Vaillant has unveiled its five-strong team from across the heating and property industry, to help select the three winning entries of its Heat Pump Challenge.
The company’s Heat Pump Challenge aims to open the debate around heat pumps by working with installers to help highlight how and when the low carbon technology works at its best – and shed light on the most asked questions about installing and living with this type of low carbon technology.
Entry has been extended and will remain open until Friday 24th March, with judging planned to take place at the end of the month.
The panel will be looking at the projects entered and considering factors such as design, installation, and commitment to helping the property transition to a lower carbon future. Although not right for every property, the judges are looking to showcase what is possible when it comes to installing a heat pump, exploring where it has provided an ideal solution, perhaps where it may not have originally seemed possible due to the property age or location.
Joining the panel is:
Kevin McCloud, broadcaster and architecture pundit: Kevin has been presenting programmes about architecture and design for more than 25 years and is no stranger to viewing homes where innovative thinking is a key to the project’s success. He has also written over a dozen books and hundreds of articles championing architecture, sustainable development, the historic environment, and ecological construction. His interest in heat pumps stems partly from his own first-hand experience of living and working with this technology, having installed them at home.
Jade Lewis, Chief Executive, Sustainable Energy Association: Jade joined the SEA with a wealth of experience within a policy and regulatory affairs capacity after working with the Government, Parliament, and industry at the heart of some of the biggest challenges facing the sustainable energy and construction sectors recognising how important it is to bring industry and policymakers together to design effective strategies for change.
Ian Rippin, Chief Executive Officer of MCS – the Microgeneration Certification Scheme: Ian has held managing director roles for the Environment Agency’s National Laboratory Service and for CSA Group’s UK operations as the world leader in explosion safety and environmental product certification. As CEO of MCS, a profit-for-purpose organisation operating at the heart of the UK’s adoption of renewable energy sources for homes and small businesses, he is currently leading MCS through a period of transformational change as the organisation strives to inspire the next generation of home-grown energy, fit for the needs of every UK home and community.
Simon Melbourne, System Sales and Design Manager at Vaillant: Simon is on hand to provide expert insight and advice on the design of a full heating and hot water system through to answering bespoke technical queries on all Vaillant solutions. He has a wealth of experience gained from 25 years in the heating and hot water industry, working across roles including a technical advisor, service engineer, renewables product manager and, most recently, managing the System Sales and Design team at Vaillant.
Mark Wilkins, Technologies and Training Director at Vaillant: Mark has been working in the heating industry for almost 40 years and brings a wealth of expertise surrounding the development of boilers through to an in-depth knowledge of low carbon technology, including heat pumps. Starting his career as an apprentice at British Gas, Mark’s passion and commitment to the heating industry and its evolution has led to him being a spokesperson for Vaillant and ensuring its technology delivers efficient, low carbon heating to the homes of the UK.
Mark comments; “It is fantastic to have such wide support from across the industry to explore the opportunities when installing heat pumps into UK homes. Within the panel we have expertise across design, sustainable solutions and problem solving, and we are all excited to delve further into the projects submitted.
“For many, although heat pumps are talked about, there is an element of the unknown when it comes to installation, efficiency and heating our homes with something different to the traditional boilers we know so well. We hope that by investigating projects that display heat pumps fitted in a number of property types, we can break down some of the barriers and make people feel at home with low carbon technology and its capabilities.”
Taking on the Heat Pump Challenge
As part of the Vaillant Heat Pump Challenge, installers are invited to enter their Vaillant heat pump projects sharing their installs which demonstrate the wide variety of homes for which heat pumps are a possibility.
Three winning entries will be filmed with property expert and presenter, Kevin McCloud.
Projects can be submitted by emailing [email protected] with brief details of the property and the solution installed. Or by visiting www.vaillant.co.uk/heatpumpchallenge to enter using the online form.
The closing date for entries is 11.59pm on 24th March 2023. Full details and T&Cs can be found at www.vaillant.co.uk/heatpumpchallenge
