SMART BUILDINGS & CONTROLS


Accumulating small savings is having a large total effect on carbon reduction


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Armin Anders, co- founder & VP business development, EnOcean, explains why wireless technologies can offer a solution to reducing the energy required to operate a building and in turn achieve success in the pursuit of sustainability


ecuring the UK’s energy supply and meeting its Net Zero targets is a top priority for the UK government. Heat pumps have been highlighted as a key renewable solution in the


country’s future heating strategy. The UK is facing a major challenge to fill the green skills gaps needed to meet the government’s ambitious target of net zero by 2050 and its aim to have 600,000 heat pumps installed each year by 2028 - with more than 200,000 people needing training for green energy roles by 2050. It is estimated there are only 3,000 trained heat pump engineers in the UK – yet at least 27,000 will be needed in the next six years alone. At Daikin, we have the capacity to train more than 7,000 installers on air source heat pumps through our accredited courses and around 40-strong network of Sustainable Home Centres – and we’re striving to train around 30% of all installers in the industry.


Accredited training to meet demand


It’s vital that homeowners have a good experience during the installation process, and confidence in their heat pump solution in the weeks, months and years that follow. Early adopters of heat pumps will effectively become ambassadors for the technology and can encourage others to make the move as well. And there’s a benefit for installers, too. Ensuring the install is carried out to a high standard reduces the potential need for follow-up visits to resolve any issues – increasing the likelihood of positive word-of-mouth recommendations and maximising the time available to take on more new jobs. The awarding body LCL has launched a new


three-day air source and ground source heat pump foundation course that’s more closely aligned to industry requirements than what’s been on offer previously.


And to facilitate the upskilling of installers in their thousands, third-party providers like Daikin are accredited to deliver the air source course. Heat pump technology is still new to many installers and, with that in mind, the course covers the fundamentals of how a heat pump works, as well as the finer technical details of the installation. It also provides a detailed overview of how to select the right heat pump for a particular home – starting by carrying out a thorough heat loss calculation for the property and understanding the household’s hot water demands to ensure its requirements can be met. The government is looking at whether to make courses like this one mandatory for heat pump installers to maintain installation quality and consistency. It should be noted that it is already a requirement of the current Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) where homeowners get £5,000 towards their heat pump installation in England.


The importance of product training


As well as a solid grounding in heat pump theory and best practice, product-specific training is a good idea for installers looking to get every install right first time. Daikin, for example, provides a three-level course format for its Daikin Altherma air source heat pumps – including Monobloc, low temperature, high temperature, and hybrid systems.


The first level Standard Installation course is ideal for anyone who’s only involved in basic installations.


The second level Advanced Installation 22 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER SEPTEMBER 2023


and Commissioning course covers the skills required to install heat pumps in a much wider range of circumstances, also to configure and commission to suit the home owners requirements. And best-suited to already-competent installers, the third level Service and Fault Finding course covers all types of servicing tasks. This course is for the experienced heat pump engineer and allows them to be able to diagnose issues that may arise during the life time of the unit and to be able to effectively repair. Training is delivered via live streaming modules online, and as full-day courses at our training centres in Woking, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow. Our network of Daikin Sustainable Homes Centres gives us an even wider national footprint. They offer completely free product training and refresher courses to local installers, cutting down on costs and time taken away from billable work. The company is also totally refitting its


Training Academy in Birmingham, offering a comprehensive range of training courses, including product courses and industry-accredited training for heat pump renewables installers, social housing providers and developers.


Developing skills earlier


While upskilling existing heating installers on heat pumps is crucial, there is a huge opportunity at college level that is currently being missed as heating and plumbing courses focus only on gas – but not for long.


Daikin UK is also working with Quantum


Group, a key provider of renewables and decarbonisation training, to roll out renewables training to further education colleges that offer built environment study programmes – a first of its kind partnership in the UK. With the aim of training hundreds of heat pump installers a year, the Renewable Training Facilities and state-of-the-art equipment will offer learners hands-on, practical exposure to renewable energy and low carbon technologies including air source heat pumps, solar thermal, solar PV, EV charging and battery energy storage.


The company is also offering a range of support measures for installers.


An opportunity too good to miss


Heat pumps are no longer the technology of the future. They’re the technology of today. With no gas boilers being installed in new homes from 2025 – and incentives in place to ensure the country’s existing housing stock is upgraded to low carbon heating too – the need for installers to train on alternatives is paramount. Those who are among the first to make the move can enjoy a competitive advantage while others catch up, as long as they can competently advise homeowners on the optimum solution for their home. This represents a once-in-a-career opportunity for installers to not just future-proof their businesses as their existing customers upgrade to cleaner, green options, but to grow and expand their customer base.


Read the latest at: www.bsee.co.uk


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