Talking HVACR training in the EU

SPONSORED BY globalFACT

globalFACT Executive Director Jordan Smith met with Marco Buoni to discuss HVACR technician training in Europe. Mr. Buoni is the Former President with mandate on International Affairs for the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration European Association (AREA) and the Technical Director of Centro Studi Galileo, a renowned HVACR training center in Italy. He leads over 300 HVACR training courses annually, and consults with the United Nations and European Commission on HVACR policies.

This conversation is the second segment of globalFACT’s “Talking Training” interview series. The first installment from earlier this year is available here.

SMITH:

Marco, thank you for joining me today. As you know, globalFACT is an organization that examines industry trends and developments, especially those involving new-generation low-GWP HFCs, HFOs, and blends. Before we dive into the details of technician preparedness and training, can you please give our audience some background on yourself?

BUONI:

Thank you, Jordan. I am Marco Buoni, and I am the Director of the Centro Studi Galileo training center, and I am also the Former President of the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration European Association (AREA). I have had the honor of serving as president of AREA for the past four years. My academic background is in mechanical engineering, and for several years I was a product manager for an Italian air conditioning manufacturer. This experience and exposure to manufacturing gave me important practical knowledge about the industry. In 2004, when we were seeing the industry transition toward new refrigerants, I decided to start the Association of Italian Refrigeration Technicians (ATF). 

SMITH:

Excellent, thank you. globalFACT has been talking with industry experts in the U.S. about the overall state of HVACR technician training today. Can you give us your assessment of the current state of training in Europe?

BUONI:

Since 2006, Europe has required technicians to receive certification to handle F-gases. The training programs vary and are not mandatory, but the certification is. In Europe, requiring certification works very well. We have half a million technicians certified to handle F-gases, and this increase in qualified technicians correlates to improvements in equipment installations and repairs generally. Equipment performance is higher, leak rates are lower, and grocers and retailers are happier.

SMITH:

I recently spoke with an expert who oversees HVACR design and engineering for a large U.S. supermarket chain, and he told me that there was a “gap between technology and training.” Would you say the same is true in Europe as well?

BUONI:

Exactly. We can already see that there are far more technicians qualified to service existing, traditional systems than there are technicians qualified to service newer, emerging technologies. In other words, there is a gap between the skill level of the technicians and the speed at which new technologies are entering the market. And this is logical: the technicians can’t get ahead of the innovation. They are always behind because the demand for technicians to become trained on a new technology only happens after the new technology is in-market and requires servicing – not before. It’s a circle, or a loop, where we are always trying to help technicians catch up to the speed of innovation.

SMITH:

That makes sense, and is consistent with the challenges identified in the U.S. What is being done to help close that gap in the E.U.?

BUONI:

We have a project called REAL Alternatives, which is funded by the European Commission. This project aims to increase visibility of new and emerging technologies, and by extension, demonstrate their adoption by the industry and the need to become trained to service them. We have certified 2,000 technicians on new technologies through this program, which is free of charge online. The practical part of the training must be held in a qualified training center that is fully and specifically equipped. Training is available in 20 countries worldwide and in 17 different languages. The hands-on practice is especially critical because some new refrigerants require high operating pressures or have different toxicity and flammability properties. If equipment is not properly installed or serviced by competent contractors, it could pose health and safety risks to the end user and the technician.

SMITH:

Considering these realities, what advice do you have for those involved in making HVACR design and engineering decisions for their business? How should technician training, skill level, and availability factor into their decision-making process?

BUONI:

Owners and operators rely on the availability and qualifications of technicians. If only a small percentage of technicians are trained to service a certain new technology, operators will be mindful of that when weighing their options. Something else we are noticing is that most owners are now focused on maximizing energy efficiency. So, if we are looking at trends, I believe HVACR decisions will continue to be made by assessing how a technology or refrigerant solution affects the businesses’ energy consumption and costs.

SMITH:

We’ve established that technician training is critical. What is your message to the industry about the future of technician training?

BUONI:

I think a common misperception across the industry globally is that technician training is costly and therefore gets deprioritized. I believe it’s important that the industry changes its view on this. Technician training is a smart investment that will make it possible for our industry to become more advanced, productive, and helpful in reaching important regulatory goals.

Jordan Smith

Jordan Smith has served as Executive Director of the Global Forum for Advanced Climate Technologies (globalFACT) since its inception in early 2018. He has over 20 years of experience providing public policy advice and representation on federal legislative and regulatory issues, with special emphasis on energy, environmental, natural resource, and healthcare matters. Mr. Smith’s experience includes developing and leading education and advocacy coalitions central to some of the most challenging public policy debates in the U.S. and across the globe.

Marco Buoni

Marco Buoni is an expert in refrigeration, air conditioning, and capacity buildings and leads the training activities related to certification and best practices throughout Europe. From 2018 to 2022, he was the President of the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration European Association (AREA), and since 2004, he is the Technical Director of Centro Studi Galileo and the Secretary General of the Italian Association of Refrigeration Technicians (ATF). Mr. Buoni organizes training courses, international projects, seminars and conferences in refrigeration technologies worldwide. Mr. Buoni also collaborates with United Nations on the progress of the sector in developing countries, and with the European Commission to address international sectoral policies.