ACR Journal

CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai CMYK / .ai acrjournal.uk 31 SPONSORED BY VRF? GOHEAVY also makes the job quicker, easier and safer. I’m particularly interested to see how the heat pump industry takes o now the public are more concerned with the impact fossil fuels are having. More and more property developers are getting involved with renewable energy and it’s always exciting to expand our knowledge and work on di erent projects. How would you like to see your career developing? I am keen to develop my knowledge of project management. I understand what is required to run a project from drawings to completion but it would be a welcome challenge to put my knowledge into practice. I have spent many years listening and learning from my peers and it would be great to eventually pass that on to newcomers within the industry. As a company I would be really interested in assisting with training within the air source heat pump sector, such as apprenticeships and in-house training. What is the best piece of advice you were ever given? “Always be honest.” I think that firstly applies to yourself… it’s always good to stay grounded and remember where you started. Secondly, I think you have to be honest with customers, suppliers and peers. We all have bad days but it’s better to be honest about them and keep the trust you have built than try and deliver something you can’t. In the long run I think it can save a lot of headaches! What do you see as the challenges facing the industry? Demand for refrigerant seems to have been challenging with the recent fluctuation in pricing. In an industry where the focus is on making equipment more energy e…cient, I think it’s likely we will see more changes and more changes in demand. I’ve seen recently too how easy it is to buy equipment without evidence of F-Gas certification. I think we need to ramp up the vigilance to ensure our skilled workers aren’t seen to be redundant by the end user. I also think changes in gas regulations in a few years will see a rapid increase in renewable heating systems which may be di…cult to keep up with. I personally feel it’s critical to be aware of the world around us and the ever-evolving needs of the consumer, to keep us driven in learning and widening our knowledge to develop and deliver new and improved technology. What would you say to other women who are considering coming into the ACR industry? Go for it! It’s an ever-growing industry which can easily cater for all skillsets. Whether you want to work behind the scenes or be hands on, there is something for everyone. I’m coming across more and more women within the industry with new and exciting ideas. Is there a little-known fact about yourself that would surprise other people (secret skill, unusual hobby etc)? I’m an avid recycler! I have been collecting non-recyclable household waste (such as crisp packets and empty cleaning product packaging) which is sent o to be recycled by Terracycle and all proceeds are donated to the Kicks Count charity. www.castleclimatecontrol.co.uk