Heat Pumps Today

22 Viessmann Academy Manager Tony Lobley discusses the latest learning developments. Heat pump training should bring broader benefits With climate change in the news now more than ever, interest in heat pumps is reaching a crescendo. Heating professionals and consumers alike are increasingly gravitating towards a renewable technology that not only reduces carbon emissions compared to conventional gas boilers but also provides the cooling functionality that is becoming increasingly important as our world heats up. We anticipate massive growth in heat pump installations over the next five to ten years, as the technology enters the mainstream. In fact, we’re expecting to see a significant sales uplift even as soon as next year, following the introduction of higher temperature, low noise models that make it easier to retrofit heat pumps in older housing stock, and a new software platform that will simplify installation and enable remote monitoring from a laptop or smart device. Increasing demand for learning The growing enthusiasm we’re witnessing is already reflected in the quantity of people now coming to the Viessmann Academy for either a heat pump introductory course or deeper- dive technical training. Large numbers of installers, as well as architects and surveyors, are keen to find out everything they need to know to design an eective system. The switch to online learning under COVID-19 restrictions has increased the accessibility of courses. Participants no longer need to clear a whole day in their schedule to travel to a training centre and there are no limits on the numbers of people that can take part in each workshop. From teaching up to ten people at a time in face-to-face October | November 2021 T R A I N I N G sessions, we’re now getting upwards of 100 people on some courses. Online learning is not quite the same as the face-to-face experience because you don’t get the same opportunities for informal tea-break conversations or hands- on practical work. However, this loss is made up for by the additional convenience. The vast majority of our participants are purely curious about heat pumps as a burgeoning low-carbon technology that they feel they should get to grips with. A smaller time commitment makes it easier for them to justify joining a course, even if they don’t yet have heat pump customers in their pipeline. Nevertheless, we will be bringing our in-person heat pump courses to installers around the country once again via both our Telford-based training facilities and our mobile training units as soon we can, to give people both options. Keeping it real Most people that come on heat pump courses are new to the topic and have yet to specify or install a heat pump, so it’s important they leave with a complete and realistic understanding of what’s involved. For this reason, we provide a thorough overview of all the components of a heat pump and how it works, including the need for a buer vessel and larger pipes and radiators, what happens when it defrosts, why you need to calculate flow rates and how to do that, anticipated noise levels, etc. Everyone struggles with system design initially because things like flow rates and radiator sizing and balancing aren’t covered on ACS courses – an omission that the industry should be looking to address. We make sure we fill that knowledge gap for our trainees, while also putting to bed a few myths. Even though our new electronic platform will automate a lot of these calculations in future, we will continue to teach people how to do it manually, so they understand key principles of system design. Alternative options and pleasant surprises That said, many people are surprised to find that installing a heat pump is easier than they think. Wiring, in particular, is more straightforward than many installers expect. Similarly, people are often unaware that they Viessmann Academy Manager Tony Lobley Viessmann Vitocal 200-A air source heat pump