HVCA president reports excellent progress on combined M&E working rule agreement
John Miller, president of the Heating & Ventilating Contractors Association has restated the associations commitment to reforming and reshaping the industrial-relations culture across building-services engineers and to the work being undertaken to harmonise employment terms and conditions across the mechanical and electrical sectors.
ADCAS revisits the issue of non-standard duct sizes
In the face of mounting evidence that some system designers are increasingly using non-standard sizes of ductwork, ADCAS (Association of Ductwork Contractors & Allied Services) is renewing its initiative to rationalise the standard sizes of circular ductwork.
Energy Institute reaches agreement to issue Energy Performance Certificates in Scotland
The Energy Institute (EI) has signed a protocol with the Scottish Buildings Standards Agency (SBSA) to recognise suitably qualified members from the EIs register of energy consultants to be accredited to issue Energy Performance Certificates in Scotland.
Training-award winners help promote building-services engineering in schools
To promote building-services engineering as a career, four winners of last years National Training Awards organised by SummitSkills, have visited their former schools to act as ambassadors for the industry.
Ecobuild maps the way to a sustainable future
Ecobuild returns to Earls Court in London from 26 to 28 February with over twice as many exhibitors as last year and more free seminars - over 75 compared with 60 last year.
NG Bailey continues its acquisition programme
NG Bailey has strengthened its ICT and building-services capability with the acquisition of s2s. This company is an IP security-focused managed-services provider with a turnover of £7 million.
Electricians go south
Taking a break from testing and inspecting all fixed electrical systems at the Rothera Research Station of the British Antarctic Survey are Jason Faulkner (left) and Asa Downing, two electricians from the Ipswich branch of Inviron Building Systems.
BESCA approved to accredit energy assessors
BESCA (Building Services Competence Accreditation Ltd) has been approved by the Department for Communities & Local Government to operate an accreditation scheme for energy assessors.
The ups and downs of new construction orders
New construction orders in the year to November 2007were virtually the same as the previous year, rising by just 1%. There was a 3% rise compared with the previous three months and a rise of 5% compared with the same three months a year earlier according to figures from the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform.
Fläkt Woods sales team pedals its way to charity fund raising
Fläkt Woods sales team pedals its way to charity fund raising
Aqua Mechanical Services wins major Colchester project
Willmott Dixon Construction has appointed Aqua Mechanical Services as M&E design and install contractor for the redevelopment of Colchester Institute.
Calorex is Copeland manufacturer of the year
Copeland Compressors has named Calorex Heat Pumps as its manufacturer of the year. The award is for outstanding performance across a broad business spectrum.The award caps a year for Calorex that saw this energy specialist smash through the million kWh mark of measured ground-source heat-pump performance data by extending its award-winning range of units.
Haden Young MD raises £30 000 for Marie Curie Cancer Care
Haden Youngs managing director David Beck (right) recently donned overalls for two days on site as part of Marie Curie Cancer Cares Back to the shop floor campaign at the new Birmingham Hospital Project, where Haden Young is designing and installing all building services and raised £30 509 for the charity. The cheque was received by Christine Brown, Marie Curie community fundraiser (left) and Ann Brown, nurse of the year.
BSRIA opens office in China
BSRIA has opened a subsidiary office in Beijing in China to act as a local hub for China and the wider Asia region. The office will provide dedicated market research and a window to other BSRIA services.
DCLG approves CIBSE's scheme for low-carbon energy assessors
CIBSEs scheme for low-carbon energy assessors has been approved by the Department for Communities & Local Government. CIBSE accreditation is now accepted as a qualification for the following work.
Balfour Kilpatrick wins Durham school contract
Balfour Kilpatrick has won a £4.6 million contract to provide M&E services for a new replacement secondary school in Durham. The 3-storey building will accommodate 1450 pupils and replace the existing building of Johnston School.
Davis Langdon appointed to City College, Norwich
Project and cost consultant Davis Langdon has been appointed to provide consultancy services on the planned £215 million revamp of City College in Norwich. The firms Norwich office will provide project management, CDM co-ordination and cost-management services on the project, which will increase the capacity of East Anglias largest college from 16 000 to 20 000 students.
Virtual-reality game aims to show the realities of climate change
The National Energy Foundation has launched a virtual-reality computer game in schools across England as part of a programme to change attitudes to climate change.
Ground-source heat pumps deliver over 20% renewable energy for Stockport school
With a heating/cooling capacity of 360 kW, the ground-source heat-pump system at the new Stockport Academy is the largest such system designed by Buro Happold. James Dickinson, David Bell and Elaine Bissell outline the scheme and associated plant.
Maximising the efficiency of warm-air heating
Energy-efficient warm-air heating of large commercial and industrial buildings can be effectively achieved using recuperative plate heat exchangers within air-handling units. Andrew Patch explains.
Progressing with the Code for Sustainable Homes
The Code for Sustainable Homes will soon start to have more effect — as Robin Wood explains.
Progressing with the Code for Sustainable Homes (not this one)
The Code for Sustainable Homes will soon start to have more effect — as Robin Wood explains.
The new age of Energy Certificates for Buildings
Do you know your EPCs from your DECs? John Fallon unravels the jargon and outlines the two new types of certificates, when they apply and their significance.
Sophisticated control for natural ventilation
A method of controlling natural air movement to ventilate buildings is recognised by the Energy Technology and, therefore, qualifies for Enhanced Capital Allowances.
It’s easy to get greener
Display Energy Certificates for buildings are intended to stimulate reductions in their energy consumption. Lisa Wilkinson discusses the role of monitoring an targeting to improve the operational rating of buildings.
