The courses are certified by the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), and those attending gain credits towards their annual personal CPD learning programmes. Courses are offered free of charge and presented by experienced practitioners at customers’ offices or other convenient locations around the country.

The focus of the programme is on improving understanding of the impact of new legislation on air conditioning for buildings, improving system design and product application for energy efficiency and environmental protection.

Neil Hitching, sales director of Toshiba, said: “As a leading HVAC supplier, a key priority for us is to help raise standards across the industry. An important part of this is contributing to the level of knowledge on core topics subject to rapid development, such as new legislation and technical innovation.”

In addition to courses on the fundamentals of air conditioning, there are modules on the latest F-Gas legislation, the application of existing and new refrigerants, an overview of the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) and how it relates to air conditioning, and updates on the latest compressor technology and Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) systems.

The full programme includes the following six courses:

• CPD 1: A basic guide to air conditioning;
• CPD 2: F-Gas: A detailed look at the latest legislation and its implications for the air conditioning industry;
• CPD 3: Refrigerants: Current and future refrigerants, and the impact of the F-Gas regulation on their use;
• CPD 4: BREEAM, Pump Down and EN378: An overview of EN378 and BREEAM credits for DX systems, and Toshiba's solutions to comply with legislation;
• CPD 5: Variable Refrigerant Systems: A guide to VRF system technology, building on Module 1.
• CPD 6: Compressor Technology: The different types of compressors used in DX air conditioning, their application and comparison. 

The CPD modules are in addition to Toshiba’s technical training courses for installers and service technicians, which cover VRF systems, digital and super inverter splits, controls, and safe handling of flammable A2L, A2 and A3 refrigerants.