Fläkt Woods ended 2007 with total sales of over 5,500 Jet Thrust fans in Portugal, representing 65% of the served market.

Desigo RXC terminal unit controllers from Siemens Building Technologies have become some of the first devices to achieve certification and be allowed to use the eu.bac logo. This accreditation proves the Desigo RXC controllers provide energy efficient control, and can be a major factor in reducing the carbon footprint of a building.

Seven hundred organisations across the UK signed up to cut carbon emissions from their buildings during the 100 Days of Carbon Clean Up Campaign run by The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), in association with E.ON, one of the UK's leading electricity and gas companies.

Do you know someone who is overflowing with talent? SummitSkills, the sector skills council for building services engineering (BSE), is calling for nominations for the SkillPLUMB and SkillELECTRIC competitions, as the hunt begins for the UK's finest plumber and electrician.

One of the challenges facing many specifiers and their end clients is the need to ensure comfortable conditions for the internal environment while keeping any damage to the external environment to a minimum. In this respect, air conditioning often finds itself cast as the villain of the peace.

At a time when the gulf in lighting resources between rich and poor cities is greater than ever, The Lighting Urban Community International Association (LUCI), in association with sponsor Thorn, narrows the gap by announcing the outcome of the LightLinks programme.

The Government's strategy to ban sales of traditional tungsten filament light bulbs in favour of compact fluorescent lamps is insufficient and misguided, says the consultancy and testing organisation, BSRIA. BSRIA believes that not enough attention has been paid to lifecycle issues, the waste problem posed by compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), and their light performance.

Members of the RS Components Electrical and Automation sales team have successfully completed Schneider Electrics' Gold Level training course on variable speed drives (VSDs). Gold is the highest level training programme available from Schneider Electric and is designed to provide an in-depth technical knowledge and expertise on the chosen subject.

An important new Code of Practice designed to ensure the leak tightness of refrigeration systems across the UK has been published by the British Refrigeration Association and supported by the Institute of Refrigeration.

Horstmann, a long established manufacturer of domestic and commercial heating controls is now part of the Entity Group.

With the introduction of the 17th Edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations rapidly approaching; the Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) has announced it will provide each of its member firms with a free pack containing the17th Edition of the IEE Wiring Regulations together with ECA advice.

As governments, NGOs and the media consider the implications of the United Nations Bali agreement on climate change, the Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) and the Heating and Ventilating Contractors' Association (HVCA) are urging the Government to go further with its Draft for Sustainable Construction. This comes as part of a joint approach to sustainability by the associations in terms of industry representation and the provision of practical, expert advice to members and clients.

A leading renewables specialist has welcomed the government's commitment to making all new school buildings zero carbon by 2016.

Because every project is different, Fläkt Woods has created a very different team of specialists, who are committed to providing precise advice and guidance for consultants in the HVAC Industry.

Trox Academy has extended its training options by offering short term work placements (4-6 weeks) for design engineers at their UK Headquarters in Thetford, Norfolk.

The Carrier name is to be introduced to the Longville equipment rental businesses that Carrier acquired at the end of 2006.  The group holding company, Longville Group Ltd, will change its name to Carrier Rental Systems Ltd; and the overseas holding company will be changed to Carrier Rental Systems International Ltd.

Breathegroup has strengthened its sales team with the appointment of Brian Wells.

Rebecca Johnson Bsc MBA has moved to the Baxi Commercial Heating team as Marketing Manager from Rolls-Royce, Civil Aerospace.  Rebecca has over seven years experience in a professional marketing and commercial capacity gained in predominantly scientific, technological and engineering environments.

CIBSE Certification's application to provide an accredited Energy Assessors scheme has been approved by the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) making it one of the first organisations to be given the go ahead to accredit Energy Assessors.

Ex-Or has won the contract to supply and install lighting controls to the London Fire Brigade (LFB), the third largest fire and rescue service in the world.

A contract to supply general lighting in the National Stadium, the iconic Bird's Nest, is among a range of lighting contracts secured by GE for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.  GE recently announced it is working on over 335 infrastructure projects for the Beijing Games including a variety of lighting installations.

AET has once again teamed up with BAA Gatwick and undertaken an installation of its Movinord office partitioning system at the London airport's First Point office building.

