The Heating and Ventilating Contractors’ Association (HVCA) and the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) have agreed to work together fully in the critically important area of sustainability.

Amtech has acquired Estimation Ltd, the market leaders in Building Services Estimating, Accounting and Contract Management Software.

Sontay has announced a new partnership with top HVAC equipment distributor BSS as a key element in the re-launch of its Havelock Controls business. Through this deal, BSS will supply its contracting customer base with the full range of Sontay HVAC control and measurement products nationwide under the Havelock Controls brand.

Hoval and Strawsons Energy have joined forces to promote the use of wood pellet based biomass, particularly in the Midlands region.

When it comes to implementing policies aimed at improving the green credentials of buildings, and in particular reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions, the commercial property market isn’t changing as rapidly as some campaigners would wish.

Much has been written in recent years on the subject of energy efficiency.

Within the HVAC industry we are all now familiar with topics we had never heard of a decade ago such as Life Cycle Costs, EFF1 motors, Enhanced Capital Allowances and the myriad of other arguments that have been developed in recent years to support and encourage specifiers within the industry to select energy efficient variable speed pump technology over their less efficient fixed speed counterparts.

Volution Holdings, the holding company of Vent-Axia and a number of other Ventilation Business in the UK, has announced the acquisition of Manrose Manufacturing, the Slough / Reading based privately owned manufacturer.

Regionally based MLM Consulting Engineers, is launching a Sustainability Group, a new stand-alone division dedicated to working with clients, developers, design teams and contractors to satisfy the growing number of renewable and sustainable requirements demanded from the green agenda and new legislation affecting development projects.

The HVCA has launched a new look e-commerce site and a new look catalogue, showcasing all its publications. These publications are widely respected in the HVACR industry as definitive guides to legislation, regulations, and best practice, and many contain advice designed to help businesses’ profitability.

BSS Industrial has appointed Steve Higgins as the new Regional Director for Scotland and the North East.

Steve joined BSS from Pipe Center in August 2005 and has achieved great success in overseeing the growth of BSS Ireland as Managing Director. He will continue with this role as he begins his work in Scotland and the North East, reporting to Operations Director Peter Sullivan.

The Stockton-on-Tees office of international project management and cost consultants Faithful+Gould is celebrating its appointment to a project which will see the development of the UK’s first large-scale bioethanol production facility.

SAS International has introduced three new CPD presentations covering the ‘hot’ topics of Chilled Ceilings, Chilled Beams and Integrated Service Modules, and Architectural Metalwork. Designed with both engineers and architects in mind, the CPDs have been accredited by the RIBA and are recognised by CIBSE.

A new conference, aimed at meeting the needs of senior management and directors will take place at The Energy Event 2007. The papers at the conference are intended to answer the questions of those at board level that are tasked with controlling energy costs as part of their wider job role. The conference will provide proprietary information, not freely available via the media or consultants.

The definitive guide to Approved Document M of the Building Regulations for the door and hardware industry is proving a hit with both the industry and with architects, specifiers and property professionals.

Brunel, Frank Whittle, Alan Turing, Tim Berners-Lee, Nigel Gresley, Henry Bessemer – Britain can boast some of the best-known engineers as its own. But how many great engineers do we have today?

John Armitt CBE has been appointed Chair of the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), the body charged with building the key venues, facilities and infrastructure for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London.

CIAT UK Ltd of Byfleet, Surrey, and Ozonair Hydronic of Rochester, Kent, both owned by the CIAT Group, have been merged to form a new company, CIAT Ozonair Ltd, in one of a series of moves aimed at maximising the potential of the organisation.

Fläkt Woods has passed the stringent VDI (Verein Deutscher Ingenieure) hygiene standard and achieved VDI Standard 6022 compliance for its range of EU air handling units.

