Neil Sawers, Commercial Technical Manager at Grant UK, asks if we are facing an impossible task.
The Government has set a target of 600,000 heat pump installations each year by 2028. There are an estimated 1,200-2,500 heat pump contractors in the UK, depending on whose report you read, fitting around 35,000 heat pumps in 2021. So to upscale the number of installations, more trained installers will obviously be needed. It is a significant task and whether it is achievable is yet to be decided, but there are multiple pathways installers can take who are looking to develop their skills with low temperature heating systems.
There is common consensus in the heat pump sector that installing a low temperature heating system is not the same as working with gas and oil boilers. Therefore, heating engineers looking to make the transition into air source heat pumps must give themselves the time to complete the necessary training to build their knowledge of such systems. This should not put engineers off – yes, the time required for training will mean time off the tools, but this time will be well spent as it could open up many new opportunities for installers and their businesses over the coming years.
A good place to start is with manufacturer courses. These courses will be specific to particular products but some manufacturers will cover more than just how to install their own heat pumps. For example, our two day Air Source Heat Pump training course not only covers the Aerona³ heat pump range and how it operates, but it also includes training on system design and other installation considerations that need to be factored in when specifying a heat pump.
Online learning
As alluded to above, installers’ time is precious and attending practical training courses is not always feasible. This is why online learning has become increasingly popular, especially recently when social distancing has forced many to turn to digital platforms for their continued personal development. The Grant eLearning Academy is one such platform that installers can use for online renewable product training. In addition to instructor-led heat pump training and free courses, installers can complete heat pump courses on-demand which allows them to start, pause and resume training at any time.
Manufacturer courses are important because they give engineers the opportunity to learn the intricacies of a particular heat pump model, giving them the foundations to confidently install, commission and maintain such units. However, industry qualifications are another source of training that engineers need to factor in, especially if they are looking to become accredited for government funded schemes.
System design
Later this year, the CIPHE Low Temperature Heat / Hot Water Systems Course and the HPA/LCL heat pump training course will be available. The former covers core system design elements which will be vital for anyone who wants to design their own low-temperature systems. The HPA heat pump course is installer focused and will deliver training on the key skills they will need to have to install to a high standard. Both these courses will be available through the Grant Training Academy and when combined, will involve five days-worth of training. The successful candidate will then be equipped with the relevant and essential knowledge to correctly design, install and set-up low temperature heating systems.
While a designer can elect to only take the CIPHE course and the installer the HPA/LCL course, I would recommend that today’s heat pump installer takes both courses to fully understand the finer detail and the significant relationship between the design and the install.
For further information about the training courses available through the Grant UK Training Academy, visit www.grantuk.com/professional/training
