2018 February

BRE and the International Well Building Institute (IWBI) have released a joint updated briefing paper that outlines how projects can achieve both a certified BREEAM rating and WELL certification.

Following the article in January’s MBS entitled Closed systems need careful commissioning, leading valve manufacturer Frese is advising that the risks of fouling small control valves should be mitigated against, because small bores are more common in today’s systems.

The British Pump Manufacturers Association (BPMA) has composed its Brexit position statement to clarify opportunities and threats for its members. The statement has been circulated to MPs and government departments dealing with Brexit.

The well-known BSRIA Blue book contains valuable industry information including conversion data, KPIs, market statistics, legislation and financial information. The publication also includes information on BSRIA such as contacts, training courses and current guidance.

BSRIA responded to the interim report of Dame Judith Hackitt into the Building Regulations and Fire Safety, calling on its members to support the findings.

On 9th January, Peter Aldous MP successfully introduced a Bill under the ‘Ten Minute Rule’. Its aim is to reform the controversial practice of retentions in the construction industry. The Bill has attracted cross- party support and is set for a second reading towards the end of April.

OFTEC, the trade association for the oil storage, appliance and supply equipment manufacturers, has expressed concern about government plans to shift 850,000 off-grid homeowners away from oil-fired heating, saying the move would be unfair, anti-competitive and premature.

A new report concludes that the UK needs a new Clean Air Act to prevent illness and deaths caused poor air quality. The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) authored the report which focuses on emissions from transport and calls for coherent monitoring of transport emissions so informed targets can be set.

Carillion owes around £75 millions to approximately 80 engineering services firms who have been providing works such as electrical, plumbing, gas, fire safety, security and HVAC installation.

Paul Reeve outlines the fundamentals of the government’s Industrial Strategy, and what it might mean for the building services sector and its clients.

In the last three years, £7.8 billions in retentions have gone unpaid. MBS looks at the numbers which paint a picture of how this affects not only individual companies, but the construction industry’s ability to modernise, train and deliver.

Commercial property is 10% of UK net wealth. How will MEES affect value?

District energy specialist Metropolitan and its partner Vital Energi, have been awarded the contract to design, build and operate the district energy network for St Andrew’s Park, the new community being built near Uxbridge in the London Borough of Hillingdon.

REL has been selected to provide electrical services at an £11m technical skills centre, which is the first of its kind to be located at a major UK airport. Harlow College, in partnership with London Stansted Airport, is bringing forward the two-storey facility, which will be located on land made available by the airport. It will provide specialist further education tailored to fill skills gaps in engineering, business and finance and airport-related industries such as logistics and hospitality. Willmott Dixon is the main contractor for the new facility, which is scheduled to open in September 2018. Appointed by Kershaw Mechanical Services, REL will deliver all the electrical services, including power, lighting, security systems, access control, and data installation.

The site of an old bus station and NCP car park in Bournemouth has been transformed into a modern leisure complex, complete with intelligent lighting control solutions from CP Electronics.

Building services provide JS Wright has secured a contract worth more than £2 million to fit out one of Birmingham’s tallest residential buildings.

Ravenswood House stands on a 16th century estate on the banks of the River Tweed on the Scottish Borders and was built for Major John Scott.

Lighting controls specialist B.E.G has completed its first installation of the company’s DALISYS control system in a comprehensive school in Germany.

Valves from Conex Bänninger are helping to keep the water flowing at some of Dubai’s most prestigious infrastructure projects.

HVAC specialist Reznor has seen its Nor-Ray-Vac system installed at Derby FC’s Pride Park home ground. The project is thought to be one of the first heated concourses in the UK.

Papworth Hospital is the UK’s largest specialist cardiothoracic hospital, as well as being the country’s main heart and lung transplant centre. To its 100,000-plus in- and out-patients each year, it is often their main hope for getting the best treatment to facilitate them in leading as normal a life as possible. Supporting these ambitions are 1,800 staff, five operating theatres, a dozen wards and a range of specialist suites and units.

The internet has affected almost every aspect of our lives. Malcolm Anson investigates how web-based services such as energy management and data analysis are already changing how buildings are controlled and managed for efficiency and comfort.

The commissioning of controls is beset with challenges, and yet with some forward-planning there are benefits for consultants, contractors and end-users. Karen Fletcher explores the issues with some of those at the front line.

