Simply by managing its building and its services more efficiently Clerical Medical in Clevedon is saving £20 000 a year in energy costs. A team from Climate Controls Europe analysed the energy usage of the building and recommended a number of changes.

Carrier Aquasnap water-cooled chillers with potential COPs of over six have been used to replace the air-conditioning system at Kemnay Academy, a comprehensive school in Aberdeenshire. This is the first application of these chillers in Scotland.

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Changes to the cable colours in fixed electrical installations are detailed in the publication of Amendment No. 2 to The IEE Wiring Regulations (BS7671:2001).

Aesthetic appeal and practical innovations aimed at reducing installation time and cost are combined in Legrand Electric’s range of Rolfe King aluminium trunking.

Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust continues to outsource the work required to comply with the Electricity at Work Regulations, rather than use its own in-house maintenance staff. The contract with Parkersell’s specialist electrical testing and inspection division has been renewed for a third time.

A wide range of services for low-voltage and high-voltage electrical distribution systems up to 132 kV is provided by the specialist electrical services division of Eaton Electrical. Services range from simple maintenance to complete turnkey installation and include protection studies, system design and installation, commissioning of capital equipment, sub-station and system reinforcement and customer training.

Refurbishment of the lighting systems in several offices of the National Audit Commission using digital lighting control is achieving energy savings by controlling lighting according to occupancy and daylight availability.

Involving specialist contractors at the earliest stage in the design process can lead to reduced costs, faster project completion and a happier workforce, claims Peter Edmunds.

Managing risk and keeping open procurement options have long been barriers to successful partnering in the construction industry. A pioneering system for managing construction risk that embodies a new form of insurance as a means of controlling risk, raising standards and realising true ‘grass roots’ supply-chain integration promises huge advantages for all construction parties. ALAN KENNEDY explains.

Daikin is to launch a mini heat-pump version of its R410A air-conditioning by the summer. VRV-S operates on a single-phase supply and will be available in capacities of 11.2, 14.0 and 15.5 kW.

Inverter-driven heating/cooling air-conditioning units using R410A have been added to LG’s single split wall-mounted range.

A system to improve ventilation in buildings such as offices, hotels, schools and homes without compromising comfort has been introduced to the UK by Rettig Heating. The concept was developed to address growing health concerns such as asthma and toxic mould associated with inadequate ventilation in increasingly airtight buildings.

70% more pressure in the same space as conventional axial fans is achieved by Vent-Axia’s TurboProp long-cased axial fans for installing into ductwork.

Toshiba Air Conditioning has launched an R410A version of its Modular Multi VRF systems. An energy-efficiency ratio of 3.8 is possible with the Super Modular Multi System, which is said to offer the smallest footprint of comparable systems and the greatest design layout flexibility.

Air-handling units for hospitals and similar buildings have been introduced by Thermal Technology.

Fujitsu describes its AWY ‘ceiling-wall’ split air conditioners as hybrid unit scombining the qualities of its wall and floor/ceiling models in a very compact housing. The inverter models are only 230 mm high, 890 mm wide and 288 mm deep.

Keston Boilers offers a fax-back enquiry service for its made-to-order services for boiler plant rigs. The form is included in the company’s latest commercial brochure.

A humidifier cylinder that can withstand severe handling and mistreatment has been introduced by JS Humidifiers for its range of electrode boiler humidifiers. The ElectroVap MC is made from a new type of high-density prolypropylene to resist damage.

Designed for measuring liquid flows in building-services systems is a range of pulsed metering equipment from Coster Environmental Controls. They can be used for on-site and remote monitoring and control of boilers, air-conditioning and air-handling plant.

Sontay has introduced two ranges of gas detectors to provide systems integrators with the choice of a networked gas-leakage alarm system or stand-alone operation.

A thermal efficiency of over 90% is claimed for Axair Climate’s Condair range of GS gas-fired steam-generating humidifiers.

The Sabiana range of radiant strip heating with press-fit fittings is now available from Pipeline Center.

As part of its continuing introduction of inverter technology, Carrier has launched its XPower split-system range of inverter-controlled air-conditioning equipment for shops, offices, studios, restaurants and other light-commercial applications.

The energy-efficiency performance of an inverter-controlled R410A heat-pump split air-conditioning system for larger commercial applications exceeds the A rating of the new Energy Labelling Scheme for air-conditioning equipment. The Toshiba Super Digital Inverter range has also been included on the Energy Technology List, so that it qualifies for Enhanced Capital Allowances.

The Helios QuietVent range of fans for bathrooms, ensuites and cloakrooms are claimed to be up to 10 dB(A) quieter than any other product available in the UK.

The final-year project of an engineering student at Edinburgh University has become the blueprint to transform an old heating system into a model of energy efficiency based on combined heat and power.

