2015 September

The redevelopment of Birmingham New Street Station is a great example of construction making things better, not worse. 

With a boiler upgrade implying modern condensing boilers, Robert Brown of Bosch Commercial & Industrial Heating, explains how modern condensing boilers can be introduced to upgrade existing heating systems with the minimum amount of upheaval for maximum savings.

After nearly 30 years’ service at the Holiday Inn Guildford, one of the original Stokvis Econoflame R18 gas-fired boilers has been replaced with the modern equivalent — an Econoflame R6539 modulating gas-fired boiler. The boiler plant is maintained by Economy Heating Services, which recommended the replacement boiler.

MHG Heating has introduced two ranges of competitively priced, high-efficiency floor-standing gas-fired condensing boilers for commercial applications. Prices of the Superbox (left in photo) and Alubox (right) ranges are said to be around 30% less per kilowatt of capacity than other boilers of comparable quality and performance.

Ideal Commercial Boilers has added seven larger units to its Vanguard L pressure-jet range of boilers to increase output options up to 7000 kW. The previous maximum output was 3500 kW. The Vanguard L range is of steel-shell and tube construction as a single-piece boiler.

Heating and hot water for a former police housing site in Edgbaston that has been redeveloped to provide accommodation for 30 dance students with pastoral care is provided by Mikrofill boilers. An associate school of Birmingham Royal Ballet, Elmhurst School for Dance teaches ballet to students aged 11 to 19. The site is owned by Calthorpe Estates and has been redeveloped by Shaylor Group.

Potterton Commercial has extended its Sirius range of boilers to offer outputs from 50 to 525 kW. There are new outputs for single floor-standing boilers of 400 and 525 kW. These boilers have a dual-burner configuration that enables them to modulate down to 10% of full output.

Small savings in cost at installation stage can be very expensive in the long term. Martin Wilkinson of Spirotech argues the case for effective dirt and air separation in heating systems.

Boilers at the smaller end of the commercial market is one of the main categories of heating appliance covered by the Energy Labelling Directive that comes into force towards the end of September. Jonathan Tedstone of Potterton Commercial explains what building managers should consider.

The rise in cases of sub-standard or fake flues is bringing the issue of maintenance to the fore in the perennial discussion about ensuring the optimum performance and long-term reliability of boilers, according to John Hamnett of Commercial Flue Cleaning & Maintenance Services

Regular burner maintenance is the key to achieving to achieving optimum efficiency and avoiding safety problems. Steve O’Neill of EOGB Energy Products explains the importance of regular burner maintenance and the correct procedures to ensure optimum efficiency and safety.

With energy efficiency a key factor in the specification of commercial boiler plant, flexibility in system design is a high priority. Peter Gammon of Elco UK, stresses why a boiler’s water content can play a vital role in a system and how lifecycle costs need careful consideration.

Rural Energy has completed the installation of nine biomass heating systems as part of a £1.3 million project with Buckinghamshire County Council. Energy costs are being reduced by over £30 000 a year. There will also be an annual income of £150 000 from the Renewable Heat Incentive for the 20-year life of the scheme.

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 recent mechanical refurbishment of the sixth-form block of The Kingsley School in Royal Leamington Spa included the installation of new LPHW equipment manufactured by Mikrofill. The work was carried out by Evesham Mechanical Services.

Sentinel Commercial’s Condensafe C4000 device is designed to neutralise condensation from commercial condensing boilers. It is designed to fit into a standard 40 mm ABS/PVCu waste pipe drain and is fitted with universal couplers to accommodate all makes of plastic pipe with a diameter of 40 mm.

A long-term relationship between Hamworthy Heating and Cedar Green Projects has resulted in five temporary boiler houses that can be towed to site to provide heating and hot water. These self-contained trailers are managed by Cedar Green Projects, based in West Sussex, and use equipment from Hamworthy Heating, including boilers.

Stuart Turner of Hamworthy Heating looks beyond EU legislation on boiler efficiency to discuss how the real energy savings are to be achieved.

