Heat pumps and hydrogen

Dave Lambert • 22 June 2022

With the aim of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050, there has been a lot of talk about heat pumps and hydrogen – but who can actually install them?

It is the UK government’s intention to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. In order to achieve this goal, we must totally overhaul the way we heat our homes and buildings. And this is where heat pumps and hydrogen comes in as these renewable energy solutions will enable us to phase out fossil fuels.

Heat pumps

There has been a lot of confusion in regards to who can install heat pumps and the qualifications they require to legally carry out installations. You will need a full range of qualifications; applicants will fall into three categories:

Category 1

Category 1 applicants are regarded as experienced heat pumps and hydrogen engineers who hold OTF accredited certificates, Water Regulations and Unvented Hot Water certificates. These certificates must be kept in date (renewed every five years).

Category 2

Applicants in this category have a national recognised qualification in a trade related to heat pumps. This can include:

Gas ACS certificates
Plumbing certificates
Heating & Ventilation certificates
Water Regulations & Unvented Hot Water Systems certificates

If you hold one or more of the trade qualifications plus water regulations & Unvented Systems, you can then undertake a nationally recognised Heat Pump course in order to attain the relevant qualification. Training will take approximately three to five days to complete, dependent on the elements required.

Category 3

These applicants are deemed as new to the industry. This means they will need to gain experience working for a recognised competent individual or company who has been installing heat pumps for at least 6 months. During this time, the applicant must:

Install a minimum of five installations
Undertake at least one manufacturer’s training course
Attain the Water Regulations & Unvented Hot Water qualification
Complete a nationally recognised Heat Pump course

Hydrogen

The heating engineer of the future will likely need to hold a wide range of qualifications, including heat pumps and hydrogen. This is because each renewable heat source has its limitations so an engineer will need to have the necessary skills in order to fit different systems to meet individual scenarios.

Hydrogen qualifications are in the process of being developed with the aim of being rolled out over time. However we do know that if you want to undertake a hydrogen qualification you will need to meet the following criteria:

A gas engineer registered with Gas Safe for at least twelve months
Hold up-to-date ACS qualifications in CCN1 (core gas safety) CPA1 (flue gas analysis) CENWAT (boilers & Water Heaters) CKR1 (cookers) HTR1 (Fires)
It is also recommended that an applicant holds MET1 (meters) as it looks likely that this will be added to the list

Gas Training & Assessment Ltd – your local, nationally approved centre

Gas Training & Assessment Ltd (GTA) is a fully accredited and nationally recognised centre that has been delivering qualifications to the Gas industry for over 25 years. We have a fantastic record for success and are immensely proud of our reputation borne out by over 1,000 5 star reviews and excellent feedback from our customers.

We offer nationally recognised heat pumps and hydrogen qualifications; unlike some other centre’s courses, our Heat Pump certificates are also MCS approved. Please note that you must have taken the Water Regulations & Unvented Hot Water courses beforehand; these one-day standalone courses are available at GTA and can be booked immediately.

If you are interested in gaining new skills in time for the changeover from fossil fuels to renewable energy, GTA is currently taking bookings for September 2022 onwards.

Heat pumps and hydrogen – additional courses

Gas Training & Assessment Ltd run additional recommended courses for those of you who are serious about moving into renewable energy such as heat pumps and hydrogen. These fully certificated, one day standalone courses include: