Installers receive free Heat Pumps
To address this first installs problem, this project is offering air-source heat pumps to selected newly trained installers to install in their own home. The project is focussed on installers who are in senior roles within small or micro businesses, or who operate as sole traders. By providing these professionals with heat pumps in their own home, Nesta aim to assess whether firsthand experience can speed up the frequency of retrofit heat pump installations, boost installer confidence and increase customer attraction.
In collaboration with SNIPEF, Nesta is currently recruiting plumbing and heating professionals in Scotland to take part in the project. They will attend training on heat pump installations this summer and design their in-home installations. Alongside these activities, they are putting together a scaling group which will hear about the project on a regular basis and advise on its trajectory – namely identifying which findings are most needed for the sector and how to effectively scale.
Nesta is aiming to finish recruiting participants and arrange training sessions from June 2024, after which point they will start thinking about their home installation. They plan to give the heat pumps to installers during the summer months. They will then conduct a first round of interviews in autumn 2024 and a second round in spring 2025 to learn about the participants’ experiences, after which we will conclude the project and disseminate findings.
If you are interested in knowing more about the project or are interested in being a member of the scaling group, please contact Nesta.