The quickest and most effective energy-saving measures can be achieved with effective controls and a BeMS. Lisa Gingell of t-mac Technologies suggests cost-effective approaches to cut carbon emissions and energy costs.

BG Energy Solutions offers an energy health check service that can help reduce HVAC running costs by up to 24%. This auditing service has been designed to give business owners and maintenance teams expert advice on an area of building management that is often misunderstood — namely building-management systems.

Leighton Hospital in Crewe has reduced its water-heating cots by an estimated 10 to 15% by upgrading its hot-water system to use two Spirax Sarco EasiHeat steam-to-hot-water systems. The update is also expected to reduce payments under the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme.

Fitting ECEX air-intake screens to two air-handling units at Westminster City Hall in London has solved operational problems and reduced energy consumption by preventing debris accumulating on coils and in air filters. The performance of the air-handling units with the screens fitted was compared with a third unit without screens.

Adam Hicks of Eriks looks how poor maintenance of industrial lighting and the choice of lamps is costing industry huge amounts of money.

Micronics’ U1000 HM heat-energy-meter device can be used straight out of the box with no programming or specialist engineering required. It is described as a cost-effective alternative to installing in-line meters and does not require pipes to be drained down or cut.

Timeguard has developed a fused spur for electrical installations that incorporates time control. These single-gang units provide programmable on/off times with push-button manual over-ride, There are two versions, one for 24-hour programming and one for seven days. They have a 5-year guarantee.

Patrington Haven Leisure Park, a 5-star caravan park in Yorkshire, is expecting savings of over £23 000 a year on energy costs following the installation of a Powerstar voltage-optimisation solution to replace an inefficient 50-year-old distribution transformer. CO2 emissions are expected to be reduced by 144 t.

The need to provide healthy Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in existing buildings creates unusual challenges for building services engineers. David Bradbury of SAV Systems explains how direct, zone-specific, demand-controlled ventilation can provide a valuable option.

Managing energy at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) is a challenge as the use of the space changes from day-to-day. Sean Prior, energy manager for CBRE, dedicated to the NEC Group account, explains why and what fixes, some quick and others not so, can be deployed for these types of buildings

Seaview International Holiday Park at St Austell in Cornwall boasts exceptionally high-quality shower blocks and is enjoying significant savings in fuel consumption since the installation of Rinnai continuous-flow water heaters to replace the stored-hot-water system. One benefit for visitors is that the showers will never run out of hot water.

Reducing energy consumption in buildings does not have to be complicated or expensive. Dr Michelle Agha-Hossein of BSRIA puts forward some suggestions.

Adcock Refrigeration & Air Conditioning has become a PRO Partner of Panasonic and can offer the full range of Panasonic heating and cooling solutions.

Toshiba Air Conditioning has a tool to help calculate Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECAs) for projects and compliance with ECAs. It is designed to help consultants and installers secure investment relief for clients’ air-conditioning projects. It contains key data on Toshiba Products that meet the efficiency criteria of the Energy Technology List for a range of air-conditioning and heat-pump products. Designers are guided through six steps to create a formally recognised ECA Statement of Eligibility.

ARB Consulting Associates provide efficient, joined-up BREEAM and sustainability services, refined over 20 years’ experience. We deliver cost-effective, professional solutions to clients across construction, building design, energy and property sectors. We are IEMA and BREEAM accredited professionals and offer the following key services:

Marflow Hydronics offers an extensive range of added-value services to provide customers with far more than just a complete product portfolio The company’s highly skilled team of engineers has combined experience in a multitude of areas — including design, installation and commissioning — to help customers throughout their projects.

Cool Designs, a distributor for Toshiba air-conditioning equipment, has rolled out a comprehensive programme of training and technical support to enable installers to achieve national accreditation and grow their businesses. It includes theoretical and hands-on training, plus on-site commissioning and trouble-shooting support. It equips installers to receive qualified status under the Toshiba scheme, opening up new business opportunities.

