New KK Win centre of excellence for chillers and heat pump technology in Winterthur
KK Win is a joint initiative of the Institute of Energy Systems and Fluid Engineering (IEFE) at the ZHAW and the Swiss Technical College Winterthur (STFW). The platform is aimed at professionals from the sector and provides a quick and uncomplicated overview of further education opportunities and cross-competence offers.
Under the name "Competence Centre for Refrigeration and Heat Pump Technology Winterthur", a platform and central contact point for professionals from the sector is being created. With this cooperation, the STFW and the IEFE are creating a unique educational platform. The centre of excellence will provide comprehensive, practical knowledge for the implementation and operation of energetically and economically optimal building technology installations and energy systems in the areas of refrigeration machines and heat pump technology. This will enable and promote for the first time a professional and practice-oriented exchange in this area of building services engineering as well as industry affiliation across all educational levels.
Refrigeration and heat pump technology as a sector is particularly affected by the shortage of skilled workers. This is due, on the one hand, to the fact that the significance and diversity of this occupational field are still little known and, on the other hand, to the small number of market-relevant and well-founded further education opportunities. This is an essential, forward-looking sector, especially if the climate and energy policy goals of the Federal Council's Energy Strategy 2050 are to be achieved.
People who work in the field of research, development, planning, implementation and maintenance of refrigeration machines and heat pump technology should primarily benefit from the bundled competence. The economy needs specialists with a sound theoretical knowledge, which they can skilfully apply in practice, so that the findings can in turn flow into research and development. With KK Win, theory and practice go hand in hand.
Currently, the project leaders are in the initial phase of developing the brand and website for KK Win, the Competence Centre for Refrigeration and Heat Pump Technology Winterthur. The launch of the website is planned for September 2023.
About the STFW
The Swiss Technical College Winterthur (STFW) was founded in 1935. It is sponsored by employers' and employees' associations and the public sector. With more than 10,000 participants in training and further education every year, the STFW is one of the leading educational institutes in German-speaking Switzerland in the fields of automotive, building, electrical and communication technology as well as information technology.
About the IEFE
The Institute of Energy Systems and Fluid Engineering (IEFE) at the ZHAW, together with its researchers and partners from science and industry, makes an important contribution to new energy-efficient systems, procedures, processes and plants. In doing so, IEFE concentrates on the three strategic focal areas of renewable energies, energy efficiency, energy storage and grids.