Air source heat pump training courses are essential for anyone looking to build a business in the heat pump industry. These courses equip you with the skills needed to effectively install and maintain heat pumps.
Government announces plans to make it easier for heat pump installation
New changes to government heat pump legislation
In May, the government announced changes to its legislation to make it easier for customers to make the transition to sustainable heating solutions such as air source heat pumps. These changes come into effect from Thursday 29th May. Here is everything you need to know.
So, what are the changes?
- Removing the 1 metre boundary rule.
- Increasing the number of heat pumps a homeowner can install from one to two for detached houses.
- Increasing the maximum size of air source heat pump allowable under permitted development from 0.6m3 to 1.5m3
- Allowing air-to-air heat pumps that can also provide a cooling function to benefit from the same permitted development rights as air source heat pumps (air to water).
Removal of the 1 metre rule
Previous legislation stated that an air source heat pump could not be placed within 1 metre of a property’s boundary. For homeowners with limited outdoor space, this meant that installing an air source heat pump was incredibly challenging, if not impossible.
The original 1 metre rule was designed to mitigate against any possible noise complaints and how neighbouring properties might be affected. Now that modern heat pumps are significantly quieter, the need for the distance between properties is no longer required.
Whilst air source heat pumps still require clear space around them work to their maximum efficiency, the removal of the 1 metre rule means that many more homeowners will now be able to install an air source heat pump.
Installing larger heat pumps
New legislation means that the maximum size of air source heat pump allowable under permitted development has increased from 0.6m3 to 1.5m3. This means that homeowners can now potentially install larger, quieter models of heat pump in a wider range of homes.
More flexibility for larger detached homes
In some cases, properties may require more than one heat pump to adequately heat their home. This is called a cascade system and means that two heat pumps can share the load for heating and hot water at the same time.