Fundamentals of Building Energy Performance & Decarbonisation Training Course

Buildings account for a large share of energy use and carbon emissions, and in many African cities rising tariffs and unreliable supply make wasted energy an immediate financial burden. Owners and operators who understand their consumption can reduce bills, improve comfort and meet the sustainability expectations of lenders, tenants and regulators. Yet energy management is often left to one technician, with no baseline and no plan.

This introductory programme builds the foundations of building energy management from first principles. Participants learn the main end uses of energy, how climate and building design shape demand, and how to collect and interpret metered data. They then move to audit methods, identifying and evaluating efficiency measures, and the role of renewable energy, electrification and controls in reducing emissions. A closing block links energy savings to carbon accounting and to a staged decarbonisation plan that fits a realistic budget.

Teaching is practical and site oriented. Delegates analyse sample bills and meter data, carry out a guided walk-through of a facility, calculate savings and payback for several upgrades, and prepare a short improvement plan. No prior technical qualification in energy or engineering is needed, only familiarity with how a building is run.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Identify the main energy end uses and loss points in commercial and public buildings.
• Analyse utility bills and meter data to establish a consumption baseline.
• Benchmark performance using energy use intensity and normalise for weather and occupancy.
• Carry out a walk-through energy audit and record findings systematically.
• Evaluate efficiency measures using simple payback and lifecycle cost.
• Describe the role of solar, heat pumps and controls in cutting building emissions.
• Estimate a building's carbon footprint from its energy consumption.
• Outline a phased decarbonisation roadmap with priorities and indicative costs.

The programme is suited to people who run, design or finance buildings, including:

• Facilities and property managers
• Hotel, hospital and school engineering and maintenance staff
• Sustainability and environmental officers
• Architects, quantity surveyors and building services technicians
• County and municipal public works officers
• Real estate developers and asset managers
• Energy and green building consultants starting their careers
• Procurement and finance staff approving energy upgrades

Participants leave the course with:

• An energy baseline worksheet for their own facility or a sample building.
• A walk-through audit checklist ready for use on site.
• A costed shortlist of efficiency measures ranked by payback.
• A simple building carbon footprint estimate and reduction target.
• A draft decarbonisation roadmap they can present to management.

The course assumes no engineering background and moves from familiar observations to measurement. Learning activities include:

• Plain-language explanations supported by diagrams and examples
• Bill and meter data exercises in spreadsheets
• A guided site walk-through with an audit checklist
• Costing workshops comparing real upgrade options
• Small-group roadmap presentations with facilitator feedback

Participants who attend the full programme and complete the exercises are issued a CPD-accredited Certificate of Completion by Vision Reach Global Consultancy.