Royal Philips Electronics' latest high performing, energy efficient lamps, Master TL- D Xtreme and ActiViva have been installed in the Glenmorangie bottling plant near Edinburgh.  Combining the best of both world's Philips has recently introduced a new generation of fluorescent lamps which give not only outstanding performance but which are also environmentally-friendly, having the lowest mercury content in the market place.  The Glenmorangie site was therefore keen to hear how it could benefit from Philips' Green Flagship products and incorporate them in both its factory and administrative offices. 

TraceTek water leak detection systems are being installed throughout the Shanghai World Financial Center - one of the world's tallest buildings. To prevent disruption to business continuity, water sensing cables are being located in all sensitive environments, like the building's datacentres, computer rooms etc, and in close proximity to water services.

The Grade II listed Harte and Garter Hotel, superbly located in the centre of historic Windsor, re opened in October after an in depth and highly successful £7.5million refurbishment programme. Dating back to the 19^th century, the hotel is rich in high ceilings, attractive cornices and dark wood furnishings and sympathetic restoration has preserved most of its Victorian splendour and heritage, albeit blended now with the style and luxury of a 21^st century showpiece.

All gates to the elephant enclosure at Howletts Wild Animal Park in Kent can now be operated remotely following the installation of FAAC automatic sliding gate operators and a customised access control device.  The new system was specified by wild animal park owners, the Aspinall Foundation, following the successful implementation of a similar gate automation programme at nearby Port Lympne elephant enclosure the previous year.

Nationwide Access and Parry Bowen have been instrumental in the completion of the new £80m South Stand at Twickenham Rugby Football Club, the home of the England team.  The South Stand redevelopment includes a 156 room hotel and has six VIP Suites with views over the pitch, conference and exhibition space, fitness club and office space.

At a block of managed business premises in Monmouthshire in Wales, the installation of two ABB variable speed drives has reduced the running cost of the air handling unit from £180 to just £50 a week. This is set to save over £6,000 annually, reducing CO₂ emissions by 12 tonnes per year.

There's a sophisticated new look in national pub chain Slug and Lettuce, thanks to a multi million pound refurbishment programme with designer styling and the introduction of Dimplex Optiflame electric fires for the first time.

Attracting some of the most influential names in the building controls industry, over 200 professionals will attend this glittering evening of networking and celebration, so why not join us for a great night of business and entertainment as the whole industry gathers together to mark the achievements of both companies and individuals.

You have to have been living a hermit's existence for the past decade not to have noticed the impact that Pret A Manger is having on our changing attitude to fast food.  The company's 160 shops around the UK are the antithesis of everything that is unhealthy and increasingly unacceptable about fast food.  Pret A Manger creates handmade, natural food that is prepared on the premises, in their own kitchens - except for a few of its tiny shops - that shun dubious chemical additives and preservatives.

Many large commercial and industrial developments now incorporate electricity substations fed from a medium voltage (typically 11kV or 33kV) utility distribution system.  These employ circuit-breakers for circuit protection and control.   While vacuum interruption is the preferred technology at these voltages, many manufacturers enclose their vacuum circuit-breakers in SF₆ (sulphur hexafluoride) gas for insulation.  Alternative technologies are available which avoid the use of this greenhouse gas, require minimal maintenance and offer safe disposal at end of life.

Indoor air quality has a massive impact on the health and comfort of a building's occupants, and if not appropriately managed it can considerably reduce worker concentration levels and directly contribute to staff sick days.  It is therefore essential, when considering options for heating, that the appropriate system is selected. Such a system needs to provide adequate heat for the occupants whilst ensuring that the movement of pollutants within the room is kept to a minimum. 

Specifying products and systems for modern building projects is no easy task. Not only must a plethora of Building Regulations and standards - both British and European - be met, but the properties of all materials used must be fully understood.

In the past there has been a degree of confusion over what indoor air quality really is. Currently there are two schools of thought - one looks at measuring carbon dioxide levels whereas the other favours the detection of volatile organic compounds. Stuart McSorley, Managing Director of Sontay tells us more.

Tony Gittings of LG Air Conditioning looks to the future of the air conditioning industry and predicts a major increase in the need for training provision to keep pace with product developments and technological changes.

An exclusive private golf and country club on the banks of the River Tamar in Cornwall has saved 16% of its energy costs last year, thanks to the installation of two Ultramax 318 gas-fired condensing, high efficiency boilers from MHS.

