Drivers’ licence In July, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) will launch its long-awaited Refrigerant Drivers’ Licence (RDL) scheme. It is designed to raise professional standards internationally giving the developing nations access to the same technical progress and training on safe refrigerant handling that we take for granted in Europe and other developed markets. This is a major development for the industry worldwide and will save a lot of
lives. However, it cannot transform the sector overnight. It will take considerable time to get technicians up-skilled, certifi ed, and able to work safely with the new generation of refrigerant gases, so it is vital that we do not jump the gun and start fl ooding the market with alternative systems before the workforce is competent to work with them.
And this does not just apply to Africa. Many of the developed nations are struggling to keep up with the existing HFC phase down programme and most of us do not have fully trained workforces ready to work with fl ammable gases. There are major skills gaps in every sector and, while the training is in place,
there is still a lot of work to be done to get everyone trained up and ready – and that is without any sudden acceleration like the one proposed for the F-Gas Regulation. The European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of the
European Union have still to agree on the fi nal wording of the proposed review and industry groups representing manufacturers, contractors, and end users, said they would continue to lobby for “a more realistic phase down timetable”. FETA Chairman Mark Hughes expressed the concerns of the whole UK supply chain at his organisation’s recent annual lunch: “The process [of reviewing the F-Gas Regulation] is not yet over, but it is fair to say that we have signifi cant concerns that the EU may be focusing on legislation which, while reducing the GWP for refrigerants, does so at the expense of the much bigger prize of energy effi ciency,” he told the gathering of industry and government fi gures. “It is in this area where our industry, given the fl exibility around choice of technology, can make the biggest impact by reducing dependence on fossil fuels – the role of our heat pumps being a shining example. There is no question that industry buys into where we need to be on net zero but there is a need to be pragmatic and ensure we do actually achieve the targets,” said Hughes. He noted the presence of government offi cials at the FETA event, and DEFRA
has already indicated that the UK would fi nd it hard to match the revised targets that may be set in Brussels. “I am therefore pleased to report that the UK government is taking an
approach where it seemingly wants to fully understand the impacts of potential proposals before acting,” said Hughes. “It is noticeable how willing offi cials are to consult with industry over changes to legislation and I would hope that a fuller understanding of feedback and initiatives from our industry will lead to better regulation and action to meet our net zero ambitions.” However, the MPs on the advisory cross-party Committee on Climate Change
have called for the UK “to match or exceed” the European Parliament’s ambition, so it is important that we keep up the political pressure because undermining our own energy effi ciency aims would be totally counter-productive for the environment. Of course, we should continue leading the way in transitioning the world
towards more environmentally benign refrigerants, but we should not risk more innocent lives before we see the folly of transitioning too quickly – and we must keep our eye on the bigger picture.
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The future of heating in off gas grid homes By Jonathan Hancock, Product Manager at NIBE Energy Systems
eat pump systems are drawing attention across the UK as we seek ways to meet our Net Zero targets. Not only is the government considering policy mechanisms to phase out high carbon fuels, but consumer interest in low carbon heating systems is also increasing. The Government’s public attitudes tracker has seen a rise in awareness around climate change, and a greater
willingness to help tackle it. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), which gives a £6,000 grant for Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP), is experiencing higher engagement from off gas grid homes than the UK average. 25% of the GSHPs being installed under the scheme are replacing oil boilers. GSHPs are attractive to off gas grid customers because they are more
reliable than alternatives – they are unaff ected by cold outdoor ambient air temperatures and so maintain effi ciency regardless of outside conditions. This is because ground temperature stays consistent throughout the year at around 10°C. Additionally, heat pumps are immune to volatile oil prices, and so provide stable running costs for consumers. They also require less maintenance than fossil fuel systems, saving call-out time for installers. GSHPs are also incredibly versatile, taking heat from multiple sources, including the ground, lakes and mineshafts. NIBE’s GSHP range can also be connected to solar PV-T panels for even higher energy effi ciency. For ease of installation, GSHPs have more fl exible siting options compared to oil tanks as there is no requirement to ensure safe termination of fl ue gases. Households adopting GSHPs benefi t from longer lifespans of over 20 years
compared to other heating solutions, with boreholes remaining effi cient for well over 50 years. In addition, the cost of retrofi tting a GSHP at the end of its life is comparable to other heating systems. Running costs are signifi cantly lower with GSHPs too. Green levies have been removed from electricity bills and will be further reduced through the Government’s ambition to rebalance electricity prices to incentivise the electrifi cation of heat. This will further increase demand for GSHP installations. Consumers are increasingly looking for ways to manage their heating
systems more effi ciently to save them money, and so NIBE’s GSHPs provide performance information to consumer’s smart devices for more eff ective heating system management. On the other hand, for the installer, the commissioning process for a heat pump can require frequent adaptations to ensure the install is set up correctly. Constant on-site visits are often not practical for installers and increase costs. That’s why NIBE has created a GSHP range, where installers can remotely monitor and troubleshoot performance through the MyUplink pro app. Additionally, to overcome cylinder placement issues, the NIBE S1255 GSHPs comes with a built-in hot water cylinder to deliver a more compact installation. Oil installers wishing to diversify into heat pump technology before the
fossil fuel heating phase out will also be at a stronger position to take advantage of subsidies and incentives aimed at deploying the technology at scale. If you are yet to begin your journey to becoming a heat pump installer, the government has recently announced the Heat Training Grant, providing installers with £500 incentives to subsidise the cost of heat pump installer training. NIBE already off ers the level 3 training courses eligible for these incentives. Our NIBE Pro scheme is a perfect example of the industry supporting upskilling, with training costs fully redeemable against product purchases through our voucher scheme.
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May 2023
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