2012 January

The Zetter Townhouse, a new boutique hotel in St John’s Square in the Clerkenwell area of London has become the first building in the UK to install Legrand’s Synergy Flat Plate wiring accessories. Winner of the Good Hotel Guide’s London Hotel of the Year, The Zetter Townhouse has 13 bedrooms and is described as ‘slightly eccentric’ by its owners Mark Sainsbury and Michael Benyan, ‘fabulous’ by The Sunday Times and a ‘tour de force bursting with character and invention’ by The Daily Telegraph.

Flakt Woods has supplied whole-house heat-recovery units as part of an overall ventilation solution for upgrading student accommodation at Exeter University. The development on the university’s Streatham Campus involved new-build and complete fit-out studio accommodation, en-suite bedrooms and kitchens.

Nearly 2000 Dimplex solar PV panels have been installed at a solar power station in Dorset, said to be the largest of its kind in the county. It comprises 1780 polycrystalline solar PV panels capable of generating over 500 MWh a year and arranged over nine rows on a 3 acre site.

The new football pavilion in Llanbradach Park, Caerphilly, built to replace the building destroyed by arson has its hot-water requirements met by two propane-fired condensing storage water heaters from Andrews Water Heaters. The original building was over a hundred years old and its loss left Caerphilly Town FC and Llanbradach Social FC without playing facilities as they were unable to provide changing rooms for away teams and referees.

Waterwise Technology is to supply all the water-treatment for the new BAA Terminal 2 at Heathrow Airport. When completed, the new building will be larger than Terminal 5 and is designed to produce 40% less carbon than the existing Terminal 2. Water-treatment systems selected for the project will significantly contribute to those energy savings.

Recent orders for Roth UK solar-thermal solutions include major contracts for Summerfield Developments for its Cutcombe housing scheme on Exmoor and nearby sites at Williton and Bower Hinton. The projects utilise Roth’s innovative single panel-in-roof kit, selected for system quality, ease of fitting and technical competence of the group’s German manufacturing.

A combined smoke and natural-ventilation system from SE Controls is helping to create a comfortable and safe environment for patients, visitors and staff at Salford Royal Hospital’s new £90 million Hope Building. The 5-storey building houses a new A&E department, as well as providing 242 beds, emergency assessment unit and critical care facilities.

Thermal Technology has supplied a special swimming-pool air-handling unit from its SpaVent range to the Beacon Leisure Centre in Burntlisland, Fife. The unit was selected and sized to serve the flume tower, which is over 19 m high. The unit is at ground level, and a supply air duct delivers warm air 16 m up the tower. Extract air is taken away at a height of about 19 m.

Existing R22 refrigeration plant in a UK data centre has been replaced with a bespoke cooling system installed by Star Refrigeration using chillers with Turbocor compressors and R134a refrigerant. There are four new chillers, each with a cooling capacity of 1100 kW with variable-speed drives and an air-cooled refrigerant circuit configured for thermosyphon operation to provide free cooling when possible. The previous plant had a cooling capacity of 2700 kW.

Natural ventilation and lighting is provided by Monodraught systems for the new school on St Mary’s island for the Isles of Scilly’s 280 pupils aged from three to 16 years. The building is mainly single storey and has large areas of glazing. A focus for the design of the school was keeping things simple to that maintenance of services such as ventilation and lighting could be managed locally by islanders. With this in mind, design-and build contractor Kier, Grainge Architects and building-services designer Hulley & Kirkwood selected Monodraught to provide a strategy for natural ventilation and daylighting.

The total renovation of a house in Ealing includes discreet and energy-efficient heating and cooling provided by IBD Distribution’s Invisible.AC sdhvac system powered by Daikin Altherma heat pumps, which also provide domestic hot water. IBD also recommended underfloor heating for the ground-level stone floor areas.

