2008 February

Andrews
NG Bailey has strengthened its ICT and building-services capability with the acquisition of s2s. This company is an IP security-focused managed-services provider with a turnover of £7 million.
BESCA (Building Services Competence Accreditation Ltd) has been approved by the Department for Communities & Local Government to operate an accreditation scheme for energy assessors.
Inviron

Electricians go south

16 February, 2008
Taking a break from testing and inspecting all fixed electrical systems at the Rothera Research Station of the British Antarctic Survey are Jason Faulkner (left) and Asa Downing, two electricians from the Ipswich branch of Inviron Building Systems.
Miller
John Miller, president of the Heating & Ventilating Contractors’ Association has restated the association’s commitment to reforming and reshaping the industrial-relations culture across building-services engineers — and to the work being undertaken to harmonise employment terms and conditions across the mechanical and electrical sectors.
In the face of mounting evidence that some system designers are increasingly using non-standard sizes of ductwork, ADCAS (Association of Ductwork Contractors & Allied Services) is renewing its initiative to rationalise the standard sizes of circular ductwork.
The Energy Institute (EI) has signed a protocol with the Scottish Buildings Standards Agency (SBSA) to recognise suitably qualified members from the EI’s register of energy consultants to be accredited to issue Energy Performance Certificates in Scotland.
Summitkills
To promote building-services engineering as a career, four winners of last year’s National Training Awards organised by SummitSkills, have visited their former schools to act as ambassadors for the industry.
logo
Ecobuild returns to Earls Court in London from 26 to 28 February with over twice as many exhibitors as last year and more free seminars - over 75 compared with 60 last year.
heat exchangers
Energy-efficient warm-air heating of large commercial and industrial buildings can be effectively achieved using recuperative plate heat exchangers within air-handling units. Andrew Patch explains.
Stockport
With a heating/cooling capacity of 360 kW, the ground-source heat-pump system at the new Stockport Academy is the largest such system designed by Buro Happold. James Dickinson, David Bell and Elaine Bissell outline the scheme and associated plant.
New construction orders in the year to November 2007were virtually the same as the previous year, rising by just 1%. There was a 3% rise compared with the previous three months and a rise of 5% compared with the same three months a year earlier — according to figures from the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform.
The National Energy Foundation has launched a virtual-reality computer game in schools across England as part of a programme to change attitudes to climate change.
bikes
Fläkt Woods sales team pedals its way to charity fund raising
Willmott Dixon Construction has appointed Aqua Mechanical Services as M&E design and install contractor for the redevelopment of Colchester Institute.

BSRIA opens office in China

15 February, 2008
BSRIA has opened a subsidiary office in Beijing in China to act as a local hub for China and the wider Asia region. The office will provide dedicated market research and a window to other BSRIA services.
calorex
Copeland Compressors has named Calorex Heat Pumps as its manufacturer of the year. The award is for outstanding performance across a broad business spectrum.The award caps a year for Calorex that saw this energy specialist smash through the million kWh mark of measured ground-source heat-pump performance data by extending its award-winning range of units.
Haden
Haden Young’s managing director David Beck (right) recently donned overalls for two days on site as part of Marie Curie Cancer Care’s ‘Back to the shop floor’ campaign at the new Birmingham Hospital Project, where Haden Young is designing and installing all building services — and raised £30 509 for the charity. The cheque was received by Christine Brown, Marie Curie community fundraiser (left) and Ann Brown, nurse of the year.
Project and cost consultant Davis Langdon has been appointed to provide consultancy services on the planned £215 million revamp of City College in Norwich. The firm’s Norwich office will provide project management, CDM co-ordination and cost-management services on the project, which will increase the capacity of East Anglia’s largest college from 16 000 to 20 000 students.
Balfour Kilpatrick has won a £4.6 million contract to provide M&E services for a new replacement secondary school in Durham. The 3-storey building will accommodate 1450 pupils and replace the existing building of Johnston School.
Matthews
CIBSE’s scheme for low-carbon energy assessors has been approved by the Department for Communities & Local Government. CIBSE accreditation is now accepted as a qualification for the following work.
certificate
Do you know your EPCs from your DECs? John Fallon unravels the jargon and outlines the two new types of certificates, when they apply and their significance.
Hywel
Energy Performance Certificates for Buildings will not just happen from April. Hywel Davies explains how readers of Modern Building Services can become involved in assessing the energy performance of buildings and issuing certificates.
sun bathing
Before going for renewable-energy sources to improve a building’s energy certificate, make sure your building is ready first, says John Bailey.
passivent
A method of controlling natural air movement to ventilate buildings is recognised by the Energy Technology and, therefore, qualifies for Enhanced Capital Allowances.

It’s easy to get greener

12 February, 2008
Display Energy Certificates for buildings are intended to stimulate reductions in their energy consumption. Lisa Wilkinson discusses the role of monitoring an targeting to improve the operational rating of buildings.
Roth
Hamworthy Heating now offers Roth solar panels as part of its renewables option for commercial heating and hot-water systems.
Robon Wood
The Code for Sustainable Homes will soon start to have more effect — as Robin Wood explains.
Robon Wood
The Code for Sustainable Homes will soon start to have more effect — as Robin Wood explains.
WindowMaster
12 months’ experience of using a natural cooling and ventilation system in the Lee Valley Athletics Centre (LVAC) has included performing well during hot summer weather.

