2015 August

JS Air Curtain

JS Air Curtains has supplied a bespoke Zen air curtain for Marconi House on The Strand in London. This imposing Grade 2 listed building includes luxury apartments and penthouses. The air curtain was specified to match the colour of the building entrance, thereby meeting aesthetic and functional objectives.

Trilux Lighting, LED, energy efficiency

Efficient — and more

05 August, 2015

While the energy efficiency of LED lighting systems is a major attraction, Chris Skinner of Trilux Lighting highlights their many other benefits.

Remeha, Gilles, biomass, space heating, energy efficiiency

A low-carbon Remeha biomass heating system helps achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating for the Sir Michael Stoker Building at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research. M&E consultant Arup specified a Remeha Gilles 240 kW pellet biomass boiler for the £10.4 million R&D centre. It operates with a Remeha Gas 610 Eco Pro gas-fired condensing boiler to provide heating.

Nordair Niche, air-rotation heater, space heating, energy efficiency

Energy-efficient heating for large high-bay buildings is delivered by Nordair Niche air-rotation heaters by avoiding stratification — hot air accumulating below the roof. The effect is achieved without addition destratification fans/units.

Meeting the ventilation requirements of a building of any sophistication can require a lot of plant and be a significant user of energy — both of which are addressed by an integrated system developed by Flakt Woods. In a single unit, ReCooler HP combines fans to move the air, a thermal wheel to transfer both sensible and latent heat, and a reverse-cycle heat pump to further heat or cool the incoming fresh air as required.

Remeha Commercial, boiler, space heating, control, energy efficiency

Improving the energy efficiency of our existing buildings is the greatest challenge facing the building-services industry. Smart system design can maximise the savings potential of today’s sophisticated heating technologies and bring us closer to achieving our steep environmental targets. James Porter of Remeha Commercial discusses.

Greenways, contractor, energy efficiency

Nik Chambers of Greenways studied at Royal Leamington Spa College when he was a young apprentice. Now he has helped transform those teaching buildings to achieve a ‘Very good’ BREEAM rating with the help of natural ventilation and LED lighting with controls.

Vortice, MVHR, ventilation, heat recovery, energy efficiency

Ventilation supplier Vortice has co-operated with Barratt contractor Linkwood Services to design and install Vortice HR200 Evo heat-recovery ventilation units in 189 new Barratt homes at Artisan place in Harrow. The ventilation systems are one of a number of energy-saving measures, including smart metering.

Cool-Therm, Turbomiser, chiller, air conditioning, chilled water, energy efficiency

Over £1000 a week has been taken off the energy costs of the headquarters of North Somerset Council at Clevedon following the replacement of three aging chillers with Turbomiser chillers from Cool-Therm. The turn-key project involved the safe removal of the existing chillers and replacing them with new Turbomiser machines.

Recovering heat from the chiller at a Nuffield Health Wellbeing & Fitness Centre in Hertfordshire is delivering 5000 l of free hot water a day and reducing electricity consumption by 115 kWh. The saving in energy costs of £9600 a year is achieving a payback of two years.

Lindab, chilled beam, energy efficiency

Lindab’s Solus chilled-beam system has been chosen to deliver energy-efficient climate control for a landmark building in Sweden, the Round House in the Munksjöstaden district. Pairing Solus with renewable-energy sources such as free cooling and ground-source heat pumps can achieve energy savings of up to 45%. The system includes nearly 600 Solus chilled beams and the entire ducting system. Pascal VAV system are being used in areas where the heating load can change very quickly, such as conference rooms.

Business Edge, air conditioning, refrigeration, ClimaCheck, energy efficiency

The loss of performance of an air-conditioning system can pass un-noticed, and the causes can be difficult to identify. Mike Creamer of Business Edge shares his enthusiasm for an approach to both problems.

