2014 April

The QMX3 range of mounted controllers offers a combined sensor and controller in an easily installed wall-mounted device. The devices include high-quality temperature, CO2 and humidity sensors, as well as integrated PID controllers to control these measured variables. Some units have an LCD display.

New Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) tariffs could be just the shot in the arm the solar-thermal market needs, says David Pepper of Lochinvar.

Daikin Europe has combined the benefits of combi boilers and heat pumps for space heating with the launch of the Altherma Hybrid heat pump. It is aimed squarely at the combi boiler market of around a million units a year in the UK for replacement and new installations. The concept is that an Altherma heat-pump system and gas-fired (natural or LPG) combi boiler work seamlessly together to deliver space heating. DHW is provided by the combi boiler working by itself.

A Dimplex ground-source heat-pump system is providing low-carbon heating and passive cooling for a new building at SciTech Daresbury in Cheshire. Vanguard House, a 3600 m2 three-storey office and laboratory facility, was designed to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating and does not use any fossil fuels.

Renewable energy is just one off-the-shelf solution that helped Mitsubishi Electric steadily improve the energy performance of its headquarters building at Hatfield, as Martin Fahey explains.

The Kalwall daylighting system has been used to good effect in the headquarters of a large office stationery supplier in Leicester. Nearly 1800 m2 of this translucent cladding was used as a wrap-around for the 3-storey building.

Robur gas-fired absorption heat pumps are now available in the UK through distributors Environmental Site Supplies (ESS). The range comprises systems to provide heating, cooling and domestic hot water. Heating solutions can be air-source, ground-source and water source; they can supply heating water at 65°C and DHW at 70°C.

Only a truly integrated renewable-energy system for heating and cooling buildings can deliver the carbon savings required in the future, says Chris Davidson of GI Energy.

Paul Sands of Stokvis Energy Systems offers his view on the value of solar-thermal technology for commercial applications — and the problems that lurk for the unwary.

Air-source heat pumps are set to be the go-to heating solution for many building managers with the decision by the DECC’s decision to include them in the non-domestic RHI. Clare Campbell of Dimplex Renewables explains the regulations.

NWS is offering the free supply and installation of biomass boilers for commercial users and householders — to be financed by payments from the Renewable Heat Incentive. The company has partnered with the Austrian company KWB to make the offer, which also included £200-worth of wood pellets.

Rinnai’s Infinity Plus range of solar water-heating solutions includes solar storage vessels and both flat-plate and evacuated- tube (pictured) solar collectors. Both types of collector work best when facing due south. However, evacuated-tube collectors will outperform flat plate when it is only possible for them to face east or west.

Renewable energy from air-source heat pumps and solar-thermal panels plays a key role in the energy efficiency of a prestigious residential development at Crowcombe Heathfield near Taunton in Devon. Heatherdale House has five bedrooms, mainly ensuite, and is a timber-frame structure with high-performance insulation panels.

Rehau has launched a version of its pre-insulated Rauvitherm pipework specifically for use as a header pipe with ground-source heat pumps. Rauvitherm Cool is optimised for lower-temperature applications than the standard pipework and enables designers and contractors to put together schemes that are both energy and cost efficient.

Biomass boilers are becoming increasingly popular, but heating engineers must address a range of design challenges to make sure each installation reaches its full potential, says Ian Halford of Baxi Commercial.

Contractors looking to get ahead in ground-source heat pumps can register for two events organised by pipework specialist Rehau to provide expert help and advice. Dubbed the ‘Ground Nationals’, the events are being held at Newbury Racecourse on 29 April and Doncaster Racecourse on 1 May.

Geberit’s HDPE pipework has been used to construct a 35 000 l rainwater-harvesting system for a BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ building at the University of Exeter. The system for the Environment & Sustainability Institute is twice the normal BREEAM-compliant size.

This year sees major developments in the Government’s Renewable Heat Incentive, as explained by Sarah Redwood, deputy director RHI head of scheme, Renewable Heat Incentive at the Department of Energy & Climate Change.

The potential energy-saving opportunities of modern domestic circulator pumps have been acknowledged by their inclusion in the Green Deal scheme. This follows extensive and lengthy lobbying by the pump industry, leading to the Building Research Establishment agreeing to include circulators in the scheme.

