Issue link: https://fhpublishing.uberflip.com/i/1181340
TRAINING I n June, the UK committed to achieving net zero car- bon emissions by 2050. While the electricity sec- tor has made huge steps towards this target and the electrification of transport is well underway, heat remains the stubborn thorn in the govern- ment's decarbonisation strategy. MPs on the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee recently stated that 15,000 homes will have to transfer to zero carbon heat every week until 2050 to reach this target. The government has made it clear that heat networks will have a strong role to play in delivering the decarbonisation of heat in the future. Systems currently supply about 450,000 homes through 14,000 networks. By 2050, a fiˆh of UK households are expected to have made the switch to heat networks. In keeping with this approach, Developing leaders for a low-carbon future Tom Naughton, an associate at London based heat network consultancy FairHeat, describes its award- winning graduate training programme, and why similar schemes are vital to the sector's future. NETWORK / 26 / NOVEMBER 2019 in 2015, and we began recruiting in 2016. It quickly became ap- parent that there was a lack of existing heat network expertise. Despite the challenging eco- nomic climate, the firm decided early on that it would bring new blood into the industry, and train them to become industry leaders. We formed partnerships with universities, and specialist graduate recruiters, to offer solid knowledge and experience in all aspects of heat network development in a dedicated two-year graduate programme. Continual development The programme includes six- month rotations across our four business areas, covering all aspects of building and operat - ing heat networks, from design and delivery to performance improvement and monitoring. Graduates also develop a spe- cial project on each rotation. They manage their own time and budget, and present back to the wider Fair- Heat team on an area of business FairHeat trainees enjoy a structured two year training programme planning regulations in most major cities in the UK, including London, now specify that all new develop- ments must include a heat network as part of a push towards decar- bonising heat. However, this rapid growth is not without its problems. Investing in the future The ever-increasing need to supply low-cost, low-carbon district heating has created a recruitment challenge. FairHeat was founded in central London