SKILLSAFE EU

Skills Enhancement for Safe Handling of Highly Flammable Refrigerants in the EU

Europe is on the brink of a heat pump revolution. Driven by the RePowerEU plan and stringent F-gas regulations, millions of heat pumps will be installed across the EU in the coming years. While this transition is essential for a greener future, it also presents significant safety challenges.

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THE PROJECT

Current safety standards often do not cover the entire lifecycle of these heat pumps, putting installers and homeowners at risk.

A promising refrigerant for heat pumps is R290 (propane), which has a minimal environmental impact.  However, its flammability requires special handling and installation. Current safety standards often do not cover the entire lifecycle of these heat pumps, putting installers and homeowners at risk. To make matters worse, existing safety guidelines across Europe are fragmented, with different regulations and standards at national and industry level. This lack of a consistent approach hinders the safe and efficient installation of heat pumps.

Better Safety Guidelines

Regulation and Stardards

Consistent Approach

Who Are We

What are SKILLSAFE-EU for?

SKILLSAFE-EU is responding to this critical need. Our project aims to develop a comprehensive, industry-wide guideline for the safe design, storage, transport, installation, and disposal of R290-based monobloc heat pumps for residential use. By bringing together leading manufacturers, industry associations, and training institutions, we will create a robust framework to upskill installers and safeguard our communities.

Through extensive testing and feedback, we will refine our guidelines to ensure they meet the practical needs of the industry. Our work will not only enhance safety but also accelerate the adoption of sustainable heating solutions across Europe.

Overview information

Total cost

€1,363,696.51

EU contribution

€1,295,511.68

Number of partners:

4

Months of duration:

36

Project Resources

The Project Resources section provides a structured repository of project deliverables, relevant documents, and communication & dissemination kits created to support stakeholders in understanding and engaging with SKILLSAFE EU prject. These resources reflect the latest advancements across our project and are curated to provide comprehensive insights and valuable materials to help fully engage with our objectives and contribute meaningfully to our collective mission.

Dissemination Package

NEWS & EVENTS

The News and Events section offers a curated selection of articles, press releases, and information on events we organised, such as webinars. Here, stakeholders can stay informed on the latest developments, milestones, and insights from our project, through timely updates offering an in-depth look at our ongoing work and contributions to the industry. Explore to stay connected with the latest activities and achievements driving our mission forward.
Discover All

The first version of our Guideline is ready!

20 May 2025

Guideline on safe handling on self-contained air-to-water residential heat pumps with refrigerants with higher flammability installed outdoors in Europe We are pleased to share the first edition of our guideline, now available online. This document focuses on the safe handling of self-contained air-to-water heat pumps (AWHP) designed for outdoor installation in single-family homes, specifically those using refrigerants with higher flammability, such as R-290. Following the adoption of the revised F-gas

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Attend our next online event!

16 April 2025

The SKILLSAFE EU and Smart-Pumps projects are joining forces for this first thematic online seminar, bringing together experts and stakeholders from the heat pump and energy sectors. As the energy transition accelerates, upskilling and reskilling the workforce is essential to ensure safe and efficient adoption of innovative technologies; for this reason, we have organised this session to explore how two different EU funded projects are contributing to this goal, fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration. What

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Call for Interest: Joint Industry Expert Group

18 March 2025

Call for Experts: Be part of the Joint Industry Expert Group Following the success of our first guideline on self-contained air-to-water residential heat pumps, SKILLSAFE EU is excited to launch a second call for interest to gather heat pump experts! The SKILLSAFE EU project focuses on Skills Enhancement for the Safe Handling of Highly Flammable Refrigerants in the EU. With this next guideline, we aim to expand best practices for

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Our first newsletter is out!

25 February 2025

In January the first number of SKILLSAFE EU  bi-annual newsletter was sent out! This first number serves to collect all the activities we have done to kick-off the project and start to work on the development of the Guidelines, together with the selected Join Industry Expert Group! Download it here to discover more about it! 📩 DOWNLOAD HERE SKILLSAFE EU’s NEWSLETTER!

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Joint Industry Expert Group Meetings

10 January 2025

Since September, we have been holding a series of meetings with the Joint Industry Expert Group (JIEG) of the SKILLSAFE EU project. The consortium is working closely with the JIEG to develop the “Guideline on Safe Handling of Self-Contained Air-to-Water Residential Heat Pumps with Higher Flammability Refrigerants Installed Outdoors in Europe.” The JIEG brings together key representatives from the heat pump industry, including manufacturers, component suppliers, installers, building owners, and

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1st Press Release – How to handle refrigerants safely

11 November 2024

A new EU project is to develop guidelines for installers and consumers using heat pumps that contain flammable refrigerants. Heat pumps are key to moving away from fossil fuels in heating. To protect the climate to the maximum in line with EU law, heat pumps are increasingly switching to low greenhouse gas refrigerants. As these refrigerants are more flammable, ensuring the safety of heat pump installers and consumers is paramount.

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Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CINEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Project coordinator:
Nishant Karve
karve.n@daikineurope.com
Communication and dissemination coordinator:
Francesca Tamburrini
francesca.tamburrini@ehpa.org
Allright Reserved - SKILLSAFE-EU
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