2024 September

Rinnai’s Tony Gittings looks at the future demand and effects of air cooling on domestic and commercial properties across the UK and Europe. As global temperatures increase, air conditioning units will likely become a requirement for UK and European domiciles and the built environment. What will the effect of air cooling be upon the national electrical grid and UK/ European NetZero ambitions?

The finalists for the 2024 CSA Awards are here. Read on to find out more...

According to the latest government data, the UK has around 380,000 listed buildings. While owners have the benefit of living or working in property deemed to have special architectural or historical interest and, in some cases, being of national importance, renovating these prestigious buildings in a way that preserves their heritage can be a highly complex process. Tony Pollard, Contracts Manager at Nu Construction, explores the  complexities of renovating listed buildings and the benefits of working with a trusted and established heritage construction specialist.

Stephanie Trotter, OBE, President & Director of CO-Gas Safety, answers some vital questions around carbon monoxide in buildings.

Light Forms has illuminated the delicious rings of Krispy Kreme’s new flagship store on the iconic Oxford Street, London. As the go-to lighting supplier for the global doughnut brand for the last three years, Light Forms has continued to transform and enrich these renowned retail spaces through its made-to-measure, high performance lighting solutions.

Lucent Lighting has completed a project at the Ritz-Carlton Amman in Jordan. The brand new hotel sets the standard in elegance as a unique Middle Eastern destination for leisure and business guests. Home to over 200 guest rooms, a spa, a state-of-the-art fitness centre and a wide range of dining venues, the Ritz-Carlton Amman Hotel offers guests unrivalled luxury.

Zumtobel has provided a fresh lighting solution for Capital One at its European headquarters at Trent House, Nottingham.

Rinnai Low-GWP 50kW Heat Pump, bespoke thermal stores, Plate Heat Exchangers and ten cascaded I2HY20 Hydrogen- ready continuous flow water heaters specified at new development in the heart of Farringdon district of London.

Rinnai and Naked Energy have collaborated to introduce a whitepaper as a precursor to a CIBSE certified CPD, the paper entitled Sustainable Synergy: Integrating Heat Pumps and Solar Thermal to Satisfy the Hot Water Needs of an archetype hotel. This paper and CPD can be preregistered for at https://www.rinnai-uk.co.uk/contact-us/Solar-thermal-and-heat-pump.

Now is the time to register for Smart Buildings Show 2024 which has announced an impressive conference programme featuring industry leading speakers who will tackle all of today’s big issues head on.

Click Scolmore was the preferred supplier of electrical accessories for a prestigious single-phase build to rent development in London.

BREng has completed a high efficiency HVAC system based on heat pumps, natural ventilation and solar PV for a new state-of-the-art sustainable garden centre in Tingley, near Leeds.

Elta Group has announced the acquisition of Air Movement Supplies (AMS) in Ireland.

CIBSE has launched a new initiative titled ‘Building Performance Reimagined’, a visionary project aimed at transforming the landscape of building engineering and sustainability.

Engineering services alliance Actuate UK has warmly welcomed the landmark report ‘At a Crossroads: Pathways to a Net Zero Future’ published by the Mission Zero Coalition. The report throws a spotlight on clean energy and power generation. The engineering services industry, as part of the supply chain, is key to delivering this aspect of the UK’s Net Zero ambitions.

Daniel Ross, Associate Director at Harley Haddow, explains why decarbonising existing buildings is crucial for the UK’s climate goals.

Griff Thomas, Managing Director at GTEC & Heatly, both part of the United Living Group, looks at the positive landscape for heat pump engineers and why anyone still on the fence should really ignore last ditch attempts of sabotage by the heat pump hating section of the UK media.

Paul Downing, Principal Consultant at Compliance (Air and Water) and member of the of the inaugural 1998 HVCA (Now BESA) Ventilation Hygiene Branch, outlines the amendments to section 11 in the April 2024 first edition of TR19 AIR, rebranded and titled ‘Specification for Internal Cleanliness and Hygiene Management of Ventilation Systems’.

