Iain Bevan, commercial manager of heating & renewable at Daikin UK
With the UK committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050, drastic action is needed by the Government.
It’s highly likely that a gas boiler ban for new build homes will be part of the Government’s plans – coming into force as early as 2025 – and there is also potential for gas prices to rise in the future to incentivise those in older properties to upgrade to a sustainable heating system.
That’s why the time is now for installers to adapt and transform their businesses for the future, which means being able to install zero-carbon alternatives like heat pumps.
To hit the Government’s target of 600,000 heat pump installations per year by 2028 – and ultimately, to achieve net zero – industry estimates predict that 17,000 new heat pump installers will be required in the next decade.
Training is vital not just to put a skilled workforce in place to meet this growing demand, but to ensure that every heat pump is installed to the highest standard, especially while the technology is relatively new in the UK housing market.
It’s essential that homeowners have a good experience during the installation process, and confidence in their heat pump solution in the weeks, months and years that follow.
Those who opt for a heat pump in the short term are effectively pioneering the technology; their word-of-mouth recommendations are important to driving heat pump adoption more widely, and to sending more work in the direction of the installer they used.
No cost to get up and running
Hybrid heat pumps are a great place to start – for both installers and homeowners looking to take their first step into the world of renewables.
That’s because they combine the power of a heat pump with the familiarity of a high efficiency boiler – and the two appliances work together to provide heating and hot water.
To help installers get to grips with hybrid heat pump systems, we’ve recently launched a free nationwide training programme in the form of day-long courses at 11 Daikin Sustainable Home Centres across the country.
In addition while hybrid systems can be installed with a household’s existing boiler, if a house owner chooses to a Daikin Altherma hybrid bivalent system, they will get a new, high-efficiency boiler for free.
This will suit the homeowner who is specifically looking for asustainable heating system, or simply wants to replace their existing boiler.
An opportunity too good to miss
Hybrid heat pump systems can reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 55% compared to a traditional gas boiler and have been proven to deliver up to a 50% reduction in energy bills in homes in the UK .
They’re best-suited to smaller homes in urban areas, that are likely to have a combi-boiler, and where the shell of the building is not energy-efficient enough to rely on electricity alone. As the efficiency of the building is improved over time, the hybrid system’s operation mode can be shifted to more electric heat pump share.
We estimate that there are 1.1 million homes across the country that would be well-served by a hybrid system. That, combined with the benefits of hybrids for both installers and consumers, is why we firmly believe in hybrid heat pumps’ potential to support a faster, easier and more affordable transition to low carbon heating in this country – and training and education is a critical first step.
Installers looking to maximise the return on the time they invest in training and education must effectively market the services they can offer as a result.
We’re encouraging everyone who takes our hybrid heat pump course to join our Sustainable Home Network, so we can help by sending leads their way.