2014 August

A lack of brand recognition doesn't detract from the industry's importance

SE Controls has provided the monitoring and control solution for the natural-ventilation system of the new £2 million science centre of Moreton Hall School in Oswestry. The NVLogiQ system maintains air quality in classrooms, while providing a stimulating and comfortable environment for pupils.

Why should you want to isolate the BEMS from the rest of a corporate IT network? Graham Lewry of Trend Control Systems, explains why closer collaboration and understanding between IT and FM departments can lead to a better building energy management system.

The SPIe energy-monitoring solution from Synapsys Solutions has been selected by construction group Skanska to provide energy-performance information to staff and visitors at its UK head office at Maple Cross. Sean Smith, senior project manager with Skanska, says, ‘Our previous building controls system didn’t include an energy-monitoring capability, so we worked with our BMS partner Acme to look at several energy-monitoring options, and Synapsys’ SIPe stood out for several reasons.’

Despite its everyday usage, few people have much appreciation of the differences between the various RF (radio frequency) technologies in use today. Chris Irwin of WEMS takes us on a trip through the radio spectrum.

Contemporary Controls (CCL) in the UK and Germany has entered into a reseller agreement with Tridium Europe to distribute Tridium-branded JACE controllers and AX Supervisors for the systems integrator market in the EMEA region. Tridium’s technology and JACE embedded controllers combined with Contemporary Controls’ BACnet automation product provide systems integrators with a robust building-management solution.

The refurbishment of Tollcross International Swimming Centre in Glasgow includes a building control system incorporating Sontay’s SonNet wireless sensing technology. The existing Schneider BMS incorporated the new Sontay sensors perfectly and enabled them to be monitored remotely. Extra seating has been added to one end of the venue, with the SonNet system now measuring temperature and humidity across the swimming-pool area.

The flood of information produced by today’s building management systems can be the power behind usable and actionable information that saves energy and money. Roger Woodward of Tridium discusses how.

Without room sensors, a building-management system cannot operate — and the better the sensors the better the system can perform. Alan Braybrook of Sontay examines the role that room sensors have played in the rise of building control systems and discusses what makes for a good sensor.

Carlo Gavazzi has enhanced its Dupline bus offering for building automation with the introduction of new decentralised analogue-input modules The SHPINNI2 and SHPINA224 devices enable control system to interface with environmental sensors in smart building systems that use any type of environmental sensor with a 0/4 to 20 mA or NI/PT1000 output.

Titan Products has extended its TPZ-Net range of Zigbee wireless sensors with the addition of two CO2 sensors. Both sensors are designed for comfort control in schools, offices and other applications where CO2 levels need to be maintained at comfortable concentrations.

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.

Schwank’s ThermoControl Plus control system for its gas-fired infra-red radiant heating can be integrated with the company’s own building-management system and also supports other leading commercial BMS software and fire-alarm systems.

WEMS International has introduced a driver for NiagaraAX that enables its wireless sensors and I/O modules to work with Tridium JACE, CentraLine Hawk and the Distech Controls EC-BOS hardware platforms. The driver uses a special version of the WEMS RS232/RS485 serial interface module to wirelessly enable the hardware platform. Wireless I/O modules then appear in the NiagaraAX Workbench tool as if they were I/O points and can be fully configured using Workbench.

CIBSE’s Building Performance Awards for 2015 now has a category for building-control systems. This new award recognises the importance of integrated and automated control systems in managing and maintaining optimum building performance.

CP Northern has supplied a bespoke control system to control lighting, ventilation fans and water solenoids for the refurbished Brynmor Jones Library at the University of Hull. This library houses over a million books, as well as other paper and digital resources. The multi-million refurbishment by BAM Construction North East has created a flexible, technology-enabled facility with new facades and upgraded M&E services.

Osram’s Encelium lighting control system addresses what the company calls the ‘six beams of lighting control’. They are time scheduling, presence detection, daylight harvesting, task tuning, personal control and load shedding. Encelium, which is now being introduced to the UK, centralises control of facility-wide lighting with advanced energy reporting and analysis. It is scalable to buildings of any size and separate buildings on a campus.

Belimo’s EPIV pressure-independent characterised-control valve is available in sizes from DN15 to DN150. These valves combine the four functions of measuring, controlling, hydraulic balancing and air bubble-tight closing. They provide real-time information of the measured flow rate.

