Low Carbon Heating Technician Level 3

The broad purpose of the occupation is to plan, select and size, install, commission, service and maintain (including fault finding, diagnosis and repair) zero carbon central heating and hot water systems in buildings including dwellings and industrial and commercial premises. Zero carbon heat sources may include but are not limited to Ground and Air Source Heat Pumps and Solar Thermal Collectors. The occupation includes work on both new build and existing properties and typically involves the installation, service, fault finding and repair of zero carbon heating and hot water appliances, storage vessels, pipework, heat emitters and associated components and their mechanical and electrical control systems.

In their daily work, an employee in this occupation interacts with customers and end users, and as such requires a high level of customer service. The role is physical in nature and involves the manual handling of heavy equipment, working at height and in confined spaces.

An employee in this occupation will be responsible for working both independently with a minimum of supervision and also as a member of a team involving close liaison and cooperation with site and line management, colleagues and other trades.

You need to be highly motivated and working with a competent mentor. The company that you work for must install, service and repair on a range of appliances applicable for your job role and responsibilities to allow you to provide evidence for the knowledge, skills, and behaviours of this apprenticeship standard. DCG assessors will check your job description and advise accordingly. 

Entrants who already hold a level 2 or 3 qualification in plumbing should expect a reduced time on the apprenticeship. 

You also need a GCSE grade C/4 or above in English and Maths. 

You will undertake a basic skills test in literacy and numeracy.

A commitment to your own learning and performance in a working environment is essential.

Please note ‘In line with the Consumer Act and as articulated in our Student Protection Plan, we reserve the right to close a course, if there are insufficient students to make the course viable’.

Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours

A Low Carbon Heating Technician will know: 

• Health and safety legislation, approved codes of practice and guidance and safe working practices applicable to work in the building services and wider construction industry.
• Principles of sustainability, energy efficiency, reuse of materials and recycling. Principles of control and management of emissions and waste. Efficient use of resources and legislation.
• Common installation practices and techniques used in the installation and maintenance of low carbon heating and hot water systems (air source, water source and ground source heat pumps, solar thermal systems, unvented hot water systems, connections to cold water systems, lower temperature wet central heating).
• Scientific and mechanical principles applicable to how low carbon heating, cooling and hot water systems work, including coefficient of performance (COP) and seasonal performance factor (SPF).
• Roles and responsibilities of persons within the low carbon heating and hot water systems industry and related trades.
• Legislative requirements and sources of information applicable to low carbon heating and hot water system installation, service and repair.
• Communication techniques used with different audiences.
• Layout features, working principles and legislative requirements of cold water systems connected to low carbon heating and hot water systems.
• Layout features and working principles of low carbon heating and hot water systems.
• Sustainability: sources of renewable and non-renewable energy, current energy efficiency advice and guidance, UN Sustainability Development Goals, decarbonisation.
• Testing and commissioning practices and techniques applicable to low carbon heating and hot water systems.
• Installation practices and techniques of electrical and electronic control systems applicable to low carbon heating and hot water systems.
• Testing and commissioning practices and techniques of electrical and electronic control systems applicable to low carbon heating and hot water systems.
• Decommissioning practices applicable to heating and hot water systems including limitations to operative competence with regard to other fuel systems supply, components and appliances.
• Decommissioning practices of electrical and electronic control systems applicable to heating and hot water systems.
• Routine service and maintenance practices and techniques applicable to low carbon heating and hot water systems.
• F-Gas regulations: purpose and application
• Routine service and maintenance practices and techniques of electrical and electronic control systems applicable to low carbon heating and hot water systems.
• Fault finding, diagnosis and rectification practices and techniques applicable to low carbon heating and hot water systems.
• Fault finding, diagnosis and rectification practices and techniques of electrical and electronic control systems applicable to low carbon heating and hot water systems including safe isolation procedures.
• Planning, sizing and selecting practices for low carbon heating and hot water systems and components.
• Processes and procedures of electrical supply and control systems applicable to low carbon heating and hot water systems and work including limits to operative competence.
• Well-being: mental and physical health considerations in self and others and how to access support. Impact of mental health on the construction industry.
• Risk assessments, method statements and work programmes: production methods and requirements.
• Collaborative and ethical working, relationship management with clients and stakeholders and mutual problem-solving techniques.
• Electrical safety: working with electricals in low carbon heating and hot water systems. Understanding limits of competence, what not to do, and when to engage a competent electrician, as well as other trades.

