2014 July

It seems that every time the Government tries to solve the UK’s energy challenge, the law of unintended consequences kicks in.

It seems that every time the Government tries to solve the UK’s energy challenge, the law of unintended consequences kicks in.

Bathroom furniture supplied by Roca for the luxury Sesame Apartments in Battersea include basins, baths, water-saving taps and showers. This development by Thornsnett comprises 80 apartments with views over the River Thames.

Grundfos’s range of single-phase pre-packaged CMB/CMBE booster sets are based around the CM stainless-steel booster pumps. They are suitable for use in many applications that require clean water to be delivered from a cold-water storage tank — such as boosting to pressurised hot- and cold-water systems and above-ground storage tanks.

The Expressions range of shower trays from MX Group has been designed to provide the maximum showering area and has a discreet, hidden waste system (pictured) that drains via a standard shower waste. These shower trays have an acrylic ABS finish and weigh 40% less than a high-wall stone-resin shower tray.

Wavin has added six new soil bends to its range of Osma soil and vent systems. There are three 110 mm spigot bends and three swept bends. They have solvent-free joints and are easy to install in restricted spaces.

The Lowara range of booster sets from Xylem Water Solutions UK now has WRAS approval. These packaged sets are suitable for all building-services applications — including domestic dwellings and office buildings and shopping centres.

Rinnai’s latest Infinity 1600i condensing low-Nox water heater has been tested to below 20 ppm (Nox). In commercial test areas incorporating flow and return systems, the units have recorded Nox levels as low as 7 ppm. These water heaters have a downward-firing pre-mix burner and continuous optimisation of gas input using intelligent integral controls. Maximum output is 54 kW, with modulation down to 4 kW.Up to 37 l/min of temperature-controlled hot water can be delivered.

Bristan has launched a comprehensive WC pack to meet the requirements of Part M (access and use). It is easy to maintain and comes complete with TMV 3 basin mixer tap that is suitable for commercial washrooms designed for people with disabilities.

Micronics, a leading UK manufacturer of clamp-on metering products for building services, has increased its product offering to provide complete metering solutions for building services. A comprehensive range of traditional inline meters (pictured) complements the established clamp-on range.

A key part of the environmental strategy for the new headquarters building of children’s charity Barnardo’s is domestic hot water provided by a combination of evacuated-tube solar collectors and Lochinvar EcoShield gas-fired condensing water heaters. A particular design requirement was that any rooftop solar array should not be visible from street level.

With water supplies in the UK under more sustained pressure, it’s now more important than ever to conserve and manage water in and around today’s buildings. Rainwater harvesting continues to be one of the most popular approaches to this issue. Polypipe Terrain’s Ian Crickmore gives an insight into its benefits.

Lochinvar’s Squire range of indirect water heaters can be used with traditional boilers as pre-heat vessels for renewable technologies such as solar thermal or air-source heat pumps. There are 20 models with storage capacities from 290 to 2850 l. Eight units are also available with twin coils.

Hot-water services for the purpose-built athletes village for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow are provided by two bespoke skid-mounted packages supplied by HRS Hevac via contractor Vital Energi. The skids were designed and drawn (3D) in house by HRS Hevac.

Raychem HWAT self-regulating electric trace-heating cable is said to meet all the recommendations in the new ‘CIBSE Guide G: Public health and plumbing engineering’. The guide recommends that secondary circulation or trace heating should be provided when the hot-water installation is such that its would take an unreasonable length to draw off the cool water from the pipework.

Dimplex’s Quantum electrically heated hot-water cylinder delivers hot water at mains pressure and has sophisticated yet simple controls to help householders plan their water usage. A display shows how much hot water is available and consumption history.

With growing demand putting pressure on UK water resources comes the need for businesses to manage their water usage effectively. The good news is that investing in effective water management can help businesses achieve substantial savings. Chris Tranter of Bristan tells you what you need to know.

Residents were able to stay in their homes while cast-iron soil and waste pipes were replaced in three separate high-rise residential towers in Birmingham. Polypipe Terrain worked with M&E contractor IDS and Birmingham City Council to devise a solutions based on plastics pipes.

