Mark Krull visits new low carbon home in Dalkeith

20 Dec 2023

Left to right: Ian Edgeworth, two successful candidates on Energy Training Academy's inaugural Solar PV/battery storage training and assessment, Mark Krull.

Energy Training Academy in Mid Lothian launched in February, offering LCL Awards’ renewables qualifications. The company has achieved a lot over the last year and is now nearing the end of an ambitious build, a full-size Net Zero home located inside the 12,000 square footage of the centre, creating a feature that provides trainees and visitors a chance to see what renewables can do.

At the beginning of December, LCL Awards Director, Mark Krull went up to visit the centre’s Technical Director, Ian Edgeworth, and his team, and have a look around the house. 

Mark said: “It’s fantastic to see one of our approved centres investing in the future and demonstrating the potential of the latest renewable and energy efficiency measures. What Energy Training Academy has achieved is amazing; they are leading the charge by creating this truly unique and invaluable resource – for trainees and also the wider community, who will be able to use the house to find out about low carbon technologies and their potential – as contributors to net zero that also reduce energy bills.”

Building the house has given The Energy Training Academy the opportunity to showcase the latest green technologies and demonstrate how innovations in low carbon building services can help in the reduction carbon emissions. The company has partnered with a number of leading manufacturers to provide the state-of-the-art technology inside the house. 

Alpha Heating, Worcester Bosch and Groupe Atlantic have supplied the latest, high efficiency gas boilers and heat pumps to the house and in product training rooms elsewhere in the centre so that visitors can gain hands on training. Samsung will be equipping the kitchen with the state-of-the-art energy-saving smart appliances, iHelios will be fitting infra-red heating to some of the ceilings, which can pick up heartbeats in the rooms so that the heating’s only activated when and where it’s needed. Myenergi has supplied battery storage and EV charging technology and CEF has supplied the solar panels used on the house roof.

Ian explains:

“The house has become a centrepiece for the training centre. We are using it as a live rig to help our trainees gain real world experience - to get them out of the classroom, but we’re also using it to enthuse the next generation – to encourage school kids to think about taking careers in engineering.

“For example, we’ve built a rain simulator, so we can create rainy days within the centre and people can see how the house has been set up for rainwater harvesting. Outside in the ‘street’ we’ve got solar-powered street lighting and EV charging points. This might sound a bit gimmicky, but it’s impressive – and relatable. We want to inspire people into being excited about the future.

“It’s been great to have a visit from Mark. He came to see how we’ll use the house for the solar PV and battery storage courses, which we have recently piloted. 

“The house is built against the back of the centre, so those working on the roof are completely secure with the wall of the main building right behind them. There’s a crawl space that trainees can enter in the roof, so it feels realistic, and we’ve put in shade and sunlight simulation, so they can get a sense of how the technology works in different light conditions.

“Although the focus is on the future, we’re not living in a fantasy. We’re keen that the house is instructive, so different rooms have been set up to different standards. That way we can illustrate the retrofit journey and show people that small changes they make – with insulation for example – can make a big different to their energy bills. 

“Primarily, we’re a training provider, but we are planning to set up an energy advice centre for the public, offering impartial advice on renewables. There’s been a lot of negative stuff in the press about air source heat pumps, so it’s important that those of us who really understand the technology speak up and put the record straight. 

“Mark and I were talking about that last week. He agreed that part of LCL Awards’ responsibility in the provision of renewables training courses is to create a well-informed, work force that can help educate the public and thereby build confidence in new technologies.

“The house will be a real asset in terms of day-to-day training, but it will also give us the opportunity to give our candidates a chance to develop their soft skills. We’re looking at role-play to teach them how to deal with tricky customers – also risk assessments and safety scenarios – how to handle a reported gas leak, that sort of thing. 

“It’s been an amazing year, we’ve all worked incredibly hard to build the partnerships to get the project underway and to build the house from scratch, but it makes our training centre unique. The synergy we’ve developed with our partners and the enthusiasm the house engenders form those who visit is off the scale – it was a gift to have the opportunity and space to build such a project, but now it’s reaching completion we can see that it really is the gift that keeps on giving!”  

For more information about the Energy Training Academy, visit: theenergytrainingacademy.com