2006 August

The Government is to cut planning restrictions on micro-renewable technology as a new report proposes streamlining the planning system for household applications.

The top of Baskerville House in Birmingham, which is currently undergoing a massive £30 million transformation by developer Targetfollow provides a view of the city’s ever-changing skyline for an SES site supervisor. The Birmingham office of building-services provider SES is part of a joint venture with Alfred McAlpine Plc and is nearing the end of the £6.1 million programme for installing and commissioning mechanical and electrical services.

The 50 000th Engineering Services SKILLcard, the personnel-registration scheme for the mechanical sector, is presented to Jak Nazha (right), a project engineer with HVCA member Michael J. Lonsdale Ltd of Slough by Phil Hope, MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary at the Department for Education & Skills. The presentation of the platinum SKILLcard was made during a recent meeting in the House of Commons of the All-Party Parliamentary Building Services Engineering Group.

Mitsubishi Electric is hosting a series of CPD-approved seminars to help consultants and contractors understand the issues surrounding the requirement for renewable energy that will dominate building and planning permission in the future.

Dalkia is working with Martin McColl to provide a comprehensive facilities-management solution for 1300 stores — which include Martin’s, McColls’s and RS McColl.

‘A better construction industry, a better built environment, a better deal for members and a better outcome for the client,’ have been highlighted by the new president of the Heating & Ventilation Contractors’ Association, Mike McCloskey, as the association’s key goals during his presidential year.

Progress to building up the Low Carbon Consultants Register by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers has got off to a flying start. Demand for training leading to the exam to enter the register has exceeded expectations, with the first course having started in the middle of July.

White Young Green has been appointed by Croydon Council to provide civil, structural and building-engineering services for a new £2.1 million project in Addington to provide training opportunities for adults.

Graphisoft, a major supplier of 3D model-based software and technological services for the built environment, has pledged its support to educational institutions in Britain with the donation of over £250 million-worth of software, support and study curriculum programmes over the next five years.

Clyde Combustions has revamped itself as Clyde Energy Solutions — and defined a new approach and expanded its range of products and services.

BSRIA’s new ‘Design framework for building services’ was launched by Nick Raynsford, MP, at the first meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Building Services Engineering Group.

People passing by Harrods in London’s Knightsbridge can note this display of LG Art Cool air-conditioning units in one of the windows. It is sizable display, at 2280 mm wide, 2050 mm high and 550 mm deep and features Art Cool units with mirror surfaces and subdued pastels.

With the development of a new range of rooftop air conditioning units, Lennox has attempted to redefine standards for energy efficiency.

Refrigeration and air-conditioning contractors should welcome the mass of new regulations facing the sector, according to GRAEME FOX

The delivery of low-energy buildings that interact with the environment is just one of the factors that will influence the design of office lighting, as HUGH KING explains.

As a result of recent and forthcoming changes in legislation, sending discharge lamps to landfill will soon be a thing of the past. BRYAN NEILL discusses the implications of these changes and the emergence of recycling as the only feasible route for lamp disposal.

NEIL JONES examines the philosophy behind the use of controls to realise better lit buildings and lower energy consumption.

A Government report that looks 30 to 40 years ahead surely ought to transcend politics. ‘The energy challenge’ identifies the right buttons. Time will tell if the will exists to press them.

The architect with Barrow Borough Council charged with seven cases of manslaughter following an outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease in Barrow in 2002 has been found not guilty. However, Gillian Beckingham was found guilty of breaches of health-and-safety laws and fined £15 000. Her employer was fined £125 000.

OCS Engineering has been launched as a new company to replace what was formerly the technical division of OCS — the £600 million property support services company that delivers ‘one complete solution’.

The status of professional engineers has been acknowledged by the UK financial-services industry with their acceptance as certifiers of documentary evidence of customer identity — as might be required to open a bank account or take out a loan. Until recently, professional engineers were not accepted by the banking industry as certifiers of documentary evidence of customer identity.

Building Engineering Services Training (BEST), the training subsidiary of HVCA, has announced a 3-year plan to consolidate its position as the preferred supplier of training to the building-engineering-services sector.

The industry’s specification for sheet-metal ducting (DW/144) is being revised by the technical committee of the ductwork group of the Heating & Ventilating Contractors’ Association. Proposals for revision and suggestions for new items to be included are welcomed from all sectors of the building-services industry.

Bitzer has set up a new company in France to remanufacture and repair all compressor brands and technologies. As a know-how centre, the new company will be a pilot for the future duplication of the same activity in other countries through Bitzer subsidiaries or with independent companies certified by Bitzer.

Compact fluorescent lamps with a life of 48 000 h are available from Greenstock. This life is guaranteed when operated on electronic ballasts and a 12-hour switching cycles.

