Online course · Waitlist open
AU/NZ HPWH Foundations Course
An online course for anyone working in the Australian and New Zealand heat pump water heater industry, whether they joined last month or have years of experience. It follows the five steps EnergyAE uses to take a heat pump water heater from factory to household (design, test, model, certify and register), with a bonus module on claiming certificates, for residential and commercial systems. Short videos, written lessons and quizzes, with a certificate at the end.
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Example lesson · Module 1, Design
The vapour compression cycle and COP
Trusted by leading manufacturers, testing laboratories and certification bodies
Who it is for
The course has relevant information for everyone in the market (manufacturers, test labs, importers and distributors, certification bodies and regulators) to understand the full pathway from factory to household. New starters get the whole picture in one place, and experienced people fill in the steps either side of their own. Take the whole course, or pick the topics that matter to you.
What it covers
An introduction, five modules (one for each step) and a bonus module on claiming certificates: about 50 lessons and around 12 to 14 hours in total. Every module covers residential and commercial systems. The course explains what each step is and why it matters. It does not teach energy modelling or how to prepare a scheme application.
Five steps from factory to household, plus a bonus on claiming
Module 1
Design
Topology, refrigerant, tank, controls
Module 2
Test
AS/NZS 5125.1, EN 14511, safety tests
Module 3
Model
AS/NZS 4234 annual energy
Module 4
Certify
AS/NZS 2712, electrical safety, WaterMark
Module 5
Register
SRES, VEU, ESS and GEMS
Bonus module
Claim
Certificate markets, providers, payment
The introduction covers who does each step: manufacturers, importers, labs, certifiers and regulators.
- Introduction: the five steps, who does each one (manufacturers, importers, labs, certifiers, regulators), and how to read and cite a standard
- 1. Design: the refrigeration cycle and COP, integral and standalone systems, heat exchangers, compressors, refrigerants, tanks and stratification, frosting, control settings and legionella control, and sizing residential systems and commercial plant
- 2. Test: AS/NZS 5125.1 conditions, COP, the regressions and the low temperature test, reading a report, Appendix H (MEPS), EN 14511 for commercial heat pumps, the safety and tank tests, the labs, lead times and what triggers a retest
- 3. Model: what AS/NZS 4234 calculates, zones and load sizes, what the model needs from the test report, control settings in the model, the minimum criteria, and the commercial model
- 4. Certify: AS/NZS 2712 and the certification bodies, electrical safety certification, WaterMark and AS 3498, AS/NZS 4692 and the NCC
- 5. Register: STCs under the SRES, VEECs under the VEU, ESCs under the ESS, residential and commercial activities, the document set, product registers, GEMS, and New Zealand
- Bonus: Claim: certificate markets and prices, who creates certificates (STC agents, VEU Accredited Persons, ESS Accredited Certificate Providers), how the money flows from installation to payment, aggregators and choosing partners, installation evidence and audits, and the business case for the end customer
Inside the lessons
Every lesson is built around diagrams and real test behaviour. Two examples:
How it works
- Each lesson is a 4 to 8 minute video, a written lesson and a short quiz. Learners work at their own pace.
- A final assessment, and a certificate naming the learner and the date.
- Seats for individuals, and a yearly company licence with completion reports and a live Q&A call each quarter.
- English first. Chinese subtitles and translated lessons if there is enough demand, so tell us your team's language on the form.
Join the waitlist
It takes two minutes, and your answers tell us which topics and languages to build first.
Who teaches it
Alastair McDowell, Director, EnergyAE
Alastair has spent years helping HPWH manufacturers enter the Australian and New Zealand markets through energy modelling, certification and scheme registration. He sits on the CS-028 Australian Standards committee for energy efficient water heating and works with regulators on scheme methodology.
Working with manufacturers and test labs in China.
FAQ
What will it cost?
Prices are published when founding places open on 25 January 2027. Founding places are priced below the list price.
Is it only for EnergyAE clients?
No. It is open to anyone working in or joining the AU/NZ heat pump water heater supply chain, on the same terms.
Will it teach me to do AS/NZS 4234 modelling?
No. It explains what the model calculates, what it needs from the test report and what the pass criteria mean, so you can supply the right information and read the results.
Can staff in mainland China watch the videos?
The course platform will be tested for access from mainland China before it is chosen.
Does joining the waitlist commit me to anything?
No. It means you hear first when places open.