Recent research findings published by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), which confirm that participation in new-entrant training provides positive commercial benefits for employers, has been endorsed by HVCA president elect Gareth Vaughan.

SummitSkills has welcomed government plans to expand and strengthen apprenticeships.

BEST has formed an innovative partnership with private training facility The Plumbing Academy, in Kent, to establish a new delivery scheme for heating and plumbing apprentices in the South East.

To enable the industry to meet the new requirements of the 17th Edition, the Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) has published a comprehensive, user-friendly book for electrical contractors, apprentices, designers and installers alike. Simply laid out using a series of clear tables and diagrams, 'Guide to the Wiring Regulations BS7671: 2008' addresses all areas of the new requirements in straightforward terms.

The built environment throughout the UK boasts many iconic buildings. These impressive, sophisticated and often seemly impossible structures dominant our urban landscapes, win coveted design and architectural awards and proudly fly the flag of progress. But what do these buildings stand for? They say we are bold, sophisticated, daring and adventurous. Could they also underline a mindless approval of architectural designs of a few inflated egos?

Top electrical contractors have helped create the 11 outstanding lighting schemes that have been honoured in this year's Lighting Design Awards.

Faber Maunsell's innovative approach to sustainable design saw them scoop the New Build Project of the Year prize at the Low Carbon Performance Awards.

Carrier Corp will commemorate the 100-year anniversary of its subsidiary in Italy, Carrier S.p.A, with a European customer event at its Villasanta manufacturing facility near Milan.

Buro Happold staged a company-wide ‘wear Red for RedR Day' at the end of February, raising a total of £1,383 for the aid and development charity RedR - the Register of Engineers for Disaster Relief. It is the second time the practice has run a RedR Day since the scheme started three years ago.

Buderus has opened a new commercial training and sales administration centre at Blackpole in Worcester.

Phil Philippou has joined Johnson Controls as VRF Sales Manager for Systems & Service, responsible for strategically developing sales and new channels to market for York VRF equipment throughout the United Kingdom.

NICEIC has opened an Equipment and Publications Centre at its Warwick House headquarters. The Centre offers test equipment, electrical hand tools and publications at beneficial rates for contractors attending training courses.

Modern building technologies being used to preserve a historic coastline have been recognised and honoured with two significant awards.

We are all familiar with the Frico range of products which are well known within the industry and which they have been developing and manufacturing since 1932. Today they are the leading supplier of air curtains, radiant heaters and fan heaters in Europe and provide a comfortable indoor climate for a variety of different buildings.

Acoustic conditions within schools can have a profound impact on both pupil and staff performance: if acoustics are poor teachers can find it difficult to be heard as noise levels rise in a classroom. Unfortunately in the UK we have a large stock of school buildings that were constructed without thought to acoustical performance, or where budget constraints dictated that it was a low priority at design stage.

It is not everyday that a leading ground engineering firm has the opportunity to work in the renowned surroundings of London's Westminster. However, Bachy Soletanche Limited (BSL) has been doing just that at the site of Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel. The geotechnical specialist completed the five million pound piling package at the development in January, which included the installation of plunge column bearing piles and a secant piled wall.

Airport buildings with their wide open spaces and high ceilings can only ever be energy hungry during the summer months, demanding air conditioning to satisfy the comfort criteria of both passengers and staff. This is why natural ventilation formed an important part of the design and redevelopment of East Midlands Airport (EMA) in Nottingham. Indeed, it is believed that by taking this bold initiative EMA becomes the first major Airport to employ energy free natural ventilation as a complete building services strategy to eliminate the need for air conditioning in most areas.

Simmtronic SPECS3 fully addressable lighting control systems are being installed, by mechanical and electrical contractors Haden Young, in the Cat.A fit-out of 150 Cheapside. This prominent 19000m2 corporate office development, by St Martins Property Corporation Ltd, overlooks St Pauls Cathedral in London.

Carrier Corp has provided two roof-mounted Carrier Aquaforce chillers with micro-channel coil technology to serve the air conditioning requirements of Madame Tussauds' famous tourist attraction in Marylebone, central London.

EMS Group has installed a wire-free analogue addressable fire detection system as part of a major refurbishment to the Cunard Building in Liverpool.

RAF Leuchars in St. Andrews, the RAF's principal operational fighter station and one of the busiest air bases in Strike Command, has ensured that its air traffic control tower and fire station will be able to operate if a powercut occurs by installing a generator from Scorpion Power Systems.  

Bampton school in Devon is one of the first customers in the UK to use Smedegaard's energy-saving IsoBar SimFlex which was launched to excellent reviews in 2007.

Our online voting site is now open - all you have to do is pay a visit to www.BuildingControlsIndustryAwards.com and cast your vote for one entry in each category and have your say in who will win these prestigious awards. Then you just need to decide who you will take with you to the awards ceremony and book your table.

Fan coils have been the most popular terminal air system for more than four decades and, although alternative technologies such as chilled beams are placing them under increasing competitive pressure, there is no reason why they should not retain their pole position.

Exploiting the benefits of combined heat and power (CHP) technology continues to grow in importance. In 2000 almost 6% of the UK's electricity was provided by 1560 CHP schemes. The chemical, oil, paper and printing, and food and tobacco industries account for about 75% of CHP electrical capacity

Nowadays when we are looking to replace a fridge or washing machine, it has become second nature to put energy efficiency to the top of our shopping list by looking only at ‘A' and ‘B' labelling options. 

For those organisations where failure of critical power/plant results in significant downtime costs, continuous predictive maintenance can no longer be regarded as a luxury option, but should be seen as a necessity for critical risk management.

