Over the past decade, people have flocked to Manchester, creating a high demand for housing. According to Census data, the population of the City of Manchester increased by 9.7% from 2011 to 2021. Recognising the need for additional housing stock, earlier this year Manchester’s ‘Places for Everyone’ plan was formally adopted, which sets to build 175,000 homes in Greater Manchester over the next 15 years.

Mike Kane MP said, “It’s an exciting time in both the region and the industry, and it’s great to see a global company like Samsung investing in the Sale and North Wythenshawe area. We’re in the process of a vital shift in many industries, to reduce energy consumption and change where we get our energy from – and alternative heating technologies such as heat pumps will be a big part of that. A skilled workforce in the region will be central to this transition, so Samsung’s new training centre will be critical to upskilling engineers in the North West and inspiring the next generation of installers.”

The local MP toured the space, including learning about heat pumps and smart controls, and discussed Samsung’s investment and dedication to upskilling hundreds of local installers in HVAC technologies. Upskilling installers in heat pumps, air conditioning and smart controls will be more crucial than ever in coming years. The centre is a day-to-day base for Samsung’s technical and customer service teams as well as local sales representatives, confirming Samsung’s commitment to growth in the region. Over 120 installers have attended training courses at Samsung’s Manchester Training Centre since opening in the summer, and in the last 3 months alone nearly 100 customers have visited.

Andy Burrows, Sales Manager Northern England & Scotland at Samsung, commented: “I have worked in the HVAC industry here in the North West since leaving school 34 years ago – in fact I was born and brought up only 200 yards from this training centre and can see my old family home out of the window. I still live in the area to this day and having this space here fills me with a huge sense of pride, particularly with what the team at Samsung and our partners have achieved in the area. This is down to the great people we work with, and we are determined to keep improving day by day.”

The importance of a central hub in the Manchester, Trafford region is further strengthened by the key local customer relationships. Local customers  James Hargreaves (heating wholesaler),Plug Me In, (smart energy infrastructure installer) and AXD Ltd, (HVAC installer) joined the Samsung team to discuss the work they are doing to move the industry forward in the local area with the changing regulations.

Andy Burrows added, “Our industry has changed a lot over the last 30 years, the increasing focus on environmental impact, legislation and technological advances, but one thing that has stayed the same is the need for training. We have received great feedback from the people who have already visited the space, with it acting not only as a space for learning but networking too. A centre like this where our team and our customers can come together to learn is a critical investment to ensure the region can continue to upskill and deliver on ambitious targets.”

To learn more about Samsung Climate Solutions training offering, visit: https://samsung-climatesolutions.com/gb/b2b/professionals/training.html

This month Samsung Climate Solutions unveiled their new warehouse to match the increase in size of the business. The new warehouse is run by XPO logistics and spans approximately 150,000ft of which Samsung Climate Solutions currently occupy approximately 50 per cent with room to expand. It has four times the inbound-outbound capacity than the previous locations, receiving 95 per cent of the stock direct from factories and five per cent top-up from EU.

This increased space will allow Samsung Climate Solutions to best serve the market as it continues to grow, with the heat pump market in the UK growing 26 per cent between 2021 and 2022^[1] and predicted to increase further in 2023.

Since the initial relocation in 2020, the capacity has increased threefold to keep pace with the growth in the climate solutions business. In order to provide customer service to match in the increase in warehouse capacity there has also been a large increase in Technical, Operations and also Sales Teams.

Steve Fleming, Head of Climate Solutions UK & Ireland, commented: “Our team has grown from 19 when I joined to 67 by the end of this year in 2023. We want to provide the best end to end customer service possible to match our ambitious growth plan. Our commitment to the customer is to recruit the very best people across all areas of the business in order to provide the quality of service to match the quality of our product. We look forward to working with our existing and new customers to continue this growth journey.”

Samsung also have access to meeting rooms within the warehouse and will soon be welcoming customers for onsite meetings. Marking this milestone, Samsung Climate Solutions also look forward to meeting with existing and potential customers at Installer Live 2023, where they will be exhibiting for the first time from the 27^th-29^th June at the NEC Birmingham, E80 Hall 5 to showcase their new range of future-ready products.

[1] BSRIA market data

LONDON, UK – December 1, 2022 – Samsung today announced the results of a study which revealed that the UK might be nearing a tipping point on attitudes towards low carbon heating solutions such as heat pumps. 78% of heating industry professionals said demand for heat pumps had increased in the last five years, with seven out of ten professionals now seeing heat pumps as a more viable solution versus a few years ago.

Partly driven by events on the world stage, nearly four in five (79%) heating industry professionals say global issues were driving demand for technologies like heat pumps. This attitudinal shift is driving an even greater need for training, education and awareness about the ways heat pumps can help the UK deliver on its ambition to decarbonise homes and cut emissions by 2035.^[1]

Having consulted 200 heating industry professionals, from gas engineers to plumbers, in the UK on their changing attitudes to heat pumps in the last two years, Samsung’s research also revealed that despite this buoyancy in demand for heat pump installation, with 66% citing energy efficiency as the most important consideration for their customers when installing a heating system, challenges still remain. Only 23% of current heating industry professionals are already fully trained to be an air source heat pump installer and nearly three in five (57%) are not considering training at all.

