2007 November

Cost savings of at least 20% are expected following the replacement of outdated boiler plant at the Arndale Estate in Wandsworth to provide heating and hot water for 388 homes in five blocks — and public areas. Other cost-saving measures include improved insulation, new pumps to improve circulation efficiency and an upgraded energy-management system for operating efficiency.

Calor, a market leader for liquefied petroleum gas, has launched a web site for commercial gas users. The company has invested over £30 000 in the site, which intends to be a one-stop shop for gas users. It offers replacement gas parts and commercial gas tools. There is an extensive range of products, including regulators, hoses, changeover valves, torches, industrial lighting and heating products, catering boilers/water heaters, thermocouples and accessories.

To make it easier for architects, specifiers and builders to install heating systems fired by wood pellets, the Energy Crops Company has prepared its ‘Wood pellet design guide’. It provides information on all the practical aspects of wood-pellet heating, including system design, access, delivery, storage and installation — as well as a summary of relevant planning guidelines and financial support available.

A brochure from ABB highlights the features of motor drives that can help get the best possible performance for an HVAC system. Aimed at consultants, it is called ‘Variable-speed drives for building services: checklist for HVAC consultants’.

Potterton Commercial has produced a free, easy-to-follow guide explaining the minimum requirements for commercial boilers under Part L2 of the Building Regulations.

Acson International has prepared a brochure on its extended range of air-conditioning products. It highlights the key features and benefits of inverter-based systems — including wall-mounted, twin-split wall-mounted, ceiling cassette, ceiling exposed and ceiling concealed systems offering heating and cooling and using R410A.

Hamilton Litestat, which makes electrical accessories, has released its first digital catalogue covering its entire product portfolio. It also contains extensive technical information and details of major projects. This CD is free and contains more product information than the company has ever published before.

Dimplex has updated its web site to make it easier than ever to get information on the latest ideas in space-, water- and renewable-heating solutions.

Hager is to run a series of seminars on the 17th edition of the Wiring Regulation. They will run from January 2008 onwards, after the new regulation are published.

Merlin Power Management has been awarded a contract to service and maintain standby generators at a number of Land Securities sites in London. The contract is for Inviron, which itself is now responsible for managing the mechanical and electrical services at these sites, which include Land Securities’ own office in the Strand and commercial, retail and office premises owned by the company.

A radio-based system for addressing emergency-lighting fittings has won two awards in the Technology & Innovation Awards for 2007. The addressing system used in emergency luminaires from P4 is powered by batteries and does not require data cabling. It is efficient and clean to install anywhere, which is a special advantage for hospitals, clinics and medical centres.

Wiring-accessory manufacturer Focus SB has added a new service to its web site. It enables customers to view the stock levels of its top 16 product lines so that they can see what is readily available for next-day delivery.

Contractor Shepherd Engineering Services has used Hager’s sub-distribution boards for the tallest building in Yorkshire, Bridgewater Place in Leeds. This 32-storey building has 21 800 m2 of office space.

Mercury Recycling has introduced a complete package to encompass all the products affected by the WEEE regulations (EC Directive on Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment).

The Marshall-Tufflex MT32 power connection system uses pre-wired and pre-tested components to significantly reduce wiring time for socket outlets in commercial buildings.

Whitecroft Lighting’s Duo luminaire gradually varies its intensity and colour temperature throughout the working day to counteract the peaks and troughs in alertness that most people experience through the day.

Among the features of the 1500 kVA standby diesel generator supplied by Power Electrics to back up the critical installation at Bronglais General Hospital, which is in Aberystwyth, is an emissions reduction system.

The ability to supply a vital switchboard in record time helped Eaton Electric secure the order for a new PLC-controlled main switchboard for the Cheshire and Merseyside area of North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust as part of a major refurbishment of its electrical power supply.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are well suited to emergency lighting. Barrie Walsh explains how their efficient use of electricity and long life can reduced the cost burden of emergency lighting.

Even worse than disruption caused by a mains power failure is a standby generator that refuses to start. Lorraine John offers advice on how to minimise such problems.

Details of the 17th Edition of the Wiring Regulations are due to be published in a couple of months. So now is the time to start thinking about how your software will cope with the new requirements, says Philip Grace.

Power-distribution specialist Electrak has played a key role in making the new Liverpool office of the UK Passport Service an energy-efficient operation with its Lightrak KNX light power distribution and controls system.

CP Electronics’ compact EBDSPIR detector can be mounted flush into a ceiling or on the surface of a ceiling using a fast-fix detector box.

Many electrical engineers and electricians have only ever known the sixteenth edition of the Wiring Regulations, but the forthcoming seventeenth edition will be less of a culture shock than the change from the fifteenth to sixteenth edition in 1991.

Replacing calorifiers with plate heat exchangers to supply heating and domestic hot water at Bradford Royal Infirmary will reduce energy bills by 15%, it is estimated.

