It’s all very well saying that it is cheaper to manufacture and test off site but one problem which continues to rear its head is that of testing and ensuring that the units which are going to site will in fact work as they were designed to.Overcoming this problem is something which Trox have put a lot of thought into and their two new test rooms are testament to this.

Building services skills and training information is now only a click away following the launch of SummitSkills’new website – www.summitskills.org.uk

Young patients at the Bristol Children's Hospital were naturally very upset when their giant plasma screen television was stolen shortly before Christmas,leaving hospital staff to find a temporary replacement.With boredom ranking as one of the biggest problems for children receiving hospital care,the loss of the screen meant that patients coming for an outpatients appointment were deprived of their main means of entertainment.

SE Controls has successfully completed a project to design and install a networked smoke ventilation system to the tallest new residential building in the northwest.

NIC Certification has reapplied to run the NAPIT assessment scheme, previously administered by Zurich Certification.The scheme,which is reliant on certification bodies such as NIC Certification to administer it,assesses competence to install electrical installations to BS 7671 and can be used in support of Part P registration.

In a full Engineer,Procure and Construct(EPC)project,Tracer,the engineering arm of Tyco Thermal Controls,has provided an electrical anti-icing system for the world’s largest air passenger bridge,at London Gatwick Airport.Tracer was contracted by NG Bailey & Co,the M & E contractor for this 197 metre bridge,which is part of BAA Gatwick’s £100m Pier 6 extension project.

Skibo Castle,the favourite venue for celebrity weddings,offers private residential and sporting facilities for its members.With accommodation divided between 21 bedrooms in the castle and a further 25 bedrooms in the 7,000 acre estate’s private lodges,the castle also boasts an 18-hole championship golf course plus facilities for fishing,horse riding, falconry, clay pigeon shooting, archery, and numerous other indoor and outdoor sports.

Building Engineering Services Training(BEST),a leading training provider for the heating and ventilating,air conditioning and refrigeration(HVACR)and plumbing sectors is urging employers to recruit apprentices now to capture the highest calibre of potential learners,and avert an impending skills crisis facing the industry.

Guests at the visually striking and newly opened Ramada Encore London West hotel can enjoy the pleasure of air conditioned bedrooms provided by purpose designed fan coil systems manufactured by Ability Projects Ltd.

The Electrical Contractors’

The Building Controls Industry Association’s (BCIA) technical

The ongoing Barrow-in-Furness

Following months of

The tax status of subcontractors is under renewed focus from the Inland Revenue, which has sent out 15,000 letters to contractors within the construction industry, ACCA (the Association of Chartered

According to Graham White of the Owen Williams organisation,a consultant who specialises in educational establishments,installing a modern BMS(building management system)can produce big cost savings for schools.But it has to be the right BMS,and it has to be used properly.

Interoperability is becoming the next big issue within the building controls industry.It represents one of the most promising moves since the industry migrated from analogue to direct digital controls(DDC)in the late 1980s and driving it forward is the explosive growth of the internet and the deployment of IP infrastructures.

It is now an accepted fact that getting the best performance out of HVAC and lighting systems requires an element of control and, indeed, controls for these systems are now required by the Building Regulations.However,there is sometimes a tendency to get carried away with the technology and lose sight of the objective.

Cofathec Heatsave(building services and energy management)and T Dunwoody & Partners(building services consulting engineers)are bringing to the attention of the industry a potentially radical approach to improving customer satisfaction and performance to provide the commercial property market with a more efficient option to property management:Paying for Performance.The two companies have pooled their knowledge and resources of commercial premises and are presenting an approach to building management whereby the client pays only on performance - and the performance delivered is guaranteed.

With increased recognition in importance of effective lighting control,and a requirement in the Building Regulations for control to be included in new lighting installations,we are seeing a significant increase in the application of this technology.

However, it is vital, for specifiers and building operators to ensure that the controls installed have been designed to meet the needs of the area they are controlling. No more and, certainly, no less!

Designing in digital 3D – isn’t that just for architects who want to impress their clients with flashy models viewed from every angle and virtual walk-throughs?

The first major design change for smaller plate heat exchangers has been introduced by Alfa Laval.

The R-410A Sky Air Super Inverter driven range of air conditioning systems has been extended by Daikin Europe N.V. with the addition of new 8HP and 10HP versions.

Improved performance and aesthetics combine in a new range of extracts for passive ventilation from Passivent Ltd.

