CIET's Ask Us Anything series is a free monthly Q&A session with industry experts.
Our Ask Us Anything (AUA) sessions typically focus on one particular topic within the Energy Efficiency and Decarbonization industry, but in a special edition Ask Us Anything, we went wider, asking about training and certification needs in the workforce, and looking at the industry as a whole, which meant hearing from you, our participants.
We talked about:
Increasing the workforce in these areas is critical to meet growing demand, drive innovation, and achieve energy reduction goals. Whether you're a seasoned professional, a business owner, or just starting out in the industry, understanding what skills and training are needed both personally and organizationally.
Our panel of industry experts included:
One of the conversations focused on key trends influencing labour needs in the energy efficiency and decarbonization industry. See what our experts had to say.
Watch the video or read the transcript below.
Lisa: I'd like to get your thoughts on some of the key trends that are going to be influencing labour needs in the energy efficiency industry, projecting out over the next five years.
Melanie, did you want to start us off? I'd be interested in your perspective as you're based in Alberta and I think we're going to see a lot of changing needs as we continue to move away from fossil fuels. Did you want to kick us off with some thoughts about the trends for the next five years? I'm sure it's also a very political quetsions so we can remove the political piece from that.
Melanie: It seems to be the talk right now. A lot of the focus has shifted. We're not entirely sure because, of course, there's a number of electrions coming up both regionally and across the country there will be shifting prioirties. I do stongly believe though that climate change and decarbonization are going to be very much still a part of the platforms. It might look a little bit different; they may be worded differently so it seems unique, but I think it's still a big part of what we're doing. Generally speaking, we're all on the same path, we're all in agreement that we do have to keep advancing some of those national, regional, and even municipal and local goals to decarbonize, bring that energy use down, and become more efficient.
[Regaring some of the trends], I'm happy to report that even though the Greener Homes Program no longer has the incentives, it still has the financing, its still having conversations with people that are pursiing the elements that were listed within that program, and are still pursing the financing because it still helps with that bottom line budget question.
I see in the chat, a comment that is absolutely right: costs are going to drive everything and as much as we want to do the right thing, it's how we do it in a way that's meaningful and doesn't strain homeowners to the inth degree.
One of the things we have to do a better job at is explaining and helping people see the benefits of doing it not just for the good of the planet, but also in terms of what the return looks like for them as a homeowners or building owners. How does that translate over the long term?
In Calgary, just anecdotally, we had a water shortage because we had a major water main break. A huge section of the city had significantly less water to use and I think it struck home for many people. Many people banded together to reduce our water use as a whole. It's like "how can we maintain this now?", and it's the same with energy and for all our resources. How can we maintain this and make this shift?
I'll leave it there.
Lisa: That's interesting. Very good point. Sometimes we are driven to action out of necessity.
Steve, did you want to maybe touch on what you're seeing in the next five years, so fairly short term, in terms of what labour needs are looking like in the energy efficiency industry from your perspective?
Steve: Maybe what I'll do is speak a little bit about the work that I'm doing for the Toronto District School Board, which I think is emblematic of school boards across the country.
Toronto is the largest. They have 600 schools, many of them are energy pits. They've been built 120-130 years ago with great technology at the time, but through additions and whatever the original air flow was has been totally mucked around with and is no longer there. We're seeing very hot Junes and Septembers. Schools, kids and teachers are sweltering in 34 degree temperatures and school boards don't really have the funding to do much of a change.
One of the things I've been working on is a workplace emissions reduction committee at the school board. It's a joint committee of manegement and the four labour unions that represent workers at the board. It works on figuring out how to reduce energy use and therefore energy costs and therefore decarbonizing in a way that saves the board money and reduces carbon.
There is an agreement that whatever changes are needed to the work and workers and job descriptions, that's negotiated at a table rather than just happening with the two sides not talking to each other. It's amazing what can happen when you have at the table a senior mechanical engineer from a school board and a chief custodial person at a school. Because normally they don't talk to each other. When they can talk to each other around the table, good things happen.
Lisa: That's a great point, Steve. I think that happens a lot. We need to get the right people havbing the right converssations for sure.
Certified professionals help organizations better understand how to reduce energy use and GHG emissions while making it more cost-effective and efficient. Those professionals are often required to collect and analyze data (energy, electricity, and water) to establish baseline and set targets. In-depth investigations can reveal which organizational activities are the most pressing to adjust and which types of mechanical and technical systems offer the best opportunities.
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