As featured in FMJ: heat network training for developers and facilities teams
GTEC's new heat network course has been featured in Facilities Management Journal (FMJ). In the article, FMJ looks at how the course prepares developers and facilities management teams for the rapid growth of UK heat networks. Read the full FMJ article.
The timing matters. Heat networks are moving from a niche technology to a central part of how the UK will heat its buildings, and regulation is moving with them. Below, we explain why, what the course covers, who it is for and how to book. The course is delivered online, and funding is available for eligible delegates.
Why heat networks matter now
Heat networks supply around 3% of UK heat demand today. Government wants that to reach around 20% by 2050, and expects Heat Network Zoning to unlock more than £80 billion of investment (DESNZ, January 2026). The Climate Change Committee's Sixth Carbon Budget reaches the same 20% figure on every pathway to net zero.
The workforce has to grow to match. The Heat Networks Industry Council estimates the sector employed around 4,000 people in 2024 and will need around 48,000 by 2050. That is twelve times today's workforce in less than 25 years.
The skills gap facing estates and facilities teams
Heat network regulation, the Heat Network Technical Assurance Scheme (HNTAS) and zoning are changing who carries responsibility for a scheme. More of it now sits with facilities, estates and asset management teams.
For many of those teams, a heat network is one duty among many. It sits alongside existing engineering and operational work, often without anyone who specialises in heat networks. Yet the choices made at feasibility, design and procurement shape a scheme's cost, compliance and reliability for decades.
What the course covers
The course follows the full lifecycle of a heat network, in the order your team will meet each stage:
- The bigger picture. The role heat networks play in UK decarbonisation and where they sit in the wider energy system.
- Regulation and HNTAS. What heat network regulation and HNTAS require of you in practice.
- Feasibility. How to judge whether a heat network suits a new-build, retrofit or mixed-use development, and how feasibility studies, options appraisals and business cases come together.
- Technical design. How network and plant design drive efficiency and reliability, and how to assess low-carbon heat sources, thermal storage and metering strategies.
- Procurement and governance. How to shape procurement, governance and contract strategy in line with HNTAS.
- Commissioning and operation. What good commissioning, operation and performance optimisation look like, and how to act as an informed client when procuring and overseeing a scheme.
Who should attend
The course is built for the people who plan, deliver, operate and govern heat networks, including:
- Operations, maintenance and asset management teams
- Housing providers, developers and estates teams
- Local authority and public sector teams
- Design and commissioning engineers, consultants and project engineers
- Commercial, finance and procurement teams
- Project and programme managers
- Heat network operators and utilities
- Senior leaders building intelligent client capability
You do not need formal qualifications to join. You will need a working understanding of the energy, construction, housing or utilities sectors.
Online, with funding for eligible delegates
The course runs online and finishes with an assessment, so your team can build heat network capability without time away from site.
Dave Hudson, Managing Director at GTEC Training, said: "Facilities managers are often the ones who live with the consequences of decisions made during design, procurement and installation. This course equips them with the knowledge to make informed decisions and ensure schemes are compliant, efficient and reliable."
Book your place
Funding is available for eligible delegates. To check your eligibility and book, visit the heat network course page Funded Online Heat Networks Training | GTEC
