SUSTAINABILITY


Turning up the heat on training with new green technologies


Mark Parsons, assistant principal (curriculum) at Cheshire College – South and West explains how a new project on the Ellesmere Port Campus is teaching new and existing tradespeople how to best utilise new green technologies in homes to meet the growing demand for renewable heat across the country


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heshire College – South & West has constructed a completely sustainable house on Campus for students to work on. The


house has been built from scratch by Manchester- based sustainable house specialists WUDL and has various renewable features which make it completely self-sufficient. The college has worked with businesses, all within a 50-mile radius, to furnish the house with the latest technologies, such as sustainable heating and ground source heat pumps. The project allows students to get hands on


experience with various types of energy resourcing, as well as battery and rainwater harvesting, with on-


Left: Mark Parsons, assistant principal (curriculum) at Cheshire College


going performance analytics of these functions being monitored every day. Working with local partner businesses, the new sustainable house allows students on various courses to explore, examine and get real hands on


www.heatingandventilating.net


experience by working on the house. The idea is that the students get to work on the new house in a real life setting but without it being someone’s actual home, where it can be costly if mistakes were made. This hands-on approach is helping develop new skills and re-educate experienced tradespeople to tackle the UK’s current skills shortage.


Monitoring energy usage


For many households, smart meters are now a standard feature. However, the sustainable house takes the technology further. The students can monitor everything from inside and outside temperatures comparing outputs on a cloudy day against those on a rainy day. The team has even installed cameras on the


roof, so students are also able to test when the photovoltaic energy cells get dirty and the impact that has on efficiency. The cameras can also show the impact any debris may have on the efficiency of the solar panels or if obstacles such as trees block sunlight and how that may prohibit access to the sun. Performance can be monitored by the hour. The UK government’s drive towards renewables


has played a large part in the college embarking on this project to upskill the community. New students are welcomed at 16 and the college also offers places to experienced tradespeople who are looking to enhance or expand their knowledge into new areas. Working with industry partners to reflect best


practice and the very latest green technologies helps ensure that students are fully equipped to take on work when they graduate. Having a house to work on on-site also offers more flexible working so adult students can also be trained outside of normal work hours. The commercial partnerships also help ensure that the curriculum is cutting edge, innovative and future proof in-line with national priorities, so students leave with the skills for current and future employment. To educate and prepare the next generation of


green installers, Cheshire College has also recently invested more than £10m into a new construction and engineering department at its Ellesmere Port Campus, which also has sustainability at its core. Here the college aims to build its offering to both school leavers as well as adult students looking to extend their knowledge in the renewable sector. By providing the facilities to learn, as well as


developing close partnerships with local businesses, the College is developing a new generation of students that understand the opportunities and benefits of green technologies as well as their applications. With a new wave of qualified installers and further investment in training, this is what’s needed to help achieve the government’s target of delivering a greener future for Britain.


30 January 2024


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