Friday 7th October
2011 - For immediate release
CONSTRUCTION
firms are being urged to give their views in a consultation on the Green Deal to
ensure they can get to grips with and shape the qualifications and standards
that will be required of installers.
The call came
from CITB-ConstructionSkills, the Industry Training Board and Sector Skills
Council, and the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) after the consultation called
PAS (Publicly Available Specification) 2030, proposed for the first time the
specific skills, qualifications and other requirements that construction firms
and installers will need to take advantage of the opportunities that will emerge
when the Green Deal is rolled out in October 2012.
For the first
time, proposals on the level of qualifications that installers will need have
been provided –for all disciplines associated with retrofitting energy-saving
technology including: heating, wall, pipe, roof and loft insulation, draft
proofing, double glazing, micro-generation and photovoltaics. It also specifies
records of work installers will need to keep, and documents they will have to
present to the householder. Instructions on how to respond to the consultation
can be found on the ‘Cut the Carbon’ website:www.cskills.org/cutcarbon under
consultations.
The PAS 2030
specification was formulated by a working group including
CITB-ConstructionSkills, The FMB, trade associations from the building, energy,
construction and manufacturing sectors, business and consumers.
Chief Executive of CITB-ConstructionSkills, Mark Farrar said:
“With the Green
Deal on the horizon, it is important that firms who want to stay one step ahead
of the game take part in this consultation. All installers will have to be
certified to PAS 2030 standards and without the required accreditations, they
may lose out on business come next October. But, the accreditation has to be
realistic and that’s why it’s so important to make sure all firms are consulted
properly.
“Although our
industry is still battling with the impact of the recession, and growth is at
an all time low – we know that demand for low carbon construction and associated knowledge
and skills is only set to grow, with the ‘Green Deal’ alone potentially
creating up to 100,000 jobs, and providing loans to up to 14 million homes in
the UK in order to retrofit better insulation and air-tightness technologies. So,
if small businesses are
to take advantage of new opportunities, we need to act now.”
Brian Berry, Director of External Affairs at the
Federation of Master Builders said:
“The
PAS 2030, setting the standards for Green Deal installers, is an important
consultation for everyone in the building industry. It will impact on the
future delivery of retrofit work so it is crucial that businesses take the time
to look at it and offer comments before it is set in stone. The Green Deal has
the potential to transform how we manage and value our properties and hopefully
will create much needed jobs in the building industry. We know that the market
for retrofit work is worth at least £3.5 billion every year which can only be
good news for building companies struggling in the current economic climate.”
Businesses looking for more information on the low carbon agenda and what
it means for them, along with tips on reducing carbon and information around
the legislative changes taking place should visit the Cut the Carbon campaign
website.