Fresh from helping to update CIBSE’s Guide G on public health and plumbing engineering, Paul Angus shares some thoughts on the risks of skimping on design and installation.

A simple and reliable way to maintain water cleanliness in new and retrofit systems is provided by the Vexo X-Pot from BSS Industrial. This device brings together the functionality of magnetic filters, dosing pots, mesh type strainers, and combined air and dirt separation. It is compliant with the latest BSRIA BG50 guidelines and is easy to install, maintain and commission.

As part of a project to replace existing oil boilers at RAF Brize Norton, Remeha has supplied six Gilles biomass boilers with a total output of 775 kW and using 290 t of wood pellets a year. They replace oil-fired boilers using about 145 000 l of oil a year and are reducing carbon emissions by around 309 t a year.

A ProCon HT gas-fired boiler from MHG Heating was specified by consulting engineers Martin Thomas Associated to replace two increasingly unreliable cast-iron boilers serving greenhouses at Osborne on the Isle of Wight. The 150 kW boiler was installed by Clarke’s Mechanical.

Developing technology and the improving economic situation are drivers for an facilities-management and building-services providers to work with clients as trusted advisers. John Maidment of Norland Managed Services takes up the story.

Automated Building & Energy Controls (ABEC) has secured a contract to maintain the building-management system at Imperial College, London. The contract will last for five years, with a possible 2-year extension, and covers the college’s entire property estate.

These LED-based ‘chandeliers’ were created by Spectral Lighting to replace classic candelabra-style luminaires in the Victoria Rooms campus at the University of Bristol. They use Spectral’s H-profil system to provide the required lighting levels and a sensitive aesthetic suited to the building’s decor and befitting its history.

Powerstar’s voltage optimisation system has been installed in over 400 Whitbread hotels and restaurants and reduced average electricity consumption by over 12%. Whitbread’s brands include Costa Coffee, Premier Inn and Beefeater, and the systems were installed as part of the company’s corporate responsibility programme ‘Good together’.

Once an organisation starts saving energy, those savings can be used to finance measures to save more energy and reduce the cost of maintenance. James Napier of Honeywell Building Solutions looks into the world of energy-performance contracts.

The roof is a convenient place for installing air-conditioning plant, but supporting plant raises a host of issues, including subsequent changes, as Dan Rushton of Big Foot explains.

GSH Group has been awarded a 5-year contract to provide technical services for The Yorkshire Building Society. The contract covers YBS’s entire UK property portfolio of over 250 properties — including all retail and office buildings and support for four business-critical data centres.

Brazil’s Maracaña stadium, refurbished for the 2014 World Cup, has all its pumping needs met by Grundfos pumps. They include 23 booster sets to deliver water to where it is needed, and well as other products to support water supply, wastewater, field irrigation, air-conditioning and fire-fighting systems.

Cogenco is supplying and commissioning a 500 kW CHP plant at Morriston Hospital in Swansea. The plant will save an estimated 800 t of CO2 a year and help reduce the hospital’s carbon footprint. Cogenco is a subsidiary of Dalkia, which will provide operation and maintenance services after the CHP engine has been commissioned.

Vulcathene chemical drainage has been installed in the science block of a £20 million educational academy in Cheshire. The science block has 11 laboratories for the 1700 pupils that the school can accommodate. As well as classrooms, the school also has a 350-seat theatre, learning resource centre, art studios and technology workshops.

Gas and electricity consumption at The Lowry in Manchester have fallen by 17% since the upgrade of the building and energy-management system in a scheme designed by Real Control Solutions. Further savings are expected as the system is further optimised.

Marco Cable Management has supplied a range of cable-containment products for a major mixed-use residential, health and commercial scheme in Chester. Gorse Stacks brings together four doctors’ practices and a social-care centre containing council-led services on one site. The development also includes 42 apartments, ground-floor commercial use and a 3-storey car park at basement level.

