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Why installer training is key to paving the road to Net Zero
The UK is facing a major challenge to fill the green skills gaps needed to hit Net Zero by 2050 and to see 600,000 heat pumps installed each year by 2028, and installer training will be key according to Daikin UK product and training manager, Martin Passingham
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aikin has revealed it can train more than 7,000 installers a year on air source heat pumps through accredited courses and a network of
Sustainable Home Centres – and it is striving to train around 30% of all installers in the industry.
Accredited training
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 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. 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. Courses like this one enable installers to carry out installations through the 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 provides three levels of courses for its Daikin
Altherma air source heat pumps – including monobloc, high temperature, and hybrid systems.
Left: Daikin UK product and training manager, Martin Passingham
The first level Standard Installation course is ideal
for anyone who’s only involved in installations and set up of the heat pump. The second level Advanced Installation 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 homeowners’ requirements. And 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 lifetime of the unit and to be able to effectively repair. Training is delivered virtually and face to face at Daikin’s training academies in Woking, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow. A network of Sustainable Homes Centres also offers free product training and refresher courses to local installers, cutting down on costs and time taken away from billable work. The company has also totally refitted its Training
Academy in Birmingham. It provides a comprehensive range of training courses, including product courses and industry-accredited training for heat-pump renewables installers, social housing providers and developers.
Support for installers
The company is offering £250 to MSC certified installers each time they fit a Daikin air source heat pump in England, Scotland or Wales. The scheme is directly linked to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) and the Home Energy Scotland Scheme (HESS). In Scotland, the eligible products also include hybrid boilers. Running alongside the Installer Incentive scheme, Daikin’s new installer offer provides free local heat pump training in a Daikin Sustainable Home Centre and £100 off easy MCS accreditation, alongside end- user warranties for customers, so installers can concentrate on quality installs. In addition to this, new installers will also benefit
from 40% off the first heat pump unit purchased at a local centre and commissioning support for the first installations.
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October 2023 29
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