The government has set a target of installing 600,000 heat pumps by 2028 and the newly launched training academy will play an important role in helping to meet that target.
Currently, there are fewer than 4,000 qualified heat pump installers (according to the latest MCS estimates) in the UK, compared to more than 100,000 gas safe engineers. The new facility, which follows the investment and partnership agreement made between EDF and CB Heating in May, has the capacity to train up to 4,000 installers a year using Daikin equipment and products.
Once trained, these engineers will continue to receive support from Daikin, EDF, and CB Heating in safely and efficiently installing the technology nationwide. Their work will drive the UK further towards its goals of energy efficiency and security.
EDF, CB Heating, and Daikin are calling on plumbers, engineers, electricians, and apprentices to enrol in the academy and become qualified heat pump installers. The training comprises a range of Daikin and BPEC-accredited courses that are both practical and classroom-based, depending on the experience and existing qualifications of the trainee.
Business and Energy Minister Lord Callanan said: “Heat pumps are highly efficient and reliable and are key to cutting carbon emissions using cheaper renewable energy produced here in the UK.
“By training thousands of highly skilled heat pump installers, the new Heat Pump Installer Network Training Academy will help drive us towards improving the energy performance of our buildings and deploying low carbon heating across the country.
“Green energy is opening huge growth and job opportunities right on our doorsteps, and we’re ensuring the cost of installing a heat pump is being slashed with £5,000 grants through the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and a zero rate of VAT, so it becomes an affordable option to more households than ever before.”
Philippe Commaret, Managing Director for Customers at EDF, commented: “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. We encourage all relevant professionals and businesses to access the training required to create the qualified installation workforce that will enable people across the UK to adopt heat pumps in the future.”
Kieran Durham, Trainee (KJD Heating Services), said: “I'm excited to become fully qualified as a heat pump installer and it is great to see EDF, CB Heating, and Daikin working together in this space to offer training. We're starting to see more customers express interest in renewable home technology and heat pumps, so having these skills will make me a great asset to my business.”
Clayton Browne, Managing Director at CB Heating, said: “To give any installer the opportunity to acquire the skills they need to confidently move away from dealing with fossil fuel systems is a very proud moment for us. We cannot achieve our national heat pump goals without upskilling existing installers and training new ones, so the provision of proper training facilities is essential. With EDF and Daikin UK, we have created an academy experience unlike anything else in the UK today.”
Patrick Crombez, General Manager Heating and Renewables at Daikin, said: “It’s more important than ever for homeowners to be able to easily access the expert advice and skills they need to make the switch to a lower carbon solution such as heat pumps. The training academy will enable this at a scale that’s never been available before. It will help create a new generation of installation experts for Daikin’s wide range of bestselling air source heat pumps, including Monobloc, our newest system designed for smaller space.”
