sanas), but many more energy companies employing thousands of people with EPC skills would be required to obtain energy usage data on the thousands of buildings covered by these regulations.
“The EPC Practitioner Skills Programme has the potential to create many thousands of jobs. The programme is particularly welcome for qualified young electricians unable to find work,” Surridge said.
Doctor Senamela, a highly qualified mechanical engineering technician, was unable to find work last year, but he completed an EPC practitioner course and was fortunate to find work with a company accredited to issue EPCs.
The course would be available at the College of Cape Town and Ekurhuleni East TVET College after the EPC Practitioner Skills Programme was completed.