RDM’s extremely powerful, yet cost-effective, 650TDB Intuitive Controller can be used to control up to 480 points with the use of expansion modules. A compact solution, it reduces both install space and time.

The vast proportion of complaints attributed to indoor air quality are the result of poorly designed or inadequate air distribution. Alan Green, Ian Thomas and Mike Gosling discuss the issues against the background of new guidance from the HEVAC air-distribution group.

As part of the specification for high-end residential properties, especially in London, air distribution plays a key role — both in function and appearance. Rick Edmondson of Waterloo Air Products looks at why air distribution is in its prime when providing high-spec solutions for the luxury residential market.

Mike Malina explains why the Government’s reliance on market forces to deliver energy efficient buildings will not work — despite all the opportunities that are ripe for exploiting.

Not only is there legislation covering the cleanliness of air-distribution systems, but poor indoor air quality can have a such an adverse effect on productivity that the cost of achieving it is very small. Craig Booth of System Hygienics explains.

Data centres use lots of energy, including energy to cool the IT equipment. Not only must the building-services system be efficient but they also need to meet the special requirements of data centres, as Dominic Cutts of Armstrong Fluid Technology explains.

We are pleased to announce Ex-Or by Honeywell Lighting Controls will be exhibiting at the forthcoming Healthcare Estates Exhibition & Conference on 20 and 21 October at the Manchester Central Exhibition.

CentraLine by Honeywell is pleased to announce an important development in its ongoing commitment in supporting legacy systems with the release of a driver (software tool) to enable existing Excel 5000 based systems to integrate with the Niagara Arena Ax Supervisor and Hawk Controllers.

Honeywell is pleased to announce a new range of 2-way and 3-way ball valves suitable for a wide range of heating, ventilating and air conditioning applications.

US defence specialist Rockwell Collins’ new centre of excellence in Berkshire is to have M&E services delivered by G&H Group. The £2.5 million contract is with BWI and is G&H Group’s first contract with this specialist fit-out and refurbishment contractor. The work involves a comprehensive category B fit-out.

Vital Energy is to deliver the low-carbon energy solution for the 28-storey Merano Residences development on the Albert Embankment in London and overlooking Tate Modern. The £3.5 million contract will include a CHP energy centre to significantly reduce CO2 emissions compared with traditional heating systems.

Following the success of its first conference and exhibition on building performance, CIBSE is organising a second event on 3 and 4 November 2015 in London. The theme will be working together for resilient, efficient and healthy buildings. The event is a chance for key decision makers from the building-services and built-environment sectors to meet, learn and debate the critical issues facing the industry — from building security to maintenance and operational performance. Pre-registrations are reported to be at a very high level.

Ruskin Air Management is sponsoring Tonga in this year’s Rugby World Cup, being held in England and Wales during September and October. The Ikale Tahi (Sea Eagles) defeated France 19-14 in the last world cup in New Zealand four years ago, but just missed making it to the quarter finals for the first time.

JS Wright has secured a contract worth nearly £4 million to install mechanical services for a prestigious housing development in London. It involves the fit-out of 155 high-quality homes, including 125 apartments and 30 houses, at Putney Rise, London SW15, for Barratt London. It brings the total value of contracts that JS Wright has been awarded by Barratt London over the last two year to nearly £19 million. It will also bring to over a thousand the number of new homes that the company will have completed for this developer.

Halton Borough Council’s £2 million scheme to create a community sports facility at Widnes Recreation Ground incorporates services designed by Liverpool-based consultant Steven Hunt & Associates. The single-storey scheme includes changing facilities for the existing sports field, along with social space for community activities and storage areas for sports equipment.

The Energy Event at the NEC, Birmingham, from 15 to 16 September is a key exhibition and conference for major energy users and will help businesses as they grapple with energy-security issues, ESOS compliance and the drive to reduce energy costs and improve their sustainability performance. The heavyweight programme of presentations in the energy information theatre is supported by associate sponsor SMS Plc, in partnership with ESTA (Energy Services & Technology Association) and content partner the Building Controls Industry Association.