BEST Ltd (Building Engineering Services Training), an HVCA group company, has brought virtual learning a step closer for the Building Services Engineering sector, with the pilot of its video and e-learning teaching system. The trial saw a live lesson from Leeds College of Building being delivered into classrooms at Reading College, City of Westminster College and Southampton College using Internet and video conferencing technology.

A divorce will almost inevitably mean that changes will be needed to the family business. In an ideal world, these changes will be made at an early stage with an eye on proper tax planning for an efficient outcome. The tax status of a married couple changes with the end of the marriage and on divorce.

The Electronic Assistive Technology Service (EATS) and the Centre for Brain Injury Rehabilitation (CBIR), Dundee, are using a range of ABB EIB/KNX products to help adults with acquired brain injury (ABI), to lead a more independent life.

Atlantic Boilers of Ashton Under Lyne have reduced the heating plant distribution costs for the first two satellite plant rooms at Buckingham Palace, London. The whole project, which will take place over four summers, uses Atlantic RS Turboflow plate heat exchangers which greatly increase economic heat transfer. As a result the Palace's annual energy bill will be reduced by up to 8%. The installation will also allow the consideration of carbon-neutral fuels.

Fläkt Woods has been awarded a contract by AMEC / FES to supply energy efficient HVAC solutions and the fan package for the South Lanarkshire Schools £352.2 million Public Finance Initiative (PFI) project.

Wye Leisure, Herefordshire’s premier health & leisure club, has just completed a complete refurbishment of its filtration plant and chemical dosage system which is in line to save the club thousands of pounds in filter maintenance costs and downtime.

Tyco Thermal Controls’ robust Raychem electric ramp heating systems have been installed in a new 1000 space, four storey car park serving eight new retail outlets and 41 apartments at the Shannon’s Mill development in Walsall. Raychem heating cables have been employed to prevent ice formation or snow accumulation on the car park’s exposed top spiral vehicle ramp and a pedestrian walkway that offers shoppers a direct route from the car park into an Asda store.

Advanced ducting technology from Kingspan Insulation is providing pre-insulated air distribution with a touch of style at the University of Lincoln’s new £6 million student centre.

Chloride Power Protection has recently won a contract to supply more than 600 UPS units for the new terminal at Dubai International Airport - one of the world’s fastest growing airports, with annual passenger throughput of over 22 million people. To support this growth Dubai’s Department of Civil Aviation has invested £2 billion in a major improvement project and started construction of a third terminal and concourse.

An award-winning conversion of a traditional Dublin public (that is to say state-run) school into an ultra-modern leisure venue is the site of the first Toshiba ‘touch-screen’ control panel in Europe. The Old Boro’ building has a beautifully restored Victorian interior with wood-panelling, glass, old crystal and mirrors, but it also has a state of the art Toshiba air conditioning system supplied and project managed by Toshiba’s most experienced distribution company GT Phelan.

Two Ultramax WM100 wall mounted high-performance condensing boilers from MHS have been installed at a new visitor centre at Battle Abbey, East Sussex. The visitor centre provides orientation and interpretation facilities, new visitor toilets and a café, together with new landscaping within the Abbey grounds. The building follows the slope of the site and is built from Sussex Sandstone, brick and stainless steel and has a fully glazed façade in the café.

Controlco has undertake a project for Gloucester City Council to upgrade its non BMS controls systems at its head office, Council office and buildings – Herbert, Kimberley and Phillpots warehouses - located in the historic city docks.

The UK’s hottest value fashion chain is cooling off with Panasonic Flexi System (FS) air conditioners. With a large number of its UK stores already cooled by Panasonic, the award winning Peacocks chain has embarked on a programme to install FS deluxe split system air conditioners in another 30 outlets this year. The systems, supplied by Panasonic distributor PHM Distribution, are for new and refurbished stores.

Chubb Fire has been awarded the fire alarm contract for 616 new sites for Spirit Group, the managed division of Punch Taverns, the UK’s leading pub company with over 8,400 pubs nationwide.

