HEAT PUMPS
A key player in reaching net zero
The Government’s recent commitment to cut UK emissions by 78% by 2035 is a bold one. It will be interesting to see how the roadmap to reach this is mapped out over the coming months and years, but what is clear is that the role of products, such as heat pumps, within this is reinforced. Mark Wilkins, director of technologies and training at Vaillant, looks at the opportunity this presents to air conditioning engineers.
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onsidering that 31% of household carbon emissions come from heating, it is unsurprising that decarbonising heat in domestic properties forms a
core part of this journey to achieving net zero. Our hope is that Government ensures its forthcoming strategies align with this new announcement to help us reach this, and the various other targets, such as 600,000 heat pump units installed by 2028, and factor in the need for a holistic, two- pronged approach to decarbonising our heating systems to help bring both installers and end users on board. There is no denying that the past year has seen a real
turning point for the heat pump market, transforming from what was once a niche technology into one which has seen significant growth; something that will no doubt speed up even further when natural gas is phased out in new builds in 2025. Especially when it is estimated that up to 345,000 new homes will be needed in England alone per year1. The benefits of including heat pumps within this target stack up. Heat pumps have zero emissions at point-of- use and meet both heating and hot water needs, and as innovations continue to push the performance envelope of heat pumps further, there are more opportunities ahead to make heat pumps even more energy efficient and sustainable. For example, the refrigerant R290, which is already commonly used in many parts of our daily life, has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of just 3 – which is 696 times lower than R410a. This GWP rating means that every tonne of R290 used is equivalent to only 3 tonnes of carbon emissions from CO2, resulting in a much lower carbon footprint. Moreover, the use of R290 allows a high flow temperature of 75°C from the heat pump which means that domestic hot water is stored in the cylinder at a useable temperature without the need for a backup heater.
Open opportunity However, despite much talk about the role heats pumps 18 June 2021
are to play in the future, the industry still needs to grow its number of installers. To reach the target to install 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028, we will need around 33,700 qualified installers. At present, numbers suggest there are just under 2,000 MCS installers registered to install heat pump technology. With these figures in mind, it’s clear that there are real opportunities for existing engineers wanting to diversify and take advantage of new revenue prospects via a move to installing heat pumps, and by providing design, installation and commissioning services to their customers. With the technical know-how and the experience of working on often complex refrigerant systems, the progression into renewable technologies is a great next step for any business looking to broaden their horizons with additional training and qualifications.
Making the transition
As a manufacturer we aim to support engineers throughout this step change and know that training is always going to be of key importance to build skills and confidence when working with this latest technology. As such, we have a range of courses on low carbon
heating technologies which are designed specifically to take participants through the journey, from learning about the technology to becoming proficient heat pump installers. The six basic modules can be taken in isolation, but also fit together seamlessly. Starting from an introductory course, explaining the workings of a heat pump and the reasons and rationale for decarbonisation, modules then cover specifying and installing a heat pump. A further five modules expand on this learning to cover more technical topics including natural refrigerants and split systems. Recognising that heating systems may be new to ac
engineers, it may be necessary to upskill on certain design elements of the installation. For those wanting to take it
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