Regen SW to support places in new biomass training

Regen SW is pleased to announce new training provision in the region aimed at providing existing qualified heating and plumbing engineers with the skills to install biomass fuelled boilers.

Regen SW member, GASTEC at CRE will be delivering an intensive four day course developed by HETAS, ‘H005 – wood biomass installer ’, with the first course taking place in September 2011. Regen SW’s commitment to accelerate activity in the bioheat sector, means the first 10 delegate places on the training will be subsidised by £250. . Interested businesses should check with GASTEC that the pre-requisite qualifications for the course are met, before claiming the Regen SW subsidy.

Stephen Green, Technology Project manager for Regen SW, said “The scale of the opportunity available to businesses designing and installing woodfuel boiler systems is huge. The UK government is firmly behind generating heat from renewable sources; with the recent announcement of the Renewable Heat Incentive, Regen SW expects to see up to 150000 installations of renewable heat by 2020.”

Stephen continued, “That’s a lot business to be done in a short space of time and this course will help plug the gap of skilled people to deliver it.”

The HETAS 4-day course provides comprehensive information to:

• enable the engineer to carry out feasibility studies
• professionally advise the client
• consider fuel type and storage options
• design basic systems and installations to suit site-specific circumstances.

Successful completion of the theory and practical sections of H005 will allow a HETAS registered installer to extend their registration categories to include “J5 Automatic Feed Independent Boilers Fired by Wood Pellets or Wood Chips”.
The H005 course content is very wide-ranging, but still requires applicants to have pre-qualifications. Delegates must have successfully completed the HETAS H004 Wet Appliance Installer course, and hold a current qualification in Building Regulations Part G3 Unvented Hot Water, before attending this course. GASTEC at CRE provides candidates with the opportunity to gain any missing qualifications; selecting the most convenient dates from their training programme.

Regen SW has been driving the deployment of biomass installations since its inception in 2003 and recently reported on its success in this sector with the SW bioenergy capital grant scheme. Through this and its latest delivery project, the Intelligent Energy Europe funded FOREST project (www.forestprogramme.com), Regen SW was able to identify the demand for installer training and the key partners able to develop and deliver new market-leading courses. GASTEC at CRE, as one of the most experienced training and assessment centres for the installation of solid fuel, gas, oil and renewable technology appliances, along with HETAS, which already runs a solid fuel and biomass competent persons scheme are ideally suited to delivering courses of this nature.

To find out more about the course and check on availability, contact Mavis Warriner, Training Centre Manager for GASTEC at CRE, on 01242 677877 or visit the UK trade fair for the FOREST project, being held in partnership with CONFOR’s South West Woodland show, Longleat on the 9th September1, where staff would be delighted to tell you more.