Remote BEMS management is a cutting-edge controls option. Matt Peasnall goes behind the scenes to explain the benefits.

David Mowatt explains why the Smoke Control Association believes that now is the time to change how Building Regulations deal with fire safety, particularly when it comes to controlling the biggest killer – smoke.

The culture change called for by the building regulations review following the Grenfell Tower tragedy is already driving demand for more rigorous fire safety testing, according to Andrew Collard

Andy Bartlett explains why motorised fire dampers should be regarded as a key part of fire safety systems in buildings, and what the latest technology has to offer.

Planned shutdowns represent the ideal opportunity to protect commercial heating systems from the otherwise inevitable and highly damaging effects of corrosion and limescale. Chris Shelton explains how to deliver this potentially boiler-saving approach.

When it comes to great building design, space for piped services is usually not even on the list of priority areas. Yet tight space for services can lead to challenges when it comes to operation and maintenance. Paul Wightman considers how to achieve more with less space.

MEES will put building services in focus as owners look for energy savings. Glynn Williams explains why pumps could be a good place to start when looking for better performance.

Mitsubishi Electric has launched additional R32 models with the new MSZ-ˇAP range of wall-mounted units that blend energy efficiencywith a modern, white design.

Wago’s new miniature connector range opens up smaller applications for pluggable connection systems.

C&F Quadrant (NI) has become Northern Ireland’s supply partner of flow controls valves Giacomini UK. C&F Quadrant has partnered with Giacomini to expand their commercial brand portfolio.

Nortek’s ErP compliant range includes Preeva EC (heating and ventilation unit) which provides combined heating and ventilation with optional cooling. The units are available with a wide range of heat outputs and cooling capacities. The units are available as noncondensing heaters with thermal efficiencies above 91% or fully condensing heaters with thermal efficiencies of 102% (ncv).

The new Siemens PX programmable Compact Controller with island bus complements the Desigo family. It is available in two versions, with either 22 or 36 IO’s on board. It can be expanded with TX I/O modules to cover up to 16 IO datapoints. In combination with up to two TXI2.OPEN, the compact controller also offers various third party integration options. The controllers use the truly open BACnet protocol and are available in either IP or BACnet over LON options. The IP controllers include a built in web communication allowing remote connection.

Flexenergy specialises in the supply and fabrication of pre-insulated pipe for heating, hot water and cooling systems. Their pipework was recently used in the scheduled replacement of a heating system integral to natural gas offtake in Wales. The off-site prefabrication approach assisted in significant cost-reductions on the project.

Variable speed drives (VSDs) in the popular and successful Danfoss VLT range are setting new standards for efficiency and compact construction.

Verano UK, one of Europe’s major trench heating and LST convector manufacturers has introduced its flagship Fresh Air product across Europe, including the UK.

Ventilation specialist Vent-Axia has seen its products shortlisted in three awards categories. The Pure Air Filtration System and its PoxiDry Pro have both been shortlisted for Domestic Ventilation Product of the Year. And PoziDry Pro has also reached the final in the Air Movement of the Year category.

HVAC system protection and water conditioning specialist, Spirotech, has been offering successful training programmes on the topic of deaeration for heating engineers. There is now a waiting list for its courses.

Paul Sands, sales and marketing director for Stokvis Energy Systems, is focused on the challenge of providing heating and hot water in the hotel and leisure sectors.

Fire systems specialist, Advanced has added an Android app to its Lux Intelligent emergency lighting testing system. This is in addition to the existing iOS and desktop versions.

Installers are already starting to claim their rewards from the new Panasonic Premier Reward Scheme launched in November 2017.

US-based Des Champs Technologies has introduced the Air Trap RLC Series, the latest addition to their range of waterless-traps. The product is designed for easy and cost-effective installation.

The Evinox ModuSat XR heat interface unit (HIU) has been tested to the BESA (British Engineering Services Association) UK Standard for HIUs, achieving impressive results all round.

Elco Heating Solutions has launched its latest Commercial Gas Range brochure, providing a detailed and visual insight into the company’s range of condensing boilers and CHP units.

World-renowned pumps specialist, Grundfos is offering further online services for installers.

In our February issue, expert authors shared their thoughts on building controls, and how to make the most of today’s tech. Here’s our summary of their top tips.