From one day of experimental training to a three-day course in demand across Victoria, our Home Energy Efficiency Courses have really taken off.

Teacher Lucinda Flynn has just completed a two-week road trip through Hume, and is in talks with Gippsland Community Power Hub to run similar sessions for its members. Box Hill Institute has also booked a single-day of training to be offered to the general public.

Healesville CoRE originally designed and ran the course in 2019, expanding upon receipt of the grant to establish YV-CPHub. Together, Lucinda and YV-CPHub Executive Officer and our president, Jeff Barlow, came up with an extended three-day course run through Box Hill Institute. The course equips participants with the skills and knowledge to offer home energy efficiency assessments to the general public.

“The course is designed to give participants a really good overall understanding of how homes work rather than be super technical and also to give lots of suggestions for simple improvements that don't necessarily cost much,” Lucinda said. “I think there is a growing interest in home energy efficiency because people are becoming so much more aware of the cost of energy use and the urgent need for us to reduce our demands on energy, especially fossil fuels.”

The course includes two days of theory and one day of practical work in which participants visit local houses and write practice reports. Due to popular demand, YV-CPHub ran two local courses this year, equipping five out of six of its member groups with trained advisors. In her recent Hume road trip, Lucinda ran well-attended courses in Benalla, Murchison/Tatura, Seymour, Bright/Porepunkah/Harrietville, Beechworth and Wangaratta. 

The Gippsland Hub is now organising four, single-day training sessions for volunteers from their member groups.

Jeff said interest in the course had far exceeded expectations.

“The training is a win-win for the volunteers, for the home owners who request home energy efficiency advice, with consequent savings on their power bills, and for the environment, with the reduction in carbon emissions,” Jeff said.

Lucinda said she would continue to offer the course to anyone who was interested.

“The more people who can talk knowledgeably about home energy efficiency the better for all of us,” she said. Students were supported with subsidized fees and the whole program was funded by Sustainability Victoria and the Victorian Government through funding of the Yarra Valley Community Power Hub.

What is your role and what does it involve?

My role is Technical Project Manager. I have been involved in organising some of the information events, where we provide free information to the community. In February, we managed (after two postponements due to lockdowns) to hold our Electric Vehicle event, where we had EV cars on display and five speakers informing the attendees about all aspects of the upcoming change to cars with electric engines. This Event was well attended and almost filled the MEMO hall in Healesville.

What would you count as one of your greatest achievements in this role?

A successful project I was involved in was the selection and completion of installing solar panels on three community buildings in Healesville. This was made possible with a grant from the Federal Government. The Healesville Living and Learning Centre, the Robyn Jane Children Centre and just recently St Brigid’s Catholic Primary School now all get electricity savings from the solar panels on their roofs.

Where is home and what do you love about it?

I live on the outskirts of Healesville, where my wife and I enjoy a view of the state forest.

What do you do outside of Healesville CoRE?

The things I like keeping myself busy with when not spending time on HCoRE are reading, walking my dogs, gardening, and catching up for a coffee with friends.

Healesville CoRE is keen to welcome any community members who would like to engage with their community to help make a difference. www.healesvillecore.org.au