SBEM technical manual

10 February, 2008
The SBEM technical manual is now available for downloading from the SBEM web site. This manual looks at the requirement for a calculation methodology for the UK that complies with Article 3 of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, which has been developed into the National Calculation Methodology.
electrak

Electrical products

10 February, 2008
Electrak International has launched a new web site. It provides up-to-date information on the company’s powertrack, floor boxes and desk modules. There is also a 6-minute movie showing full details of the company’s products and systems.
Rafiki Protection has made available a free pocket-sized guide to the design of fire-alarm systems. This guide is in line with BS 5839 safety standards and offers a clear explanation on all aspects of designing fire-alarm and detection systems. It explains the categorising of fire-alarm and detection systems and covers sounder devices, smoke devices and heat devices.
Wolseley
Wolseley has prepared a guide covering its wide range of sustainable product choices. It has been prepared by Wolseley’s Sustainable Building Centre and includes heating and ventilation products, insulation, lighting, renewable technology and bathrooms and toilets.
victaulic

Pipe jointing

10 February, 2008
Victaulic has redesigned its corporate web site to reinforce its global reach and focus on design solutions for today’s variety of construction challenges.

Lighting products

10 February, 2008
JCC Lighting’s latest catalogue (number 21) of lighting products contains over 500 pages of products and accessories and is the company’s biggest to date, containing everything a contractor needs for all lighting applications.
Intatec has developed an e-learning web site covering the accurate specification and installation of anti-scald products. This online training programme covers the essentials of anti-scald, including TMV2 and TMV3 applications, with information presented in easily digestible sections.
cable management

Cable management

10 February, 2008
Legrand has launched an engineering manual on CD-ROM containing detailed information on how to plan and safely install cable-management systems from its Swifts, Salamandre and Arena-Walsall ranges.
eu.bac
Design RXC controllers from Siemens Building Technologies for terminal units are among the first devices to achieve certification and be allowed to use the eu.bac logo (see page 33 for more information on eu.bac). This accreditation proves that these controllers provide energy-efficient control and can be a major factor in reducing a building’s carbon footprint.
PIR
To controlled lighting in little-visited areas of its self-storage warehouse in Bridgwater, UK Storage has installed Danlers PIR occupancy switches.
Priva
Keep Keen Controls has installed a control system from Priva Building Intelligence at the new £32 million Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster. The controls design included interfacing with 150 Mitsubishi split air-conditioning systems.
Smile
Honeywell’s Smile controller provides weather-compensated heating control in buildings that are too small for a building-management system but too large for domestic-type controls. It provides similar capabilities to the Honeywell Aquatrol 2000, which has provided weather-compensated heating control for many years.
Helvar
The first project in the world to use Helvar’s Digidim router for controlling lighting is the total refurbishment of the landmark Blekholmen premises in Stockholm, taking DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) to a new level.
David Epps offers a perspective on building controls that not only deliver balance-sheet value but that help companies deliver on their HSE and CSR policies.
bacnet
The BACnet protocol for building systems does not impose a cost premium for achieving open functionality. Steve Loughney explains.
liftstore
Liftstore’s CMS Anywhere software monitors the performance of lifts in a building and provides alerts to potential problems and breakdowns.
enocean
By eliminating wiring costs, wireless sensors can increase the scope and flexibility of building-management systems — especially if they do not need batteries. Armin Ander explains.
Chris Monson explains the philosophy behind a European-wide scheme for certifying the performance of building controls.
Hamworthy
Hamworthy Heating has joined forces with Rural Energy to offer a comprehensive and practical solution to using biomass boilers.
Hoval
Hoval’s SolKit is a highly efficient solar system for generating domestic hot water for commercial and residential applications. It comprises solar collectors with bracketry and flashing kits for on pitched roof, in-pitched roof, on flat roof or on the wall. The system also includes a stainless-steel cylinder, sophisticated plug-and-play digital-control system, pre-mixed heat-transfer fluid and all connections.
MHS
Replacing two old cast-iron boilers with two Ultramax 381 gas-fired condensing boilers from MHS has reduced energy costs for a private golf and country club in Cornwall by 16%. The payback period for the China Fleet Country Club will be within 3.5 years.
Vent-Axia
With buildings generating almost half of the UK’s carbon emissions, building services consultants have a unique role in both creating and assessing a low-carbon environment. Nygel Humphrey explains how energy-efficient ventilation can contribute to this vision.



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Manufacturer helps equip skills centre

Ideal Heating has helped to equip a new £500,000 green energy centre in Merseyside which is seeking to attract fresh talent into the heating industry.

Acoustic solutions suite with easy access to services at University of Birmingham

A suite of ceiling and wall acoustic solutions have been specified for The University of Birmingham’s new landmark Molecular Sciences building, which will provide a hub for research and academic work.