Periodic Reporting for period 2 - CEN-CE (CEN standard Certified ExpertsEU-wide qualification and training scheme based on EPBD mandated CEN standards)
Reporting period: 2019-06-01 to 2020-11-30
To reach the EU's energy and climate targets, a qualified building workforce is needed. Professionals need to be aware of new upcoming challenges (e.g. nZEB, renewables, new state of art) and be trained on it.
The CEN-CE project addresses strong market request, supported by stakeholders of the whole building value chain for a common european and tehcnical neutral approach.
Qualification and training based on European standards is an advantage for mutual recognition of qualifications and certifications among EU Member States. Standardisation is also key to create level playing field conditions for products European wide.
The objective of the CEN-CE project is to set up a large-scale qualification and training scheme to increase the skills of HVAC professionals related to the new upcoming challenges as nearly Zero Energy Buildings, increased use of renewables, economical calculation (cost optimum) and reliability (measured energy).
The proposed CEN-CE training schemes are based on mandated CEN standards related to the EPBD and Ecodesign Directive. The new CEN standards are technical neutral, offer innovative approaches and support the EU policy (e.g. Calculation methods, Energy Performance Certificates).
HVAC professionals play an important role in energy efficiency, especially in renovation where HVAC systems are often replaced or upgraded first.
The CEN-CE project addresses strong market request, supported by stakeholders of the whole building value chain for a common european and tehcnical neutral approach.
Qualification and training based on European standards is an advantage for mutual recognition of qualifications and certifications among EU Member States. Standardisation is also key to create level playing field conditions for products European wide.
The objective of the CEN-CE project is to set up a large-scale qualification and training scheme to increase the skills of HVAC professionals related to the new upcoming challenges as nearly Zero Energy Buildings, increased use of renewables, economical calculation (cost optimum) and reliability (measured energy).
The proposed CEN-CE training schemes are based on mandated CEN standards related to the EPBD and Ecodesign Directive. The new CEN standards are technical neutral, offer innovative approaches and support the EU policy (e.g. Calculation methods, Energy Performance Certificates).
HVAC professionals play an important role in energy efficiency, especially in renovation where HVAC systems are often replaced or upgraded first.
- Work Package 1: Coordination, Management and Monitoring
The overall development of the project, the prompt delivery of deliverables and good cooperation within the Consortium has been achieved during the reporting period by using adequate management tools. A very positive point for the success of the project was the strong communication within the consortium and the relevant stakeholders.
- Work package 2: Operational and organizational design of the CEN-CE scheme
The EPBD requires independent, qualified and certified experts. The CEN-CE qualification scheme is designed to meet the requirements of EQF levels 4 to 6 (see https:// ec.europa.eu/ploteus/content/descriptors-page).
Based on the feedback from stakeholders and the pilot trainings, the complete qualification and certification scheme has been worked out and applied in pilot certification of experts.
The organisational structure of CEN-CE scheme was finalised (e.g. relation between the central scheme operator and the training providers). The CEN-CE qualification is in line with EQF recommendation and based on the following steps: Eligibility, Training, Exam, Certification.
The CEN-CE scheme was tested, reviewed and validated by the feedback from the Steering Committee. An important input come from the pilot trainings. An experimental platform, called the CEN-CE Learning Management System (LMS), was developed for qualification and training. Until now more than 100 professionals registered. A list of certified experts is available on the platform with the possibility to extract information (e.g. localisation). A Handover manual was drafted describing the overall responsibilities of the scheme operators, the procedures how the scheme should be rolled out, including the template of the certificate, the content of the central database, the public list of certified experts.
The possible roll-out of the CEN-CE scheme / qualification and training was experienced in 3 pilot classroom trainings in Italy and Croatia and LMS training sessions in English and Slovak language. In the first reporting period 65 persons attended the classroom training sessions. During the second reporting period 62 persons attended classroom training, additional 78 persons were trained via LMS and 151 persons on different standards. The total number of trainees (356) is around 6 times higher than targeted (60).
To prepare the future exploitation, CEN-CE applied for different support services. During an Exploitation Strategy Seminar (ESS) the Key Exploitable Results (KER), the unique Value Proposition (UVP) were identified. A KER’s Exploitation route, an Exploitation roadmap and a Risk Matrix were developed. CEN-CE applied also successfully for an IP Booster S1: IP Audit and an IP Booster S3: IP Evaluation. It was estimated that the net present value of the CEN-CE outcomes range for the hypothetical IP portfolio between USD 89.4k to USD 804.3k.
-Work package 3: Technical content of the CEN-CE training and qualification scheme
The technical content focus on training materials based on CEN standards. The work during the second period consisted of continuous correction and improvement of the 17 standards training materials based on the feedback of professionals, the steering committee and the pilot trainings. The feedback showed that the trainees wished to get more information about the sensibility of parameters (e.g. operating conditions, temperatures). Therefore, Evaluation reports, not foreseen in the GA, has been worked out. The Sensitivity analysis was completed by a parametric analysis performed over a whole year. Another major feedback from pilot trainings leaded to an increased Quality check of the training materials.
The high attendance during the training pilots underlined the quality and need of the CEN-CE training. Especially the training on transversal know-how, the knowledge on renewable energy and the integration of renewables helped the trainees on the new challenges in the HVAC sector.
The technical resumes, the clarification of the calculation procedures in the CEN-CE excel sheets and the handbooks was appreciated by the experts of CEN technical standardisation committees were the CEN-CE results have been presented.
