2015 November

Siemens is launching a new range of actuators for its proven Acvatix short stroke valves. The SAS range of compact actuators offers a high positioning force and short running times. These actuators are equipped with a multifunction manual adjuster and an easy-to-read status operation.

The energy-saving benefits of underfloor heating can often compromise response times and the consistency of heat distribution. Ryan Grant of SAV Systems explains how these issues can be resolved with high-heat-dissipation systems

AirSource Ventilation, which makes heat pumps and other products for commercial and industrial heating and air conditioning, is celebrating its first five years in business. Based in Eccles, Manchester, the company was founded by Dave Clayton, Alex Pinchbeck and Andrew Pinchbeck (pictured left to right) in October 2010.

Mitsubishi Electric has produced a free CPD-accredited guide to the new Energy-related Products Directive (ErP 2009/125/EC). The ErP came into effect at the end of September and requires commercial and residential heating products to display an energy label.

Cool-Therm, which specialises in chillers and air conditioning, has opened a new office in the south of England to serve London, the south east and the Home Counties. Headed by southern region manager Steve Soffe (pictured), the branch is at the East Malling Business Centre.

This split-level space-saving fan-coil unit from Advanced Air UK has many applications, but the most popular to date is to fit into wardrobes or cupboards for residential, education, leisure or hotel installations. The lower deck comprises the coil, valves and control, with a slimline connecting duct (about 100 mm deep) to the upper deck, from where the air is discharged.

Riello has introduced low-NOx (less than 80 mg/kWh) ‘blue-flame’ versions to all sizes of its RS range of burners. The use of a low-NOx combustion head ensures emissions conform to EN676 Class 3 in capacities from 3600 to 6260 kW.

Swegon has enhanced the control capabilities of its Parasol comfort module with the introduction of Parasol VAV. Up to eight units can be connected to one common control unit to provide cost-effective variable air volume heating and cooling.

Airflow Developments’ Duplexvent Rotary range is described as representing a significant advance in the compact construction of a high-performance MVHR (mechanical ventilation with heat recovery) system. A rotary thermal wheel can achieve up to 85% heat recovery. Air volumes are from 8000 to 16 000 m3/h, and all units comply with the latest ErP regulations.

Following modifications to its portfolio of manifold solutions, Marflow Hydronics has relaunched them as the Diversiflow range. These manifold systems house all the valves required for a group of terminal units in a single, insulated box that provides easy and convenient access for the commissioning and maintenance of a number of chilled beams or fan-coil units.

Smith’s Fan Convectors has added a concealed version to its range of Caspian commercial fan convectors. A range of accessories enables them to be fitted virtually anywhere and to face in any direction. Jim Smith, sales and marketing director, explained, ‘The Caspian Concealed has been developed to bring a much-requested addition to the Caspian commercial range of fan convectors. It came about following customer enquiries for large projects that need more innovative heating solutions for their existing listed buildings.’ They are compatible with any wet heating system, including heat pumps.

Daikin Applied UK has extended its range of chillers with multi scroll compressors using R410A. Air-cooled chillers offer cooling capacities of 75 to 150 kW. Water-cooled chillers and heat pumps have cooling capacities from 90 to 720 kW and heating from 234 to 916 kW with a compact footprint.

Sentinel’s X100 inhibitor for chilled-water systems features a carefully prepared blend of TripleTech (Sentinel’s trade name) anti-corrosion technology and a formula of heavy-duty, specialist corrosion inhibitors. It is free of nitrites, which can give rise to bacterial contamination of chilled-water systems. X100 offers corrosion protection for all system metals found in chillers — such as mild steel, copper and aluminium — while avoiding bio-fouling of system water.

By separating the compressor stage and heat-rejection functions of VRV air conditioning, Daikin Europe has made it possible to install the compressor unit indoors and the heat-rejection unit close to the facade, with only the grilles visible from outside, or in a ceiling void with a ducted connection to the outside. Up to 10 indoor units can be served.

Replacement grilles for Mitsubishi Electric ceiling cassettes can be automatically lowered on any ceiling up to 4 m high so that filters can be cleaned by someone standing on the floor. The PLP-6BAJ grilled can be fitted as a replacement for any PLA or standard-size PLFY models of 4-way-blow cassettes.

HygroMatik’s HeaterLine range of resistive steam humidifiers is designed for applications such as medical environments, clean rooms, data centres, museums and galleries. These units are available in nine sizes with steam outputs of 6 to 225 kg/h. Steam output of over 45 kg/h is obtained by using multiple units in parallel. They can be operated with completely demineralised, partially softened water or tap water.

