The heating industry has a shortage of staff: the Central Association for Sanitary, Heating and Air Conditioning complains about a lack of plumbers for new installations and modernization of heating systems.
According to estimates by the Central Association for Sanitary, Heating and Air Conditioning, there is currently a shortage of around 60,000 heating installers in Germany. This number refers to all tasks of the trades, not just to the installation of new heating systems, said general manager Helmut Bramann to the newspapers of the Funke media group.
So far, the plumbing and heating companies have modernized around 900,000 heating systems every year and renovated almost 1.2 million bathrooms. “Accessibility in the bathroom for an aging society – the demand here will increase significantly in the next few years,” explained Bramann. According to estimates by the central association, almost 400,000 people were employed in this trade last year.
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“Installing a heat pump is not rocket technology”
Bramann has no reason to worry about the new law on heating replacement: “Installing a heat pump is not rocket science. A lot of what you need to know about installing a heat pump has long been known to the companies.” There is also a wide range of training courses that many companies also accept. “So the need for additional training for specialists is not as dramatic as one might initially think.”
The boss of the heat pump manufacturer Vaillant, Norbert Schiedeck, thinks it makes sense to install these systems in most houses. “We assume that up to 70 percent of the buildings in Europe can be heated with heat pumps without major conversion,” said Schiedeck of the “Rheinische Post”. “Additional measures are necessary for the other buildings.” Depending on the condition of the building, radiators could be replaced or even insulation installed.
