2019 June

In May, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) proposed new ambitious targets for the government to reduce greenhouse gases to zero by 2050. The CCC report Net Zero – the UK’s contribution to stopping climate change calls for the UK to adopt a new, zero greenhouse gas emission target by 2050 and large-scale low or zero-carbon heating installation by 2030.

In the wake of the recent insolvency statistics published by Office of National Statistics (ONS) the Specialist Engineering Contractors’ (SEC) Group has called for urgent action on measures to tighten payment security.

Highly respected businessman and electrical engineer Jim Pridham of JR Pridham Services, has become ECA President.

The UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) has delivered a framework for the UK construction and property industry to transition new and existing buildings to becoming net zero carbon by 2050, to meet the ambitions of the Paris Climate Agreement.

Incoming CIBSE President Professor Lynne Jack outlined the growing relevance of building services engineers to the challenges facing both national and international societies in her inaugural address.

The winners of the 2019 Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) Awards were announced at an exclusive ceremony 09 May at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole.

BSRIA’s annual World BACS study for 2018 shows that the global market for BACS products grew by an estimated 4% annual growth rate (AGR) to reach more than US $6.3 billion in 2018 and is forecast to reach US $7.8 billion in 2023. This in turn supports the larger market for value added services and maintenance.

Japan’s largest housebuilder has taken a 35% equity stake in the modular arm of UK developer Urban Splash. The multi-million pound investment will see Sekisui House work with Urban Splash and Homes England to deliver thousands of new homes.

Willmott Dixon has selected REL Building Services to deliver the M&E package for a new £12m facility at the University of Hertfordshire.

Virgin founder and world-famous marketeer Richard Branson wants the air conditioning market to make radical technical changes, but Daikin Applied UK’s James Henley* believes that manufacturers are already on the right track.

The judging for the 2019 CSA Awards took place on 14th May at the CSA’s headquarters in Horsham. The judges worked hard through an extensive manual of entries – with all agreeing that this year has seen some of the highest-quality entries since the Awards were established.

Colin Goode asks some searching questions about the design of air conditioning systems in a market that has some pretty tough demands.

The recently published BSRIA market intelligence study on the global air conditioning (AC) market continued to show growth in 2018. Karen Fletcher looks at the figures.

Martin Fahey examines the wellbeing arguments for effective use of modern cooling technologies.

Steven Booth explains that some of the common practices employed during pre-commissioning cleaning have the potential to introduce problems rather than solve them.

In May, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) effectively put Government on the spot with a remarkable recommendation that the UK moves rapidly towards a ‘zero net carbon’ economy. Paul Reeve of the ECA examines the implications.

Mark Todd, chairman of the Commissioning Specialists Association, explains why BiPolar UK is his chosen charity for this year.

London’s Danubius Hotel upgraded its boilers with a space-saving solution to provide a reliable flow of hot water for demanding clientele.

Maintaining a comfortable environment for shoppers in a retail ‘shed’ can be challenging. Ian Dagley explains how a flexible approach helps to address these challenges

Educational facilities are rapidly evolving to accommodate new technologies, different ways of learning and environmental concerns. Toby Buckley explains the impact of these factors on building services design and installation.

Paul Arnold reports on a recent project for Wolves FC, where heating is ensuring the stadium is match fit.

Adrian Walker discusses how the UK’s shifting energy sources and decarbonisation of the grid are changing the choices for heating in sectors such as hotels, schools and leisure centres.

Reports from Deloitte and Barbour ABI highlight growth in the construction sector in spite of the challenging economic conditions and Brexit.

18-20 June 2019, ExCeL London

Rinnai has just completed the installation of two HDC1500i continuous flow hot water heating units at a busy laundrette serving businesses and the public in Stafford. The existing system was a heated stored water system – this meant that the site was paying to heat water it was not instantly using.

The successful Regional French television channel, France 3 Normandie, is moving its headquarters to a new building in Rouen. Once the space is delivered in June 2019, its occupants will benefit from a state-of-the-art building management system (BMS) that integrates a range of Sontay Smart sensors.

Trox has been selected by BAM Construction to supply PWX fan coils for the second building at Paradise, Birmingham - Two Chamberlain Square. The 183,000 sq ft office building, the vision of Glenn Howells Architects, will join the first building in offering a cumulative 350,000 sq ft of Grade 1 office space as part of the Paradise masterplan.

Spirotech has re-engineered its fully automatic SpiroVent Superior vacuum degassers, introducing two new models with increased performance and ‘intelligent’ controls.

Fujitsu General Air Conditioning has extended its UK product range with the addition of Clint and Montair liquid chillers, furthering a partnership formed in November 2017 between Fujitsu General Limited and G.I Holdings for commercial business development.

Lochinvar has supplied two high efficiency gas-fired EcoSword water heaters to the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel, which forms an integral part of the multi-sport Stadium MK in Milton Keynes – home of the MK Dons Football Club and the Marshall Arena.

Swegon has introduced a new range of controlled mechanical ventilation units with high efficiency heat recovery to the UK market.

Rinnai, manufacturer of continuous flow hot water heating units and systems, is now offering free training courses to any installer or contractor who wants to extend their business and offer service and maintenance to their customers.

Viega has extended its Megapress S range with press connections for pipe sizes between 3/8 and 2-inch diameter. Megapress S features a fluoroelastomer (FKM) sealing element and has been engineered for high temperature applications up to 140oC and pressures up to 16 bar.

Carlo Gavazzi’s range of SIU-MBM Gateway products offers a simple solution for integration of MBus products, with devices that support Modbus over TCP/IP.