Exploiting the benefits of renewable energy
Before going for renewable-energy sources to improve a building’s energy certificate, make sure your building is ready first, says John Bailey.
Delivering Energy Performance Certificates for buildings
Energy Performance Certificates for Buildings will not just happen from April. Hywel Davies explains how readers of Modern Building Services can become involved in assessing the energy performance of buildings and issuing certificates.
Hamworthy selects Roth collectors for commercial solar solution
Hamworthy Heating now offers Roth solar panels as part of its renewables option for commercial heating and hot-water systems.
Shape up to energy ratings of buildings with free guide
To help those involve in the industry to find their way around the building-certification process and likely future legislation, environmental-control specialist Mitsubishi Electric has produced a free, independent guide to Building Energy Ratings.
Ground-source heating and cooling helps achieve BREEAM excellent rating
Underfloor heating and cooling, combined with ground-source heat pumps, are reducing energy consumption and carbon-dioxide emissions by 30 to 40% for the new £18 million headquarters of Gloucestershire Constabulary. This sustainable solution played a key role in this PFI project receiving a BREEAM excellent rating.
Variable-speed drives slash running costs of AHU
Since the installation of two ABB variable-speed drives at a block of managed business premises in Monmouthshire, the running cost of the air-handling unit has been reduced by over 70%. Costs have been reduced by over £6000 a year, and carbon-dioxide emissions reduced by 12 t a year.
Vaillant launches a new flat-plate solar collector
Vaillants new auroTHERM plus VFK 990 flat-plate solar collectors can be connected in series in horizontal or vertical orientation to suit the available roof space. These collectors have a special anti-reflex coated toughened 4 mm-thick glass. The collector consists of an ultrasonically welded copper grid with a high selective absorber coating and 60 mm of rear and side insulation.
The role of energy-efficient ventilation
With buildings generating almost half of the UK’s carbon emissions, building services consultants have a unique role in both creating and assessing a low-carbon environment. Nygel Humphrey explains how energy-efficient ventilation can contribute to this vision.
Country club has energy efficiency down to a tee
Replacing two old cast-iron boilers with two Ultramax 381 gas-fired condensing boilers from MHS has reduced energy costs for a private golf and country club in Cornwall by 16%. The payback period for the China Fleet Country Club will be within 3.5 years.
Hoval moves into the solar hot water business
Hovals SolKit is a highly efficient solar system for generating domestic hot water for commercial and residential applications. It comprises solar collectors with bracketry and flashing kits for on pitched roof, in-pitched roof, on flat roof or on the wall. The system also includes a stainless-steel cylinder, sophisticated plug-and-play digital-control system, pre-mixed heat-transfer fluid and all connections.
Hamworthy moves into biomass boilers
Hamworthy Heating has joined forces with Rural Energy to offer a comprehensive and practical solution to using biomass boilers.
A certification scheme for HVAC controls
Chris Monson explains the philosophy behind a European-wide scheme for certifying the performance of building controls.
Wireless technology opens up more control opportunities
By eliminating wiring costs, wireless sensors can increase the scope and flexibility of building-management systems — especially if they do not need batteries. Armin Ander explains.
Monitoring lifts using a web browser reduces costs
Liftstores CMS Anywhere software monitors the performance of lifts in a building and provides alerts to potential problems and breakdowns.
The BACnet solution for the effective management of building systems
The BACnet protocol for building systems does not impose a cost premium for achieving open functionality. Steve Loughney explains.
Balancing the challenges and realities of integrated systems in 2008
David Epps offers a perspective on building controls that not only deliver balance-sheet value but that help companies deliver on their HSE and CSR policies.
New hotel enjoys the benefits of Honeywell control system
Honeywell equipment meets the control requirements of the new Cotswold Water Park Four Pillars Hotel in Gloucestershire. This hotel has 220 guest bedrooms, a range of light and airy conference, banqueting and meeting rooms, gymnasium, lakeside restaurant and 10 separate 2-bedroom suites.
Advancing the capabilities of DALI lighting control
The first project in the world to use Helvars Digidim router for controlling lighting is the total refurbishment of the landmark Blekholmen premises in Stockholm, taking DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) to a new level.
Honeywell brings a Smile to weather-compensated control
Honeywells Smile controller provides weather-compensated heating control in buildings that are too small for a building-management system but too large for domestic-type controls. It provides similar capabilities to the Honeywell Aquatrol 2000, which has provided weather-compensated heating control for many years.
Keep Keen scores a winner at new Doncaster stadium
Keep Keen Controls has installed a control system from Priva Building Intelligence at the new £32 million Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster. The controls design included interfacing with 150 Mitsubishi split air-conditioning systems.
Occupancy sensors control lighting in self-storage warehouse
To controlled lighting in little-visited areas of its self-storage warehouse in Bridgwater, UK Storage has installed Danlers PIR occupancy switches.
Siemens controllers hit the eu.bac mark
Design RXC controllers from Siemens Building Technologies for terminal units are among the first devices to achieve certification and be allowed to use the eu.bac logo (see page 33 for more information on eu.bac). This accreditation proves that these controllers provide energy-efficient control and can be a major factor in reducing a buildings carbon footprint.
Cable management
Legrand has launched an engineering manual on CD-ROM containing detailed information on how to plan and safely install cable-management systems from its Swifts, Salamandre and Arena-Walsall ranges.
Understanding anti-scald products
Intatec has developed an e-learning web site covering the accurate specification and installation of anti-scald products. This online training programme covers the essentials of anti-scald, including TMV2 and TMV3 applications, with information presented in easily digestible sections.
Lighting products
JCC Lightings latest catalogue (number 21) of lighting products contains over 500 pages of products and accessories and is the companys biggest to date, containing everything a contractor needs for all lighting applications.
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