After a decade of renovation and a £35million budget, Birmingham Town Hall in Victoria Square has re-opened to the public. The Grade I listed building now includes the latest energy efficient heating technology from Jaga Heating Products, providing users with ultimate climatic comfort.

Modern buildings are required to be lighter on both capital and running costs, to have a lower carbon footprint, and at the same time enhance occupier comfort and productivity. The best way to achieve these objectives may not be in adopting one single technology or solution, but a mixture of these. Both the EPB and EUP Directives seem to encourage this approach.

Two thousand years ago the Romans piped steam and hot water to heat their communal bath houses, greenhouses and homes. One DH installation in France has, apparently, been in continuous use since the 14^th Century. The New York City Steam System, which started in 1882, still pumps steam beneath the streets of Manhattan to provide heat and power to over 100,000 buildings, ranging from apartment blocks to small businesses.

Whatever your current level of awareness of the new EC Regulation on F-Gases may be, the fact is that it applies to almost any building with an air conditioning system that utilises refrigerant and coolants to reduce the interior temperature, especially common in larger workplaces and offices.

There is no doubt that the general public and commercial building clients have a healthy appetite for sustainability, but the market is being driven down a series of blind alleys.

The concept of a control networking architecture, which provides fair competitive bidding on all levels of a system and over the life of the system, is something the user market has been demanding for years. LON and other network protocols, such as BacNet, ModBus, and Zigbee, have been developed to deliver on this need. In this vein, defining new rules and a structure for interoperation allowed for competing manufacturers to sit down at a neutral table and design for the betterment of their industry. Though a monumental task, it was fuelled by the desire to grow the market from a level playing field-irrespective of company size and market dominance.

CP Electronics has launched a brand new website (http://www.cpelectronics.co.uk/) that provides an invaluable tool for exploring the company's range of energy saving controls for lighting, heating and ventilation.

The Gold Range of extractor fans from Manrose Manufacturing Limited is now quieter in operation, has a longer life and is available in 100mm 4", 120mm 5" and 150mm 6" versions.  These new, top of the range units are supplied with ball bearing motors for quiet running and a very long life.

New to the Megaman range is Keppa, a surface mounted floodlight that offers a versatile and contemporary approach to exterior lighting. The IP65 rated Keppa floodlight is manufactured with a lightweight PC material shell and utilises Megaman's energy saving Clusterlite lamp, an innovative high wattage alternative to HID lamps.

Edison has added a new 24-watt CFL Retrofit Lamp to their Energy Saving range. The new CFL Retrofit will be a popular replacement for 118 mm ‘J' type linear halogen lamps, which are currently used for amenity and floodlighting.

Danlers manufacture a comprehensive range of passive infra-red occupancy switches for automatic lighting control.

A new technical manual published by Polypipe Terrain is set to form a valuable source of reference for architects, specifiers and contractors looking for information on the company's HDPE range of high performance, non-pressure drainage system components.

CIAT Ozonair Ltd has enlarged its range of Aquaciat Power chillers to include an 1800V model; the four models in the range now provide cooling capacities from 330 to 500kW to meet the requirements of air conditioning in offices, health care, industrial and commercial applications.

The close control EasiCool is now even more efficient with the introduction of R410A to air cooled and water cooled models in the range and a raft of brand new options. These include EC fan upgrades; eco-friendly hot gas re-heat; compact Energy Manager; fully modulating thyristor-controlled electric heating and a suction throttle valve capable of 50-100% modular capacity regulation for precise setpoint control and capacity match.

Honeywell has a new solution for weather-compensated heating control in buildings too small for a building management system, but too large for domestic controls.  Its versatile Smile controller uses the latest digital technologies and provides similar capabilities of the Honeywell Aquatrol 2000 - a popular choice over many years for weather-compensated heating control.

Fläkt Woods has launched its Flexicool cassette chilled beam, the IQCA. The size of a 600 mm x 600 mm ceiling tile, the new unit enables a much more conventional ceiling layout to be used, allowing a very similar arrangement to that associated with fan-coil systems.

Electricians may be unwittingly breaking the wiring regulations and thus not complying with Part P by using inappropriate junction boxes claims Hager.  The company has launched a new Ashley junction box that will, it claims, ensure more secure terminations and be easier to access for inspection. 

