B&FC partners with local firm to lead on zero carbon technology

Creating a sustainable future will largely depend on the adoption of zero carbon technologies as we aim to meet our commitment to a Net Zero environment by 2050. In the UK, that means significantly ramping up the installation of green technologies like Air Source Heat Pumps to service our domestic and commercial energy needs. In fact, figures in a recent report from the Committee on Climate Change estimate that 19 million heat pumps will need to be installed by 2050 if we’re to meet our Net Zero target. That means Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) installations, which currently number around 30,000 units a year, will need to rise to 600,000 a year.

Clearly, this offers individuals and companies who want to capitalise on the inevitable expansion of zero carbon technologies an incredible opportunity. With this in mind, B&FC have teamed up with Global Energy Systems, the UK’s only manufacturer of Air Source Heat Pumps, to offer a series of information seminars aimed at those who are interested in becoming accredited installers. At these events, attendees will have the chance to see the technology in action and ask any questions they might have directly of industry experts. The first of these events is taking place on Thursday 24 March at 3.00pm and potential installers can register for free at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/267408324497 

Stewart Thompson, National Sales and Marketing Manager at Global Energy Systems, says:

“It’s great that B&FC have genuinely engaged with upskilling the local talent we have on the Fylde Coast. As a local air source heat pump manufacturer and employer, we have embraced the challenge set by Government by investing in a new factory in Lytham which has had the backing of Lancashire County Council and received funding from RedCAT.

“Moving away from fossil fuel heating systems to a renewable alternative not only ensures we’re doing our bit to reduce carbon emissions globally but secures jobs locally and moves our region towards being a “centre of excellence” for green technologies.”  

Following on from these seminars, B&FC, again in partnership with Global Energy Systems, will be developing accredited installer programmes, which they hope to be delivering from September onwards. Seminar attendees, who express an interest in becoming an installer, will be contacted once the programmes go live to ask if they want to enrol.

“Becoming an installer at this stage of the rollout means that companies and individuals can maximise the opportunities that Air Source Heat Pumps technology affords. By establishing a reputation for service excellence, backed by an industry-recognised qualification, people who decide to expand into zero carbon technologies will be able to take full advantage of the estimated £200 billion per year that the green economy is currently estimated to be worth.”

From the College’s perspective, this collaboration is part of the ‘Constructing Low Carbon Lancashire’ project which is being delivered by a number of Lancashire Colleges, led by Preston College, and is a direct response to the Prime Minister’s ten-point Green Industrial Revolution plan outlined in November 2020. In turn, this project is part of a broader range of initiatives in which Lancashire Colleges, including B&FC, have been awarded an £8.4 million contract through the Department for Education’s Skill Accelerator Programme to deliver a Strategic Development Fund (SDF) Pilot. The Pilot, one of the biggest of its kind in England, aims to explore how colleges can work effectively with employers and other partners in a range of different industries to help local businesses meet the needs of the zero/low carbon economy of the future.

Of this particular venture, Daryl Platt, Vice Principal for Engagement, says:

“Technologies like Air Source Heat Pumps, which we have already begun to fit on some of the B&FC campuses thanks to some additional funding we managed to secure, are going to be increasingly important if the UK is going to meet its pledge to tackle climate change. Moreover, they are going to offer unprecedented opportunities for local businesses who decide to invest in the green economy, an economy which B&FC, ever responsive to the local skills gap, is actively seeking to support and nurture.”