A Powrmatic 500 kW air-rotation heater is delivering efficient heating at Senator International’s warehouse in Lancashire. The system for the company, which is a major manufacturer of office furniture in the UK, was designed by HVAC installer CK Services 1990 Ltd.

A swimming pool in Liverpool is using over a third less energy to drive filtration pumps following the installation of ABB variable-speed drives, which have also been installed in air-handling units. The work for Liverpool City Council followed an independent energy-conservation report which recommended ABB variable-speed drives. The success of this project led to variable-speed drives being installed at four other council-run pools.

Baxi Commercial has overhauled its web presence to bring together the individual web sites of Potterton Commercial, Andrews Water Heaters and Baxi-Senertec UK. It provides visitors with a better understanding of all the hot-water and heating solutions that Baxi Commercial can provide.

Saniflo’s latest trade brochure of sanitation products features the professional and domestic range, along with Saniaccess and Sanicondens ranges. Alongside each product there is a ‘why choose this product’ section, which clearly indicated how and when each product is best used, with the aim of simplifying product selection and providing installers with a reference guide.

Ex-Or, which specialises in lighting control has launched a new web site that has been optimised for smart phones and tablets. It incorporates tools to support customers from system design through to installation and maintenance — as well as on-going education and updated information.

Cable-management specialist Marshall-Tufflex has updated its ‘Underfloor to desk solutions’ literature to include details of its heavy-duty raised-floor boxes and other product updates. This 24-page brochure outlines the company’s comprehensive range of underfloor-to-desk cable management and prefabricated wiring systems and fittings developed for fast, easy and adaptable installation.

BSRIA has published a new edition of its illustrated guide to electrical building services (BG 32/2014). It replaces the previous edition (BG 5/2005) and provides basic information on electrical building services systems for construction clients and other construction professionals.

Airflow Developments has published a catalogue of ventilation solutions that provides a complete overview of its commercial, industrial and domestic product range. Its 280 pages cover everything from simple extractor fans to the latest in Internet-controlled heat-recovery systems.

The Building & Engineering Services Association (B&ES) has updated two of its ductwork guides. One is DW/144 ‘Specification for sheet metal ductwork’, a comprehensive reference guide recognised as the standard specification for ductwork manufacture and testing. The other is DW/143 ‘Guide to good practice — ductwork air leakage testing’, a concise practical guide to leakage testing and ductwork classification.

Pegler Yorkshire offers a selection of its plumbing products in the BIM system. Information will initially be available for the Ballorex and Pegler Yorkshire range of commissioning valves for the HVAC market.

Airflow Developments’ Duplexvent Uno DV40 single-room heat-recovery unit can be used in commercial premises, residential properties and social housing. These units can be easily installed through an external wall and provide continuous mechanical ventilation.

BSS’s BOSS Riopanel Aegis range of low-surface-temperature radiators has been designed to conform to NHS guidelines and comply with existing standards for LST units. They are also NOMs approved (National Offender Management Service) for used in HM prisons.

ABEC (Automated Building & Energy Controls) has entered into a strategic partnership with building-controls manufacturer Delta Controls to become an official supplier. The partnership reinforces ABECs wider business strategy.

Meters UK has developed an automatic standalone meter-reading system that works via e-mail. It is designed as a low-cost solution to receive meter readings for companies where a building-management system is too costly but there is still a need to read meters remotely.

LG’s Therma V monobloc range of air-to-water heat pumps is designed to be installed next to a building. Single-phase units have a heat output from 3 to 16 kW, with a maximum COP of 4.49. There are also three 3-phase units with heat outputs from 12 to 16 kW, again with a maximum COP of 4.49.

Steinel’s Control Pro range of ultra-sonic sensors use a frequency of 40 kHz to detect the smallest of movements in a space. Moving objects change the frequency of the sound, which is interpreted as movement. The ultra-sonic waves envelop objects such as computer monitors, desk screens and tables, as opposed to penetrating them, making possible very sensitive detection of movement.

Wavin has added to its growing Osma range with the launch of clip and patch bosses. They make it easier for plumbers to connect new waste drainage into existing stacks. The nine new products include clip boss and patch boss options for retrofit applications.