Ecobubl, based in Wiltshire, is a Daikin Sustainable Home Centre and one of LCL Awards newest renewable focused approved centres.   

Ecobubl’s founders, Martin Perrin and Emilie Romain, both worked for a national distributor of heat pumps and wanted to expand their already successful business by setting up a training centre - to pass on their specialist technical knowledge and support local heating engineers and electricians move from fossil fuels.

Martin said:

“Emilie and I set up our heat pump distribution business during lockdown and we’re delighted to see how it has grown. We help engineers with specification and system design - now that side of the business is up and running, it makes sense to move into training.

“When it comes to training, our own experience is that a lot of centres don’t fully believe in the future of heat pumps. We wanted to provide trainees with a positive learning environment, somewhere they can try out the latest equipment and learn from trainers with a real in interest in the latest technologies – be it heat pumps, solar panels, battery storage or EV charging.

“We’re doing all we can to encourage gas engineers and electricians to come on board. Our trainer, Paul, has developed a special entry-level course designed for those who are new to renewables and now we can offer LCL Awards’ certified qualifications, we’re ready to move our training initiative to the next level.

“We’ve recently moved the distribution part of the business to another unit and, with the help of Daikin, have fitted-out our original space with a spacious showroom as well as a training centre. Just as we want to demystify renewables for heating engineers, we also open our doors to the public so that they can come and quiz us about low carbon technologies.”

Social media success

Emilie explains how Ecobubl has used social media platforms and YouTube to debunk fears and misinformation about renewables:

“I set up a YouTube channel to talk through the technologies and latest equipment and have been amazed how it’s all taken off.  A couple of our videos have had over 60,0000 views! There’s lots to be aware of and I think that talking it through helps engineers - and homeowners – come to terms with it all.

“We’re keen to make Ecobubl a training centre of excellence; spreading the word and our enthusiasm can only help with that. We’re planning a number of open days so we can welcome everyone to come and see what we have on offer.

Learners of all ages

“The learners we’ve had on our courses so far have been a real mix. We’ve had very young people (19/20 year olds), looking to future-proof their careers, as well as more experienced, older learners. The young ones are really keen on the new technologies and it’s exciting to see their minds and horizons expand.

“At the moment there’s no apprenticeship in renewables, but we can see a real need for one. Installation companies are struggling to get enough new people to work in the sector and we’re thrilled to be doing all we can support local engineers and electricians more forward and embrace new ways of heating. We’re very pleased to be able to deliver the best training courses look forward to our future partnership working with LCL Awards.”

Ecobubl currently delivers the following LCL Awards qualifications:  

• Level 3 Award in the Installation and Maintenance of Heat Pumps
• Water Regulations Certificate
• Hot Water Systems & Safety

They plan to add more to this list, including: Level 3 Award in Low Temperature Heating and Hot Water Systems, battery storage and EV charging.

The LCL Awards approval process

Tracy Harker and Helen Knowles successfully guided the company’s Training and Assessment Manager, Paul Matthews, through the whole process.

Paul said:

“With fantastic support from Tracy and Helen, we achieved LCL Awards approval in just seven weeks. From my initial phone call with Tracy through to the final audit, the whole process has been incredibly efficient. All communications from LCL Awards have been clear and concise. To keep things moving, supporting documents were sent via email and I found the requirements for the QMS were well set out and straightforward.

“Helen gave us great technical support and I worked closely with Tracy through the auditing process. This was particularly helpful as she was able to give us guidance on how to further enhance the training experience for our learners.”

Tracy said:

“The team at Ecobubl are full of passion and drive for the renewables sector; a great addition to LCL Awards and what we need to help ensure the success of a low carbon future.”

If you’d like to discuss your training centres’ plans for the future with us, please get in touch with Tracy Harker: tracy.harker@lclawards.co.uk.

To find out more about Ecobubl please click here and to subscribe to Ecobubl’s YouTube channel and watch Emilie’s videos, click here