Elco UK, formerly MHS Boilers, now offers BIM components for a selection of its commercial condensing boilers, hot-water products and ancillaries. The service is available from the company’s web site.

Air-conditioning manufacturer LG offers free courses aimed at contractors to provide practical and theoretical knowledge of its products. The courses cover VRF, split systems and the MCS-accredited Therma V air-to-water heat-pump systems.

Giacomini’s range of heat interface units are now available on very short lead times, with stock being held in the UK. All products are made at the company’s modern factory in Italy.

To help make its renewable-heating solutions for the social housing and new-build sectors, readily available, Panasonic has set up a trading relationship with the Travis Perkins Group which will see Plumbing Trade Supplies, BSS Industrial and City Plumbing Supplies supplying the Aquarea range of heat pumps.

Windhager UK has increased the number of training courses it offers in readiness for an expected significant increase in the number of biomass installations. There are two or three courses every month. This extensive range of HETAS-certified courses covers multiple biomass appliances and is held at the company’s dedicated biomass training centre at its headquarters in Marshfield, South Gloucestershire.

Martindale’s VI137002 voltage tester is approved 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.

Wolseley UK has achieved an 80% reduction in lighting energy consumption at its Cumbrian distribution centre following the installation of LED lamps controlled by Steinel high-bay motion detectors. The savings amount to £116 000 a year, much of it resulting from lighting now being on for only 2.5 h a day rather than continuously.

Heating for this former aircraft hangar of 2700 m2 is provided by six warm-air heaters and nine destratification fans from Powermatic. The Climate Control division of Tidyco supplied and installed the equipment as part of the refurbishment of the hangar at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground in Leicestershire. All the units have been painted black to blend discreetly with the dark roof space of the building.

Waterloo Air Products has met the diverse air-distribution requirements of Manchester Metropolitan University’s (MMU) £75 million Business School and Student Hub with a wide range of equipment. Perforated-face diffusers, airline linear grilles, louvre-faced diffusers and over 1273 floor swirl diffusers have been used throughout this award-winning building.

Large quantities of steel-wire cable tray and Elite uPVC trunking were supplied by Marco for an £8.5 million special-needs school in north Wales — just a short distance from Marco’s factory at Llangefini on the Isle of Anglesey. Ysgol y Bont sees the relocation of an existing special-needs need to the Ysgol Gyfun High School campus in Llangefni.

Honeywell plans to generate energy savings of £163 000 a year, at current usage rates, over the 15-year energy-performance contract from Peterborough City Council from energy-efficiency upgrades to eight facilities. They include the town hall, swimming pools, a leisure centre, a library and a car park. The energy savings are guaranteed by Honeywell, and the upgrades are expected to be completed in about six months.

This development of four refurbished stone-built holiday homes in the village of Church Houses in North Yorkshire is serviced by a bespoke communal heating system based on a Danfoss ground-source heat pump. The installation meets local planning requirements for the use of renewable energy.

Bitzer screw compressors played a key role in the refrigeration and air-conditioning systems delivered by Finnish manufacturer Suomen Tekojää Oy for five stadiums of the Olympic Winter Games at Sochi. Established in 1997, the company has built refrigeration systems for over a hundred ice rinks in Russia and around 500 worldwide.

Durapipe’s Friaphon sound-attenuated drainage system has been installed in three apartment blocks that are part of the King’s Cross regeneration project. The systems in Rubicon Court, Saxon Court and Roseberry Mansions serve a total of 260 homes.

A combination of real-time energy monitoring and advanced HVAC simulation played a key role in identifying and verifying the effectives of energy-saving measures for stores of the John Lewis Partnership. Using this approach and Integrated Environmental Solutions’ Virtual Environment software enables Lateral Technologies to save the retailer 2.3 GWh of gas, 5.5 GWh of electricity and 3300 t of carbon.

Dalkia is ensuring a reliable and stable power supply for Hinxton Hall Ltd (HHL), a subsidiary of the Wellcome Trust, with the operation and maintenance of a 2 MW(e) CHP unit. The unit will also maximise energy-efficient heat and power production for the facility. HHL provides facilities services to the Wellcome Trust’s human genome research facility.

