Heat Pumps Today

07 CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai www.acrjournal.uk/heat-pumps Training Vouchers now available The Renewable Heat Installer Training & Support Scheme (RHITSS), o ered installers up to 70% o the training required to become a heat pump, solar thermal or biomass engineer. All of the schemes 1,000 vouchers were initially taken up in a matter of days. However, some installers haven't come forward to book their training within the allotted timeframe. Funding covers renewable qualifications, plus any other pre- requisite courses - such as energy e ciency or hot water systems. Installers can choose to complete a suite of training or just individual qualifications, depending on their specific requirements. Funding is available for: ° Technology specific training in: ° Heat pumps ° Solar thermal ° Biomass ° Supporting qualifications: ° Hot Water Systems & Safety (G3) ° Energy E ciency for Domestic Heating ° WRAS Water Regulations Vouchers are available on a first come first service. Please apply by calling GTEC direct: 01969 666111 or book your voucher by visiting: www.rhitss.co.uk BESA urges firms to ‘play fair’ on payment It is more important than ever that companies treat their supply chain partners fairly, especially when it comes to payment, according to the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA). The government’s reformed Prompt Payment Code (PPC) came into force on July 1, and this should remind all contractors of their obligations to pay suppliers fully and on time, the Association said. Code signatories must now pay 95% of invoices received from businesses with fewer than 50 employees within 30 days or risk being barred from public sector projects. Previously the allowed period was 60 days and, in addition, senior directors are now required to personally sign the Code and take responsibility for payment practices throughout their organisations. They must also formally acknowledge that suppliers are entitled to charge interest on invoices paid late. No PPC signatories were suspended from the Code during the coronavirus pandemic, but the Cabinet O ce has promised to step up enforcement. www.theBESA.com N E W S MCS: POLICY MUST ADDRESS BARRIERS TO HEAT PUMP UPTAKE MCS – the national standards organisation for renewables – is calling on the Government to address the barriers to widespread heat pump adoption, after a webinar held by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) once again shone a light on the challenges facing heat pump uptake across the UK. The barriers cited by BEIS include cost, disruption (linked to installation), noise (as generated by air-source heat pumps), thermal comfort (slower to reach room temperature vs traditional gas boilers), space constraints and aesthetics. However, the findings are not new, having been addressed in several reports in recent years, including those released by BEIS in 2017 and 2020, and the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) in 2013 and 2016. In 2013, a report by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) – ‘Pathways to high penetration of heat pumps’ – posed many of the questions asked by BEIS at its recent webinar. It also provided a range of answers, including recommendations for enhanced heat pump certification, policies to encourage heat pumps in o -gas homes, and a Green Deal or similar financing arrangements for heat pumps in the 2020s. The BEIS findings – titled ‘Innovation requirements for the deployment of heat pumps in the UK’ – were presented to an audience of several hundred participants from industry, academia, charities, and NGOs, and followed on from the Government’s 2020 announcement of a 10-point plan for a 'Green Industrial Revolution’. Ian Rippin, chief executive o cer at MCS, said: “As we await the publication of the Government’s Heat & Buildings Strategy, the question remains whether this will include the necessary provisions to support the widespread adoption of heat pumps and other small-scale renewables. www.mcscertified.com DIARY DATE: 9th JUNE, 2022 Midland Hotel, Manchester Reserve Places now: hayleyc@warnersgroup.co.uk

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