Free training to help people understand how to retrofit homes and businesses
New training courses are being offered to residents, businesses, housebuilders and community groups in the Winchester district, to help them understand how to upgrade homes or premises to make them more energy efficient and climate change friendly – known as retrofitting.
Winchester City Council is working in partnership with Hampshire County Council to offer this free training, thanks to funding from the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Retrofitting involves adding energy efficient or renewable energy features to a house or business premises where they were not included when originally built.
This can include fitting solar panels, insulation, air source heat pumps, LED lighting and glazing improvements. As well as boosting a property’s energy efficiency – which helps to save money on lighting and heating bills – retrofitting supports a reduction in carbon emissions which is good for air quality, better health and tackling climate change.
Winchester City Council’s Cabinet Member for Business and Culture Councillor Lucille Thompson, said:
“Retrofitting is an important factor in reducing carbon emissions and cutting running costs for homes and businesses, and it’s a key part of our council’s plans to help the district become greener faster.
“In addition to our existing support, which includes our ambitious council house retrofit programme and efforts to help businesses install new solar panels, I’m really excited to be able to work with Hampshire County Council on this new programme to equip businesses, communities and residents with the skills needed to retrofit their homes and premises, saving them money and helping to tackle the climate emergency.”
Hampshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Councillor Zoe Huggins, added:
“To ensure Hampshire reaches its net zero target by 2050, we must all take positive action wherever we can to reduce carbon emissions. These funded home-retrofit training courses are designed for those with little or no previous experience of domestic retrofit and provide valuable employment skills for those looking to work in this field, as employers are increasingly looking to grow their workforce with people who understand the fundamentals of retrofitting homes. The courses can also be accessed by employers to enhance the skills of their workforce, helping to shape pathways towards higher levels of training.
“As this training provides businesses and tradespeople with the know-how to ‘retrofit’ homes in ways that retain heat and reduce energy use, ultimately householders will save money on future energy bills and reduce their carbon emissions.”
The first new course, Retrofit 101, provides a tailor-made two-hour online introduction for anyone wanting to learn about the fundamentals of whole-house domestic retrofit, including the principles, best practices, and why it is important.
The second course, a NOCN level 2 award in Understanding Domestic Retrofit, is a two-day course to further develop knowledge around retrofit – from creating warmer, healthier households to saving money and reducing carbon emissions. The course can be undertaken online or in-person at Basepoint in Winchester. Visit Silvetrowel.co.uk to book your place or find out more.
To find out more about retrofitting and the benefits of training, Hampshire County Council is hosting a drop-in session on Tuesday 12 November between 10am to 12pm in The Arc in Winchester. Alternatively, you can book directly onto one of the two training sessions by emailing skills@hants.gov.uk