Heat pumps

What training and registration do you need to install heat pumps in Ireland?

By Smart Solar editorial teamUpdated 3 November 20267 min read

Short answer

To install grant-funded heat pumps in Ireland, you register with SEAI as a renewable energy installer, which needs certification from an accredited training provider, and then as a Better Energy Homes contractor: insurance declaration, tax clearance, registration form and onboarding webinar. F-Gas rules are separate and need a company certificate plus certified technicians. Information as of November 2026.

Key points

SEAI registration has three stages: pre-registration documents, the contractor registration form and an onboarding webinar.
SEAI asks for certification from an accredited training provider in heat pumps and lists heat pump training providers on its Train and upskill page.
F-Gas is separate from SEAI: the company needs an F-Gas company certificate and technicians need personal certificates.
Have a written contract with the homeowner before any works start. Only nominated people may sign the Declaration of Works.
SEAI's registration pages state no fee or processing time, so ask SEAI before you plan a start date.

Who can install grant-funded heat pumps in Ireland?

A contractor registered with SEAI. SEAI's blog of July 2026 says homeowners using SEAI grants must use registered contractors. It also says there are now over 600 SEAI-registered contractors available to install heat pumps, and that 88 have registered since January 2024.

SEAI's heat pump system grant page shows two routes: the homeowner applies and uses a registered contractor, or a One Stop Shop manages the whole upgrade. Either way, the firm doing the work needs to be on the register. For the second route, read working with SEAI One Stop Shops.

Registration is open to sole traders as well as companies. The wider series is in the heat pump installer guides for Ireland.

What does SEAI need from your company to register?

Three stages: pre-registration documents, the registration form and an onboarding webinar. This is what SEAI's Better Energy Homes contractor page asks for if you plan to offer heat pumps.

Renewable energy installer registration. It is separate from contractor registration, and SEAI says you need both for heat pumps. It rests on certification from an accredited training provider.
Declaration of Insurance. Your insurance broker completes it, with cover for business activities in the Republic of Ireland. SEAI removes you from its list automatically if the policy expires or you do not submit a valid declaration before it does.
Tax Clearance Certificate. A TCC or an eTCC. For an eTCC, SEAI asks for your PPSN or tax reference number and your tax clearance access number.
Contractor Registration form. Submit it with the insurance declaration and tax clearance, naming the people who will sign Declarations of Works.
Onboarding webinar. Held monthly, usually on the third Thursday. SEAI emails an invitation when your registration is completed.
Terms and technical standards. You agree to SEAI's terms and conditions, and to read, understand and follow its technical standards.

The same page has an NSAI Certification heading in step 1, but the text under it covers only cavity wall and external wall insulation, both through Irish Agrément approval. It is not a heat pump requirement.

Which heat pump training do you need?

Certification from an accredited training provider. SEAI's Renewable Energy Installers page says you must provide evidence of certification from an accredited training provider in one or more technologies. Heat pumps are on that list, alongside solar PV, solar thermal and shallow geothermal.

The contractor page adds that you must meet the technical competency requirements for each measure you plan to provide. SEAI's registration pages set out no course level or number of training days, so ask SEAI at rir@seai.ie what it expects for heat pumps rather than relying on a course provider's sales page.

Before you pay for any course, confirm with SEAI that the certification will count for registration. SEAI lists heat pump training providers on its Train and upskill page.

Electrical work is a separate legal matter. CRU's Safe Electric page says electrical contractors must be registered as Registered Electrical Contractors and that it is the law. SEAI's contractor page does not list this as a registration step, so work out who covers the electrical connection on your jobs. Our guide to becoming an EV charger installer walks through the REC step.

Where does F-Gas certification fit in?

F-Gas certification is a separate legal requirement and is not part of SEAI's registration. According to F-Gas Registration Ltd, since 4 July 2009 any business that installs, maintains or services heat pump equipment containing F-Gas refrigerants must hold an F-Gas Company Certificate.

EPA's January 2026 FAQ fills in the detail:

Companies, sole traders included, need the certificate when they do tasks for other parties on stationary refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump equipment.
F-Gas Registration Ltd issues company certificates and keeps a public register. The certificates are time limited.
Technicians need personal certificates. You get one by training with a provider approved by Quality and Qualifications Ireland and passing an exam.
Certificates from other EU member states are recognised in Ireland. UK F-Gas awards, such as City & Guilds, have not been valid in the EU since 2021.
Certificate holders must complete refresher training or an evaluation by 12 March 2029. Ireland must set up the arrangements by 12 March 2027.

EPA also says leak checking must be done when equipment is installed. The detail is in F-Gas certificate for heat pump installers.

Requirement	Who holds it	Who issues it
SEAI contractor registration	The company or sole trader	SEAI
F-Gas company certificate	The company or sole trader	F-Gas Registration Ltd
Personal F-Gas certificate	Each technician handling the gas	Training with a QQI-approved provider, then an exam
Registered Electrical Contractor status	Electrical contractors	Safe Electric, run by the Electrical Safety Supervisory Body for CRU

Source: SEAI, F-Gas Registration Ltd, EPA and CRU, read November 2026.

