For those who have not had any practical training as an energy inspector, one of the course packages offered by the NHER sets aside the classroom lecture method and involves one day of workshops broken up into small groups and one day of home energy assessment visits.
No more than 15 can participate in these energy courses, as the workshops must be interactive for all. The emphasis here will be the survey of actual homes, the use of the real EPC software and the production of actual Energy Performance Certificates.
What the novice energy inspector will learn is an understanding of the various government-regulated RDSAP conventions, and the how-tos of measuring and recording property dimensions with accuracy.
The candidates will also learn how to identify residential construction elements correctly and to record their descriptions. As an energy inspector theyll need to be able to identify and to record the safety and health risks of each property, to and by the occupants.
This course will teach that, as well as the steps for entering data into online Energy Performance Certification software. After an energy inspector candidate completes this course she or he should be able to actually produce and EPC and to recommend to owners the various measures they can implement and products they can introduce to improve their dwellings energy efficiency.
All domestic energy assessor candidates, whether they have energy inspector experience or not, must take the last component of NHER energy inspection training. Included are two days that include workshops in small interactive groups and a survey.
This energy inspector training should consolidate all energy inspection knowledge and provide some additional knowledge and skills. This could include the study of non-standard properties, unusual residential building features and the technology of renewable energy sources integrated into the buildings themselves.
This final element of training should assure that the graduating energy inspector will be able to start assessing home with confidence in their ability to do so proficiently.
Energy inspector training details at this level include the methods for identifying and dealing with constructions that are not standard and residential property features that are unusual.
Theyll learn as well the identification and handling of hot water, heating and air conditioning systems that are not standard. Other energy inspector lessons will include identification and recommendation of renewable energy technology that can be integrated into residential construction.
These might include solar heat f water and space and photovoltaic panels. Graduates of this energy inspector training should leave confident that she or he is fully trained in RDSAP conventions and every aspect of performing as a DEA.
The last step of this energy inspector training will include completion of an actual inspection, with supervision - a requirement of a VRQ assessment.
