Air conditioning T
he heat pump market in the UK has doubled in size in recent years – while this is significant progress – we still need to accelerate momentum and demand in the marketplace. The Government is notably targeting 600,000 domestic heat pump installations per year by 2028, and installer training is fundamental to making this possible.
Its most recent estimates have the industry at an upskilling capacity of 7,000 installers per year, but we think there is potential for the industry go further, faster. At Daikin, we have the capacity to train over 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 from installers
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 who opt for a heat pump in the short term will effectively become ambassadors for the technology and can encourage others to make the move as well. And for installers, ensuring the install is
carried out to a high standard will eliminate the potential need for follow-up visits to resolve any issues – increasing the likelihood of word-of- mouth recommendations, and maximising the time available to take on more new jobs. The Heat Pump Association has recently 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 to date. And to facilitate the upskilling of installers in their thousands, third party providers like Daikin are accredited to deliver the course. Heat pump technology is still new to many
installers in the heating industry and, with this 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 their requirements can be met. The Government is looking at whether to make
courses like this one mandatory for heat pump installers.
Product-specific training: why it is so important
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
30 September 2022
www.heatingandventilating.net
Training is the key
Martin Passingham, product and training manager at Daikin UK discusses why installer training is key to paving the road to Net Zero
right first time. Daikin provides a three-level course format for its Altherma air source heat pumps – including Monobloc, low temperature, high temperature, and hybrid systems. Each level of the course is tailored to suit
different abilities, allowing installers to progress from a standard installation through to more complex fault finding. Our 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 partner Daikin Sustainable Homes Centres give us an even wider national footprint. They offer completely free product training and refresher courses to local installers, cutting down on cost and time taken away from billable work. This high level of training is crucial for heat pump
uptake and the long-term benefits of renewable heating to installers across the country, helping to mitigate three key potential issues with installation: Incorrect selection – selecting the wrong heat
pump for the home. This could mean the whole installation would need to be replaced leading to significant
homeowner dissatisfaction and cost to the installer. Incorrect design – leading to potentially poor
system operation. This could lead to poor reviews and negative word of mouth when recommending services and systems to the homeowner’s network of friends and family. Incorrect install – needing recall visits back to the client to fix or redo the install. Expensive for the installer, reducing the profit margin for the project and leading to a bad experience for the homeowner at a time where positive word of mouth recommendations are crucial.
An opportunity too good to miss
Those who are among the first to make the move to eco heating 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.
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