Demand for places on training courses in refrigerant handling and essential ACR technology and theory is expected to surge, following the recent introduction of tough new competence standards as part of the F-Gas Regulation.

Frico Limited has unveiled a pan-European campaign to further encourage energy efficiency. The Frico Energy Savers initiative invites building services consultants and engineers to become Frico's energy-saving partners, via its website www.frico.co.uk, in return for a donation to the Rainforest Foundation and exclusive access to its latest energy saving products.

By January 2009, all air conditioning systems with a cooling capacity of 250 kW or more must have been inspected to comply with the Energy Performance in Buildings Regulations. This aspect of the Regulations must not be ignored, warns CIBSE, despite the current focus on Energy Performance Certificates and Display Energy Certificates.

The National Energy Foundation (NEF) is launching LogiCity, a virtual reality computer game, in schools across England as part of a programme to change attitudes to Climate Change.

Use of mercury in compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) has been very much in the news recently with, in my opinion, mixed effect. On the one hand the publicity has reinforced the need for all discharge lamps to be disposed of responsibly rather than being sent to landfill. This is particularly important in the domestic sector where people are probably less aware of such things, but it will also make commercial organisations think carefully about disposal.

The heating and hot water industry has accelerated towards improving energy efficiency and reducing NOx emissions with the relatively recent introduction of condensing gas appliances.  Arguably, the rush to bring on this technology, after years of almost leisurely development, was fuelled by legislation. However, renewable technologies, such as solar thermal systems and heat pumps amongst others, are well established. Also, some leading manufacturers applied the technology to appliances not required, then or now, to be condensing, for example, commercial gas-fired water heaters.  

Trox UK has invested over £100,000 in further extending its test facilities and purchase of specialist equipment.

SummitSkills, the sector skills council for building services engineering, has announced two new appointments to its expanding team.

As part of their commitment to offer a range of state of the art training courses, Grundfos has now produced a new training schedule for 2008.

Carrier Rental Systems has announced the launch of a new operation and a new service in the UK, Carrier RentalXpress.

With the last twelve months having seen the successful launch of a number of new products and Red Dot accolades for both its suspended Vision III luminaire and Domino spotlight, Ridi UK has appointed the Glasgow-based lighting design expert, Arcalite, as its agent for Scotland.

Toshiba Air Conditioning has launched a new industry-wide benefits scheme that goes hand in hand with a fresh appreciation of the value of its installers throughout the UK. The scheme is called ‘Additions' to emphasise that it is all about giving added value. Registered Additions members immediately gain points on all system purchases, redeemable for free Toshiba products.

The Government's draft strategy for sustainable construction falls very short of the mark, according to the mechanical and electrical sector's leading sustainability initiative.

A group of investors led by Qatar Islamic Bank and newly established Islamic investment bank QInvest has completed and signed on a deal to acquire 80% of the building of the London Bridge Quarter which includes the famous 'Shard of Glass' new London Bridge Tower. This was achieved alongside Sellar Properties of London who retain 20% of the deal.

HVCA president John Miller has re-stated his Association's commitment to reforming and reshaping the industrial relations culture across building services engineering - and to the work currently being undertaken to harmonise employment terms and conditions across the mechanical and electrical sectors.

Pickerings Lifts has launched a new Escalator Division, to supply and maintain a broad range of standard and bespoke escalators and travelators.  

Following on from our latest column article in which Zahra Siddiqui provided a review as to what happens if you die without a will, Zahra has now updated the position regarding inheritance tax (IHT) planning following on from the announcement by the Chancellor in his Pre-Budget Statement.

Ground Source Heat Pump technology (GSHP) is receiving a lot of publicity at the moment, due to its assumed energy efficient credentials. Here we look at GSHP in comparison to Air Source Heat Pump technology (ASHP), and ask whether there will come a time when it displaces air-source entirely, and if this is a necessary conclusion for energy efficiency.

Colt's revolutionary Water Refrigerant Flow (WRF) air conditioning system, Caloris, is being installed as part of an energy efficient refurbishment at the Ramada Heathrow hotel. Chosen for its compatibility with Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) technology, plus its energy, cost and space saving qualities, Caloris will also provide air-source back up to the GSHP system.

Electrak has supplied more than 2,000m of busbar to help keep supermarket shelves well stocked with all kinds of store cupboard staples, from coffee to chocolate.

The stunning, newly opened Radisson Edwardian New Providence hotel, situated at the heart of Canary Wharf, has been brought to life with Helvar lighting control.

