Just add know-how: Danfoss training addresses climate change

This natural interest in knowledge is a key driver behind the training opportunities offered by Danfoss. “When we talk to wholesalers, OEMs, and key accounts, training is one of their most important requests,” said Orysya Birkkjær, Training Manager at Danfoss. “Our customers are interested in knowing how cooling solutions work. Of course, they need fast delivery times and high quality, but they also need to know how it works, what solutions we have, and if we have any tips and tricks. The whole thing is very customer driven.”

Danfoss has a long history of supporting its customers through comprehensive training that satisfies the need for know-how on multiple levels. Their aim is to support customers in building their capabilities and acquiring new knowledge. Existing and prospective customers must be aware of how to use Danfoss products, understand the features and value they add and know how to install and service them.

But customers have different needs and habits, and Danfoss training, therefore, takes many different forms. The company makes an effort to meet and support its customers across all touchpoints no matter where the customers are. Danfoss training and education efforts, therefore, range from installation videos on YouTube and awareness campaigns on social media channels to hands-on training at Danfoss facilities and mobile training units at the customer’s location. The company offers a collection of digital resources such as software, tools, and webinars. Finally, they work to actively promote a positive climate message through the media and take part in international forums such as the UN.ugh the media and in international fora such as the UN.

The most popular training offering from Danfoss is the Danfoss Learning portal; an online solution where users can study eLessons around the clock. Over 1,500 courses are available in up to 26 languages — free of charge. Users simply need to register.

Danfoss Learning is used by customers, partners, students, and prospects — anyone in need of reliable information about products, techniques, applications, or industry regulations. Training programs in Danfoss Learning include lessons on refrigeration fundamentals, cold rooms, chillers, and industrial refrigeration, just to name a few. According to Orysya, Danfoss Learning members show a particular interest in topics such as installation and service techniques and tools that support their daily business. They also want to know more about the Danfoss portfolio, seeking out an overview of the solutions available for cold rooms and what Danfoss is doing to adapt to the F-gas regulation, for example.

The availability of free, high-quality information has made Danfoss Learning a resounding success. Over 50,000 people have registered to date; among them the members of a Chinese refrigeration association who migrated to the platform and use it to train on technical issues. “I’m happy and proud that we have 50,000 users, and I think the reason is very simple: We offer content that people can use,” said Orysya. She added that Danfoss is constantly gathering usage metrics and user feedback in order to evaluate and improve the system. “We take comments from our users very seriously,” she said. “Training requests, improvement possibilities, user-generated content, new business opportunities; there are many elements that we gather and respond to while interacting with our users.”

Refrigerants are a key industry topic at the moment and are the subject of a lot of discussions. Not only are they indispensable in the daily operation of cooling systems everywhere, but they are a key concern when it comes to the transition to lower GWP refrigerants. To raise awareness of this urgent issue, Danfoss has hosted a Refrigerant Week in September over the past two years. The global event has included free webinars on topics such as the future of sustainable cooling, global trends on refrigerants and regulations, how to handle flammable refrigerants, reducing refrigerant charges, and CO₂ in industrial systems. The Refrigerant Week, however, is much more than just a collection of webinars. “We will publish a number of articles related to the topics we will be working on, and there will be infographics, videos, and selection tools in addition to the webinars,” explains Laure, project leader for Refrigerant Week. “We have a vision of what is happening, of the viability of refrigerants, of regulations, and of technical progress. That’s why we wanted an event communicating this vision and discussing it with a wide scope of stakeholders and experts.”

The event was designed to raise awareness and stimulate discussion about the refrigerant transition and was executed in cooperation with industry professionals, policymakers, and other external experts. To date, hundreds of companies from 50 countries and speaking 11 different languages participated. According to a post-event survey, 80% of participants found the event helpful in their daily jobs. Both Refrigerant Weeks coincided with Climate Week in New York City, increasing awareness of the refrigerant issue and creating synergies between businesses and policymakers working towards the same goal.

Danfoss is a Delivery Partner of Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), an initiative designed to accelerate progress on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7: ensuring universal access to modern energy services, improving efficiency, and increasing the use of renewable sources. The Refrigerant Week is a natural part of this work and is also a natural part of Danfoss Cooling’s effort to educate its customers, partners, users, and other stakeholders.

While the annual Refrigerant Week puts a sharp, timely emphasis on the discussion about refrigerants, industry professionals and customers can find refrigerant resources and tools year round at the Danfoss Refrigerant Transition Center.