Everything you need to know about the job of energy renovation advisor
Renovating France's housing stock is a major challenge at a time when the housing sector accounts for a significant proportion of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Over and above the climatic challenges, energy renovation has a real social impact. Today, France has over 4 million low-energy homes (rated F or G). This means high heating bills and poor thermal comfort, with direct consequences for occupants' health.
For these reasons, home renovation is one of the public authorities' top priorities, with the aim of achieving 200,000 overall renovations by 2024, followed by 800,000 renovations per year. Against this backdrop, the role of the energy advisor is of vital importance to the French energy transition.
This article will help you better understand the many missions of the energy renovation advisor, and find out if this is the job for you!
What does it mean to be a renovation advisor?
The role of the advisor is to guide homeowners through their renovation project, with the aim of improving the energy performance of their home. They provide advice and support on the technical, financial, administrative and social aspects of the project.
It's a job that requires a solid base of technical knowledge, but also involves a great deal of human support. The advisor's support is comprehensive, making him or her a trusted contact for households.
He or she may also be called upon to carry out an energy audit, propose technical solutions, evaluate financial gains, draw up a renovation project, analyze estimates and propose a financing plan.
Depending on the structure in which the advisor carries out his or her duties, he or she may also undertake awareness-raising initiatives aimed at the general public, such as running conferences, thermographic walks and workshops.
To sum up, the renovation advisor's objective is twofold: to help households reduce their energy bills and improve their comfort, and to limit the environmental impact of their homes.
What skills do you need to be a renovation advisor?
Technical knowledge of the building (bioclimatic design, construction systems, indoor air quality, etc.) and its systems (heating, ventilation, domestic hot water, etc.) is essential. The advisor is required to propose technical solutions, so it's essential to have a global vision and knowledge of the building.
The job also requires human skills such as listening and empathy. You need to know how to adapt to the person you're talking to, and be able to explain complex information in simple terms.
The job of renovation advisor offers many opportunities
With a target of 800,000 energy-efficiency renovations per year, this sector is a major job creator and a source of numerous career opportunities. Nearly 230,000 jobs (all types of positions) have been created thanks to energy renovation projects scattered across the country. By 2030, industry professionals are forecasting the creation of almost 400,000 jobs.
The creation of the France Rénov' public home renovation service, with its network of advisors, has led to a considerable increase in the number of advisor positions. By 2022, there will be 2,254 France Rénov advisors.
Employers can be many and varied. You could be working in Espaces France Rénov, associations, local energy agencies, or in commercial structures (materials retailers, DIY stores, consultancies and energy audits).
As you can see, there are plenty of opportunities in this profession!
Testimony of Nathalie, energy advisor since 2022.
"What I love about this job is its richness: the exchanges, the human contact and the diversity of the projects. The actions are repetitive, but the diversity of the people and the projects are so varied that it's never the same thing. It's a job where there's never a dull moment!
The satisfaction of participating in the ecological transition was my primary motivation when I decided to change careers. I also wanted a job where you're not so much behind your screen as with people.
Where to train?
Asder offers an intensive 12-week training course: Renovation Advisor.
It takes place both face-to-face and remotely, and includes a month's work experience in a company to give you a real insight into the profession and the professional environment.