Mercury Recycling has created a new website (http://www.weeerecyclingltd.co.uk/) to provide simple, no-nonsense advice and information on all aspects of the WEEE Regulations. The WEEE Directive was fully implemented in July 2007 and makes business users, manufacturers and retailers of electrical and electronics equipment solely responsible for making sure their goods do not end up in landfill or incineration,  where the toxic chemicals, metals and associated solders, glues and plastics can cause environmental and health problems.

Tyco Thermal Controls is offering a free, four page full colour guide to its recently expanded Raychem range of electric snow melting systems. The literature has been produced to offer practical and technical information about its four different systems to enable customers to determine which is the most appropriate for their specific application.

Nu-way has launched the combined EcoFlex wood pellet boiler and solar panel renewable heating and hot water solution aimed at the domestic oil fired boiler market.

The Modulex range of high efficiency condensing boilers from Clyde has increased outputs and now includes two new super size models. The new Modulex M770 and M900 cast aluminium alloy boilers combine exceptional reliability with the output power of multiple boiler systems. Designed to satisfy even the most demanding commercial heating specification, these high performance boilers offer real cost and space saving benefits for specifiers, installers and end users.

In a move that opens up a wealth of flexibility in terms of facilities and site management, LiftStore, the UK based manufacturer of lift components and control systems has launched its revolutionary remote access lift monitoring software, CMS Anywhere. 

JS Air Curtains has updated its range with 10 new units being added to its 2008 catalogue. The range is now the widest available in the UK and includes air curtains for all applications from economic electric units to powerful industrial models that will seal huge doorways up to five metres high.

Vaillant has introduced its new auroTHERM plus VFK 990 flat plate collector, which has a special anti-reflex coated toughened 4mm thick glass.  The collector consists of an ultrasonically welded copper grid with a high selective absorber coating and 60mm rear and side insulation.  The whole assembly is encased in a polished aluminium frame for a neat construction.  Panels can be connected in series in horizontal or vertical orientation to suit the available roof space. 

Scorpion Power Systems has expanded its standard range of Powerhouse Canopy gensets that are now available from 5.5 kVA up to 1100 kVA.  Very competitively priced, Scorpion's Powerhouse Canopy gensets have generous fuel tank capacities and are offered on very short lead times.

Memo, Luxo's new ergonomic task light, provides optimum light, even though it consumes 30% less energy than an equivalent product using an 18w compact fluorescent tube. It also uses 82% less power than a normal 60w lamp making it the ultimate energy efficient task light.

The welding of Vulcathene Enfusion pipework joints has been made even easier thanks to the introduction of a new hand-held electrofusion welding unit, allowing installers to make secure, welded joints remote from the power source.

Ridi has launched AIDA-Vario, a luminaire specifically for the UK corporate office market. Designed to meet the latest demands of CIBSE LG3a and LG7 the AIDA-Vario has a unique feature: a three position gondola section that can be lowered to maximise ceiling illumination or fully recessed to ensure a flush ceiling line.

Offering all the advantages of a high-density storage system but with none of the disadvantages, HiLo-PSS Group's new satellite storage and retrieval system is a versatile and highly effective system for reducing handling time and increasing overall productivity.    Requiring no special handling equipment, the state-of-the-art Satellite System makes efficient use of an existing forklift truck fleet.

New additions from LG to its Art Cool Gallery series allows the end-user to adapt the front panel of this highly efficient air conditioning unit as a picture frame to hold any image wanted - famous painting, family, friends, football teams, pets, children or any portrait-shaped picture.

With domestic buildings contributing 30% of UK CO2 emissions, advances in domestic energy efficiency are much sough after. Xpelair has therefore invested in the latest Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery technology as part of its CarbonLite range. The Xcell 270 recovers otherwise wasted heat energy from domestic properties, while utilising the latest UltraDC technology for less energy use in operation and up to a five-fold increase in lifetime. 

Available from Xpelair is the Premier UltraDC fan which offers low energy usage and an extended motor life.  Designed specifically to satisfy document F performance requirements in domestic applications, Premier UltraDC can be used for decentralised continuous extract systems with four selectable extract rates for kitchens, utility rooms, bathrooms and toilets. 

With their energy efficient fansets, Searle's new KMe coolers reduce refrigeration power bills by 50%. This makes the versatile 5.8-28kW KMe range ideal for cost-saving applications in cold rooms, warehouses, agriculture and the food processing industry. The new standard 400mm, 1,400rpm fanset also saves space, so the KMe units' rugged powder coated galvanised steel cases are shallower than the KM series they replace.