What must you do on every grant-funded job?

Four duties come with SEAI registration, all from SEAI's contractor page.

Sign a written contract first. You must have a written contract with the homeowner before starting any works.
Work to SEAI's standards. SEAI names the Domestic Technical Standards and Specifications, the Better Energy Homes Contractor's Code of Practice, the Quality Assurance and Disciplinary Procedure and the S.R. 54:2014 Code of Practice.
Sign off with a Declaration of Works. It confirms the works met SEAI standards and matched the homeowner's grant approval. Only the nominated personnel on your registration application can sign it, and they must have installed the works or attended site to supervise or inspect them.
Keep your details current. SEAI says it is your responsibility to check your registration details and tell it when they change.

For the commercial side of the job, see selling with the SEAI heat pump grant and writing a heat pump quote.

Step by step: from first course to first SEAI-funded job

Get certified, register with SEAI in three stages, then run your first job. Sort F-Gas alongside the SEAI paperwork rather than after it: apply for the company certificate and make sure every technician who handles refrigerant holds a valid personal certificate.

Get certified. Book heat pump certification with an accredited training provider and confirm with SEAI that it counts.
Register as a renewable energy installer. This is the first pre-registration item on SEAI's list.
Collect the other papers. Declaration of Insurance and Tax Clearance Certificate.
Submit the contractor registration form. Name the people who will sign Declarations of Works.
Attend the onboarding webinar. SEAI invites you by email once you are registered.
Run the first job. Written contract, install to SEAI standards, leak check, Declaration of Works.

SEAI's registration pages state no processing time and no fee for this route. F-Gas Registration Ltd publishes its company certificate fees, so check them before you apply. Ask SEAI how long registration takes, and do not promise a start date to a homeowner until you are on the register.

Typical registration mistakes

Most problems come from treating separate registrations as one.

Assuming SEAI registration covers F-Gas. The company certificate comes from F-Gas Registration Ltd.
Relying on a UK certificate. EPA says UK F-Gas awards are no longer recognised in the EU.
Letting the company certificate lapse. EPA says certificates are time limited and should be checked regularly.
Choosing a course from its brochure. Confirm the certification with SEAI first.
Starting without a written contract. SEAI requires one before any works.
Letting the wrong person sign. Only nominated personnel who installed or supervised the works can sign the Declaration of Works.
Forgetting to update your details. SEAI makes that your responsibility.

What does Smart Solar do?

Smart Solar passes on solar PV enquiries from private homeowners to installers and installs nothing itself. Homeowners ask for quotes through smart-solar.ie or a Facebook ad form and agree to be contacted. Installers who sign up with Smart Solar must be registered for the work they take on.

Questions and answers

Do you need a course to install heat pumps in Ireland?

For grant-funded work you need SEAI registration, and SEAI says you must provide evidence of certification from an accredited training provider in one or more technologies, including heat pumps. It also expects you to meet the technical competency requirements for the measures you offer. SEAI's registration pages name no specific course, so confirm with SEAI before you pay for one.

Is F-Gas certification part of SEAI registration?

No, they are separate. F-Gas Registration Ltd issues the company certificate and technicians get personal certificates through training with a QQI-approved provider and an exam. EPA says companies, including sole traders, need the company certificate when they work for others on stationary refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump equipment.

Can a sole trader register as an SEAI heat pump contractor?

Yes. SEAI says sole traders and companies operating in Ireland can register if they meet the technical competency requirements, hold a valid Tax Clearance Certificate and appropriate insurance, and follow its technical standards. A sole trader who works on F-Gas equipment for others also needs an F-Gas company certificate, because EPA says sole traders are covered by that requirement too.

Are UK heat pump or F-Gas certificates accepted in Ireland?

For F-Gas, no. EPA says UK F-Gas and ODS awards, such as City & Guilds certificates, have not been recognised in the EU since 2021, so you need a valid Irish or EU-compliant certificate. For SEAI's own training requirement, which asks for certification from an accredited training provider, ask SEAI whether a particular UK course would count.

How much does registration cost and how long does it take?

SEAI's contractor registration page states no fee or processing time, so ask SEAI before you plan a start date. F-Gas Registration Ltd publishes its company certificate fees on its website, by company size. Do not budget from third-party figures, and do not promise a start date to a homeowner until you are registered.

Who can sign the Declaration of Works?

Only the nominated personnel on your SEAI registration application. SEAI says they must have either installed the works or attended site to supervise or inspect the installation. The declaration confirms the works were completed to SEAI standards and in line with the homeowner's grant approval, so choose your named people carefully when you register.

Sources

Heat pumpsHow can heat pump installers in Ireland get more customers?Heat pumpsDo you need an F-Gas certificate to install heat pumps in Ireland?Heat pumpsHow do you sell heat pumps with the SEAI grant and the boiler scrappage bonus?Heat pumpsHow do you write a heat pump quote that wins the job and meets SEAI rules?Solar PVWhat qualifications do you need to install solar PV in Ireland?