Automatic testing of the emergency lighting in the new multi-million Surrey Sport Park of the University of Surrey is carried out by P4’s M-Web system. Michael Harris, an electrical engineer with the university, explains. ‘We needed to ensure that our emergency-lighting system would provide the safest, most accurate and convenient remote-monitoring procedure through its local-area network. Our objective was also to have a system that would not be labour intensive, would prove maintenance friendly and be accurate.’

Scottish Hydro Electric has boosted its fleet of trailer generators with the addition of over 40 units from Power Electrics Generators. These 3-phase units have outputs from 33 to 100 kVA and can operate in 3-phase, split-phase, set-to-set synchronising and set-to-mains synchronising modes.

Some 200 h of labour time for the refurbishment of the Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport building in Dublin, was achieved using Marshall-Tufflex’s prefabricated MT32 prewired underfloor power-delivery system — according to Donal Hackett of building-services contractor Mercury Engineering.

A key role in the air-conditioning installation for The Shard in London will be played by Durapipe’s Guardian dual-contained pipework system to transport chemically dosed water from the chillers in the basement to cooling towers at level 18 of this 310 m-tall building. Since this pipework transports chemically dosed water, it was important that the system is not at risk of corrosion. In addition, dual containment ensures the public and environment are protected against potential leaks.

Investment in thermal imaging is playing a key role in helping the London Borough of Camden meet targets for reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption by 21% by 2015 and 40% by 2020. The technology makes for efficient identification of problem areas and the creation of public awareness through specially designed tags.

A Yorkshire community that uses Dimplex solar PV panels to generate low-carbon electricity and access the Feed-in Tariffs has featured in a television advertisement for Mars. Fund raising by the villagers of Carperby in Wensleydale included sponsorship from the Mars community programme.

As part of the conversion of an indoor crown-bowls facility in Barnsley into a 7-lane 10-pin bowling venue, air-conditioning equipment from the Ecolution range of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has been installed. This twin split system supplied by 3D Air Sales is part of a project by Barnsley Premier Leisure.

The traditional German beer purity laws originally permitted only water, barley and hops to be used to produce beer. Other substances are now permitted, and at the Paulaner brewery in Munich includes Wilo submersible-motor pumps to draw water from four on-site wells that are up to 240 m deep. The pumps are popular with the brewer because of their reliability and longevity; one of the pumps has operated since 1984 and repaired just once in 2004.

A key role in the operation of a new £150 million data centre for HSBC in Yorkshire is played by the Durapipe PLX pipe-in-pipe specialist fuel pipework system to deliver fuel oil from storage tanks to standby generators in the case of an emergency. M&E contractor ASEE supplied and installed this pipework system for the centre at Normanton.

HCP has supplied a range of perimeter heating and air-handling grilles for the new Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport. Over 1400 m of floor-mounted straight and curved perimeter heaters with double heating elements has been installed. They are encased in stainless-steel metal casings with a horizontal brushed finish to meet aesthetic requirements. A mock-up of the units was prepared with Mercury Engineering Dublin.

As part of the refurbishment of the Kingsway Hall Hotel in London’s Covent Garden, a Dimplex ARC architectural air curtain has been installed to prevent draughts from the large entrance doorway with automatic sliding doors. These 2 m-high doors open into the main reception and adjacent bar area, and the potential for uncomfortable draughts was recognised by general manager Laszlo Nyari, who consulted with John Kindell of JWK Electrical, the hotel’s electrical contractor.

Energy savings of over £26 000 a year are expected at hospital sites in Bradford following the installation of ABB standard drives for HVAC to 28 air-handling units at Bradford Royal Infirmary and St Luke’s Hospital. The drives are installed in critical areas such as theatres and infection-controlled zones where airflow is controlled to promote safety and comfort. The load on the AHUs varies with outside temperature, but the biggest difference is between day and night, with fans typically running at half speed at night.

Stephen Hart looks at the technology that is available to maintain the balance of hydronic systems when the pump speed is reduced to save energy.

Based on his long experience, Ian Hollingsworth is certain that the key to the successful outcome of building projects is detailed attention to commissioning from design to completion.

