03 June 2021
|
Ben Bartle-Ross of Mitsubishi Electric on why the way many engineers develop their skills has probably changed for ever.
So, things are getting back to normal are they? If you believe the headlines, then it almost looks like there never was a pandemic and the situation with Covid has been sorted – well, here in the UK at least.
We see trial concerts and gigs on our TV, people filling parks and beaches and, if you’ve been on a motorway in the morning, we are almost back to rush hour standards of traffic at times. But a quick view of a newsreel from other parts of the world belies the sense of normality and highlight why we still need to be cautious, even though our own vaccine programme is steaming ahead and the market is optimistic – to say the least!
Domestic trends
Here in the world of training, I think it’s fair to say that absolutely everything has changed. We now deliver all of our training online and we are reaching more and more engineers than ever before. And this is just as well because levels of interest in renewable heating and air conditioning has gone through the roof.
I think there are two factors at play here:
Firstly, spending a year at home has meant that people haven’t spent as much money on commuting … or on holidays. Many have also missed the comfort of air conditioning they get in their office and remember the heat of last summer, when nowhere in the house escaped being baked. So, anyone with spare budget, who can see another hot summer coming, is seriously considering investing in air conditioning, at least for the bedroom and perhaps the home office.
Secondly, the world of residential heating has woken up to the end of gas and oil. Yes, there are still some who believe that hydrogen offers a way to extend the life of the gas network, but in their heart of hearts, I think that even these people realise that, even if this was more than just theory, we simply have to stop burning things!
And then there are the early adopters who are so far ahead of the rest of the market that they are poised to grab each and every opportunity as it comes along.
Planning for the future
These companies have seen the way the wind is blowing and made sure that their engineers are fully trained in renewable heating. They have not only added another string to their bow, they have positioned themselves well for the huge demand that is coming. If you don’t believe me then look at the government’s own figures, which point to the installation of 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2030, which is not that far away now!
So, many companies have taken a serious look at renewable heating, whether for the domestic or commercial market and are now ready to capitalise on the opportunities that are increasing day by day.
They are aware of the technology and understand how it works differently to carbo-based heating. They know how to size and spec it and are already doing this, so are able to respond quickly to any new enquiry. I know because I’ve now seen hundreds of their engineers on our virtual courses.
But don’t worry if you’re not part of this wave of renewable heating yet. There’s still plenty of time to make sure you and your engineers are quickly brought up to speed. And with our comprehensive virtual training, you won’t even have to leave home!
Find out more here.