To minimise the energy used for air conditioning the various buildings at the £8 million Wildwood Triangle development in Worcester, each building has Daikin VRV heat-recovery air conditioning and energy-reclaim ventilation provided by 17 Daikin VAM units. Billed by developer Maximus as ‘the best office address in Worcester, the complex comprises five self-contains 2-storey blocks offering 170 to 725 m2 of lettable space, with a total of 3700 m2.

Helping to minimise energy costs for the environmental control system serving the Community Village Hall at Pendeen in Cornwall is a ground-source heat pump to provide heating and hot water for this award-winning project, which serves wide-ranging local needs from crèche to snooker club. The project has won the community category in the South West Green Energy Awards.

Comfort cooling with low capital costs and long-term low running costs have been achieved in the main bakery area of Buxton Spa Bakery using a Breezair evaporative cooling system from Seeley International.

‘We asked ABS Consulting to recommend what practical and most efficient measures we could take to cut our excessive energy use which would give use the greatest return on investment. Eliminating wasteful use of lighting by automatic lighting management was the clear winner,’ says Fiona Crann, head of facility at the South East England Development Agency’s (SEEDA) 5-storey headquarters building in Guildford.

John Garbutt describes the results of an independent analysis of the long-term-costs of ductwork.

Whether an installer is specifying a new or replacement air-conditioning system, it is important to embrace the concept of whole-life costs by educating the end-user on the key benefits. Simon Keel outlines what end-users need to know from installers so they can release the real value of their equipment.

Stuart Aynsley explores how the cost of converged communications in buildings provides the basis for a whole range of new opportunities — without incurring significant cost.

Both energy and maintenance costs in the mains sports hall of the Sands Centre in Carlisle have been reduced following the installation of long-life, high-output Brilliance light fittings from Chalmor. The savings are expected to achieve a payback of three years on initial capital cost.

To benefit from the potential for centralised plant to achieve higher efficiency than decentralised plant, Evinox has supplied a Geminox condensing boiler module and Modusat interface units to provide heating and hot water for a development of 10 luxury apartments in Swanage.

Mark Andrews explains why the whole-life approach forms the cornerstone of NG Bailey’s business strategy.

Understanding the life cycle costs of a chiller installation requires a clear view of the full picture. Wayne Perrins explores the features of chillers that can make all the difference.

Peter Orr explains how integrating building systems from the outset of a project incurs little or no extra cost — and then delivers savings throughout the life of the building.

Only proven technologies are used in a new commercial office building in Leeds, but the way they have been brought together sets a new landmark for energy efficiency in buildings.

Multi Service Chilled Beams (MSCBs) from Trox UK were selected for Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport after rigorous analysis of the benefits. The energy-efficient MSCBs will provide the best possible levels of comfort for both passengers and staff in the main arrivals corridors. Active and passive beams are also being integrated into the ceilings in other critical areas.

As part of the refurbishment of an office building at Hook near Basingstoke, the Greenwell building has been air conditioned using nine Toshiba heat-recovery VRF systems — enabling the building to be split into three lettable floors, that can be subdivided still further.

Sustainable hot water for a neighbourhood centre in south-east London is being provided by an air-source heat pump supplied by Clyde Energy Solutions.

A north London private hospital has converted unused interior space into four additional day-care rooms, each illuminated by Solatube daylighting systems from SolaLighting and incorporating a means of reducing lighting levels as required.

Wood Energy has installed biomass boilers to provide heating for two new hospitals in Wales. A 1 MW Binder boiler has been installed at Rhondda Valley Hospital and an 850 kW Binder boiler in Ysbyty Alltwen Hospital in Porthmadog.

Natural daylight is delivered to the bathrooms and stairwells of 31 newly built Victorian-style town houses in Salford by Solatube daylighting systems. Developer Godliman-Watson Homes chose products from the Brighten Up range for this project in Albert Park Views.

Chilled-ceiling panels from SAS International provide comfort cooling in the refurbished customer-services centre of EDF Energy in Ipswich. The project included the conversion of a 2-storey outbuilding into a call centre, and the ceilings were specified as the cooling solution throughout both floors.

The HEVAC Chilled Ceilings Association has changed its name to reflect the increasing demand for chilled-beam solutions to deliver energy-efficient comfort cooling. The Chilled Beam & Ceiling Association, part of the FETA Association, is the only trade body to represent the interests of such equipment suppliers.

A specialist commercial facility is part of a new training centre of Buderus at West Thurrock in Essex. It give heating engineers, contractors and installers the opportunity to undertake hands-on training with large boilers with outputs from 40 to 400 kW. Products representing the full range of Buderus high-efficiency commercial boilers and its extensive selection of commercial control system can all be found in this centre.

Inviron, which provides building-services and facilities-management services, has won the 2007 customer-care award of the British Institute of Facilities Management.

A team from lighting-controls specialist Simmtronic and building-services clients finished in fourth place in the IRC Class 6 in the Little Britain Challenge Cup regatta at Cowes. It was one of 250 entries in the construction industry’s charity yachting event, and the 10-man crew comprised Simmtronic staff and different clients each day.

SummitSkills is to update the National Occupational Standards for renewable technologies to ensure approved training and assessment is in place as a matter of priority.