Dimplex has expanded its range of heat pumps with the launch of the air-source LA PMS medium-temperature range of units. These single-phase heat pumps use R290, a naturally occurring refrigerant with a global-warming potential of three. They have capacities of 8 or 14 kW and can deliver variable flow temperatures up to 65°C, weather compensated.

For a good many years the company Keraflo has been associated with the Aylesbury range of float valves for controlling the filling of cold-water storage tanks. The key benefit of these valves is that they allow the water level in a tank to fall by a controlled amount before it is refilled, which brings a range of benefits compared with equilibrium valves.

EnviroVent has launched a range of centralised and decentralised mechanical-extract solutions for houses, apartments and communal residences. They meet the requirements of System 3 in accordance with Part F of the Building Regulations.

A patching solution for Ethernet cables in steel-wire cable trays or straight-edged galvanised tray is available from Marco. Xspace flexible panels will accept standard LJ6C modules and are available with six-, 12- and 24-way cut-outs. Bend radius is not compromised, so the system can accept Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6A and shielded solutions.

A 2-channel PIR presence detector from CP Electronics has a detection range of 40 m at a mounting height of 15 m. Hi-Sense provides very precise control through switching or dimming in response to occupancy and light levels. Hi-Sense also has a ‘burn-in’ function to extend the life of fluorescent tubes. Applications include warehouses, factories and retail ‘sheds’.

Passivent and Rehau have worked together to develop a low-energy cooling solution for the commercial market. It can also pre-heat fresh air on cold days in the Winter (as illustrated]. The system combines Passivent’s passive stack natural ventilation with Rehau’s Awadukt Thermo ground-to-air heat exchanger. It is particularly appropriate for buildings with deep floor plans and/or restricted facades.

Daikin Europe’s MC70L air purifier is suitable for rooms of up to 46 m2. Noise level is just 16 dB(A) in ‘silent mode’ and airflows of up to 420 m3/h can be delivered in turbo mode. These units have a multi-layer filtering system and re-engineered Daikin Flash Streamer technology, which captures, removes and decomposes allergens, bacteria, dust particles, odours, pet hairs, moulds, pollen and mites.

Altecnic’s Ecocal thermostatic radiator valve has achieved the European A efficiency rating, having been tested against the requirements of the European Valve Manufacturers’ Association ‘Thermostatic efficiency label’ (TELL). Designed for retro-fit and new installations, Ecocal is available in 8, 10 and 15 mm sizes. A serrated tail piece makes for easy installation to avoid alterations to pipework and ensure PTFE sealant bonds securely.

Gent by Honeywell has launched its first wireless fire-detection system. Called Plexus, it incorporates technology to offer the ultimate level of integration and user confidence. The system provides the flexibility of wired and wireless devices for projects where building constraints prohibit the use of cables and disruption to the buildings or activity in them needs to be minimised.

Rinnai’s Infinity 16i continuous-flow water heater can deliver 15.2 l/min of hot water with accurate temperature control. Water temperature can be set using built-in digital controls, eliminating the risk of scalding and the need for thermostatic mixing valves. Applications include cafes, pubs and restaurants, hotels, leisure centres, offices, shops and hairdressers, small industrial units and residential sites.

Panasonic’s Mini ECOi series of VRF air-conditioning products is designed to provide cooling and heating for the light-commercial and domestic sectors. Exclusively available from Panasonic distributors, the range is available for single-phase and 3-phase electrical supplies. Starting current is just 1 A.

Ideal Standard’s Boost shower packs can combine mains-pressure cold water and low-pressure hot water from a cylinder to achieve the effect of a power shower without a booster pump. Boost works by using the power from mains-pressure cold water to draw hot water into the throat of a venturi cartridge to accelerate it and produce a high, yet controllable, flow rate.

Grundfos has extended its range of packaged booster sets with a range of single-phase pre-packaged CMB/CMBE booster sets. These sets are based around CM stainless-steel booster pumps. They are suitable for many applications that require clean water to be delivered from a cold-water storage tank, such as when boosting to pressurised hot- and cold-water systems and above-ground storage tanks and water-transfer applications.

