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| | About EU-CERT.HPBackground information: During the last 20 years heat pump technology was slowly but constantly driven further. Better components, new refrigerants, experiences in designing systems, quality labels combined with national incentive policies and other changes in the framework conditions supported a stable market development, which is just now starting to grow significantly in some countries. Markets and Quality Assurance European heat pump markets are developed in very different stages. Leading countries are Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, whereas markets in Germany and France are in the transition phase to become important and other countries, like Italy or Slovenia have emerging markets. An important market barrier for heat pumps until now is the fact that these systems are more complex than other heating systems. Any installer who wants to start with heat pump technology needs a mixture of skills which are normally covered by different professions (electro-technical engineer, installer for heating, refrigeration engineering ....). Additionally the efficiency and quality of heating systems not only depends on the machines but very strongly on the quality of the planning, design and installation of the whole system. This is even more the case for heat pumps than with conventional technologies. One of the most important problems is that at the moment markets are growing faster than the pool of qualified installers can satisfy. The situation can result in badly installed systems which can have a dramatic effect on the sustainable development of the heat pump market. Having witnessed a similar development in the 1980's several European countries have now organised training courses for installers and certification systems to prevent failure of the market. As mentioned before, many European countries have started initiatives and organised training courses. The range of curricula is very diverse, many courses do not have practical lectures and examinations. Austria, for instance, successfully established a standard training programme for the Certified Heat Pump Installer. Nine training courses have already been organised with almost 150 people attending the courses. The feedback from the trainees was extremely positive. As part of the training and certification scheme, installers not only have to attend the course and sit their examinations, they also have to sign a contract with further requirements (regular education, monitoring of systems, maintenance etc ...). Sweden starts the first standard courses combined with an certification scheme in April 2002. European Certified Heat Pump Installer and common market development Because of emerging markets, the need for quality assurance and the conviction that a European effort would help this technology much more than diverse national actions, it is the right time to develop a common strategy. The outcome of this project is:
The project will have a significant impact of the European market: Beside the positive effects of having a growing pool of well trained heat pump installers, the European Certified Heat Pump Installer is a perfect marketing instrument. A trademark will be created and promoted at national and international scale for improving customers perception of this technology. The short-term target are clearly to implement the European Training & Certification programme, to extend the process to non participating countries by involving them within the planned European Heat Pump Installer Certification Board, by providing them with the required training material and certification documents and by providing with coaching. In the long term the European Training and Certification Label should be installed throughout Europe and could also spread to other countries. Accreditation and Certification Commitment ensures that the training courses guarantee a common quality level according to the state of art. Last but not least, it has to be mentioned that this project is a perfect example for a replication of goog practice in the field of developing sustainable energy technologies and their market. In particular, in the European heat pump market, national differences concerning quality assurance, training courses and market development are significant and the impact of the project in terms of harmonisation of practices and standards is expected to be tremendous. Additionally the project tasks successfully combine national and European activities. At national level marketing activities and training courses have to be organised. At European level the exchange of know-how between the member states has to be ensured and the quality label has to be monitored and further developed on a continuous basis. | | Practical Training
The partnership
Regional coverage
The budget
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