Over 5 MW of cooling for the two main open mall shopping areas in the redeveloped Bullring Shopping Centre in Birmingham is provided by 66 low-noise condensing units. Supplied by Carrier, they serve the air-handling units. These condensing units can meet stringent city-centre environmental noise and operating-efficiency requirements.

Hiross underfloor air conditioning is being installed in the new 60-storey building of Malaysia Telecom in Malaysia to provide an environmentally friendly system and flexibility to respond to future ‘churn’. Work on installing the air conditioning began as the building reached its 40th floor.

Well over a thousand pumps have been supplied by Grundfos for facilities for one of the most significant buildings for the Olympic Games in Athens.

One of the first air-conditioning projects in Europe to use Mitsubishi Electric’s G50 controller forms part of the refurbishment of the offices of United Co-operatives offices in Wythenshawe Civic Centre, Manchester.

Ease of installation, leading to significant cost and time savings at the new Airbus factory in Broughton, North Wales, have been achieved using the Victaulic grooved-pipe jointing system.

For the first time in years, staff and patients at York District Hospital are receiving constant supplies of hot water at the right temperature — as well as more efficiently and with substantially lower maintenance costs.

Prefabricated pipework modules based on Mapress tube and pressfittings have dramatically cut installation time and costs for the new Belgrave House commercial development in London’s Buckingham Palace Road. This 8-storey building comprises 25 500 m2 of high-class office accommodation.

Among a range of extract hoods supplied and installed by Ledaire Fabrications for a large new hospital on the Isle of Man is one measuring a massive 8 by 3.5 m. It serves the main catering area where frozen meals are prepared. Others are installed in cafeterias and restaurants and the mortuary.

As part of a continuing process of upgrading domestic-hot-water services to avoid the storage of hot water and counter the risk of legionella., Nottingham City Hospitals NHS Trust has been installing a solution based on Stokvis Econoplate plate heat exchangers.

As part of the air-conditioning strategy for the Swiss Re building in London, Gilberts of Blackpool has designed and manufactured over a thousand circular swirl and special linear diffusers. Representing a £200 000-plus contract, the diffusers distribute conditioned air for the decentralised on-floor air-conditioning systems that are used to supplement the natural ventilation of this 180 m-high tower.

A number of large orders in February helped new construction orders in the private commercial sector surge ahead by 36% compared with the previous three months, according to the latest figures from the Department of Trade & Industry.

The decision by the European Parliament to reject provisions banning HFCs in a wide range of air-conditioning and refrigeration applications has been welcomed by the European Partnership for Energy & the Environment.

‘The Government’s 50% policy on higher education is simply wrong. We need more skilled craftsmen and women, more technicians and associate professionals — not more graduates.’ That was the sharp message of Chris Humphries, director general of City & Guilds, at the presentation of the National Training Awards for the HVACR sector.

Growth of 4% last year saw global sales of Grundfos Group top £1 billion, with the milestone of aggregate sales of 10 million pumps being achieved. Pre-tax profit increased by 48%.

The Association of Consulting Engineers is calling on the Government to promote a bill to change the law on joint-and-several liability in the construction industry to address the problem of spirally costs of professional indemnity insurance.

Vent-Axia has acquired the ventilation division of Baxi Clean Air Systems for an undisclosed sum, further strengthening its position as a single-source provider of ventilation, heating and air-conditioning solutions. The Baxi acquisition is said to directly complement Vent-Axia’s expertise in the design, manufacture, supply and installation of centralised ventilation and heat-recovery systems.

Presidents from contracting organisation on several continents and from many European countries will visit the Centenary Convention of the Heating & Ventilating Contractors’ Association at Harrogate from 9 to 13 June.

As part of the major refurbishment of London’s Royal Albert Hall, JS Humidifiers has supplied a steam humidifier for the organ chamber. The installation of the Neptronic SKE resistive unit is part of a major overhaul that involved the replacement or restoration of all 9755 pipes and the addition of 244 more. The organ can now reclaim its position as the largest in the UK.

Progression Technical Recruitment, specialist in M&E and building-services recruiting, has reported a first year of successful trading.

The market for offsite fabrication is rising at nearly 10% a year, according to a major study by BSRIA.

Diffusion Air Conditioning has been appointed a Fujitsu distributor just 18 months after being set up by managing director Andy Stanford. Since then, Mr Stanford has built up a 15-strong team of professional air-conditioning people, all with extensive experience in the sale, administration and technical support of air-conditioning systems.

...short summaries of key new stories

Daikin air-conditioning distributor Space Airconditioning is continuing its sponsorship of motorcycle racer Jay Fernandez for a third year.

The Heating & Ventilating Contractors’ Association has reported a healthy take-up of its initiative encouraging members to offer work-experience placements to young people.