This article continues on from the Tackling the heat pump skill shortage: Part One, which looked at the current challenges facing the sector. It can be read here.
What needs to be done?
It’s clear more needs to be done if the challenges explored in Part One are to be overcome and the heat pump rollout targets hit. Core to this is increasing the number and availability of training schemes to tackle the upcoming skills shortage.
“Part of the solution concerns training,” according to a recent report from innovation foundation Nesta.
“There is currently no single, clear route for someone new to the industry to train as a heat pump engineer, and training offers are fragmented and sometimes inconsistent. Providing clearer pathways, such as a low carbon heating apprenticeship, will make the training journey simpler, more comprehensible and attractive.”
A number of companies are currently developing or supporting training schemes to ease the journey into the heat pump sector, including Octopus Energy (as previously mentioned), Kensa and the GSHPA.
“It is the government’s job to set the appropriate fiscal background to allow heat pumps to be installed,” noted Thompson from the GSHPA.
“There is very little that companies can do effectively until the government corrects this major distortion. However, the GSHPA and member companies are investing in training materials and education to help those ready to join the heat pump sector.”
Octopus Energy’s heat pump installer training course
Earlier this year, Current± caught up with one of the first engineers to come through Octopus Energy’s heat pump engineer training course.
The course itself runs for around a week, so full onboarding takes between ten days and two weeks. It includes both theoretical and practical teaching that means engineers get “a chance to be hands on with the technology and that makes you a lot more comfortable when it comes to doing an actual installation,” said Octopus heat pump engineer David Mitchell.
It’s open to anyone with a plumbing background, in particular boiler engineers looking to transition away from gas and into decarbonised heating.
“I think the more opportunities for training, really good training courses, which lead to extra careers or possibilities,” continued Mitchell, adding that such training can ensure that “engineers feel comfortable to go and install a product that is actually going to work in customers’ homes.”
The installation of a heat pump can be more complicated than a traditional boiler, as depending on the system in place in the house or flat previously, more insulation or different piping can be required when making the switch. While – as previously mentioned in the first half of this blog – this can contribute to an additional upfront cost, it can have longer term benefits a trained installer will be able to advise on.
“The gas boiler was removed, and it was a nine kilowatt heat pump, which was installed,” Mitchell explained of his first installation following training.
“That meant we had to upsize the primary pipe work to 28 mil pipe work because you need a lot more flow in these systems. And then there was quite a number of radiators that had to be upsized to account for the property’s heat loss. And we did the installation over around a week, five days. And it was very successful. A really good install and a good first install I would say.”
Along with increasing the number of training courses, public awareness of the potential of working in the sector must also be increased to drive demand. This includes an education programme in schools, according to the HPF’s Bean Beanland.
“The heat pump industry has the ability to attract a slightly different demographic of children into the heating industry because we are now “digital, not dirty,” he said.
“Heat pumps embody everything that the child of today is growing up with – internet compatible, connected, smart, low carbon, environmentally responsible, clean, hi-tech, etc. This new, and slightly different demographic, could, if the education programme is constructed appropriately, include rather more girls, which would be fantastic.”
Beyond the skills gap
Whilst an increase in the number of installers will undoubtedly support the rollout of the technology, other actions could also boost the sector.
“Government must move from consultation to legislation with minimum delay and should, in my view, endorse the MCS Standard much more widely and, potentially, for all microgeneration deployments in the domestic sector to ensure the very highest standards of consumer protection (which is vital to consumer confidence),” said Beanland.
“MCS, between government and companies, has now split the MCS Standard for heat pumps (MCS3005) into separate ‘Design’ and ‘Installation’ streams. This will allow many more contracting firms to become MCS certified for installation only, relying on buying in MCS certified designs from a certified design house. A single designer can keep multiple installation crews fully occupied, especially in the new build sector, to which this approach will be very appropriate, of course. I see this as a very positive step, that could allow for faster increases in contracting capacity, once the legislation is in place.”
The role of government in sending key signals to the sector through its support cannot be underestimated. For example, the time it has taken for it to truly target the decarbonisation of heat as a sector has kept the demand for low-carbon heating technologies low, and the supply chain growth and upskilling of engineers low.
“A big barrier to addressing any heat pump skills shortage is the desire of installers to engage as they do not recognise current or future market demand,” said James Standley, chief operating officer of the Kensa Group.
“Many still believe that we will see the widespread rollout of hydrogen for domestic heating. The sooner Government signals clearly that low carbon hydrogen will be too scarce and too expensive to use to burn for home heating, the more time we’ll have to address the skills gap.”
This lack of a clear growth pathway is just one of the ways the government could step in to truly boost the sector by simply providing a sense of security for the direction of transition. Some point to the introduction of the ban on the sale of internal combustion engine cars from 2030 as an example of bringing in a clear target with a long lead-time, and how successful this can be in spurring change within a sector.
Additionally, the “‘skills gap’ would evaporate if the Government would remove the inappropriate ‘environmental levies’ imposed on electricity,” added Thompson from the GSHPA.
“There is no skills gap in the installation of gas boilers – around 1.6 million are installed in the UK every year. The skills required can be divided into plumbing skills (installing radiators and underfloor heating circuits and hot water cylinders), electrical and controls skills (installing thermostats and electronic controls) and gas boiler skills (including safety measures). The skills required to install a heat pump are very similar: the plumbing skills are the same, the control skills are very similar and the installation of an air source heat pump requires similar skills to installing a gas boiler (but without the need for gas safety expertise).
“Despite the push for more heat pumps to be rolled-out, very few gas fitters have retrained for heat pump installations – because the demand of gas boilers is still high and the demand for heat pumps is low. If the cost of gas rose and electricity fell then there would be a flood of gas fitters who would show a keen interest in installing heat pumps – and they have most of the critical skills already.”
Ultimately there are a number of actions from companies, the government and beyond that should come together to meet the skills gap. With gas prices remaining at record highs, driving down the running cost of heat pumps in comparison, the technology has never been so attractive to the population. Now is the time for government to act, to tackle the skills gap and truly accelerate the transition to low-carbon heat.