Belimo, valve, flow measurement, energy efficiency

Utilising Belimo’s Energy Valve to control, monitor and meter the fuel used for space heating at the Institute of Forestry at the University of Macedonia has reduced heating costs by around 30%. The savings were confirmed by invoices from the local heating supplier Balkan Energy Group.

Bosch Commercial & Industrial Heating, boiler, space heating, energy efficiency

Faced with the need to reduce the energy used by existing buildings in the UK, Pete Mills of Bosch Commercial & Industrial Heating shares his views on the issues involved and technologies to address them.

Johnson Controls, BMS, controls

Johnson Controls has created an interactive teaching environment equipped with building-management systems for the Sir Charles Kao University Technical College in Harlow. Called The Box, it provides students with technical education that equips them with the skills and experience wanted by the industry.

Why should the simplicity and ease of use of devices such as smartphones and tablets stop when a facility manager or executive starts his day’s work? Graeme Laycock of Honeywell believes it shouldn’t — a philosophy behind the development of the company’s Command Wall.

4-noks UK, wireless, mesh, network, BMS, controls

Is wireless technology ready for commercial buildings? Billal Vindhani of 4-noks UK explains why the benefits of wireless mesh networks are too good for facility managers to pass up.

eu.bac, Jean Daiel Napar, European Building Automation & Controls Association, BMS, controls

Jean Daniel Napar is the new president of the European Building Automation & Controls Association — eu.bac. He succeeds Jean Yves Blanc of Schneider Electric, who led the association for six years.

Schneider Electric, a specialist in energy management, and Cisco, a global leader in the IT space, are combining their expertise to reduce energy costs for Plymouth University by around £300 000 over the next four years. The university aims to be carbon neutral by 2030 and save £500 000 a year in energy costs and 3000 t of CO2 emissions.

In the battle to thwart the growing threat posed by hacking, it is vital to ensure that a building energy management system (BEMS) is as secure as possible. Graeme Rees of Trend Control Systems explains why.

LG Air Conditioning, BMS, controls

LG Air Conditioning’s tablet-like AC Smart Premium controller can control up to 128 devices — including air conditioners, heat-recovery ventilation systems and air-handling units. The home screen of this 25 cm touch controller shows the current state of the system including how many units are running and how many are not running. It also shows what scheduled events are due that day and at what times — and if a unit is faulty.

Rinnai, DHW, controls, BMS

Rinnai has developed controls for its Infinity range of condensing gas-fired continuous-flow water heaters that are compatible with the popular forms of building-management systems used in buildings. The technology seamlessly integrates the company’s hot-water systems into BMS protocols to provide ultimate control and maximise energy efficiency in large buildings, including multi-tenanted sites.

Sauter, blinds, integration, controls, BMS

Sauter’s ecos504 room controller integrates the automatic control of lighting and sunshades into room-climate regulation. In modern buildings in particular, energy consumption is reduced considerably and comfort for occupants improved.

Sontay, wireless, network, controls, BMS

The newly formed Newham Collegiate Sixth Form Centre in east London has a building-management system that incorporates Sontay’s SonNet Powered by SIP wireless sensing system. Created by the amalgamation of an old technical college, former planning office and public library, the centre is a Grade 2 listed building.

Trend Control System, control, BMS

Trend has built on the success of its range of Wallbus mounted sensors and displays with the introduction of Room View (RV). RV has a colour touchscreen and clean, modern graphics. The top-of-the range RV complements Trend’s existing Room Display (RD) and Room Sensor solutions, maintaining design features that contribute to a family feed across all three solutions. A common set of icons enables people to intuitively relate to models and options and instinctively feel in control of room elements.

Carlo Gavazzi, Dupline, repeater, network, controls, BMS

Carlo Gavazzi’s SB2REP230 repeater can increase transmission distance by up to fourfold when used in systems with high loads in a typical building-automation application. This capability increases the opportunity to install many more bus-powered devices on the Smart Dupline bus. It also makes network design far simpler as this repeater can be connected to any point on the Dupline bus.