Gilberts of Blackpool has developed an approach to delivering effective, compliant ventilation of multi-occupancy rooms that is simple to install. Mistrale Fusion is a stand-alone unit that is installed through a wall and protrudes into the room; it does not require additional ductwork or plant. Its internal fan costs less than £5 a year to run.

To prevent condensation forming on the detector lenses and reflective prisms of its Fireray optical-beam smoke detectors, Fire Fighting Enterprises has developed a range of heaters to circulate warm air over the lens. Condensation has a similar effect to smoke and can cause false alarms.

Pegler Yorkshire has prepared a brochure on its Terrier range of radiator valves that includes system-design considerations, benefits and cost savings of TRVs, installation instructions and flow charts. It provides a comprehensive overview of valves, how and why they should be incorporated into a heating system and what savings they can achieve.

Zehnder, which specialises in indoor-climate control, has re-launched its UK web site, with improved navigation and functionality throughout. Customers can access detailed product information and videos across multiple platforms. The site can be accessed via a computer, table or smartphone.

The Grundfos Product Center represents a significant update of the long-established WebCAPS and WinCAPS pump-selection tools. During a period of extensive development this new selection tool has built on the positive elements from its predecessors and incorporated new aspects.

Vogue (UK) has published a new brochure on its range of luxury heating solutions, which includes designer radiators and towel warmers. This 142-page brochure is organised into six product collections covering contemporary, ladder rails, traditional, designer radiators electric and additions.

BSRIA has published an introduction to building-performance evaluation (BPE) for non-domestic buildings that explains why it is important and how it can be carried out. BPE is a key element of the BSRIA soft-landings process to help deliver a building that meets the performance as expected and deliver an effective and efficient building.

Contributing to the energy-efficiency of the fan-coil heating and cooling system for the £80 million Building 7 at Chiswick Park are 1060 Modula Compact units from Frese. The valves for this 12-storey 31 000 m2 office building, the largest building on the Chiswick Park development, were supplied complete with metering station and solder union couplings.

FDS Consult, which specialises in fire engineering, has provided a bespoke fire-safety solution for a luxury residential project in London to reduce costs. Capital Towers in Stratford is due for completion by mid-2016 and will comprise two towers with a total of 174 apartments. One tower will be 14 storeys high, and the other 32 storeys high. The project is being developed by Galliard Homes and is designed by architects Stockwool.

This recent addition to the Scottish tourist scene, the Kelpies in Falkirk, opened 18 months ago, is now expected to attract a million visitors a year. The main attraction (pictured) is the two 30 m-high 300 t sculptures of horses’ heads. The name Kelpies is a derivation from mythical beasts which it was said possessed the strength and endurance of 10 horses.

Rehau has supplied 7 km of its Rauthermex pre-insulated polymer pipework for what the company believes is one of the largest polymer district-heating networks in the UK. Heat is provided by four Guntamatic Pro 249 kW wood-pellet boilers supported by a 3 MW LPG boiler system to serve 45 buildings around the 125-acre Soho Farmhouse estate and members’ club in Great Tew, Oxfordshire.

Remeha gas-fired high-efficiency condensing boilers have been installed in two boiler plant rooms at the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth to deliver space heating for Wales’s primary research library and archive. This replacement boiler plant comprises Gas 310 and 610 Eco Pro.

A replacement Toshiba air-conditioning system installed at Thorpe Park in Leeds is equipped with the new generation of touchscreen Smart Touch controllers (pictured). They give engineers and building managers immediate access to system controls, setpoints and a comprehensive range of diagnostic and analytical tools via a colour high-definition screen.

Fire Design Solutions (FDS) has been appointed to design, supply, install and commission mechanical smoke ventilation and car-park smoke-ventilation system for a luxury residential development in West London. Redrow’s Royal Waterside project in the Park Royal area consists of 265 residences — including studios, apartments and penthouses. A range of amenities includes farmers’ markets, music venues and Michelin-starred restaurants nearby.

As part of a major renovation of old industrial units to create a new headquarters, SmarTrack, which specialises in tracking vehicles and assets has installed Powrmatic’s Midea heat-pump air conditioners. They were supplied by the climate-control division of Tidyco.

With no existing HVAC infra-structure existing when a major film-production company converted a factory building in London into individual sections to create a film set, Carrier Rental Systems (UK) was called in to supply temporary cooling, heating and ventilation. The facilities also included workshops, dressing rooms and a technical centre.

