Successful completion of the SHERLOCK co-creation workshops

We are thrilled to announce that all co-creation workshops for the SHERLOCK project have been successfully completed! Our partners have excelled in engaging and interacting with local experts from academia and the energy, building, and retrofitting sectors to understand their needs and expectations for the project’s learning programmes.

At the beginning of this summer, three co-creation workshops were held in Ireland, Italy, and Portugal, providing valuable insights and an in-depth understanding of industry expectations.

Irish Co-Creation Workshop

The workshop organised by Maynooth University on June 18th brought together 30 participants from government, industry, and academic backgrounds. These stakeholders provided crucial insights into knowledge gaps and skills needed in the field of energy efficiency.

Key Findings:

1. Energy Efficiency: Participants highlighted significant gaps in understanding energy modelling, metrics, and their application. They emphasised the need for integrated learning content that combines various energy-efficient measures and aligns construction/engineering concepts with local and EU policy objectives.
2. Transversal Knowledge: There is a lack of stakeholder collaboration and engagement skills necessary for developing and implementing new initiatives in the sector.
3. Financing Energy Efficiency Measures: The workshop underscored the importance of understanding and accessing grant schemes, government tax incentives, and the legal aspects of financing community projects.

Italian Co-Creation Workshop

The workshop held in Caserta by the University of Parthenope focused on improving the evaluation of energy efficiency interventions. Participants reached a consensus on several key areas.

Key Findings:

1. Deterministic to Probabilistic Approach: There is a need to train professionals in using or creating tools for accurate estimation of energy efficiency interventions.
2. Financial Issues: Engineers need better training in financial aspects. Finance professionals must also understand energy efficiency interventions to support these initiatives effectively.
3. LCA Analysis and Circularity: Integration of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) subjects and circularity principles into educational programs is crucial. These topics are expected to become standard in higher education, complementing traditional engineering education.

Portuguese Co-Creation Workshop

Held on June 27th by LNEG and CECOLAB, the workshop in Portugal highlighted several critical topics related to sustainable building practices.

Key Findings:

1. Integration of Renewables in Buildings: Knowledge gaps include integrating solar energy into facades and roofs, heat pumps, and the interface between buildings and renewable sources. Skills gaps involve the design and sizing of equipment, cost calculation, and identifying certified installers.
2. Heat Transfer in Buildings: Participants identified gaps in knowledge about passive heating and cooling, new storage materials like phase change materials, thermal properties of materials, and standards for thermal performance. Skills gaps include a lack of experience with dynamic building simulation programs.
3. Energy Certification of Buildings: There are knowledge gaps in Portuguese legislation and European directives such as the EPBD. Skills gaps include interpreting standards and regulations, assessment methods, modelling and numerical simulation, understanding the life cycle assessment of materials and systems used in construction, knowledge of incentives and subsidies to improve energy efficiency, and the impact of climate change on building energy efficiency.

Further insights

The workshops collectively highlighted the need for flexible learning formats, integrating online, hybrid, and face-to-face sessions where necessary. They emphasised the involvement of industry professionals and the inclusion of practical, real-world examples in the learning materials. Additionally, they recognised the importance of supporting transversal skills and providing options for offline study to enhance learning effectiveness and accessibility.

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