The potential for expanding the renewable energy market here is obviously enormous, and the requirements for professionally trained installers and suppliers use to be one of the critical barriers to further developing a sustainable sector; thankfully, it has been addressed to a large extent by a joint initiative between Action Renewables and Sustainable Energy Ireland.

With funding from the INTERREG programme, the Renewable Energy Installers Academy (REIA) has been developed as a pilot project over the last three years, with training facilities in Lisburn, Omagh, Derry, Downpatrick and Dundalk.

Because there was no statutory provision for the regulation of the renewable energy installer industry in Ireland, it was necessary to consider a self regulatory model for the industry to adopt and to organise the operation and administration of REIA as a self funding, self regulatory body.

With appropriate training material, template structures and draft processes now established and with the further roll out of training and the development of a code of practice and structures and processes, the REIA is well placed to serve the renewable sector.

Functions
The core functions of the Renewable Energy Installer Academy are:
• Accredited training courses and competency assessments in each technology
• A Code of practice
• A registration scheme
• A quality inspection process
• A disciplinary and deregistration process for non compliant installations
• A disciplinary and deregistration process for breaches of the Code of Practice

Training & Competency
The following education centres are participating in the pilot project.
Dundalk IT – Solar Water Heating, Heat Pumps, Biomass
North West – Solar Water Heating, PV and Hydro.
Lisburn - Heat Pumps
East Down Institute - Biomass
Omagh - Wind

The REIA has established training courses for the above technologies, and installers who meet the minimum entry requirements are required to attend a training course on each technology and pass the examination. The training courses are accredited by BPEC in NI and accredited by FETAC in RoI.
Ultimately, the training courses are designed to ensure that installers have the competencies to install renewable energy systems and candidates will be required to carry out a competency assessment. The degree of training required to achieve this competency will depend on the entry level training and experience of individual candidates.

Requirements
The following are the minimum entry requirements:

NI
A qualified plumber by profession with City & Guilds qualification or
NVQ Level 3 or equivalent year’s experience (3 years).

RoI
FETAC level 6 (i.e. National Craft Certificate or equivalent)
There is no immediate plan or provision for a practical competency examination. However it is considered that a technical skills assessment could be conducted through inspecting first installations prior to registration.

Code of Practice
The Code of Practice seeks to deal with the behaviours of installers around specifying, selling, operating and maintaining renewable energy systems.

It covers:
• Advertising and sales promotion.
• Installation.
• Post installation maintenance and repair.

This will be a voluntary code, which would be agreed by the industry as the standard to which all installers are required to deliver.

Registration
A registration / membership scheme is operated by REIA support unit, whereby installers who complete accredited training, sign up to deliver within the terms of the Code of Practice would be issued with a registration card.
In order to register installers shall:
• Have completed an accredited training course and demonstrated the required level of competency
• Agree to random Quality Inspection of installations
• Sign and adhere to the Code of Practice
• Carry appropriate insurance

Quality Inspection
A quality inspection process operates, on a random basis whereby a team of inspectors carry out an independent quality inspection on installations completed by REIA registered installers.
REIA maintain a bank of registered inspectors appropriately trained and equipped to carry out quality inspections on behalf of REIA on each of the technologies. Training takes the form of the inspector completing the said course at the training centre, as well as practical training through mentoring.
REIA will randomly select installations for quality inspection and REIA registered inspectors will inspect the installation and complete the inspection report.

The outcome of an inspection will be determined by the quality inspector as follows:
Pass unconditional – all aspects of the installation are adequate and no further work is required from the installer
Pass conditional – Some minor faults require attention
Fail – Major defects detected

The inspection report is sent under cover letter to the registered installer and advised as to whether it was passed or failed. If the installation fails the quality inspection, the installer is advised under cover letter that he/she has 14 working days from the date of the letter to put right the defects and advise REIA in writing that the defects have been corrected.

Information
To find out more, contact:
Renewable Energy Installer Academy,
c/o Action Renewables
The Innovation Centre
NI Science Park, Queens Road
Belfast BT3 9DT
Telephone: 028 9073 7821
www.reinstalleracademy.org