Clarkson Controls, wireless, EnOcean, network, controls, BMS

Look, no wires

05 August, 2015

Malcolm Anson of Clarkson Controls gives an insight into what a truly wireless sensor system can achieve and why specifiers need to be careful in their selection of options.

EnOcean Alliance, wireless, network, controls, BMS

Building automation has the proven potential to make a serious dent on a building’s energy cost — and much more effectively than other approaches to the task. Graham Martin of EnOcean Alliance discusses how the concept is receiving greater recognition.

Steve Harrison of the Building Controls Industry Association considers how the Internet will impact on building controls and the implications for designers and end-users, with the help of members of the BCIA.

AMP, air conditioning

AMP Air, a leading independent air-conditioning specialist, is investing in new training facilities and expanding its technical team (pictured) to support growth. This Toshiba distributor is doubling capacity at its training centre in Welwyn Garden City to accommodate up to 16 installers at a time and equipping it with examples of the latest VRF, heat pumps and control systems. The facilities provide practical hands-on training using working equipment alongside the existing classroom facility.

ATAG Heating, space heating, boiler

ATAG Heating UK is focusing its business towards the sale of commercial boilers and the domestic-boiler new-build specification market. To avoid confusion in the market, the company will operate under the banner ATAG Commercial and continue to supply the UK industry through the wholesaler distribution network.

Pegler Yorkshire, pipe, pipework, CPD

Pegler Yorkshire has developed a portfolio of CPD (Continuing Professional Development) modules for industry professionals across a variety of sectors. These online training modules can be accessed via ‘My PY’ in the links section of the company’s new web site. The company is also developing a portfolio of CPD site seminars.

VI13800, Martindale

Martindale’s VI13800 voltage tester has been approved by the NHS as a standard tester for its estates and facilities division, according to ‘Health technical memorandum 06-02: electrical safety guidance for low-voltage systems’. The memorandum states that all work on low-voltage electrical equipment, including conductors, should be carried out while such electrical equipment and conductors are dead and isolated from all sources of supply — and after being proved dead at the point of work.

Marflow, PICV, CPD

Marflow Hydronics is to run more CPD training courses on PICVs (pressure-independent control valves) following the successful run of courses earlier this year. The new courses will be held in October and are free. Delegates should have a good prior knowledge of how PICVs work, innovative pipe layouts and how to make systems more economical — including the introduction of electronic balancing.

Carlo Gavazzi, CPD, energy management

Carlo Gavazzi has updated its CIBSE-accredited CPD ‘Making energy management work’ to provide broader knowledge and understanding of how to make energy management work — now and into the future. It is also up to date with legislation and MID requirements.

Hurleypalmerflatt, consultant

M&E-engineering consultancy hurleypalmerflatt has completed work on 195-197 King’s Road in Chelsea for Martins Properties (Chelsea). This 1200 m2 Grade 2 listed building in the Cheyne conservation area has been entirely refurbished. The project comprises a ground-floor and basement retail area and six luxury single-bedroom apartments.

The announcement in a report from HM Treasury* that the Government does not intend to proceed with the zero-carbon homes from 2016 generated a huge reaction from various industry interests. Most of it was very anti, but there was also acceptance of the inevitability of the decision and the potential benefits it will bring.The zero-carbon buildings policy was first announced in 2007. This latest announcement means that the 2016 target for zero-carbon homes and the 2019 target for non-domestic zero-carbon buildings are both dropped. There will also be no changes to Part L during 2016.

Pipe Center, Climate Center, air conditioning, pipe, pipework

Pipe Center and Climate Center have opened a new purpose-built branch and fabrication facility at Basildon. It has one of the largest trade counters and footprints in the UK estate of parent company Wolseley and streamlines customer service by offering a one-stop-solution. The compete building has an area of nearly 5500 m2.

