A mobile heat pump training facility was launched at South Lanarkshire College on 2 August by Mr Graeme Dey, Minister for Higher Education, Further Education and Minister for Veterans1. The unit is a BPEC-certified approved training and assessment centre and was fully funded by the Scottish Government1.
The facility offers installers heat pump training and the opportunity to gain Water Byelaws/Regs and Domestic Vented and Unvented Hot Water Storage qualifications1. It is hosted by South Lanarkshire College and, according to the Heat Pump Association, will be a resource any college in Scotland can use to provide heat pump training in its local area1. The project involved Energy Saving Trust, Energy Skills Partnership, South Lanarkshire College and HPA member Nibe1.
The association framed the launch alongside Scottish Government policy under consultation. Ministers are consulting on banning fossil fuel heating installations in new build homes and other buildings seeking a building warrant from April 2024, and on changes to Energy Performance Certificate ratings that would downgrade homes with gas boilers compared with those using systems such as heat pumps, alongside a requirement for properties to meet EPC band C at key moments such as when they are bought and sold1. The Heat in Buildings Strategy set a target of converting one million homes connected to mains gas to low or zero-emission heating by 2030, and the Scottish Government has committed to installing 170,000 heat pumps by 2030 in off-gas grid properties1.
On installer capacity, the association cited MCS dashboard figures showing 187 certified MCS heat pump businesses working in Scotland, which it said have completed over 8,400 heat pump installs since 20221. It said more qualified and competent certified installation businesses will be needed to meet the ambition, and that the mobile unit is particularly welcome given the challenges of providing training in rural and remote areas1.
"It is great to see Scotland reaffirming its commitment to support the deployment of heat pumps, and consulting on steps to actively reflect their low carbon nature through EPC ratings. Furthermore, the opening of the new mobile training unit is the perfect depiction of industry and government working together to solve key challenges in the journey to decarbonising heat."
The association also cited a WWF Scotland poll of over 2,000 people finding that 57% of respondents would install a heat pump with some or no support from government and 40% would consider installing one as an alternative to a fossil fuel boiler within the next five years1. It said the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme provides up to £7,500 grant funding for new heat pumps, with the option to fund the remaining cost through an interest-free loan1.
Why it matters for households
The practical constraint on household heat pump uptake in Scotland has been installer availability as much as grant funding. A mobile centre that any college can use moves training closer to where installers work, which the association links to rural and remote areas where provision has been difficult1. For a householder, that affects how quickly a quote can be obtained and how far an installer may need to travel.
The policy proposals described would change the terms on which a home's heating is assessed. Under the EPC consultation, a home with a gas boiler would be rated below one with a heat pump, and EPC band C would be required at points such as sale1. Scotland's renewable heating target and the wider nations picture set the direction, but the sources do not report final decisions on the consultations, nor any confirmed date for EPC changes.
What happens next
The consultations on banning fossil fuel heating in new buildings from April 2024 and on EPC reform were open at the time of publication; no outcomes are reported1. The mobile facility is in operation and available to colleges across Scotland1.