www.heatingandventilating.net Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said the plan would create and
support up to 80,000 jobs over the next three decades. He also said the Government would introduce new rules for measuring the energy and carbon performance of the largest commercial and industrial buildings that could save businesses around £2bn per year in energy costs by 2030. In the long-term, the Government believes the plan can lead to a 90% cut in
emissions by 2050 compared to 2018 levels. It also opens up huge possibilities for the electrification of heat – and the most efficient way to use electricity for heating is by having heat pumps as the main source of heat transfer to buildings.
In tandem
A good way to approach this challenge is to use heat pumps in tandem with other high efficiency technologies such as high efficiency gas-fired boilers and direct gas-fired water heaters. This ‘hybrid’ or integrated concept has also strengthened the case for wider use of heat pumps in retrofit projects because they avoid the potentially disruptive and costly process of replacing other system components. Heat pumps can also be installed as part of multi-valent systems where energy
is gathered from a number of separate sources which can include other renewable technologies such as solar thermal along with high efficiency condensing gas-fired boilers and/or water heaters. In such a system, the use of a properly sized thermal store becomes the critical
element. The use of a thermal store/buffer vessel capable of accepting multiple energy sources, in tandem with the latest heat pump technology, allows the design engineer to provide an extremely flexible, but high output solution. The thermal store, effectively, acts as a large, low resistance header that can
accept heat from multiple sources. This smooths out the system capacity to maximise efficiency. It also minimises legionella risk because it does not store domestic hot water. Integrating technologies in this way requires good control strategies and a
thorough commissioning process to ensure the various parts of the system work in correct sequence. The system should be set up to ensure the renewable/low carbon technologies are the first to respond to any call for heating and hot water; with gas- fired boilers only there to provide back-up. Integrated/hybrid solutions are clearly proving popular with specifiers and end
users because they are an excellent way to meet performance targets at a lower capital cost than going for a totally renewable option. They deliver a faster return on investment for commercial building owners, which means they are more likely to be taken up on a greater scale and, therefore, will deliver more energy and carbon reductions in the long-term. Hybrids also reduce running costs and extend the operating life of the equipment
by only using the gas-fired products in back-up mode. This is another key to reducing carbon. If you have to replace products on a regular basis, you will increase your overall carbon footprint significantly. In other words, another example of good ‘back to basics’ engineering that can take us further along the road towards a net zero carbon future.
ViewPoint L
ate last year, the Prime Minister laid out a 10-point plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, complete with a well- documented commitment to see 600,000 heat pumps
installed in homes per year by 2028. Now over half a year later, we are continuing to see a steady rise in conversations around the need to shift away from the fossil fuel boiler and towards low carbon heat pumps, which are already available and ready to go. One thing that isn’t quite ready, however, is the installer base – with a limited number of installers currently trained and ready to install heat pumps. Getting to grips with heat pump technology I’d encourage all heating installers working in the industry to get to grips with heat pump technology as soon as possible to ensure that they are ready to deliver the greener homes and buildings the UK needs to meet net zero. Those installing traditional systems already understand the fundamentals of heating, so it’s a case of adding to the list of skills they already have. Becoming a certified heat pump installer with NIBE Pro Installers can now learn all there is to know about heat pump technology through NIBE’s streamlined installer partnership scheme, which brings all the aspects of the heat pump certification journey under one umbrella to ensure the journey is as straightforward as possible. Designed to guide and assist installers throughout the training process, NIBE Pro allows installers to continuously develop and progress over time, unlocking a rewarding career path well into the future – with the added bonus of the training costs being fully redeemable through the NIBE Pro voucher scheme. Installer knowledge is key to the low carbon transition Accredited heat pump installers have a vital role to play in the decarbonisation of heat on the road to net zero. This will not just come through the installation of low carbon heating systems into homes up and down Britain but also through the knowledge and advice they can share with customers around the benefits the technology has to offer. Route to becoming a NIBE Pro To become a NIBE Pro, you will first need to complete the following NIIBE Pro Training Course Package:
An Amicus heat pump and Cavalier water heater available from Lochinvar
• Level 3 Qualification in Heat Pump Technology • MCS compliance training For those new to the world of heat pumps, gaining an understanding of the different types is an essential starting point. For those looking for some initial insight into the different types of heat pumps, the key aspects of air source (ASHP) and ground source heat pumps (GSHP) are summarised below. The Basics ASHPs and GSHPs both use naturally occurring thermal energy to provide renewable heating and hot water but the heat source and set up requirements are fundamentally different. GSHPs use low grade heat stored in the soil, while ASHPs absorb heat from the air. The different heat source makes for different setups and requirements, with GSHP installations needing outside space suitable for digging, and more work in terms of planning and labour – making them suitable for new developments. Getting to grips with the key differences between the two systems is a fundamental part of the training process, but it need not be daunting. Following the completion of the NIBE Pro Training Course Package, installers are then guided through the process to MCS and TrustMark certification, receiving hands on support with the design and commissioning of their first NIBE heat pump system.
www.nibe.co.uk
HEATING INSTALLERS ESSENTIAL TO SCALE-UP by Neil Hope, head of installer development at NIBE Energy Systems
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