Ability Projects Ltd is now marketing the German made Emco Therm range of trench heaters in the UK.Three models are initially available – Emco K,KG and KEL – the former for natural convection and the latter two for fan assisted convection.

A new range of high COP four-way blow heat pump and cooling only ceiling cassettes has been launched by Daikin Europe.Known as the FCQ-D or ‘Z’ Cassette,the R-410A operated unit is stylish and designed to blend in with any décor in the commercial air conditioning sector.

Airbloc has introduced a new high capacity recessed air curtain(ACR High Capacity)that has the velocity and volume to make it effective at mounting heights of up to four metres.

Cooper Lighting and Security has launched a new fire handbook that is sure to be a valuable source of information for anyone involved in designing, specifying or installing fire detection systems.

Smith’s Environmental Products,manufacturers of heat emitters for both commercial and domestic sectors,have launched their new website –

The new Kopex International 2005 Price List(effective from 4 April) covers the company’s complete ranges of metallic and non-metallic conduit and accessories.

The Bisque Commercial range of Low Surface Temperature radiators has been designed and developed with the commercial specifier in mind, offering maximum choice and value for money.

An updated version of the UK’s best selling steam pressure control valve has been launched by Spirax Sarco. The new Spirax Sarco DP27 valve replaces the DP17, combining the highly accurate control of its predecessor with increased resilience to harsh operating environments, easier servicing and simpler selection.These benefits have been achieved by a redesigned pilot valve block, new control spring and enclosure, plus other improvements.

After making its debut at H&V05,the TA Supply Air Unit from Systemair Limited,has become a sought-after ventilation solution among consultants and installers,and is now available for order.

Hamworthy Heating has launched a new range of Biral ultra energy efficient permanent magnet pumps to the market.The new ‘P’range of Biral pumps are particularly suited to today’s boiler ranges, providing an amazing energy saving ability of 30 percent at full load and up to 60 percent at partial load,making them ideal for boilers and systems that modulate,have weather compensation,or condensing models such as the Hamworthy Milborne,Ansty and Wessex ModuMax ranges.

Trox has launched TVR-Easy,a volume flow controller for variable air volume(VAV)and constant air volume(CAV)systems,which saves the installer valuable working time and reduces costs from the planning stage right through to commissioning.

CP Electronics has introduced a new range of lighting control solutions,ranging from simple,high quality wiring solutions at a sensible price to powerful,addressable lighting management systems.

Toshiba Air Conditioning has announced that touch-screen technology is now available as an option with the controls packages that accompany its latest Super Modular Multi System(SMMS)R410A VRF air conditioner range.

Danfoss Randall has issued a new 24-page wireless controls catalogue based on its ever growing collection of radio-frequency thermostats. This full colour brochure contains information on their comprehensive range of wireless dial setting,programmable and set-back room thermostats as well as their dial setting and programmable hot water

When there’s no need to draw cables through a flexible conduit system,electrical installation times on new plant and equipment can be dramatically reduced.

Dolphin Stairlifts has included the US award winning Roll-a-Ramp in its highly acclaimed portfolio of access products for the disabled.A revolutionary portable ramp system,Roll-a-Ramp offers wheelchair and scooter users an economically priced and highly versatile access solution for the home,work,buildings and vehicles that can be neatly rolled up or folded up for convenient storage when not in use.

A new range of transport compressors,specifically for truck and trailer applications,has been developed by Bitzer.

Scorpion Power Systems has launched the SuperQ Silent Canopy,an even more effective acoustic canopy,which will reduce noise levels by up to 10dBA on standard acoustic canopies.

Stokvis has launched its Econoplate C Series Packaged Plate Heat Exchangers for use with condensing boilers.

A fully comprehensive,illustrated,24-page brochure devoted to the new Aspire range has just been published by Contactum.

A new range of air cooled chillers,operating with refrigerant 134a, has been announced by AiAX the sole UK distributor for Aermec, Europe’s largest manufacturers of chillers.

As part of its continuous product development programme,MK Electric has launched Axim,an elegant,sleek aluminium trunking system for skirting and dado applications.Axim has been designed to combine the superior appearance of aluminium and the robust practicality of an all-metal system,with the outstanding quality and ease of installation generally associated with products from the MK range.

To help contractors meet the requirements of the new Part P regulations,Seaward Electronic has expanded its 800 series of test instruments.

Gordon Brown's 'light touch' of regulation in his Budget could be seen as a 'soft touch' in terms of tackling the biggest polluters in the UK – commercial buildings -warns Energy Consultant Kate McCartney of Tour Andover Controls.