When the Green Deal launched on 1 October 2012 it heralded the birth of a new profession: the Green Deal Adviser (GDA).
The GDA supports and guides occupiers on the energy improvements they can carry out to their property, including advice on behaviour change — and how they can meet the Golden Rule (the requirement that energy improvements should not cost more than they save over a given period).
To become a GDA one must first be a qualified energy assessor, of which there are several thousand. DECC estimates the market will need 3,500 GDAs and has provided funding to train 1,000 under the “Go Early” programme. Managed by Asset Skills, the initiative is training 600 individuals from SMEs, 300 from Green Deal providers and 100 from local authorities. A GDA and other Green Deal participants — providers, installers, and product companies — are governed under the Energy Act 2011 and a detailed Code of Practice.
To qualify to become a GDA, you need to complete an Awarding Body Qualification. There are currently 14 organisations that are qualified to certify and accredit GDAs. They include the British Board of Agrement, BRE Global and FENSA. A full list can be found at www.ukas.com/media-centre/news/news-archive/2012/Green_Deal_Accredited_CBs.asp. The cost is up to £2,000 standalone, or £4,500 including a domestic energy assessor qualification.
The GDA uses the RdSAP 9.91 methodology (the methodology behind energy labelling in buildings, Energy Performance Certificates) using standard occupancy, and converges it with actual occupant activity to produce a GD Assessment Report (GDAR) identifying actual energy used.
By Kye Gbangbola FCIOB of Total Eco Management. a Chartered Building Consultancy and Green Deal Adviser