The first heat pump installation to receive funding under Phase 2 of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme is up and running and delivering low carbon heat to a primary school in Norfolk, thanks to Dimplex and approved heat pump installer partner Econic.

Chloride has reached a significant milestone at Canary Wharf, having supplied more than 50MVA of Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems to some of the world's leading legal and financial institutions. This is the largest concentration of Chloride UPS anywhere in the world and continues to grow as more blue chip customers move in and entrust their critical power protection to the Company recently acclaimed Frost & Sullivan European UPS Company of the Year 2007.

Climb aboard Norwegian Cruise Line's Freestyle Cruising vessel Norwegian Gem and you can't help but notice a unique artwork hanging from the atrium's ceiling. Designed and custom made by the Cristallux company of Waldachtal, Germany, and created to emulate a gem stone - a sliced amethyst - this eye-catching ceiling light is the centrepiece of the ship's all important welcoming public space.

Trox UK has supplied a complete package of fan coils and diffusers for two British Land projects in London, one of which is currently the tallest building under construction in the city. 

The Heritage Services section of Bath & North East Somerset Council has specified Sill Lighting at the Roman Baths in the city of Bath.

Royal Philips Electronics has worked with Transport for London, Lambeth Council and South Bank Employers' Group to transform the underpasses beneath the BFI IMAX cinema, one of the capital's most exciting visitor attractions. Philips state-of-the art LEDline2 modules have been installed in conjunction with a dedicated dynamic controller which enables specifically designed sequences of coloured lighting to be created reflecting different moods for different seasons, calendar events or times of the day.

Cablofil's wire cable tray has been used in the fit out at the newly completed prestigious offices known as Bridgewater Place, one of the tallest buildings outside London and the tallest building in Leeds.

An Eco Heat Pump system ensures a warm welcome at a showpiece public sports development in the heart of Surrey.

It has been mandatory to fit a condensing gas boiler for all new domestic installations since 2005 - a fact that has led to the condensing boiler market in this sector experiencing a dramatic expansion - with sales more than double those of previous years. The market is projected to show further growth predicted to be 7.9 million condensing heating systems in the UK alone by 2010.

Buildings are responsible for more than 40% of the UK's carbon emissions and ineffective or poorly controlled heating systems represent a significant factor in this, and therefore a significant opportunity.

There are currently 600,000 employees within the building services engineering (BSE) sector, and a career to support every level of ambition.

As fossil fuel prices continue to soar and Gordon Brown commits to a 60% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050, there is a growing understanding of the benefits biomass can deliver, both by significantly reducing energy costs and cutting CO₂ emissions.

A diagnostic site visit with the right tools can reveal the hidden dynamics and interactions between the building shell, the heating system, and other building features. A thermal imager, for example, can quickly reveal missing or inadequate insulation, which is a major contributor to heat loss. Collected data from a full kit of handheld diagnostic tools can be used to quickly locate and accurately diagnose existing or potential problems. Otherwise these problems may jeopardise not only building performance in terms of energy efficiency and the comfort of its occupants, but also compliance with building, health and safety regulations.

It is important to remember that no matter how responsive, well-planned and efficiently installed a workplace's heating and ventilation system may be, designers, project managers and installers may still face difficulties when it comes to balancing the temperate preferences of the different people in situ whilst managing to adhere to the standards of best practice and sustainability.

Seaward Electronic has upgraded its PATGuard software range for the management of portable appliance test data used as part of workplace electrical safety testing operations.

Everyone knows that lighting control systems are extremely energy efficient. But isn't it part of electrical industry folklore that they can be complicated, expensive and suitable only for large and new projects?

Megaman UK Ltd has launched the CFL G9 compact fluorescent lamp, which has been designed to offer a real alternative to heat producing G9 halogen lamps. The new CFL G9 is the first self-ballasted, plug-in lamp to be supplied in a G9 lamp base, allowing its direct use in a wide selection of luminaires that utilise a G9 lamp holder without any retrofitting.

Fluke has introduced the high-performance Fluke Ti25 and Fluke Ti10 Thermal Imagers, designed to make thermal imaging affordable and effective for day-to-day troubleshooting and maintenance tasks.

Offering one of the biggest choices of valves and actuators available, Essco Controls has introduced to its Total Control Range, new self-adjusting easy-fit lift lay actuators - its 220 Series.

