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The Electrification of Heat

6.0 CPD Hours

Standard Rate
£430.00  +VAT
Member Rate
£340.00  +VAT
  • Mechanical Services
  • Facilities Management
  • Electrical Services
  • Interpersonal Skills

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The UK government aims to phase out the use of gas boilers for heating buildings beyond 2035 according to its Heat and Buildings Strategy, 2021. Low carbon alternatives will need to be sought and it is expected that heat pumps will play a dominant role.

The public sector in particular is already making strides in this direction with the support of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (1) and emphasis is also being placed on new large scale heat pump technologies within the scope of the Heat Networks Delivery Unit (2). Knowledge and experience in both small and large scale heat pump applications among practitioners is limited to a relatively small number of niche consultants.

This training aims to lift the lid on this technology and help design engineers, installers and energy managers to develop some of the required skills and expertise to engage with confidence in the electrification of heat through the use of heat pump technologies.

 

Learning Outcomes

1. Awareness of thermodynamic principles of heat pumps (supporting knowledge)
2. Understanding the technology, application and system integration of heat pump systems (knowledge; pros and cons, limitations, strengths, weaknesses)
3. How to size and specify heat pump systems (skills)
4. How to estimate carbon savings due to heat pump systems (skills)

Agenda for event
Time Description
Session 1: Heat Pump Cycles
  • Heat pump energy balance, isentropic efficiency, Carnot and practical CoP

  • Basic single stage cycle

  • Two-stage (flash recovery) cycle

  • High temperature cycle with intercooling and subcooling

  • Cascade cycle

  • Transcritical cycle

Session 2: Working Fluids
  • Working fluid (refrigerant) groups

  • Refrigerant numbering system explained

  • Zeotropic and azeotropic blends

  • Refrigerants and the environment – the Fluorinated Gas Regulations

  • Characteristics of common existing hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants

  • Characteristics of new and emerging hydrocarbons

  • Characteristics of new and emerging hydrofluorocarbon refrigerants

  • Characteristics of new and emerging hydrofluoroolefins

  • Characteristics of inorganic refrigerants

Session 3: Heat Pump Technology
  • The five groups of compressor types and a detailed look at the two most important current technologies for heat pumps – scroll and screw

  • Evaporators, condensers and gas coolers: water/liquid-source/sink (brazed plate and shell-and-tube); fin-and-coil air-source/sink; typical thermal distribution through evaporators and condensers 

  • Practical cycle control – reverse cycling for use in defrosting air-source plant as well as switching between heat pump and refrigeration modes of operation; capacity and superheat control

  • Variable refrigerant flow systems including a detailed look at the 5 possible operating modes

Session 4: Heat Pump System Integration and Economics
  • Seasonal performance metrics; SCoP, SPF2…4 ; simplified estimation of seasonal performance metrics using the Carnot and Lorenz efficiency factor

  • Domestic system integration; heating and DHW with periodic pasteurising; hybrid heat pumps with wide temperature range

  • Commercial scale integration; monovalent with buffer storage; monovalent with thermal storage for tariff offsetting; bivalent system

  • Mechanical design engineers
  • Mechanical installers and project managers

Of interest:

  • Facilities managers
  • Energy managers
  • Electrical building services engineers

Speakers

Christopher Underwood

Christopher Underwood

Retired Northumbria University Emeritus Professor

I joined the industry in 1973 as a student apprentice heating and ventilating technician with Haden Young Ltd. I went on to complete a BSc in building services engineering and then a PhD on the modelling and control of absorption cycle heat pumps before becoming a full-time lecturer in building services engineering at Newcastle Polytechnic (now Northumbria University) in 1981. I remained at Northumbria until retirement in 2018. I am now an Emeritus Professor at Northumbria and continue my research on the modelling and control of HVAC systems with a major emphasis on heat pump systems. Throughout my academic career I continued to engage with consultancy including a period of time when I was the Practice Consultant to R W Gregory & Partners (now RPS Gregory LLP). I currently do consulting work for hydrogeologists FWS Consultants Ltd - carrying out all their ground-source heat pump work.

Booking your place on a course is easy with two simple options:

  1. Credit/Debit Card
    Click the 'Book Now' button at the top right of this webpage, next to your desired date to secure your spot instantly using a credit or debit card.
  2. Invoice
    To request an invoice, please complete our ‘Public Course Booking Form’. Your place on the course will be confirmed once our Training team processes your booking.

International Bookings
For delegates booking from outside the UK, VAT will not be charged for ‘Remote’ and ‘On-Demand’ courses, as well as online exams. VAT will only apply if you attend a course in person within the UK. If you are booking from outside the UK for a ‘Remote’ course, please complete our ‘Public Course Booking Form’ and state your location in the 'Country of Residence' field to ensure VAT is removed from your booking.

If you encounter any difficulties, please don't hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

Group Bookings
For bookings of 6 or more employees, please visit the 'Corporate Bookings' tab on the left of this page for details on how to arrange group training.

Please contact us to talk about all your corporate training requirements:

Email: [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 8772 3660.

CIBSE recognises the value of team collaboration and offers specialised training solutions for companies looking to enhance their teams' expertise. Our Corporate training service provides a fully guided experience, designed to upskill your employees without the hassle of scheduling conflicts. 

Enjoy personalised learning journeys that boost productivity and innovation.

Further discounts are available for group bookings. 

To learn more about these discounts and to discuss your corporate training needs, please contact us:

To book a course or make an enquiry, please complete our ‘Corporate Training Enquiry Form’.

Remote - How to join: 

This course will be conducted live online via Microsoft Teams. You do not need a Microsoft Teams account. After finalising your booking, you will receive a confirmation email containing a link to join the session. 

You can join using your preferred web browser. Alternatively, if you have the Microsoft Teams desktop app installed, simply click 'join meeting' in the email to connect directly through the app. 

Face-to-Face: 

The course location will be listed below the corresponding date and included in your booking confirmation email, sent after your booking is finalised. Please arrive at the location 15 minutes before the start time. 

Note that face-to-face courses are not available online, so your in-person attendance is required.  

Catering will be provided during the course. If you have any food allergies or intolerances, please inform us in advance by emailing [email protected] so we can make suitable arrangements. 

Please be aware that parking is not available at the venue. 

Course Materials: 

The course presentation and any additional materials will be provided to delegates on the day of the course, once attendance has been confirmed. You will receive links via email to download these materials via email. For those attending a remote course, the materials will also be shared through the Microsoft Teams chat. 

In our efforts to be more sustainable, we encourage you not to print the materials. 

What is included? 

  • Full-day training led by an industry expert  
  • CPD certificate upon completion 
  • PDF course materials 
  • Lunch and refreshments (For face-to-face courses only) 

 

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