NEWS


SPECIAL FOCUS Training S


ince its launch last year over 2,000 installers have signed up to receive training on Toshiba’s online training portal. It is available at all times of the day and enables subscribers to learn at their own and qualify for Toshiba’s seven year warranty.


To date, the most popular courses cover digital inverter (DI) and super digital inverter (SDI) splits, variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems and controls, all of which underpin the company’s extended warranty scheme. Toshiba’s series of continuous professional development (CPD) modules have also proved popular since being uploaded in June. Cameron Beech, manager of Toshiba’s online training, said: “It has been a great success and exceeded even our own expectations. “Engineers like the ability to log-in at a time to suit them and work through training modules at their own pace to update their skills. It offers a very convenient alternative that supports our classroom-based training, and can now also be used by customers of our UK distributors.” The portal uses a combination of instructional videos, pictures and easy to understand snippets of information that users can study and return to at any time. To ensure users have absorbed key principles and knowledge, courses conclude with an assessment quiz; if answered successfully, users can print a certificate of completion.


Toshiba offers an extended seven- year warranty on equipment based on the skills and competence of


installers. Installers qualify for the extended warranty by successfully completing Toshiba courses, offered both online and in the classroom. To access online training, installers must have attended one VRF installation and service classroom- based course in person. Users have their own training account that records courses they have completed, either online or in the classroom, with a unique identification number that is also used for equipment commissioning records. This provides automatic validation for warranty cover for equipment installed by each user.


Toshiba plans to develop the online training programme over time, with the addition of new courses on system design and application, as well as key technology topics such as compressors and related components.


A specialist commercial


refrigeration and CO2 awareness training day was held at Panasonic UK HQ in Bracknell with distributor Hawco and some of its customers. A CO2


awareness training day was


held at Panasonic UK HQ. Attendee, David Jupp, director of Castle Fridge who has been in the commercial refrigeration industry since 1982, commented: “The training day was very informative, I learnt a lot and believe the future is exciting for commercial refrigeration and the use of CO2


. Over the next five years I


think that we will start to see colossal changes within the industry with the adoption of more natural refrigerants


such as CO2 .”


Laura Fleming, area sales manager North with experience in commercial refrigeration in the UK for Panasonic, informed attendees about the 10- year history in CO2


commercial


refrigeration that Panasonic has with its range of condensing units. The range was first launched in Japan in 2001, with now over 10,000 units sold (as of the end of November 2018).


Attendees were reminded of the EU F-Gas Regulations and the phase out that will be coming into force in 2022 which will ban certain refrigerants for use in new installations. These regulations are being driven by environmental concerns, where legislation is requiring the increased adoption of ‘alternative’ refrigerants of which CO2


is one. CO2 is a very


attractive natural alternative with a zero Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) and a Global Warming Potential (GWP) equal to one.


Indy Tharnvithian, technical specialist manager for CO2


at


Panasonic, added: “When installing the Panasonic CO2


range just two


settings are required – vacuum mode and evaporating setting – everything else is pre-set.


“Obviously if need be, settings can easily be modified with alarms that will indicate any wrong settings. If installers register on the Panasonic Pro-Club website, they will have access to commissioning tools that includes a cooling capacity calculator, pipe calculator and EEV quick selection tool.”


Ms Tharnvithian further provided


insightful tips on safety issues when working with CO2


of the sub-critical and transcritical pressure testing required along with the smaller pipe sizes in addition to looking over a unit in operating mode.


Ms Tharnvithian also stressed the importance of attending a certified CO2


training course to


ensure confidence when working with CO2


businesses as CO2


and to future proof installer is more widely


adopted as a commercial refrigerant. Mr Jupp further added: “I will most certainly be looking to complete the recommended CO2


City and Guilds


training. Due to the complexities of installing CO2


, installers will have to


have a higher level of training and will thus hopefully remove some of the current issues around bad installations. Installers would be foolish not to receive the appropriate training and may be left behind if they do not invest in CO2


.” Mervin Chumun of Hawco


highlighted to attendees: “Hawco has access to the complete package for installing the Panasonic CO2


range,


whereby we are currently offering free commissioning plus support to help with compliance to ensure the units are correctly installed. Furthermore, Hawco are able to supply evaporators with compatible controllers for a complete system.” The team at Hawco offer design and in-depth product knowledge, helping customers to improve efficiency, minimise energy consumption and move to lower GWP refrigerants.


and the importance


8 January 2020


www.acr-news.com


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