The new Labour administration quickly committed itself to ‘get Britain building again’, but will it also recognise the contribution the building services industry can make to addressing the huge social issues of health and wellbeing? David Frise, CEO of BESA, looks at the main issues that need to be addressed.

Tom Adlington, Sector Manager for Building Services & Construction at Aggreko, explores what the term ‘zero carbon’ really means for new building projects, and highlights the potential for battery energy storage systems to help slash emissions during the construction phase.

According to the latest government data, the UK has around 380,000 listed buildings. While owners have the benefit of living or working in property deemed to have special architectural or historical interest and, in some cases, being of national importance, renovating these prestigious buildings in a way that preserves their heritage can be a highly complex process. Tony Pollard, Contracts Manager at Nu Construction, explores the  complexities of renovating listed buildings and the benefits of working with a trusted and established heritage construction specialist.

Allied Telesis will be exhibiting at Smart Buildings Show, 9th- 10th October, ExCel London, showcasing products and technologies providing IoT and SDN-enabled solutions for enterprise, government, education and critical infrastructure customers.

At InstallerSHOW, Panasonic unveiled the new Aquarea M Series range of air source heat pumps with T-CAP technology, developed to meet the decarbonisation challenge. The new range uses R290 refrigerant which has a low GWP of only 3.

Fujitsu General Air Conditioning UK has added a new ‘soft black’ version to its AIRSTAGE wall mount range that can be connected to split and multi-split systems.

Taconova has launched a new sustainable heat interface unit (HIU) that encourages the transition from gas-powered communal heating systems to a modern central heating system with minimal renovation work in apartments.

Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning Europe has announced the launch of air365 Max, a new top-flow variable refrigerant flow (VRF) air conditioning system.

Altecnic has launched the sixth issue of its technical journal, Idronics UK. This latest edition focuses on heat pump systems, providing essential information on air-to-water heat pump design, advice on componentry and relevant updates for the industry.

TRILUX has delivered a premium grade Cat A lighting fit-out in the bustling heart of London's South Bank.

The UK is way behind when it comes to heat pump adoption. At the top of the leader board last year was France with 500,000* installs, we sat at around 60,000, falling well short of our own heat pumps targets. Paul Smith, Managing Director of NIBE, considers the factors stalling take-up and what we can learn from more energetic markets.

 Neil Saunders, Sales and Marketing Director at Vokèra by Riello, Carrier RLC EMEA, explains why hybrid-ready boilers offer an efficient, cost effective stop-gap solution for heating and hot water without replacing radiators or upgrading a building’s fabric.

Mike Gosling TIFireE, Technical Director at TROX UK, looks at the new guidance for meeting Building Safety Act 2022 requirements.

The J & E Hall CellarPlus cooling system has been chosen by refrigeration and air conditioning contractor PAR Services to ensure cold beer on-tap for the thousands of visitors at Doncaster Rovers Football Club.

Baxi has announced a record sponsorship deal with EFL Championship newcomers Oxford United Football Club, which will see the company become the men’s and women’s teams’ principal partner from the start of the 2024/25 season.

The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) Scotland has presented a cheque for £362 to the cancer charity Maggie’s.

New research has revealed that 20% of building service engineers are unfamiliar with the UK Building Regulations’ Approved Document O, which addresses overheating in buildings – and almost half (46%) claim to understand the theory behind it but are unsure how to put it into practice.

Siderise has announced its Innovation Centre has achieved UKAS ISO 17025 accreditation, validating that it operates with the highest technical competency and generates reliable results.

Baxi has announced the arrival of its Auriga HP+ R290 (propane) high temperature air- to-water monobloc heat pump range.

As the requirement for businesses to meet and evidence sustainable energy management compliance evolves, Carbon Numbers has released a pioneering software solution to support and evidence organisational efficiency, cost savings and carbon reduction.

Sustainability remains a hot topic but when it comes to mapping out a sustainable future or working towards Net Zero, everyone has a different challenge to face.