Leeds College of Buildings

Leeds College of Building’s new £17 million education-and-training facility in Leeds city centre has opened its doors to its first students. The 8000 m2 building has achieved a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ standard. Leeds College of Building provides a wide range of apprenticeship, including plumbing and electrical services. There are higher-level apprenticeships in construction and built environment (sustainability) and facilities management.

NG Bailey

Building-services specialist NG Bailey is recommending a radical shake-up of careers advices in schools to help tackle the growing skills crisis across industry. In a 20-page report, the company proposes that the Government reinstates funding support for schools careers advice, which was withdrawn from schools in England in 2012.

Rehau, pipework, underfloor heating, space heating

Rehau, which specialises in renewable energy and underfloor heating, has opened its new Rehau Hub at The Building Centre in London. this 82 m2 exhibition space has extensive product displays and dedicated meeting and presentation areas.

B&ES, Jim Marner, Building & Engineering Services Association

Jim Marner, the new president of the Building & Engineering Services Association, sees the key role of the association during his year in office as helping members face up to the challenges of the market place and turning them into business opportunities. Speaking at the annual general meeting, he set out the principal items on the agenda for the year ahead.

G&H Building Services, contractor

G&H Building Services has won the £4 million M&E contract for the redevelopment of Colliers Wood Tower in south-west London for Merton Council. The work involves core M&E services as 173 apartments are overhauled. Included in the work is a centralised heating system that will feed individual boiler interface units in the 17-storey building. The contract is with JJ Rhatigan & Co.

Briggs & Forrester, contractor

Briggs & Forrester Engineering Services has nearly completed work on the Science & Engineering Library at the University of Nottingham. The project involved the complete refurbishment and overhaul of the existing library, including a new facade. The value of the M&E work was £3.2 million and was delivered for Galliford Try.

Cofely, facilities management, FM

Cofely has been awarded a 5-year contract by Harrow Council to deliver a range of facilities and energy-efficiency services. The partnership will see Cofely deliver M&E maintenance, building fabric, cleaning and a range of security services for the council’s portfolio of 162 buildings. It will include energy-efficiency services in support of the council’s carbon-reduction strategy and initiatives to tackle fuel poverty. 420 employees will transfer to Cofely under TUPE arrangements.

Passive House, Passivhaus

The world’s first Passive House Plus building is this single-family home in southern Germany. It combines the features of the Passive House Standard with the generation of renewable energy on site or near the building, at least a third of which is available for export.

BSRIA has expressed concern about the impact on the construction industry of changes to the Construction Leadership Council (CLC). An announcement from the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) involves restructuring the CLC, scrapping the council’s delivery group and abolishing the role of the Government’s chief construction advisor.

MX Group’s catalogue of all things related to showers runs to 152 pages and covers the company’s full range of thermostatic mixer valves, electric showers, shower trays, shower enclosures and shower accessories. MX’s range of brassware is included for the first time.

Marshall-Tufflex, Marshall Tufflex, cable management, trunking, PVC

Cable management

05 August, 2015

Marshall-Tufflex’s latest cable-management catalogue has a fresh new look, a new section covering products by application and increased cross referencing for technical information. the ‘products by application’ section will help specifiers and contractors select the most appropriate solutions for each application — including education, office/commercial, transport and industrial, data and IT, and laboratory/healthcare.

Stokvis, plate heat exchanger, space heating, DHW

Plate heat exchangers

05 August, 2015

Stokvis has published a new guide to its Econoplate range of packaged plate heat exchangers. These WRAS-approved products are available in over 250 models for applications such as domestic-hot-water service, low-temperature hot-water heating, steam-to-water and swimming-pool heating.

Jasun Envirocare, air filter, air filtration, Eurovent, EN779

Air filters

05 August, 2015

Jasun Envirocare has updated its online tool for pricing and specifying air filters. The tool enables users of filters to price and specify standard and custom-sized filters for all building-services applications. This web site is a substantial upgrade, and it is free to use.




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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.