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. 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.

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 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;
• Find opportunities, barriers and gaps (e.g. quantitative, qualitative) in the current training offers and/or policy;
• 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 Mutual Recognition approach that is coupled with a relevant 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.