At the heart of a range of energy-efficient technologies at the Salmon Lake Centre and Ballecregga Tea Rooms on the Isle of Man is a Mitsubishi Electric City Multi WR2 heat-pump system that uses the salmon lake as a source for heating and to reject heat when cooling. Electricity for the system is provided by a 10 kW turbine in the nearby Laxey river. The project won an award for the best innovation in the private sector of the Isle of Man’s energy awards for 2015.

Internet sites seem to have an uncanny perception of what regular users would like to know about. Andrew Dyke of ABEC likens it to what can be achieved with a building-management system.

Sontay’s ST-Touch touchscreen thermostat is available in 4-pipe and programmable versions to monitor and control heating and cooling. These devices have a sleek design and are only 12.5 mm deep to sit on a wall or be flush mounted. They have a backlit LED display.

Carlo Gavazzi’s VMU-Y EM gateway provides a scalable solution for monitoring a single site or multiple sites and installations. This device is enclosed in a 2-unit DIN module and can aggregate information for up to 10 VMU-C EM units within a single centralised interface. This effectively enables up to 320 meters to be monitored and the information accessed from any computer using a web browser.

Sauter’s ecos504 room controller integrates the automatic control of lighting and sunshades into room-climate regulation. In modern buildings in particular, energy consumption is reduced considerably and comfort for occupants improved.

This controller from Panasonic has an innovative interface that is easy to use and which offers full functionality with an integrated timer and system controller to manage heating and cooling systems. The digital screen and large, simple buttons of the CZ-64ESMC3 make it much easier to use, even for those without experience of heating and cooling systems.

The LiveLink light-management system is the result of co-operation between lighting-technology company Trilux and sensor specialist Steinel. The system is based on the DALI standard and offers optimally matched hardware components and intelligent, intuitively operated software tools.

Following reliability issues with its BMS installed in the 1990s, Westminster Abbey in London has undergone a retrofit using Priva Blue ID. As a result of the project, temperature control is far more efficient and the extensive and laborious checks previously required are no longer. Some tasks have been reduced from hours to seconds.

As technology advances, we are now able to obtain more information than ever before from Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS). However, as Steve Browning of Trend Control Systems argues that before thinking about collecting data, it is important to plan ahead and consider what it will be used for and what it will help to achieve.

Cisco is a global leader in IT and has its European headquarters located at Bedfont Lakes, near Heathrow Airport in the UK. The 12 000 m2 building is part of Cisco’s Smart+Connected Communities (S+CC), a global initiative using the network as the platform to enable economic, social and environmental sustainability and transform cities and countries into connected communities.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is having a big impact on the world of building controls. Sandy Damm of Sontay, looks at the how this will affect the future of the industry and how sensors will have to be smarter to deal with the increasing demands for more data.

Navid Mehr of Distech Controls explains why it is important for system integrators and building-services consultants to consider specifying a modular control system that is easily adjustable and adaptable to the changing needs of the building and its occupants.

Siemens Building Technologies has added four controllers for VAV (variable air volume) systems to its OpenAir range, along with a robust handheld operating unit. The new products are aimed firmly at the VAV market and support all major communications protocols — including KNX, BACnet and Modbus. They therefore integrate seamlessly into any application and system, including those from third-party vendors.

Rinnai continuous-flow water heaters can be fully connected with building-management systems across multiple platforms — including popular protocols such as Modbus and BACnet. No longer need water heaters be isolated in lonely plant rooms.

The mass of data that is available from a building-management system is largely wasted. Rachel Cooper of Schneider Electric looks at how it can be put to good use.

Kevin Sheldrake of Carlo Gavazzi explains why a joined-up approach to controls for services such as HVAC and lighting results in better long-term building performance.

Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, has been named a leader for the second year running in the Green Quadrant report on building energy management software prepared by independent analyst Verdantix. The result was due to Verdantix’s review of the energy-management and sustainability platform StruxureWare Resource Advisor, which was again rated best in class for its strength in the categories of carbon-reporting functionality, energy procurement, risk management and utility-bill management.

Sauter’s Vison Center software enables the entire building automation system to be monitored and optimised in any place, at any time, and on any device using any platform. Version 3 uses IT standards such as HTML 5 and is completely web-based.

Steve Harrison of the Building Controls Industry Association explains why data visualisation is the key to helping building managers get the most from the information from their BEMS.