All the powerpoints, questionnaires and summaries have been translated into consortium languages: Slovak, Italian, Croatian, French.
- Work package 4: Dissemination and communication
Dissemination and communication objectives require awareness raising of the general public of the role that CEN standards play in the development of the European building sector.
It is also crucial to engage the target professional audiences, to investigate how CEN-CE scheme can answer their needs and expectations, towards their endorsement of the scheme.
The most important activities carried out during the reporting period, in addition to the update of the Website, the newspaper, social media promotion, the contribution to professionals and political events, was the pilot use of the CEN-CE Learning management System (LMS) for training and certification, and the production of video clips to present the CEN-CE project to different target groups (experts, industrials) in short pitches, and video clips to support the e-Learning in the form of short training sessions.
The overall development of the project, the prompt delivery of deliverables and good cooperation within the Consortium has been achieved during the reporting period by using adequate management tools. A very positive point for the success of the project was the strong communication within the consortium and the relevant stakeholders.
- Work package 2: Operational and organizational design of the CEN-CE scheme
The EPBD requires independent, qualified and certified experts. The CEN-CE qualification scheme is designed to meet the requirements of EQF levels 4 to 6 (see https:// ec.europa.eu/ploteus/content/descriptors-page).
Based on the feedback from stakeholders and the pilot trainings, the complete qualification and certification scheme has been worked out and applied in pilot certification of experts.
The organisational structure of CEN-CE scheme was finalised (e.g. relation between the central scheme operator and the training providers). The CEN-CE qualification is in line with EQF recommendation and based on the following steps: Eligibility, Training, Exam, Certification.
The CEN-CE scheme was tested, reviewed and validated by the feedback from the Steering Committee. An important input come from the pilot trainings. An experimental platform, called the CEN-CE Learning Management System (LMS), was developed for qualification and training. Until now more than 100 professionals registered. A list of certified experts is available on the platform with the possibility to extract information (e.g. localisation). A Handover manual was drafted describing the overall responsibilities of the scheme operators, the procedures how the scheme should be rolled out, including the template of the certificate, the content of the central database, the public list of certified experts.
The possible roll-out of the CEN-CE scheme / qualification and training was experienced in 3 pilot classroom trainings in Italy and Croatia and LMS training sessions in English and Slovak language. In the first reporting period 65 persons attended the classroom training sessions. During the second reporting period 62 persons attended classroom training, additional 78 persons were trained via LMS and 151 persons on different standards. The total number of trainees (356) is around 6 times higher than targeted (60).
To prepare the future exploitation, CEN-CE applied for different support services. During an Exploitation Strategy Seminar (ESS) the Key Exploitable Results (KER), the unique Value Proposition (UVP) were identified. A KER’s Exploitation route, an Exploitation roadmap and a Risk Matrix were developed. CEN-CE applied also successfully for an IP Booster S1: IP Audit and an IP Booster S3: IP Evaluation. It was estimated that the net present value of the CEN-CE outcomes range for the hypothetical IP portfolio between USD 89.4k to USD 804.3k.
-Work package 3: Technical content of the CEN-CE training and qualification scheme
The technical content focus on training materials based on CEN standards. The work during the second period consisted of continuous correction and improvement of the 17 standards training materials based on the feedback of professionals, the steering committee and the pilot trainings. The feedback showed that the trainees wished to get more information about the sensibility of parameters (e.g. operating conditions, temperatures). Therefore, Evaluation reports, not foreseen in the GA, has been worked out. The Sensitivity analysis was completed by a parametric analysis performed over a whole year. Another major feedback from pilot trainings leaded to an increased Quality check of the training materials.
The high attendance during the training pilots underlined the quality and need of the CEN-CE training. Especially the training on transversal know-how, the knowledge on renewable energy and the integration of renewables helped the trainees on the new challenges in the HVAC sector.
The technical resumes, the clarification of the calculation procedures in the CEN-CE excel sheets and the handbooks was appreciated by the experts of CEN technical standardisation committees were the CEN-CE results have been presented.
All the powerpoints, questionnaires and summaries have been translated into consortium languages: Slovak, Italian, Croatian, French.
- Work package 4: Dissemination and communication
Dissemination and communication objectives require awareness raising of the general public of the role that CEN standards play in the development of the European building sector.
It is also crucial to engage the target professional audiences, to investigate how CEN-CE scheme can answer their needs and expectations, towards their endorsement of the scheme.
The most important activities carried out during the reporting period, in addition to the update of the Website, the newspaper, social media promotion, the contribution to professionals and political events, was the pilot use of the CEN-CE Learning management System (LMS) for training and certification, and the production of video clips to present the CEN-CE project to different target groups (experts, industrials) in short pitches, and video clips to support the e-Learning in the form of short training sessions.
The quality of CEN standards themselves is crucial and has to be demonstrated for successful market uptake of the training.
Therefore, CEN-CE made proposals for the correction of standards, presented and transmitted them to the responsible technical committees in CEN.
Missing reliability would contribute the failure of CEN standards implementation and could influence the CEN-CE market uptake.
The CEN-CE examples and the CEN-CE evaluation reports could be used as benchmarks to check the reliability of software.
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Therefore, CEN-CE made proposals for the correction of standards, presented and transmitted them to the responsible technical committees in CEN.
Missing reliability would contribute the failure of CEN standards implementation and could influence the CEN-CE market uptake.
The CEN-CE examples and the CEN-CE evaluation reports could be used as benchmarks to check the reliability of software.
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