Heat Pumps Today

As our name suggests we have encouraged the adoption of ground source heat pumps across the UK for 15 years and you would be forgiven for thinking that this is all we do… It’s all in the name… Ground Source Heat Pump Association In fact, we support many low carbon and renewable heat technologies from the GSHPA; we do this in partnership with other UK organisations across the UK to support: ° Air Source Heat Pumps ° Solar Thermal ° Ground Source Heat Pumps ° Water Source Heat Pumps The name of the organisation was chosen historically as there was no direct support for Ground Source technology back in the day and therefore the GSHPA was chosen. As our organisation has evolved, we have attracted specialist membership from across the industry such as Geologists, Hydro Geologists, M&E specialists, Consultants, Drillers, Groundworkers, Distributors, Manufacturers, Supply Chain & Distribution Managers, Education specialists and Installers to name but a few. This diverse band also volunteer their time as council members to influence and shape the industry for the betterment of our members. We are proud to have more than 50% of the director leadership led by outstanding women who have led the latest evolution of the GSHPA and shaped a new direction for the years ahead. We work closely with organisations such as CIBSE and MCS to help shape new standards in the UK for the industry and this involves interactions with BEIS and other government bodies from time to time. Our membership was pivotal in creating the new framework for the latest releases of training across the industry from June 2020 for both Air Source Heat Pumps and Ground Source Heat Pumps. The framework was approved by MCS in October 2020, which then allowed manufacturers and training organisations to develop their training to the framework. Further work with MCS has been ongoing to make the installer journey more intuitive and less cumbersome for new entrants into www.acrjournal.uk/heat-pumps 09 G S H P A the market; new tools developed by MCS have had input from GSHPA members. This also includes a collaboration with MCS and thr British Drilling Association to develop a standard for use in the ground source drilling industry. The Standard was launched via webinar on 28th February with a 12-month voluntary participation prior to mandatory requirement - https://bit.ly/3Q0K3GV The Future of the Industry Fast forward 10 years… What will the industry look like? Where will you go for training? What technology will you use? What incentives are available? How do I install the equipment? What are the latest regulations? Where do I recruit new staff? Aaaaarrghhh! Forget that…. The Future is NOW! The future of the industry is happening right now and has been accelerated by the huge increase in the cost of gas triggered by Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. All these questions are being asked now and our members are supporting other industry groups every day; some questions we can answer straight away, others are delegated to specialist members, and some are directed to other organisations better suited to the question. Standards We have a Standards team that have a wealth of experience internationally in writing standards, supporting other organisations to write standards and helping to deliver overall best practice in everything the industry does. Policy Our tireless policy team are relentless at pushing for the best possible policy choices for the technologies that we support. Training for Home Grown Energy In partnership with the MCS and other organisations we are completing the ‘Low Carbon Heating Technician’ Apprenticeship to be ready in 2023. The apprenticeship will be a new Occupational Standard set apart from plumbing and heating which will focus on the core skillsets. When released in 2023, over 4 years of hard work from everyone involved will herald a grass roots route for a true vocational journey. A curriculum for school children from Key Stage 1 to 4 is in late-stage development which will provide a much-needed feed for renewable technology in early-stage learning and development. We also have schemes of work available for Schools for Year 2, 5 & 9 that can be downloaded for free from our website. https://gshp.org.uk/education-and- training/ We only have a small space to tell you about us, now, we would love to hear from you. What is your story, how will you make a difference in this industry, and would you like to join us on our journey to a better future? Info www.gshp.org.uk info@gshp.org.uk