61% of those polled attributed the skills gap in low carbon and energy efficient technology to a lack of understanding about the future potential for heat pumps. 59% said they are waiting for more accessible training and education to support the workforce, indicating that despite demand increasing, there are still difficulties turning this demand into reality.

Scott Young training manager, Samsung Climate Solutions commented: “Our research clearly shows that there are real concerns in the heating industry about the lack of suitable training options available in low carbon tech. That’s why at Samsung, we have recently overhauled our training curriculum to encourage installers to upskill. Through webinars, e-learning modules and offering training for formal industry qualifications we are committed to providing a suite of learning options which are flexible and fit around the busy schedules of installers.”

Beyond boosting skills in low carbon and energy efficient technologies, the study also revealed that the industry is craving wider support from government on decarbonising homes to help the UK reach its net zero ambition. Around three quarters of respondents (76%) think that the government could be doing more in terms of legislation, grants and awareness to support the switch to air source heat pumps. This is especially important as price point was cited as the most important consideration for the customer by 78% of respondents.

In addition to further government support, 77% agreed that there should be more support from the industry and manufacturers to help install more heat pumps. 65% of respondents say making changes to radiators or household heat emitters is the number one consumer barrier to heat pump adoption while 62% also highlight concerns about the reliability of the technology at low outdoor temperatures, there is a clear need for manufacturers to step up consumer education about the range of solutions on offer and the efficacy of their products when stress tested.

The Samsung EHS Mono HT Quiet heat pump can help ease installers and consumers into this low carbon heating transition by achieving leaving water temperature of 70 degrees^[2] meaning fewer radiator changes are needed. And because the HT Quiet provides 100% heating performance^[3] at temperatures down to minus 25 degrees,^[4] it gives consumers total peace of mind in the technology, even at sub-zero temperatures.

Despite this progress in heat pump technology giving heating industry professionals broader options when it comes to retrofit installs or within new build developments, uncertainty remains as 58% are unclear about the ‘roadmap for change’ towards low carbon heating, with training remaining a sticking point.

Joseph Raftery, Heating Product Manager at Samsung Climate Solutions, has been working within the heating industry since 1992 specifically focusing on the development and installation of heat pumps. He commented: “The government Future Homes Standard of 2025 is drawing ever closer, ruling out fossil fuel heating in all new build developments. This is a major milestone for our housing sector, reflected in the fact that 78% of heating industry professionals say demand for heat pumps had increased in the last 5 years. There’s never been a better time for installers to work with architects and developers to incorporate low carbon heating solutions into property designs.”

At this critical junction in the evolution of greener heating, this research has taken the pulse of the professionals in the heating industry who will be on the frontline of changing the way we heat our homes. Samsung is dedicated to contributing to the united effort in realising a more sustainable future.

To find out more about Samsung Climate Solutions and the new EHS Mono HT Quiet click here.

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-enshrines-new-target-in-law-to-slash-emissions-by-78-by-2035

[2] Leaving water temperature, when the outdoor temperature is between -15°C – 43°C. Results may vary depending on the actual usage conditions.

[3] Efficiency ratio of heating output (capacity) versus power input (electricity). Internally tested under lab conditions based on EN 14511, results may vary depending on the actual usage conditions.

[4] Based on internal testing on an EHS Mono HT outdoor unit (AE120BXYDGG), compared to a conventional EHS outdoor unit (AE120RXYDGG). Results may vary depending on the actual usage conditions.

London, UK – 14^th March, 2022  At Samsung Climate Solutions, we believe that in order to reach the government’s decarbonisation targets for heating, it is essential to increase the awareness of greener heating options such as heat pumps. To help achieve this aim, we have partnered with architectural designer Charlie Luxton to communicate the importance of this technology.

Best known for presenting TV programs such as Building the Dream and Homes by the Sea, Charlie’s own architecture practice channels his passion for the environment and sustainable building. His expertise and innovative approach to design make Charlie a natural ambassador of Samsung Eco Heating Systems.

We are constantly innovating, developing, and optimising our air source heat pump offering to support the transition to cleaner and greener energy. Traditional gas boilers operate on fossil fuels, such as gas or oil, to heat buildings or provide hot water, whereas Samsung’s air source heat pumps use electricity and energy available in the outside air to generate heat.

Speaking on his passion for the topic, Charlie said: “In terms of sustainable design and green heating, the housing stock is responsible for a huge amount of CO2 production. So clearly if you’re interested in the environment and climate change, and you’re involved in architecture, there is a massive problem that needs to be tackled.”

“If we’re talking about the kind of numbers that we need to be hitting, you need large corporations to invest and develop, and the fact that Samsung are doing that is a really good mix for the challenge that we’ve got ahead of us. Working with a company that are not only interested in delivering new heat pump technology into the market, but also providing a wider support mechanism to get people to understand the point of heat pumps and how they should be used, is what we need.”

On his vision for decarbonisation in the next ten years, Charlie explains: “We need to make a serious national investment in our housing stock. Fundamentally, I think we need a massive drive on insulation and a massive drive on changing the heat source; there has to be a hand in glove approach.”

Jon Brigly, Marketing Manager at Samsung Climate Solutions, added, “Charlie is a great partner for us due to our shared passion for driving the switch to low-carbon heating. We look forward to working together on content to raise awareness of air source heat pumps and how to heat homes more sustainably.”

For more information on Samsung Eco Heating Systems, click here.