Victoria Hands Builders Energy Efficiency Upskilling

Builders will get a skills boost in building energy efficient homes under new Victorian Government programs.

One, the Renewable Homes Construction program, will provide free training for workers on how to build, design and retrofit homes to make them more energy efficient.

It will also bring them up to speed on the National Construction Code 2022 which came into effect on May 1, 2024 with improved standards to make homes more accessible, comfortable and cheaper to heat and cool.

Solar Victoria, Builders Victoria and the Housing Industry Association will deliver Home Efficiency Construction Roadshows at several sites across Melbourne and regional Victoria including Bendigo, Ballarat, Geelong, Shepparton, Echuca, Mildura, Albury, Bright, Mansfield and the Gippsland.

The roadshows will cover passive house principles, solar design, avoiding condensation and air tightness, energy-efficient appliances, building techniques and better materials.

Online training modules will provide Net Zero Homes Skills Training to cover residential energy efficiency, thermal performance and net-zero energy design and construction. 

Another program, Efficient Home Design and Construction Training, will cover issues in designing and building energy-efficient homes and will be provided through short training modules this year. 

▲ The Future Melbourne Committee has implemented policies around retrofitting office towers in the CBD.

Electricians and fourth-year apprentices can use the Upskilling for Electricians program to become accredited as designers and installers of solar photovoltaic and battery storage systems.

It is estimated that it will provide free training for 400 electricians and save them $2000-$4500 on course fees. 

There will also be a free training program provided for plumbers and their apprentices this year. 

Various measures are being put in place to incentivise the development of all-electric and net-zero projects and to encourage retrofitting, including policies implemented by the City of Melbourne.