Trainings on the Evaluation of Heat Insulation in Buildings in the Maghreb

Mitigating global climate change and ensuring energy security are among the biggest current challenges worldwide. In this context the buildings sector plays a crucial role. In many parts of the world valuable resources are wasted and unnecessarily large amounts of energy are consumed for heating because of the use of polluting and inefficient construction materials and insufficient insulation. Through professional construction and renovation as well as the use of resource-efficient technologies, a contribution to climate protection can be made.

Taking advantage of this potential is also becoming an important target in the countries of the Maghreb region. However, besides a lack of appropriate financial resources, qualified personnel to implement the respective measures are missing in the construction sector. Thus adequate training courses with a focus on sustainable building management related to insulation techniques and energy efficient equipment would be needed. In order to develop these capacities, existing initial and further training institutions need targeted capacity development, particularly for young executives. They must be made aware of the potential of climate- and resource-friendly technologies in the construction sector and building management and must be trained as multipliers.

For the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) adelphi organised two trainings on energy efficiency in buildings in the Maghreb region in 2012. The trainings were targeted at a group of Algerian architects, engineers and experts who work in the field of energy efficient construction, with a focus on building envelope. During the first two-day course in Tunisia, the participants learned how to handle thermographic cameras to evaluate heat insulation. The second five-day coaching focused on energy performance planning of a new building in Algeria to be optimised based on a practical case. Both trainings were part of the GIZ's "Capacity building programme for education and training within the environment sector in the Maghreb region".