INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Become a renewable energy installer
David Holmes, Boiler Guide
The future of the heating industry has been somewhat uncertain since the UK’s net-zero carbon targets were announced. One thing that is for sure, however, is that we can’t go on burning fossil fuels and the heating landscape is set to change as a result
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key priority for heating engineers now should be how to future-proof their business and a great way to do this is by training to become a renewable energy installer.
Why train to install renewables?
Renewable heating systems are on the up. Installations are rising and public knowledge of the alternatives to conventional boilers is increasing all the time. As well as growing awareness there’s overwhelming public support for switching to renewables. A 2020 survey by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) revealed that 80% of the public are in favour of using renewable energy. Only 3% are opposed to it.
Not only is the public in support of a future for renewables, they’re doing something about it too. Applications for the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) - a government initiative which pays homeowners for generating their own heat with a renewable heating system - have rocketed since the scheme began. April 2014 saw only five successful applications to the RHI which is dwarfed in comparison to the 55,883 successful applications in July 2020.
What the Green Industrial Revolution means
The Government has also made renewable heating one of their main priorities in the bid to meet climate change targets. Its Green Industrial Revolution has will see a ‘ban’ on gas heating in new homes while there is also a target to install 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028. This doesn’t necessarily mean the beginning of the end for the boiler, however, as plans to blend hydrogen into the existing gas network have been announced by the Government. They’re also looking for a town to trial a 100% supply of hydrogen for heat.
It’s clear the heating landscape is changing and renewable heating systems are at the forefront of that change. Now is a great time for heating engineers to diversify by offering renewables.
www.heatingandventilating.net Becoming a renewable energy installer
The future is looking very bright for renewable heating systems so training to install them is a great way to future-proof your business. To become a renewable energy installer, you must be certified by the Microgeneration Scheme (MCS) for the specific technology or technologies you plan to install.
The most popular renewable heating systems for domestic installations include air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, biomass boilers and solar thermal panels.
To earn MCS certification, your company must be part of the Renewable Energy Consumer Code (RECC) and belong to a Trading Standards Institute (TSI) approved Consumer Code. Becoming an MCS certified installer involves completing an assessment against the MCS001 standard while also meeting the required standard for the specific heating system. You will also need to display competency by completing an MCS qualification or course.
To round off the certification process, you will need to demonstrate the ability to use a Quality Management System (QMS).
Which renewable heating system should you install?
If you’ve set your sights on broadening your horizons by becoming a renewable energy installer, the next thing is which heating system(s) you plan to install. According to RHI applications, air source heat pumps are the renewable heating system of choice for homeowners. Since the scheme began 58.6% of successful applications have been for heat pumps, followed by ground source heat pump (16%), biomass boilers (14%) and then solar thermal panels (11.4%). So for heating engineers, becoming certified to install heat pumps should be a high priority.
Green Homes Grant
The incentives for homeowners to install renewable heating systems keep coming. In September 2020, the Green Homes Grant initiative was launched. Through this scheme, homeowners can receive a grant of up to £5,000 (£10,000 for low-income households) to cover up to two-thirds of the cost of installing a low-carbon heating system. Other energy efficiency improvements, such as adding to the property’s insulation, can also be funded by the scheme.
As a renewable energy installer, certified by MCS and registered with TrustMark, you could complete work under the scheme until it closes on 31 March, 2022 (end date was previously 31 March 2021).
Now is the time to train as a renewable installer
In 2019, 1.67 million gas boilers were installed in the UK, a record year for gas boiler installations. So you may be wondering why now is the time to become a renewable energy installer.
If the UK is to achieve its carbon targets the low-carbon heating systems have a significant role to play. And to ensure these targets are met the Government is making a big push for homeowners to turn to renewable heating systems. As a result, the alternatives to conventional boilers are becoming more widely known and consumer demand is on the rise.
So while there is a gap between the number of renewable heating systems and boilers being installed at the moment, the coming years will see that gap fall. For that reason, now is the time to future-proof your business by becoming a renewable energy installer.
Founder of Boiler Guide, David Holmes said: “Training to install renewable heating systems, such as heat pumps, is very much worthwhile for heating engineers looking to diversify and future-proof their businesses. “While renewables don’t hold all the answers to lowering the carbon emissions caused by home heating – particularly from existing properties – they will have a big role to play, as the Government’s announcements around the green plan revealed.”
30 January 2021
www.heatingandventilating.net
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