The European Heat Pump Association has identified skills development and demands as being critical within the EU market if the target of more than 2 million heat pump (HP) installations per annum by 2024 is to be achieved. The HP market is predicted to double by 2023 across Europe, in Ireland alone, the National Climate Action Plan predicted 600,000 HPs to be installed by 2030. The majority of these installations will be designed for and installed in residential or non-residential buildings.

While significant efforts have been placed on up-skilling within the construction sector there has been limited specific focus on the HPs market and its value chain specifically. Given that HPs will transition to becoming a critical component of low energy and near zero energy buildings into the future the need to ensure that skills and knowledge on the supply side (manufacturers, designers, installers, commissioners, SMEs) plus the needs on the demand side (building owners, facility managers, property developers) is vital.

HP4All addresses this need by aiming to analyse the barriers across the HP value chain segments to accurately identify measures, actions and solutions to up-skill the value chain while also driving demand from end-users. Through the piloting of these approaches in countries with emerging HP markets, with support from technical and HP market expertise the lessons learned can be exploited and spread across Europe. 

The HP4All project plans to improve and build upon the existing training and skills assets available in the European Union, using a threefold and self-reinforcing approach of:

• Firstly, to gather and analyse data coming directly from end users and training providers, coupled with Regional, National and European Union wide best training policy frameworks.
• Secondly, to find opportunities, barriers and gaps (e.g. quantitative, qualitative) in the current training offers and/or policy.
• To engage the relevant stakeholders (e.g. installers associations, installers, training providers) on how to up-skill their services and build upon the existing resources available.

The ultimate aim is to develop a Competency Framework for the range of knowledge, skills and expertise required to ensure that the relevant HP technologies are installed to the highest quality as to make the maximum contribution towards the energy transition.

AGENDA

10:00-10:10

Welcome and introduction to the event by Dan Stefanica (EHPA).

10:10-10:25

Keynote speech by Luca Angelino (EU Commission).

10:25-10:40

Introduction to the HP4All project by Padraic O'Reilly (TUS).

10:40-11:40

Short presentations and Panel discussion

Moderated by Dan Stefanica (EHPA) with:

• Julie Beaufils, Secretary General at EuropeOn – the European Association of Electrical Contractors.
• Jan Cromwijk, Project Coordinator at ISSO.
• Carlos García Delgado, Technical specialist on construction and civil engineering at CTA.
• Avril Behan, Project Director at Build Digital Project hosted at Technological University Dublin - Invited.

11:40-11:55

Brief presentation on the HP4All Competency Framework by Dan Stefanica (EHPA).

11:55-12:00

Closing of event by Dan Stefanica (EHPA).

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