CP Electronics’ Rapid lighting-control system played a large part in a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating being awarded to a refurbished office development near Covent Garden in central London. The work at One Southampton Street includes the refurbishment of eight office floors averaging 315 m2 and set as mainly open-plan offices. There is also a new entrance and reception area, along with the relocation of plant areas.

Supporting the successful Olympic Winter Games at Sochi were nearly 400 pump/pump systems supplied by Grundfos Pumps. The solutions were developed to handle the immediate demands of the games while keeping the post-games needs in mind.

This custom solution for the entrance to BT’s global headquarters in London comprises two Zen air curtains from JS Air Curtains and a Rotowind revolving-door air curtain. The air-curtain system for the building in Newgate Street was designed by entrance specialist Blue Chyp to overcome the problem of draughts.

Controlling the energy-efficient operation and comfort of the renovated 1 Kingsway in London is a Sontay SonNet wireless sensor system. Completely rebuilt behind the original 1920 Portland-stone facade, the building has nearly 10 000 m2 of Grade A sustainable office space and seven high-specification apartments. It has achieved a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating.

Expanding the CHP plant at Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny will increase the capacity by a third and boost overall energy savings from the CHP by 35%, based on current gas and electrical tariffs. The work is being carried out by Honeywell Building Solutions 13 years into a 25-year energy-performance contract.

Airedale International supplied the cooling solution for a new £2.25 million high-density energy-efficient data centre at the University of Portsmouth, which has a PUE (power usage efficiency) of 1.14 (load dependent). Working in partnership with Sudlows, Airedale was selected for its ability to offer a complete solution.

A services upgrade of St Margaret’s Hall of Resident at Southampton University includes hot-water services provided by equipment from Mikrofill Systems. The equipment was specified by the university and installed by SSE Contracting.

System Hygienics has won a 3-year contract for maintenance work at Westfield Stratford City shopping centre. It incudes kitchen-extract cleaning, fire-damper maintenance and fan maintenance. The centre is home to over 250 stores, over 70 bars and restaurants, three hotels and the largest casino in the UK.

Built in 1906, this historic building in the Soho area of London has utilised AET’s Flexible Space underfloor air-conditioning system to update it from a heated-only building to fully air-conditioned commercial office space — whilst retaining the aesthetic values of the architecture of the period. The refurbishment of the building at 76-88 Wardour Street was a joint development by Legal & General and Walbrook Land.

Schneider Electric has added to its SmartStruxure suite a Lite solution for small and medium-size buildings. SmartStruxure Lite is a high-performance, low-cost, integrated building-management system. It provides tailored functionalities for facilities with a smaller footprint — including retail stores, offices, hotels, schools and healthcare clinics.

Hydro Multi-E booster sets from Grundfos Pumps come as pre-assembled packages on a base plate — complete with sensors, manifolds, diaphragm tank, dry-run protection, valves and fittings. There is a built-in frequency converter on each pump with a speed range from 2900 to 3600 rev/min

The Aquada UV Series of water-disinfection units from Xylem Water Systems now has WRAS (Water Regulations Advisory Scheme) Approval, so it meets all criteria for water disinfection set out by UK water companies.

Energy-efficient evaporative cooling can be applied to telecoms rooms and small server rooms using a 15 kW evaporative cooler from EcoCooling. These areas have traditionally been expensive to cool because of the inefficient and often unsuitable refrigeration cooling units used.

Stokvis Energy Systems’ H-series heat-interface units for residential applications are available as single-plate and dual-plate versions. They have been developed to meet the rising demand for communal or district heating systems.

Actionair has updated its Fireshield range of curtain-bladed fire dampers, which are CE-marked E rated. This range has a self-latching removable cassette mechanism release and stainless-steel folding curtain with unbroken joints and external visual indicator.

To maintain comfortable conditions for indoor swimming pools, Diffusion Environmental Systems offers a solution to provide a primary heat source directly installed into the pool area — without spoiling the aesthetics of the interior or requiring complicated ducting arrangements.