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Free online course · EQF Level 5

Decarbonised Heating and Cooling in Practice

A diploma-style online course for HVAC and construction professionals who want to work confidently with heat pumps, district heating, renewable heat and the systems that connect them.
7
Modules
20–30
Hours of study
EQF 5
Level
Free
To access

Built for people already doing the work

Heating and cooling account for around half of Europe's energy demand. The transition away from fossil fuels is happening now, on real buildings, and the people delivering it are already working in HVAC, building services and construction.
This course is for them. It assumes you know your trade. What it adds is the wider picture: why systems are changing, what the alternatives actually involve, how to judge which suits a building, and where your role ends and a specialist's begins.
It was built by education providers, universities and industry partners across seven European countries, and it is free to take.

What's covered

Seven modules, taken in order. Each builds on the last.
1

The transition explained

What decarbonised heating and cooling means, what is driving it, the four main pathways, and what can make it difficult in practice.
Explore Module 1 →
2

Energy efficiency and retrofit

Reducing demand before changing the heat source. Building fabric, ventilation, system optimisation and the people using the building.
Explore Module 2 →
3

Heat pumps and hybrid systems

How heat pumps work, when they suit a building, why flow temperature decides performance, and where hybrids make sense.
Explore Module 3 →
4

District and renewable heat

Low-temperature networks, how buildings connect to them, thermal storage, solar and geothermal heat, and recovering waste heat.
Explore Module 4 →
5

Smart controls and digital operation

Using metering and monitoring data to run systems well, spot problems early and prove that measures have worked.
Explore Module 5 →
6

Compliance, safety and quality

Working safely and lawfully, meeting standards, capturing the evidence that proves it, and knowing what to escalate.
Explore Module 6 →
7

Project delivery and coordination

How projects succeed or fail at the interfaces between roles. Communication, evidence trails and handover.
Explore Module 7 →

How it works

1

Learn at your own pace

Everything is online and self-paced. Start when you want, stop when you need to, pick up where you left off.
2

Short sections

Content is broken into sections of 15 to 30 minutes, so it fits around shifts and site work rather than requiring a free afternoon.
3

Check as you go

Each module ends with a knowledge check, plus applied tasks and real case studies drawn from projects across Europe.
4

Finish with something to show

Complete all seven modules to cover the full course. Certificate arrangements will be confirmed separately.

What you'll be able to do

✓
Explain to a client why a building needs a different approach, using evidence rather than opinion.
✓
Judge whether a heat pump, a network connection or renewable heat suits a particular building.
✓
Read metering and monitoring data and tell whether it makes sense.
✓
Recognise what you can act on yourself and what needs a specialist.
✓
Work to the standards and evidence requirements the sector now expects.
✓
Coordinate with the other roles a project depends on, and hand over properly.

Who it's for

HVAC and building services professionals

You install, service or specify heating and cooling systems and want to work confidently with low-carbon technologies as they become standard.

Construction and project managers

You coordinate projects where heating and cooling decisions are made and need enough technical grounding to ask the right questions.

Facility and energy managers

You run buildings and want to understand the options, the evidence behind them and how to judge what is being proposed.

Ready to start?

The course is free, self-paced and open to anyone. Begin with Module 1 and work through the seven modules in order.
Begin Module 1
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