Level 3 Award in Energy Efficiency Measures for Older and Traditional Buildings

Cadw, Historic England and HES have been working together to improve the standard of retrofit training delivery in response to known skills and knowledge gaps in the current retrofit workforce. With approximately 20-30% of all UK buildings built pre-1919, it is crucial that the retrofit workforce understands these buildings and how to retrofit them appropriately, and we know that this workforce needs to grow at pace if the UK is to meet its Net Zero commitments.

The Level 3 Award is a key vehicle for disseminating understanding of how traditionally constructed buildings perform, which is different to modern buildings and therefore requires different treatment when retrofitting. The content of the award and the handbook demonstrate that these performance differences are not a barrier: with the correct approach and understanding, traditional buildings can be retrofitted to improve energy efficiency and adapted to be resilient to a changing climate.

The handbook aims to provide a useful resource to support learners undertaking this and other retrofit qualifications, and is freely available across the website of the three heritage bodies:

Cadw: https://cadw.gov.wales/energy-efficiency-measures-older-and-traditional-buildings and in Welsh: https://cadw.llyw.cymru/mesurau-effeithlonrwydd-ynni-ar-gyfer-adeilaldau-hyn-a-thraddodiadol

Historic England: https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/energy-efficiency-older-traditional-buildings-level3-handbook/

Historic Environment Scotland: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/archives-and-research/publications/publication/?publicationId=9edb83d5-d718-4092-a7fa-b2ab00c4a9e9