Over 350 public sector people gathered at Dublin Castle to attend a professional training programme initiated by the Office of Public Works (OPW). The training falls under the project ‘Support to the Renovation Wave – Deep Energy Renovation of Historic Buildings in Ireland’ supporting the Office of Public Works and Limerick City and County Council and funded by the European Union via the Technical Support Instrument.
The Technical Support Provider, Trinomics, appointed by the European Commission worked alongside Technological University of the Shannon to develop and deliver the training programme. The objective of the programme is to increase the state’s capacity for energy retrofitting of public sector historic and heritage buildings.
The purpose of this training is to upskill public sector personnel which will allow the state to increase its capacity for energy performance improvement works to traditional built and historic buildings. This will better equip the Government in meeting its ambitious targets as set out in its National Renovation Strategy and the National Development Plan to reduce energy emissions from buildings. Energy retrofitting of traditional and historic buildings is more complex than modern buildings due to several factors, including the hygrothermal behaviour of traditional building material and the need to preserve heritage value.
Former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, delivered the keynote address at the launch of the programme. The three-day training event takes place on 17 January, 24 January and 7 February 2025. The training will include presentations by 35 eminent speakers to discuss a range of topics under the themes of policy, practice and wider benefits.
Attendees include architects, engineers, surveyors, specifiers, historic building managers, and architectural conservation officers from the OPW and Local Authorities, as well as representatives from relevant government departmental, bodies, officers and stakeholders from architectural conservation NGOs across Ireland.
Chair of the OPW John Conlon remarked:
“I am delighted to be here as Chairman for the Office of Public Works (OPW) to witness over 300 civil servants, across numerous Government Departments, undertake professional training on Deep Energy Renovation of Historic Buildings in Ireland. This invaluable training will better equip our professionals to assist the Government in meeting its targets as set out in its National Renovation Strategy and the National Development Plan to reduce energy emissions from buildings.
This exciting initiative draws upon the OPW guidance ‘Approaches to Improving the Energy Performance of Heritage Properties in State Care’, which was launched at the OPW architectural services conference last year. I am very proud that the OPW is delivering this training in collaboration with Limerick City and County Council (LCCC) and Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) through funding received from the European Union.”
President of TUS, Professor Vincent Cunnane commented:
“On behalf of TUS, it’s great to be here today for the launch of this innovative programme. Collaboration is at the heart of what we do, and this partnership between TUS, the OPW, Limerick City and County Council and private sector bodies enables the State to effectively address the skills gap in the area of retrofitting historical and cultural buildings. We are creating a model of partnership and innovation, as well as leveraging international best practice.
Initiatives like this are not only going to equip participants of this training event with the skills needed to address energy conservation in our historic buildings, but it also strengthens capacity to collectively meet the demands of heritage conservation.”
Directorate-General for Structural Reform Support, European Commission, Kaspar Richter said:
“Buildings are the largest energy consumers in Europe, accounting for over 40 percent of our energy usage and a third of greenhouse gas emissions. They present substantial opportunities for enhancing energy efficiency and integrating renewables. The 3-day training programme is part of a project funded by the European Union via the Technical Support Instrument, aiming to tap into this potential for historic buildings. We are pleased to have supported the Irish Office of Public Works and Limerick City and County Council in their efforts to accelerate the renovation of traditionally built historic buildings in Ireland.”
The training covers the rapidly evolving policy and regulatory landscape, technological advancements in practice, from building inspection to risk assessment, design and post-renovation monitoring, including the wider environmental, economic, and social benefits of retaining and renovating the existing historic building stock across the country.”