A Low Carbon Heating Technician will be able to: 

• Operate in a safe working manner by complying with health and safety legislation, approved codes of practice and guidance and applying safe working practices.
• Apply environmental and sustainability principles.
• Produce work programmes for tasks within low carbon heating and hot water industry.
• Produce risk assessments and method statements for the low carbon heating and hot water systems work.
• Install low carbon heating and hot water systems.
• Test, commission and handover low carbon heating and hot water systems, including providing operational advice.
• Install electrical and electronic control systems applicable to low carbon heating and hot water systems.
• Test and commission electrical and electronic control systems applicable to low carbon heating and hot water systems.
• Service, maintain, diagnose faults and rectify low carbon heating and hot water systems, including safe isolation of supply.
• Perform routine service, maintenance, fault diagnosis and rectification procedures and techniques on electrical and electrical control systems applicable to low carbon heating and hot water systems including carrying out safe isolation procedures.
• Decommission heating and hot water systems.
• Decommission electrical and electrical control systems applicable to heating and hot water systems.
• Plan, size and select low carbon heating and hot water systems.
• Communicate with others verbally and in writing.
• Works collaboratively with clients or stakeholders to solve problems.

Behaviour required.

• Takes personal responsibility for and promotes health and safety.
• Considers the environment and sustainability.
• Collaborates and promotes teamwork.
• Takes responsibility for completing work.
• Supports an inclusive culture.
• Committed to continued professional development (CPD).
• Act ethically.

This delivery of this Standard is on a day release model over 3 years. Apprentices are released to the college 1 day a week throughout an academic calendar year. 

An onsite work-based portfolio must be built in the workplace over 36 months, which consists of a range of installation, service, and repair work on various appliances. Work based portfolio sessions and End Point Assessment sessions are planned throughout the apprenticeship.

Functional skills sessions would be additional to any structured timetable as needed. 

Employer mentoring occurs in the workplace with the support and guidance of an assessor. 

You need safety boots and personal protective equipment, which should be supplied by your employer. 

You will be visited by your allocated assessor at your place of work and discussions with your employer will form supportive evidence of your training achievements as you work towards the gateway for completion.

You will then be assessed at the end of the training programme by completing an End-Point Assessment. This will assess how you can apply the skills, knowledge and behaviours acquired in your apprenticeship through the following three assessments carried out after you have completed the 36-month duration of on-programme learning: 

• Knowledge test – assessed by an End-Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO), this test will consist of multiple-choice questions on a computer-based platform.
• Skills test – assessed by an Independent End-Point Assessor, this assessment will assess skills, knowledge and behaviours acquired throughout the apprenticeship.
• Oral questioning – assessed by an Independent End-Point Assessor following the skills test, to confirm your understanding and to obtain further evidence of knowledge.

Apprentices must complete, or have previously completed, recognised English and Mathematics Level 2 qualifications/Grade A-C.

Completing this apprenticeship standard will pave the way to employment and typical job titles include Heat Pump Installer/Technician/Engineer, Renewable Heating Installer/Engineer and Solar Thermal Installer/Engineer. 

You can also progress to Level 4 supervisory, management or professional and technical courses and qualifications.

For more information contact Derby College on 0800 0280289 or enquiries@derby-college.ac.uk

There is no cost to the apprentice for an apprenticeship. If you are a smaller employer, you are eligible for government funding which will pay between 95% and 100% of the apprentice training costs. If you are a large employer, you can use your levy to pay for your apprenticeship training.