Trox UK has won a £450,000 contract to supply and install a wide range of active chilled beams for the largest single office scheme in Scotland.

Doug Robins, President of the Building Controls Industry Association said: “Following our success from last years BCIA training awards, Datateam took on the responsibility to take the awards to a new level. This they have achieved with the expanded award categories and the increased attendance.

Not only would you be hard pushed to find a fridge with anything but an A rating, the scheme also includes an A+ level (and even an A++). Manufacturers have responded to consumer demand by pushing on to higher levels of energy efficiency.

No matter what your politics, green or mainstream, whether you believe global warming is fact or fiction, whether the summers seem to be drier and the winters wetter, the fact that the population of the United Kingdom has an ever growing desire for air conditioning cannot be denied!

Lift accidents can be reduced through regular examination and preventative maintenance. This is the responsibility of the dutyholder under Regulation 9 of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER).

One recent project of an unusual nature can be seen in London’s Regent Street where LiftStore’s TVC Ethos lift control system governs the movements of an iconic and innovative transparent glass lift in Apple’s flagship store.

Heat pumps are often thought of in terms of domestic installations, but there is a wide range of higher output options suitable for a variety of commercial applications. Dimplex, for example, offers a new range of ground source heat pumps with outputs up to 130kW, sufficient to heat large commercial, leisure or educational establishments.

Over the last few decades, demand for domestic cooling in the UK has been relatively small. The main reason for this is that over the years summer temperatures in the UK have been mild, with the weather not getting hot enough for long enough to warrant homeowners considering air conditioning as an essential component for their home.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy states that the history of every civilisation tends to pass through three distinct phases; those of survival, inquiry and sophistication. The first phase is characterised by the question ‘how can we eat?’, the second by the question ‘why do we eat?’ and the third by the question ‘where shall we have lunch?’

Despite being able to take up to 70W lamps of high output and having integral control gear Thorn’s E/Fact Slim is a mere 115mm in depth, a full 85mm slimmer than the company’s previous recessed outdoor luminaire offering. This enables the luminaire to be used for locations where mounting space is at a premium, for instance under a canopy, lighting a building façade or pedestrian areas.

Hager has launched its new bus based building services control system, Tebis TX, which it claims is the simplest solution on the market to install and commission.

The MAN range series of in-line centrifugal duct fans, from Manrose Manufacturing have been enhanced by the addition of extra long spigots for attaching ducting. Suitable for a variety of domestic, commercial and industrial applications, the in-line centrifugal duct fans offer extremely high performance and a choice of six duct sizes.

The new Crompton Lighting Tufflite range of linear fluorescent luminaires from Cooper Lighting and Security have been specifically designed for use in applications where they may be subjected to wet or dusty conditions or even corrosive chemicals.

CP Electronics has launched the new SPIR-F/C, a compact, ceiling mounted presence detector that can be surface or flush mounted onto a British Standard switch box.

A new three-tiered variable speed drives service programme from ABB will help users prevent downtime and production loss.

Recent enhancements to the extensive range of fan coil units from Dunham Bush include the launch of the Concierge unit, specially designed for hotel rooms, as well as the introduction of EC motor options for the Panther, Leopard, Puma and Jaguar series.

Building automation is now easier and less expensive, with new cost-reducing variants of Excel Web, a freely programmable Building Automation controller from CentraLine, by Honeywell.

As part of Carrier’s drive to simplify the specification of air handling systems it has developed the AiroQ. This is a packaged, complete air handling system for air flows from 1.8 to over 11 m3/s and cooling capacities up to 190 kW with integrated controls and software.

New from LG are new models in its Art Cool Mirror range which include all of the LG advanced features as standard. The new additions allow for digital air flow control to ensure maximum comfort.

Trox UK has launched a high induction chilled beam engine that offers an induction rate twice that of conventional beams.

Honeywell has launched its first Technical Solutions Guide for fire consultants and specifiers.