Cudis has launched a range of 3-phase distribution boards with four to 18 ways. These CPN units have heavy-duty metal enclosures of epoxy-coated steel sheet and are attractively finished to make them suitable for use in public areas. Supplied with a 100 A main switch, units are intended for use with MH (10 kA) Series 3 miniature circuit breakers available in single-, double- and triple-pole configurations to B, C or D trip curves. Ratings are from 2 to 63 A.

Hiring the expensive and sophisticated instruments that are required for mandatory testing procedures, especially those involving safety, is extremely cost effective, according to Alan Gilbert of BSRIA Instrument Solutions. He cites the example of a ‘middle-of-the-road’ Class 1 sound-level meter with octave bands. Such an instrument costs upwards of £3000 and may be needed only very occasionally. Hiring such an instrument from BSRIA Instrument Solutions costs about £150 a week.

Hitachi Air Conditioning & Refrigeration has added several new models to its Set Free range of mini outdoor units. These 2-pipe heat-pump VRF condensing units offer greater efficiency and improved COP. They can be connected to all Hitachi’s system-free indoor units. One outdoor unit can be connected to up to nine indoor units. There are single- and 3-phase units rated at 4, 5 and 6 hp.

Legrand’s Swifts cable-ladder and cable-tray system have been integrated into Intergraph’s PDS and SmartPlant 3D engineering software systems, enabling design teams to produce accurate and efficient cable-management routing schemes, plans and procurement lists as part of a fully integrated overall plant design.

A bronze ball valve in BSS Industrial’s BOSS range is particularly suited to chilled-water applications. 965NREXT valves have an extended non-rotating stem to make them ideal for insulated pipe runs. Having the lever above the insulation enables it to be operated freely without disturbing the vapour seal.

Energys Group offers a lease arrangement for its energy-efficient lighting products to enable lighting energy consumption to be reduced without capital investment and keeping the debt off balance sheet. The arrangement covers Save It Easy units that enable energy-efficient T5 fluorescent lamps to be slotted into existing fluorescent light fittings to achieve energy savings of up to 65%.

Tridonic’s PCA range of one4all ballasts for fluorescent lighting comprises three products combining flexibility, optimised performance and exceptional energy efficiency. These ballasts incorporate the company’s Xitec processor to optimise lamp management and extend lamp life through a combination of preheating lamp electrodes, ensuring a sufficiently high ignition voltage, limiting the discharge current and delivering a defined hot restart.

Rinnai’s heavy-duty condensing continuous-flow water heaters have two heat exchangers to achieve optimum water heating by capturing residual heat from flue gases and transferring it to the water being heated. Available for indoor and outdoor installation, the HDC1200i achieves a net efficiency of 107% and the HDC1500i turns in 105% net efficiency.

The NX range of scroll-compressor liquid chillers from Climaveneta UK is described as combining excellent energy efficiency with a compact design and choice of models for a range of applications. They include options with shell-and-tube or plate heat exchangers as well as low-noise or super-low-noise versions and units with partial heat recovery. Cooling capacities range from 159 to 352 kW.

Greenwood Airvac’s new web site has been updated with the company’s latest products and services, including the range of Smart technologies combining sensors, controls and innovative design features for ventilation systems. The site’s information centre provides up-to-date technical support and information on Building Regulations, energy efficiency and environmental policies.

The web site of Kensa Heat pumps has a series of short videos aimed at educating installers about ground-source heat pumps and covering key aspects. These videos vary in technical proficiency, so installers of all abilities can benefit from watching them.

The international web site of Armstrong Pumps also offers additional content tailored specifically for the UK. There are details of Armstrong’s product range and best-practice UK case studies across a number of sectors — including healthcare, data centres and retail. Visitors can also use resources such as the company’s white papers and videos.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has developed a quick and easy online product selector for its complete air-conditioning range. It covers split systems, multi splits and VRF systems. Specifiers and installers can use this free catalogue and select products or build up a system package using a simple on-screen guide.