For energy management initiatives to become a success, training is paramount. In Kenya, energy management training is still seen as a compliance factor. But that needs to change.

Why energy efficiency training?

The main reasons for training operators of commercial buildings and hotels are:

* People are at the center of most activities in these industries. Cleaners, maintenance, kitchen, laundry staff, guests are the majority of people transacting here. * There are plenty of low-cost high impact initiatives that can get implemented. Examples are changing behaviour, observing routine, reporting among others

Common types of training

The most common training on energy efficiency in these sectors are less on equipment and more on people and processes.

Examples are behaviour change training, training for managers and technical staff as well as design thinking workshops.

Ideal audience

Effective training needs to span from the services provider to the consumer. This  means that aside from general staff and department heads, the guests or tenants also need education on energy management. At the end of it all, the utility bills will constitute the input of these parties. 

Key features of effective energy efficiency training

Elements contributing to the success of training are majorly:

* Getting the support of top management. Aside from paying for training, the top management needs to make it clear that they are in support of it. They should also be trained so that they understand suggestions made by their staff. * Customize training to the target audience. Because of location, size or services, different hotels and buildings will have varying training demands. As the trainer, you should understand the dynamics of your audience as you craft a programme for them.  * Fostering collaboration in training. To avoid the common ‘death by PowerPoint’ pitfall, make sure your training programme has activities for your audience. This practice helps the trainees give their opinion and suggestions that work best for their realities.  * Follow up. Without a way to track the impact of your training, the audience will quickly forget about the strategies and learning points acquired.

Innovative styles in energy efficiency training

As a way of adding spice into your training, consider the following pointers:

* Go visual. By that, we don’t mean poor quality photos from the internet. Use photos relating to the audience you are training. Are they in a coastal setting in Kenya? Use photos of other similar looking settings. Teaching them about air conditioning? Use photos you took from a previous survey of an actual air conditioning unit. Better still, take photos of the facilities in the hotel and use them!* Storytelling. People always but from people the like, and situations that are familiar to them. Should your audience be football-loving, don’t use analogies around tennis for example. If they are commuters, for instance, refer to common experiences while using public transport.  * Include friendly competitions. This approach creates deeper memories because your audience can start applying the lessons. Again, make sure it suits the specific trainees you have. 

Challenges and Solutions to effective energy efficiency training

A few setbacks still exist in making sure training makes sense for energy management. Some of the challenges are:

Compliance