Professional Qualification for Heat Pumps
Legal Requirement — Not Just for Subsidies
Act No. 406/2000 Coll., on Energy Management, stipulates that heat pumps, solar systems, biomass boilers and other selected renewable energy devices may only be installed by an authorized person — a natural person holding a valid professional qualification certificate pursuant to Section 10d of the Act.
This obligation applies to all installations of selected RES devices, regardless of whether the installation is financed through subsidies.
For subsidy programmes (e.g. New Green Savings, boiler subsidies and others), a copy of a valid certificate is a mandatory attachment to the application. Without it, the subsidy cannot be claimed.
The Certificate Is Personal, Not Corporate
- The certificate is issued to a specific natural person.
- Every installer who physically participates in the installation must hold their own certificate — it is not sufficient for only one employee of the company to have it.
- The certificate has a limited validity of 5 years. After expiry, a re-examination must be passed.
Penalties for Installation Without Qualification
The law imposes significant fines:
- A company that fails to ensure installation by qualified persons — fine of up to CZK 100,000.
- A builder or building owner who fails to ensure installation by an authorized person — fine of up to CZK 200,000.
- Unauthorized performance of installation activity — fine of up to CZK 5,000,000.
How Is the Certificate Obtained?
The certificate is obtained by successfully completing a full-day exam administered by an authorized body. The exam consists of three parts:
- Written test — at least 75% of questions must be answered correctly, with a minimum of 50% in each examined area.
- Practical demonstration — installation, commissioning, simulation and fault diagnosis on a heat pump.
- Oral exam — verification of knowledge of legislation, heat pump principles, geothermal systems and calculations.
For an experienced installer with sufficient practice in the field, the exam is manageable.
Entry Conditions
The candidate must be at least 18 years old and meet at least one of the following conditions:
- Secondary vocational education with an apprenticeship certificate in a technical field (plumber, refrigeration and air-conditioning electromechanic, etc.) and min. 3 years of practice in the field.
- Secondary education with a school-leaving exam (maturita) in a technical field (construction, engineering, electrical engineering, etc.) and min. 1 year of practice in the field.
- Higher professional or university education in a technical field and min. 1 year of practice in the field.
- Successful completion of retraining for the occupation of plumber, heating engineer, refrigeration mechanic or electrician and min. 3 years of practice in the relevant field.
- Professional qualification certificate for Heating Engineer (36-004-H) pursuant to Act No. 179/2006 Coll.
Why Take the Exam at Hotjet?
HOTJET CZ has been an authorized body since 17 July 2015, appointed by the Ministry of Industry and Trade to conduct professional qualification exams for Installer of heat pump systems and shallow geothermal systems (code: 26-074-M).
Since then, we have examined hundreds of installers and heating engineers from across the Czech Republic. This gives us a unique insight into the needs and skill levels of installation companies — we know where the most common mistakes are made, what installers deal with in practice and what level of knowledge is standard in the industry. We directly apply this insight to the development and documentation of our heat pumps to make them as clear and safe to install as possible.
As a heat pump manufacturer with more than 20 years of experience and over 28,000 completed installations, we offer something extra at the exam:
- Study materials in electronic form are provided in advance so you can prepare.
- The practical part of the exam takes place directly at Hotjet’s production facilities in Bolatice — you will get to know the current product range and see the quality of our heat pumps up close.
- Complimentary refreshments and lunch are provided during the exam.
Special Conditions for Hotjet Customers
Customers who choose to install our heat pumps can receive a credit on the purchase of a second and third unit, which can partially offset the investment in the certificate. Current programme conditions (credit amount, usage method) are set out in the current Hotjet support programme.
Registration and Exam Dates
Interested candidates can register via the web form below. After registration, you will receive a confirmation and further instructions.
The official qualification standard and assessment criteria are available on the website of the National Qualifications Framework.
This text serves as an informative overview. Always verify the current wording of the law and subsidy programme conditions on the MPO, MŠMT and SFŽP websites.
Application for Professional Qualification Exam
Please fill in all required fields. After submitting, we will contact you with further information.