Working on smart networks

A sector under transformation

Whereas in the past a power station marked the start of the value-added chain in the energy industry, today a variety of different energy sources are used, ranging from power stations to photovoltaic modules on the roof of private homes, cogeneration units in the cellar and wind turbines in an offshore wind farm. The energy from all these sources is then fed into the public power supply network. To ensure the effective distribution and utilisation of energy obtained in a decentralised manner, and often with sharp fluctuations, energy generation and consumption data must be evaluated in much greater depth than previously. This requires intelligent energy networks – the so-called Smart Grids. According to a quantitative database analysis by the Institute of Production Systems and Logistics (IFA), the smart grid concept is among seven core concepts being discussed internationally in areas of research concerning Industry 4.0/digitalisation (cf. TSCHÖPE et al. 2015).

As part of the BIBB research project “Diffusion of new technologies” (cf. HACKEL et al. 2015), an empirical case study was conducted based on eight qualitative interviews on the subject area of the Smart Grid. These made it possible to infer indications of changes in work tasks and qualification requirements in this field of technology. The main focus here was the description of the technology along the entire value-added chain, regardless of the specific training occupations (cf. info box).

Decentralisation of energy production necessitates new market concepts

Power from renewable energy sources is characterised by decentralised and fluctuating power generation which is fed into the distribution networks. Unlike transmission networks at higher voltage levels, these have operated up to now largely without system management and direct connection to centralised control and monitoring equipment. The distribution networks must become more intelligent – or smarter – to ensure efficient and reliable system operation. Smart Grids enable monitoring and optimised management of the system due to the capacity for continuous communication in the form of digital data recording from energy producers, to network components through to consumers. This then encourages efficient use of the energy obtained and limits the expansion of the grid to the degree required. The technology is based on pre-existing routines which must be transferred to the distribution networks. The Smart Grid concept is closely connected to the Smart Market and Smart Metering concepts: Electricity meters (Smart Meters) integrated within the communication network allow for demand and supply-related tariffs (Smart Market) thus enabling efficient use of the energy. Intelligent products are increasingly being offered to private households as a by-product of the digital data base, one of the aims of which is to encourage sustainable energy consumption. This range of products is brought together under the concept of the Smart Home.

Changes in the value-added chain

The Smart Grid's value-added chain comprises the stages of energy generation, system operation and maintenance, intelligent network distribution and (intermediate) storage. This is accompanied by continuous monitoring processes with the use of intelligent systems, and the commercial activities of consulting and marketing.

The consequence of this is that a broad range of qualifications is necessary in order to guarantee and maintain really efficient operation and management of the network. The illustration shows the occupational profiles identified in the interviews along the value-added chain (the system construction stage is not included here).

Electrical engineering qualifications in particular are traditionally to be found in the area of energy supply. In connection with the Smart Grid, the trends outlined above are characterised by the much stronger cross-disciplinary trade focus in the first stage of energy generation within the areas of electrical engineering; plumbing, heating and air conditioning technology; and information/communication technology. The statements from respondents indicated that the skilled crafts (electrical and, plumbing/heating/air conditioning trade) are increasingly integrated due to the linking up of different energy sources at different locations and due to a more strongly differentiated operator structure. The demands in terms of control technology design and the integration of systems into the energy network have increased significantly. This is characterised by the increased importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in the electrical and the plumbing, heating and air conditioning trades. The broad product range related to Smart Metering/Smart Home is also creating new requirements in terms of consumer advice on the safe and effective use of these products.

Pilot projects have already provided the answers to a series of qualification questions in connection with renewable energies (cf. KASTRUP et al. 2012; LOEBE/SEVERING 2014; STEINBACH/SZAROWSKI 2014). Intensive research on the part of the energy suppliers and network operators is currently underway regarding intelligent networking and efficient use of decentralised energy sources. Corresponding development work is slowly beginning to filter through from the pilot projects into the operational practice. This also involves the trialling of new business models.

According to respondent statements, new task specifications are emerging through the interfaces with skilled crafts due to organisational changes. The outsourcing of activities to the skilled crafts, e.g. line construction, means that energy suppliers are increasingly required to carry out planning, coordination and monitoring activities (also in terms of the DVGW accident prevention policy, VDE [Association of German Electrical Engineers]), while the actual implementation is now completed by the skilled crafts business. This requires the use of both graduates with Bachelor's degrees (primarily in the areas of planning and coordination) as well as master craftsmen (in monitoring and in acceptance of the installation).

Office management assistants work in the area of the Smart Market. The companies questioned are searching for employees with expertise in the areas of energy data management. The area of IT security is also discussed as an additional requirement. The sector does not yet regard the commercial IT occupational profiles as sufficiently well-tailored to industry requirements. Additional commercial activities also exist in the areas of consulting and sales. This affects both commercial training occupations (e.g. tax consultancy, advice regarding funding structures and regarding specific electricity tariffs) as well as master craftsman level in the areas of skilled crafts (sale of specific product solutions).

Consequences for vocational education and training

In the view of the respondents, the technical occupations involved will face few problems in incorporating the changed technological requirements within education and training. The relevant training regulations provide adequate scope for this due to their general wording with regards to technology. Changes are expected mainly as part of the necessary broadening and consolidation of the IT competencies. The areas of energy and resource efficiency were also referred to in the interviews as issues across all occupations which must be more firmly embedded within initial and continuing education and training. Renewable energies can only be used efficiently with an awareness of system interconnections and, in line with this, corresponding consultation and specific planning for systems and buildings. This requires a more general-purpose qualification of the trades in the skilled crafts as well as training in sustainable and energy-related building, taking into account system interconnections.

