The Qualification Scheme

The Qualification Scheme answers to the need of defining and mapping nZEB skills in a harmonized way across work fields.

The scheme lists the essential technologies and skills required for professionals dealing with nZEB,
categorized in four areas of expertise:

Energy Management (EM)
Energy Production (EP)
Energy Reduction (ER)
Interdisciplinary Skills (IS)

For each technology and interdisciplinary skill, a precise description of recommended competences is also provided. These specific competences, here named as “qualifications”, describe in more detail the needed knowledge, skills and behaviour of a professional in nZEB.

In the Qualification Scheme each qualification is linked to a skill level. By cross-referencing these skills levels recommendations per qualification against the PROF/TRAC EU skills levels recommendations per work field, the Qualification Scheme offers a EU harmonized nZEB skills mapping tool.

Download the PROF/TRAC Qualification Scheme.

NOTE: The current list of technologies, skills and qualifications is the result of the consultation with nZEB experts within PROF/TRAC consortium. With the disclosure of this qualification scheme to other experts and considering the fast technological progress of the energy efficiency market, this list is expected to extend.

How to use the Qualification Scheme Excel file:

Sheet “Overview” provides the general description of skills levels and nZEB skills
In sheet “EU minimum skill levels” the skills levels recommendations are given per work field and per technology/skill.
In sheets “EM1” to “IS10”, each technology/skill is detailed in terms of qualifications required. Depending on the skills level under analysis (from 1 to 5), a qualification may or may not be required.

EXAMPLE:
As shown in Table 1 in red framed cells, architects have a recommended skills level 2 on smart grid
systems.
In the Qualification Scheme, the competences for this technology are given for levels 1 -5 (see Table 2, an excerpt of the Qualification Scheme). By referring to skills level 2 (Table 2, red framed cells), we can derive that architects are recommended to:

- Have general knowledge and a holistic view on smart grids and understanding of its
contribution to energy saving.
- Be able to manage and audit contractors on site during realisation, based on information
given by the designer.

nZEB skills levels per smart grid systems per work field (excerpt of Table 5)
	Work field	Architecture	Civil Engineering	Electrical Engineering	Mechanical Engineering	Building Management	Construction Management	Financing and Procurement
	Reference Professions	Architect	Civil Engineer	Electrical Engineer	Mechanical Engineer	Facility Manager	Project Manager	Procurer
			Construction Engineer	ICT Engineer	Building Automation Eng.	Technical Energy Engineer	Cost Engineer	Project Developer
			Structural Engineer		Energy Engineer	Operator	Quality Assurance
	TECHNOLOGY, INTERDISCIPLINARY SKILLS AND PROFESSIONS
M	ENERGY MANAGEMENT
EM1	Smart grid systems	2	1	5	3	3	2	1

nZEB competences about smart grid systems per skills levels
EM1	Smart grid systems	Electronic digital control of production, distribution and use of electricity, information management of the components.
Project phase	Detailed description of skills	for skill level(s)
(if applicable)		1	2	3	4	5
General	Has general knowledge and a holistic view on smart grids and buildings' energy profiles, understanding of its contribution to energy performance
General	Can provide the (smart) grid manager with basic information on buildings' energy profiles
General	Can think in a holistic way concerning energy demand, energy supply, storage and is able to make trade-offs
Pre-design	Can perform a feasibility study to determine the basic concept within the project, based on energy saving contribution, costs, restrictions, etc.
Pre-design	Can perform energy simulations in order to define building energy profiles (such as heat load duration curves)
Pre-design	Can define the energy profile of the building, i.e. the energy demand profiles, energy supply profiles, storage (in relation with heat pumps), based on input from team members.
Design	Can design and calculate the smart grid system, based on heat load duration curves, energy simulations etc.
Tender	Can specify and describe the smart grid system in a tender contract, in a way that ensures the contribution to energy saving is realised.
Realisation	Can manage, instruct and audit contractors on site during the realisation of a smart grid system, based on information given in the tender documents and given by the designer.
Commissioning	Can commission a smart grid system on its functionality and quality, and determine whether the system operates as planned. Make sure the foreseen contribution to energy saving is realised.
Use & Maintain	Monitor and control of the smart grid system on critical parameters, in order to guarantee the designed performance during life cycle. Takes action on abnormalities and adjust settings to ensure optimal operation.

Download the PROF/TRAC Qualification Scheme.

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