A wire-free system for testing emergency lighting systems has been developed by P4. Fastel KFR brings all the benefits of Fastel technology into a radio-monitored LAN addressable self-testing system. Because no data wiring is required to the emergency luminaires, Fastel KFR can be installed very quickly and effectively.

Ridi’s shallow-profile T5 Waveline diffuser luminaire is now available with a polycarbonate reeded lens, adding impact resistance and fire retardance to its qualities.

Chalmor’s EasiFit T5 kit provides a quick and efficient way to upgrade existing light fittings that use T8 lamps. The replacement T5 lamps last longer, are more efficient and have a higher light output.

Venture Lighting’s catalogue on HID lighting systems is described as an invaluable tool for the lighting designer. Information includes light output, life, colour and applications.

The Crompton Patriot bulkhead luminaire from Cooper Lighting & Security offers robust, durable and energy-efficient lighting indoors and outdoors.

To achieve a significant reduction in lighting costs, the 4-star Riverbank Plaza hotel in London has installed lighting sensors from Steinel. When the hotel was built about a year ago, sensors were not installed. However, to save energy and reduce costs, the management consulted lighting experts, who advised that installing sensors and energy-saving lamps would significantly reduce costs.

To achieve a significant reduction in lighting costs, the 4-star Riverbank Plaza hotel in London has installed lighting sensors from Steinel. When the hotel was built about a year ago, sensors were not installed. However, to save energy and reduce costs, the management consulted lighting experts, who advised that installing sensors and energy-saving lamps would significantly reduce costs.

Lighting-control specialist Simmtronic has considerably enhanced its commissioning and maintenance services for lighting projects with a restructuring of its engineering operations.

To meet growing demands for luminaires in sports halls with higher light outputs, Whitecroft Lighting has introduced the Serve 6 fitting. They use six 55 W TC-L lamps. Serve 6 meets CIBSE LG4 guidelines and has a low profile to minimise intrusion into areas with low ceiling heights. They can also be used in warehouses, factories and distribution centres.

PAUL KILBURN finds that the new Building Regulations provide welcome guidance on providing energy-efficient ventilation.

KAREN TREWICK explores how electric-heating solutions can improve a building’s energy efficiency.

An independent analysis of gas consumption for the heating system at County Hall, Swansea has shown a 21% reduction in gas use following the installation of a heating energy controller from Fuelstretcher.

Renewable energy is used to provide heating and cooling for the 3400 m2 logistics centre of Olympus KeyMed at Southend using a ground-source installation. A Mitsubishi Electric WR2 heating/cooling system uses 50 boreholes 98 m deep to draw heat from the ground for heating or to use the ground as a heat sink when the building requires cooling. The system was designed by consultants ME Engineers and installed by Total Concept Solutions.

Many chiller systems fall far short of delivering their optimum efficiency, even when linked to control systems. JIM KILCOYNE explains how fine-tuning a system can make a significant difference to performance.

Electronically commutated motors provide clear advantages over AC or conventional DC motors in terms of service life, controllability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness explains CIVE PALFREY.

The already low heating requirement of the new Nature Centre at Attenborough Nature Reserve, opened recently by Sir David Attenborough, is met by a wet underfloor heating system served by a heat pump drawing energy from the adjacent lake.

The already low heating requirement of the new Nature Centre at Attenborough Nature Reserve, opened recently by Sir David Attenborough, is met by a wet underfloor heating system served by a heat pump drawing energy from the adjacent lake.

Evaporative cooling can be very effective for cooling the indoor environment, particularly large spaces. Its capital and operating costs are also much lower than conventional air conditioning, as STEVE KIRKWOOD explains.

Evaporative cooling can be very effective for cooling the indoor environment, particularly large spaces. Its capital and operating costs are also much lower than conventional air conditioning, as STEVE KIRKWOOD explains.

Fine tuning an established building-management system can help achieve huge reductions in energy consumption. NORMAN FERGUSON explains how.

The efficiency of wet underfloor or radiator heating systems can be improved using a controller from ESSCO Controls to vary the flow temperature according to outside temperature.

NICK CULLEN argues that exploiting the potential of energy efficiency to reduce carbon emissions comes well ahead of implementing renewable technology.

SummitSkills, the sector skills council for building-services engineering, has produced a free interactive DVD to support Scottish companies in developing their businesses through skills.

With the launch of integrated concepts in applying air-conditioning technology, Daikin looks set to attract considerable interest.

Heatstore’s latest catalogue of electric heating products contains over 10 pages of new products, taking it to 48 pages. It includes products for industrial, commercial and domestic heating, water heating, kitchen and bathroom heating and electric showers.

Mitsubishi Electric has published a CPD-accredited guide on meeting the 10% renewable-energy target. This target is being introduced by a growing number of local councils, with all new or converted non-residential buildings having to provide at least 10% of predicted energy requirements from renewable sources.