A remarkable new heat pump air curtain that offers a 67% reduction in both CO₂ emissions and running costs over conventional direct electric models has been developed to offer retail, hotel and commercial buildings a highly efficient way of providing a comfortable climate for customers and staff without compromising on performance.

Easy to use and comfortable to wear, the Draeger X-plore 1700 range of Filtering Half Masks are ideal for use in any workplace environment where particulates may present a respiratory hazard.  Available in three colour-coded versions for easy identification, these lightweight, folded masks are designed to meet the needs of different applications and offer FFP1, 2 and 3 protection levels.

Redring is launching the unique and compact Hotbox electric boiler for economical heating in any site where space is limited or gas is unavailable.

The art of so-called statement radiators takes a further step towards everyday high performance and practicality with the launch of the new Jaga Angula Plus which is believed to be the first design radiator for fixing around the external edge of a corner.

The changing face of construction in the 21^st Century demands that designers, specifiers and suppliers work as teams to create better buildings for occupants which also make less impact on the environment.

The latest generation LPA Niphan Standard industrial plugs & sockets provide the highest levels of safety and performance in harsh environments.

Mighty Mo 6 is an advanced cable management and server rack from high performance structured cabling company, Ortronics, designed for high density cabling systems such as large networks, data centres and storage area networks.

Euroclad has developed a range of roof and wall systems which simplify the specification process by providing an innovative, easy to install solution. Elite Systems are designed with the environment and performance at the top of the agenda.

Stokvis Energy Systems has been marketing industrial and commercial boilers for over 20 years and the company's latest range benefits from the experience gained in that time.

Hoval's SolKit is a complete, highly efficient solar system for heating domestic hot water (DHW), comprising solar collectors with necessary bracketry and flashing kits for use on pitched roof, in-pitched roof, on flat roof or on the wall, a fully stainless steel calorifier, a sophisticated plug and play digital control system, pre-mixed heat transfer fluid and all connections. It is ideal for both light commercial and residential properties and, thanks to innovative design, can be installed in one day using a flexible umbilical (15, 20 or 25m) carrying flow and return pipes and a sensor cable.

Danlers Limited design and manufacture a range of electronic time lag switches, which are ideal for simply saving energy in stairwells, store rooms and student accommodation.

The innovative new xitec processor from TridonicAtco is the latest in a line of intelligent ballasts that follow the successful ASIC generations. Utilising the technology and knowledge gleaned from two decades producing dimmable and non-dimmable ballasts, the xitec processor offers extensive user benefits and sophisticated functionality for perfect lamp and lighting management.

Broag-Remeha has launched the new Gas 210 ECO PRO - a compact, pre-assembled, free standing, gas fired, high efficiency condensing boiler with a small footprint. There are four of these fully modulating boilers in the range, with heat outputs from 87kW to 200kW and all modulate down to 18%. The sectional cast aluminium heat exchanger and other major components are contained within a sealed air box. This forms the main boiler casing with a removable front panel for maintenance purposes. All electrical and electronic controls are contained within the instrument panel mounted on top of the boiler.

A hand-held infrared thermal imager that can instantly reveal any number of problem areas in buildings has been launched by Testo.

Potterton Commercial has extended its Paramount two range of wall-hung boilers with the addition of 95 and 115kW models.  The two new higher output boilers make the range suitable for an even wider range of commercial applications. 

New from Doby Verrolec is a Circular Flange System purpose designed for fast, efficient connection of sections of circular and spiral ductwork.

Johnson Controls has launched the Digital Vision Network (DVN) 5000 Desktop Series designed to deliver high performance video and audio for a wide range of security applications.

Specialist lighting and electronics manufacturer, LPA Excil Electronics, has launched its new 7-Series LED Downlighters as a standard product range. 

Sontay has introduced a fresh new look to its website at http://www.sontay.co.uk/ along with ease of navigation, a redesigned colour scheme and live customer support.

For industrial refrigeration applications, Bitzer UK has now introduced two new robust ranges of screw compressors - the semi-hermetic 85 and the open 85 series.

Vaillant's range of uniSTOR stainless steel unvented cylinders provides end users and installers with the option of a broad range of capacities, from 125 litres up to 310 litres.  All cylinders share a common width of 554mm, allowing them to fit into the tightest of spaces. 

HCP, a division of SAS International, has launched a new Radiant Heating brochure. Ceiling mounted Radiant Heated panels are recognised as one of the most comfortable and energy efficient forms of heating available, with outputs in the region of 480 to 500 w/m².