A new training academy has been launched by EDF Energy, CB Heating and Daiken, with the companies entering a partnership aimed at upskilling heat pump installers.
The academy – which is open to all applicants – will consider the experience and existing qualifications of every trainee. It will comprise a range of BPEC and Daiken accredited courses in practical as well as classroom settings.
After becoming qualified heat pump installers, EDF has stated that the engineers will have access to continued support from itself, CB Heating and Daiken.
This training, EDF assured, will “play an important role” in helping the UK Government achieve its goal of installing 600,000 heat pumps by 2028.
As the UK continues to find suitable alternatives to fossil-fueled heating, heat pumps are set to play a key role in replacing gas boilers in homes.
Earlier this year the UK Government announced an additional £15 million in funding as part of its £60 million Heat Pump Ready programme. The scheme aimed to fund 24 projects designed to reduce the cost and installation difficulties of heat pumps and included two EDF Energy-led projects.
According to EDF, heat pumps have an efficiency rating of more than 300%. This is significantly higher than traditional gas boilers with approximately 92% efficiency, at least 8% of which is lost in the process of burning fossil fuels.
Heat pumps also have a longer working life potential of up to 20 years, which, EDF assured, would allow households to cut carbon emissions by more than 23 tonnes of CO2 in 10 years.
Despite these benefits, heat pump restrictions have led to a lack of qualified heat pump installers. According to a recent MCS estimate there are currently less than 4,000 qualified heat pump installers in the UK compared to over 100,000 gas safe engineers.
In response to the announcement Philippe Commaret, managing director for Customers at EDF, said: “For Britain to achieve net zero, decarbonising homes will be vital but in order to achieve this, we need to have the right skills in place across the length and breadth of the country and the Training Academy will help deliver this.”
The partnership has called for “plumbers, engineers, electricians and apprentices to enroll in the academy and become qualified heat pump installers.”
Heat pumps have experienced increasing popularity in the conversation around renewable energy for heating. Last week the Energy and Utilities Alliances urged Ofgem to establish a heat pump village to help speed along the process of decarbonising UK homes.