Investing in benefitting from the services of a maintenance bureau can quickly bring significant rewards, says Marc Harrison of BG Energy Solutions.

While it can be tempting to save cost on a controls project by choosing cheaper peripherals, Ian Ellis of Siemens Building Technologies warns of the higher long-term costs that will result.

Steve Harrison explains why it is becoming increasingly more important to consider training as an essential part of every business.

Saint-Gobain PAM UK has launched the first phase of its BIM library covering above-ground drainage. It covers the most popular ranges of Ensign soil, Eezi-Fit and VortX floor drain products. Compliant with Revit from 2012 onwards, the library provides users with a virtual-information model combined with product-specific literature and individual component datasheets covering information such as size, weight and fire ratings.

Panasonic offers a 7-year warranty with its Aquarea heat-pump system. It covers parts and labour when installed by a professionally qualified PRO Partner. It is one of the longest warranties in the heating and cooling sector, and PRO Partners simply opt for an extended warranty when installing an Aquarea system.

The Grundfos Product Center is an online selection tool to help size pumps for any need, find information about any Grundfos pump or pump replacement, and manage complex installation and replacement projects. Built on the WebCAPS foundation, the Product Center is intuitive and designed to let the user find answers their way.

A number of products from Sanha’s extensive range of press fittings in copper and lead-free silicon bronze now have Kitemark certification to BS8537 — which covers specification for press ends of plumbing fittings for use with metal tubes. The Press Gas series 10000 copper and series 11000 Siliconbronze for gas installations at operating pressures up to 5 bar are now certified for use at temperatures up to 100°C.

Toshiba Air Conditioning has developed a complete BIM (building information modelling) support solution for consultants, contractors and designers. It cover the company’s full range of SMMSI, SHRMi and Mini SMMSi VRF outdoor units, flow selector boxes and the full range of indoor units.

SCS Group has prepared a guidance document on smoke-control systems for enclosed or underground car parks. Called ‘Car park ventilation demystified’, it uses plain language and illustrations to show just how simple the solutions can be.

Airflow Developments offers a CIBSE-approved CPD presentation to give specifiers a greater insight into the speciation of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery for non-residential buildings. It explains in detail why ventilation is such an important component in the running of any commercial building.

Bosch Commercial & Industrial Heating has gone live with its own Twitter and LinkedIn accounts — giving contractors, consultants and specifiers the chance to interact with the company using social media for the first time.

B&ES guidance on the internal cleanliness of ventilation systems TR/19 is now available from B&ES Publications. Called ‘Guide to good practice — internal cleanliness of ventilation systems’, it offers guidance on the testing and cleaning of ventilation systems to meet required standards.

Data-centre cooling is the theme of a web site developed by Weatherite. The company’s range of solutions includes direct outside air, indirect adiabatic and direct replacement. The company’s range of services range from initial design through to manufacture, testing, complete installation and aftercare preventive-maintenance programmes.

GDL’s updated brochure on Intelivent natural ventilation is available as a hard copy or as a download from the company’s web site. Extensive technical information clearly explains where these natural-ventilation systems would be suitable, and there as case studies throughout.

Schneider Electric has developed a mobile app for selecting meters. Called ‘The metering catalogue’ it enables the user to quickly and effectively select the right meter based on a set of criteria that includes technical requirements and legislation. Available for Android or iOS, the app has been developed for contractors, consultants, panel builders and trade-counter staff.

BSRIA has published new guidance to help designers avoid problems with the selection and application of control valves and assist with the design of energy-efficient variable-flow systems. The guidance is called ‘Selection of control valves in variable flow systems” (BG 51/2014).

A comprehensive natural-ventilation strategy devised by Gilberts of Blackpool serves the £5.4 million Hethel Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering Centre in Norfolk. This 3720 m2 facility contains 16 workshops with adjoining office space on the first floor for high-performance engineering and manufacturing companies in the region.

When the Institution of Civil Engineers needed to increased the capacity of the ducted air system at its Westminster headquarters within a 5-day period, Fläkt Woods rose to the challenge. The building is used all year round as a conference and wedding venue. To accommodate larger groups of people, the capacity of the main reception rooms needed to increase, along with the installation of a new commercial kitchen.