New areas of business are emerging, on the one hand, for commercial employees as part of the Smart Market, while on the other simple commercial activities are disappearing or have already disappeared over the years due to the increased automation of data recording. In addition to this, the issues of Smart Metering and Smart Houses are creating an entire range of new products. We need to learn and understand their technical construction and how to use these in a meaningful and customer-orientated manner. The latter, however, does not require new occupations.

DEMANDS ON VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING

The following qualification requirements were mentioned in the interviews for the occupations involved. However, due to the small number of interviews, no statements can be made regarding the completeness of the list. Other occupations may also be affected by the changes described due to operational decisions in terms of the selection of training occupations, such as electronics technician for operating technology.

• Electronics technician for energy and building technology in the skilled crafts and electronics technician for infrastructure systems: in the future, these two occupations will also be more significantly affected by the IT requirements involved in the installation of building technology. They will need to be able to deal with a broader range of products and will be reliant on close cooperation with other trades on site (mainly with the plant mechanic for plumbing, heating and air conditioning systems). The aspect of customer advice relating to products and systems is also gaining in importance.
• Electronics technicians for devices and systems, electronics technicians for information and systems technology and information technology specialists will be deployed in relatively similar contexts within the energy industry: here, it is above all the issue of IT security which is gaining in importance as part of the Smart Grid. The protections profiles and security guidelines currently developed in the Bundesamt für Informationstechnik (BSI) [Federal Office for Information Security] will also demand requirements in the energy industry comparable to those in the banking and healthcare sectors. These requirements are already implicitly included due to the general wording of the training regulations. However, in a study by the Institut für Technikfolgenabschätzung und Systemanalyse (ITAS) [Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis], PATHMAPERUMA/SCHIPPL (2011) point out that “the energy system involves critical public service infrastructure” and therefore stricter requirements ought to be in place regarding the certification of staff responsible for programming. The integration of such certificates in nationally regulated initial and advanced education and training is desirable in order to maintain the value of dual vocational qualification.
• Commercial IT qualifications. Here the interviewees expressed the need for a commercial and IT-related hybrid qualification with a specific focus on the energy sector. The sector does not yet regard the commercial IT occupational profiles as sufficiently well-tailored to industry requirements. The interests of the energy industry should therefore be taken into account in a potential restructuring of IT occupations in order to address the increasing requirements for ICT qualifications. These are emerging in the industry as a result of Germany's move towards alternative energy, referred to as the "Energiewende".
• Plant mechanic for plumbing heating and air conditioning systems. The Smart Grid and the related issue of cogeneration mean that the understanding of control technology is increasingly expected from skilled workers, which thus far has only been necessary to a much lesser extent. Extensive and differentiated product knowledge, often obtained after education and training as part of manufacturer training, is also necessary here.

DEMANDS ON ADVANCED VOCATIONAL TRAINING AND ACADEMIC EDUCATION AND TRAINING

In connection with the Smart Grid, the respondents discussed the theme of data protection as a university degree requirement. IT specialists employed in this area should be taking better account of legal issues. A specific interdisciplinary focus appears to be necessary.

Interdisciplinary linking in the area of supply systems has already been addressed in a specific chamber regulation at the master craftsman level (network master craftsman for the electricity, gas, water and district heating supply sectors). The question arises as to whether a national advanced education and training regulation in accordance with Section 53 of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) and Section 42 of the Crafts and Trades Regulation Code (HwO) should be developed in connection with the continual expansion of the Smart Grid. A review should be undertaken to establish the extent to which a stronger focus on an occupational career path concept across all levels of initial and continuing education and training in the energy industry is meaningful in context of the “Energiewende”.

Commercial qualifications are required on the part of the skilled crafts for sales, but also for specific customer advice regarding legal aspects relating to funding and tax law. The need for a system-wide consulting competence in energy-related building management has been drafted for this. Relevant qualification measures have so far been developed at the level of chamber regulations, these concepts were influenced in some case by results from pilot projects in the key development area of “Vocational training for sustainable development”. There are currently several chamber regulations for energy consultants in the skilled crafts. The question also arises here as to whether these should not be transferred into a national advanced training regulation.

Currently, training provider provision in the commercial area is similarly located at the advanced training level. This means, for example, that the themes of energy law, energy marketing and sales are addressed in the IHK Berlin [Chamber of Industry and Commerce] chamber regulation for energy specialists. The requirement for a national regulation should also be reviewed here.

Vocational education and training is coping well with the transformation in the sector

The phasing-out of nuclear power and the switch to renewable energies has resulted in enormous change for the energy industry which is also accompanied by increased digitalisation of the network infrastructure. An analysis of the Smart Grid from an educational perspective shows that this change can be coped with well by the vocational education and training system. In many cases, the general wording of the training regulations around the issue of technology allows the new requirements to be integrated within the operational implementation without changing the regulation. New business models are emerging as a result of the digitalisation which entail changes in terms of commercial activities. A number of chamber regulations under Sections 53 of the Vocational Training Act (BBiG) and Section 42 of the Crafts and Trades Regulation Code (HwO) have been developed in the area of advanced vocational training, which might be worth reviewing at a national level. The results of the research project may serve as a basis for continued work and as the impetus for discussion in a social partnership based practice community.

MONIKA HACKEL
Dr., Head of the “Commercial, Media and Logistics occupations” Division at BIBB

Translation from the German original (published in BWP 6/2015): Martin Lee, Global SprachTeam, Berlin