The new Carrier Airosmart heat recovery unit is a standardised air handling system with significant energy-saving characteristics. By making heat recovery standard at even the smallest size of unit, Carrier is meeting a new market demand driven by legislative changes and the requirement for energy savings.

Daikin Europe has extended its series of R-410A Sky Air heat pump comfort inverters with a single phase, 6HP RZQS140 model. Available now in 3, 4, 5 and 6HP versions, RZQS units provide inverter solutions for customers not in need of top class Super inverter performance and enable Daikin to offer a full range of Sky Air inverter systems to suit any commercial application from 3 to 10HP in single or 3 phase format.

Daikin Europe has introduced a new floor standing R-410A indoor unit.

Visually striking and highly energy efficient, the unit, designated FVXS-F, has a new and easy to clean flat front panel with side inlets in place of the traditional front grille, giving it a real sense of slimness.

For above-ground cast iron drainage systems in installations where high acoustic performance is a requirement, Saint-Gobain Pipelines has introduced a new acoustic dampener fitted to its standard bracket which potentially eliminates the need for lagging laid down in the guidelines for pipes passing through walls and floors. Part of its Ensign range, the bracket offers an exceptional sound deadening performance which has been tested to new European standards.

Saint-Gobain Pipelines’ Ensign cast iron drainage system is now set to take on the competition for ease of installation. The new Ensign EEZI-FIT push-fit range of fittings and couplings for above ground gravity drainage combines the benefits of cast-iron performance with the simplicity of push-fit assembly.

The versatile wireless Honeywell CM900 slimline programmable thermostat can now be used to create energy-efficient heating zones easily and cost-effectively, by transmitting time/temperature signals directly to wireless receivers on radiator and underfloor heating valves. The stylish CM900 can also transmit wirelessly to a boiler controller where it eliminates the control cables in a conventional installation, which are time-consuming and obtrusive.

LG’s Art Cool features Neo Plasma, seven specialised filters in five separate stages to enhance cleaning power to reduce fine dust, mould, unpleasant odours, cigarette smoke and microscopic contaminants such as mites and pollen.

TSI Instruments are proud to launch a newly redesigned line of Airflow Instruments’ anemometers and indoor air quality instruments. The new products provide highly accurate, fast, and easy to use instrumentation for building service contractors, commissioning specialists, facility engineers, and research professionals.

Part of the popular Megaman Classic Series, the new 11W GA9111i lamp from Megaman UK Limited will fit into most lighting fixtures and provide excellent illumination with minimum power consumption. At 55mm in diameter and 102mm in length, the dimensions of the 11W Classic GA9111i lamp are similar to that of a regular incandescent light source.

Seaward Electronic has developed a new integrated electrical safety testing solution for contractors involved in portable appliance testing.

The energy saving TC-L compact fluorescent lamp that produces a pleasant white light is an important new factor in the Thorn Celest range of lanterns, specially designed for minor roads, residential areas and car parks.

New software that increases productivity, accuracy and coordination between trades, from first design through to final documentation, is being brought to the UK. Stabiplan, the leading Dutch software developer specialising in building service applications, is introducing StabiCAD.

A constant primary flow temperature of 55°C and less than 30 min recovery time is offered by Gledhill Building Products’ SunSpeed domestic hot water cylinders, units designed to make the most of renewable energy.

It’s a new era for the environment, and as some battle to conserve what we have, others carry on regardless. Establishments with washroom facilities are increasingly expected to provide a better, cleaner and greener experience. A new generation of self closing pillar tap from Inta can help make that happen.

A new piece of software from air heat exchanger specialists, Alfa Laval, is designed to take the headaches out of sizing and selecting air heat exchangers.

Daikin Airconditioning UK Ltd has launched the Pocket Guide to Air Conditioning, a handy sized reference tool to help installers and specifiers promote the benefits of air conditioning (heat pumps) to their customers.