A huge installation of perimeter heating to serve four high-rise buildings in New York has seen Smith’s Fan Convector manufacture 18.3 km of its Sureline perimeter heating. It is part of the refurbishment of four 26-storey buildings that were previously heated electrically. The central plant has a capacity of over 12 MW.

Changing from oil to bulk LPG from Calor for heating its swimming pool and gym area is expected to achieve an 18-month payback on investment for South Lakefield Leisure Village near Carnforth in Lancashire. The site is owned by Pure Leisure Group, which has a long-standing relationship with Calor for supplying bottled gas for heating lodges on its nine parks throughout the UK.

Grundfos has supplied the pumps for the energy centre that supplies district heating for this new £250 million Center Parc in Bedfordshire. This centre will provide for the heat requirements of all areas of the village, including accommodation, via 22 inline circulators and long-coupled vertical multi-stage pumps. There is also a variable-speed Hydro MPCE 4-pump booster set.

Air Design has supplied two ventilation units with heat recovery to Bunn Leisure’s holiday park in Selsey, West Sussex. They serve the main entertainment area of the Waterfront Complex on the West Sands park to provide fresh air to the stage, dance floor and seating areas.

Architectural practice David Morely expects to reduce its water consumption by up to 30% following the installation of a system to recycle shower water to flush two toilets. The reAqua system collects water from showers that were installed as part of a campaign to encourage staff to cycle to work, and uses it to flush toilets on the floor below.

Fire Design Solutions is designing and installing its mechanical and natural smoke-venting systems for a distinctive new housing development in south London. Century House in Bermondsey is a single curved block varying in height from six to nine storeys. There is also car-park extraction system.

Heating and hot-water services for the Mermaid Maternity Retreat on King’s Road in Chelsea are provided by two wall-mounted condensing boilers supplied by Mikrofill and two Rapide Extreme HWS loading cylinders. This specialist non-medical maternity retreat provides a full range of support and wellbeing services. It is also a place to stay and be looked after before and after giving birth.

Two Hoval UltraGas condensing boilers have been installed at the National Gallery to support critical environmental control and improve energy efficiency. Nigel Back of hurleypalmerflatt explains, ‘The base heat loads are met by a CHP unit, but the existing back-up boilers were oversized for meeting additional heat loads, resulting in inefficiencies. We therefore designed a system that would be more efficient and responsive, while also providing the resilience required to maintain the critical internal environment.’

Heating for the ‘residents’ of the new sun bear enclosure, called ‘Bears of the Rising Sun’, at Colchester Zoo and visitors is provided by Caspian high-level fan convectors from Smith’s Environmental Products. There are four units for the bear’s enclosure and three on the public viewing platform. The bears, Jo-Jo and Srey Ya, arrived from Cambodia in 2010, and this new enclosure is designed to meet their physical and behavioural needs.

Delmatic has supplied an integrated network lighting-management system for the new Pudding Mill Lane station of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) in London. It is the largest station on the DLR network and enhances access for people travelling to new entertainment venues in the area and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

Over 500 Ability energy-efficient Evolution 270 EC-DC 4-pipe fan-coil units have been installed in the Moorgate Exchange development in the City of London. Developed to the BREEAM ‘Excellent’ standard, this complex will provide 21 000 m2 of Grade A office accommodation over 12 floors.

The first installation in the UK of a Rinnai KBM continuous-flow water heater also serves underfloor heating. Dave Winrow, who runs Winrow Building Services, was asked by Rinnai to trial this low-NOx water heater. It has been installed into a retail complex that was being refurbished. This former Co-operative building houses a hair salon, separate beauty salon and one other unit.

Some of Costa’s newest UK outlets are protected by Fike’s TwinFlexPro intelligent 2-wire fire-alarm systems. They range from full-size branches to small kiosks. All the systems were supplied, tested and commissioned by Commfire. They were installed by Zero Electrical Design on behalf of Cordery Build, the main shopfitting contractor.

New boilers in North Somerset Council’s Castlewood civic ‘hub’ are expected to reduce energy consumption by at least half — increasing to as much as 75% in the summer. The two Remeha Commercial Gas 610 6-section Eco Pro boilers have replaced two 1 MW pressure-jet boilers.

The NCP car park in Drury Lane, Covent Garden, has been refurbished with variable-speed drives (VSDs) from ABB to give better control of the ventilation system and reduce energy use. NCP wanted to modernise the ventilation of this 330-space car park to meet current demands for energy efficiency and achieve energy savings.