KnowHowHP - Upskilling for boosting heat pump installation in refurbishments

Project background

While the use of heat pumps is already widespread and represents the state of the art in new builds, particularly for single-family homes, this is not yet the case for refurbishments, especially for multi-storey residential buildings and other buildings such as office buildings. Heat pumps are often not recommended for multi-storey buildings. The reason for this is the lack of specialist knowledge on how they can be sensibly integrated into a holistic renovation concept. The interaction between the building envelope, renewable energy and heat pumps requires an integrated approach. This is often hastily abandoned in favor of easily explained and proven concepts (e.g. wood chip heating, infrared heating).

However, several research and pilot projects have proven through measurement results that socially acceptable, climate-friendly renovations of multi-storey residential buildings with heat pumps are possible. The first common feature of the successful lighthouse projects is that an integrated planning process with the use of digital planning tools led to success. Such high-quality, knowledge-based and software-supported planning offers the following advantages:

better quality (better and cheaper solutions)Simpler, faster, more robust (preliminary) planning
• better planning documents, faster and simpler implementation -> higher implementation rate
• better planning reliability -> lower risk, error avoidance, less rework, higher implementation rate
• better replicability/scalability -> higher implementation rate

The training and further education of those involved in consulting, planning and implementation should ensure that customers always get the ideal result, regardless of whether they first turn to the installation company for the installation of a heat pump or to an energy consultant or architect for a thermal refurbishment. Since the target groups of energy consultants, planners and installers deal with different topics and depths in renovation projects, they also require differently prepared training material. The project therefore follows a three-pillar approach. The planning process and the training material are adapted to the specific target group. For example, the building services planner is trained in the handling and application of the developed toolbox, while the energy consultant is trained more for the pre-design phase.

The intended result of the three-year project is the widespread use of heat pumps in multi-storey buildings and an increase in high-quality thermal renovations. The training documents developed in the project for a knowledge-based and software-supported integral planning and implementation process for climate-friendly and socially acceptable renovations of multi-storey residential buildings with heat pumps are used in the training and further education of planners, energy consultants and installers.

Project objective

In the three-year KnowHowHP (Know-how Heat Pump) project, energy consultants, planners and installers are taught an integral planning and implementation process in which heat pumps and renovation concepts are optimally coordinated.

The aim of the training and further education program is to facilitate the switch to heat pumps in existing apartment buildings and increase the rate of energy-efficient renovations. The project is not intended as a measure against the shortage of skilled workers in the industry, but rather focuses on training existing skilled workers.

Project procedure

The project is structured in several stages. Following an analysis of existing training programs and training content, target group-specific training material will be developed. This training material will be communicated in the form of training courses, tools and course offerings and after the project period.

Innovation

The project is not intended as a measure to combat the shortage of skilled workers in the industry, but rather focuses on training existing specialists. The aim of the training and further education program is to facilitate the switch to heat pumps in existing apartment buildings and increase the rate of energy-efficient renovations.