In order to meet the demands of the Climate Change Act, installers need to gain the knowledge, skills and certification to work with renewable technologies. Simon Allan, director of renewables, explains what this means for the industry and how materials suppliers such as Plumb Center are perfectly placed to be a key reference, information and training source.
The carbon targets set by the Climate Change Act will make some extraordinary demands on the construction industry, not only to deliver very low impact new buildings but to substantially refurbish the vast majority our 26 million dwellings and the 2.5 million non-domestic buildings.
A waterside property in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, has been fitted with a heat pump system from Danfoss Heat Pumps UK, which generates its energy from the River Thames. Mike and Doris Tucker had owned the character stone-built property for seven years and now, in retirement, decided to investigate ways to make the home more energy efficient and sustainable. This included replacement double glazing, improved loft insulation and a high efficiency heat pump.
Tucker, a qualified engineer, previously used LPG gas, as the property is not on mains gas. Over the past two years, with significant LPG price increases, set to continue into the future, he decided it was time to act. He found heat pump installer Geothermique during an internet research on heat pumps and local installers, and was impressed when they came to survey his property, the resulting survey results and savings projections.