Though by all accounts they're soon to be history, tungsten filament lamps are still in very widespread use. Resistive loads they most certainly are not. At the instant of switch on, a tungsten filament lamp draws an inrush current that can be anything up to 16 times its normal operating current. To put this into context, a motor started direct on line will normally only draw a peak current of around eight times its full load current. This makes it very clear that switching filament lamps is a particularly severe duty for contactors.

The Park is currently home to 24 companies, attracted by its excellent facilities, which include laboratories and test and diagnostic equipment. Many of these companies work alongside Qinetiq, creating a military-focused, high-tech hub for the West Midlands. Current tenants include Goodrich Aerospace and Dytecna, responsible for the installation and design of communication systems in a range of military vehicles.

The Energy in Buildings Directive has stepped up a gear, with the requirement this year for all public buildings to visibly display their energy performance certificates. This is of course a prelude to the initiative being rolled out and implemented across all commercial buildings, both public and private, above and below 1,000m2.

Thorn's revamped Jupiter II linear fluorescent widens the choice for office and school illumination. While retaining its predecessor's reputation for performance and slimness (41mm deep), it gains more optics, additional lamp types, greater flexibility in the variety of mounting combinations available and lighting control intelligence.

To protect the lives of people and workers in a variety of environments, Klaxon Signals offers a selection of wide area warning siren systems in its product range. Advanced technology in siren control means a selection of warning systems are available to cover varied applications such as COMAH sites, petrochemical, nuclear, defence, construction industries and environmental disaster areas.

Green-i is a new intelligent lighting dimmer that brings unparalleled versatility to lighting control in the home. With the ability to save energy by automatically switching off the lights, remote control operation and scene selection, Green-i offers a host of easily configurable features to give users real control over their lighting.

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.

Seaward Electronic Ltd has updated its popular free guide to portable appliance testing (PAT) in line with the new IET Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Testing of Electrical Equipment

Vent-Axia has published its new handy-sized product selector and price guide to provide essential technical information on the company's extensive product range.

Hager has produced a free consumer unit guide to the 17th edition wiring regulations. It outlines the new requirements for domestic installations and suggests what solutions the contractor should consider.

Cooper Lighting and Safety has released a new ordering guide for the extensive line-up of products offered under its Axent architectural lighting brand.

Danlers manufacture a comprehensive range of passive infra-red occupancy switches for automatic lighting control including the popular ceiling flush mounted version (pictured). The products are easy to install, using the existing wiring in a building.

Cooper Lighting and Safety has updated and redesigned its popular Crompton Modulay range of recessed luminaires, adding Part L compliant versions that use high-frequency control gear and triphosphor lamps to achieve the highest levels of energy efficiency.

Knurr have operating data centre proven results, using their new CAC (Cold Aisle Containment) cabinet cold aisle cooling enhancement system, that show a 60% gain in cabinet cooling and energy efficiency. This dramatic improvement is achieved by the simple and highly cost-effective containment of cold aisles, with attendant improvement in cold airflow management. 

Johnson Controls' general product catalogue is now available online at www.johnsoncontrols.co.uk and contains more than 200 pages of building controls, HVAC and refrigeration equipment.

A new ultra-efficient range of high output, fully condensing, gas-fired, floor-standing boilers has been launched by leading boiler supplier MHS Boilers. With best-in-class NOx emissions and efficiencies of up to 109%, the Ultramax R600 is set to become a benchmark for others to follow.

Honeywell has launched a time-saving water supply assembly for multi-occupancy buildings. The MTA06 has a lower cost than all competing similar assemblies and helps consultants by simplifying specifications while making installation easier and faster.

Merlin Power Management has launched Maxicare Plus, a new concept in diesel standby generator service contracts. Designed for generator end users as well as resellers, the new Maxicare Plus is a comprehensive service contract offering total peace of mind at a time when businesses are experiencing an increasing number of power outages.

Variants of two high efficiency condensing units newly added to Searle's comprehensive range give the refrigeration and air conditioning industry a powerful choice for both medium and low temperature applications. The NXS and NXR models are streamlined in appearance, quiet running and compact in size. They are ideal for use in catering and food retailing - especially in preparation areas, cold rooms, convenience stores, garage forecourt shops and supermarkets.

DiversiTech UK has launched a new Granular Coil Cleaner, part of its flagship Pro-Universal range, for the UK refrigeration and air conditioning maintenance market.

Raychem self-regulating freeze protection systems for buildings have gone modular with the launch of FlexiClic. The new versatile modular format makes it easier and quicker to install electric frost protection to exposed pipework and on the roofs of commercial, residential or industrial buildings. FlexiClic modules simply click together to create the required layout and there are click-together Tee and 3-way junctions to enhance the system flexibility and deliver lower total installed costs.

Statistics show that there have been more than 40 deaths from Carbon Monoxide poisoning caused by gas fires in the UK over the last twelve years. 

In line with its ambitious green agenda, environmental control systems manufacturer, Mitsubishi Electric has announced that it has phased out all R407c, fixed-speed models on its Mr Slim range and replaced them with new R410A, inverter-driven models which deliver much better energy performance especially at partial loads.

Unique low maintenance features and an extended anti-corrosion warranty have resulted in the growing popularity of Noral's Design Excellence Award-winning exterior architectural lighting. This is particularly so throughout the public sector and with private companies involved in the growing number of PFI (Private Finance Initiative) contracts.

Johnson Controls HVAC & Refrigeration Parts Centre has launched a range of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) service tools, along with a supporting product catalogue.

Following its showcase at the ISE show in January, Helvar will release the new 458 Dimmer in late spring. The eight channel inductive dimmer, complete with LCD display and intuitive cursor control, comes in a compact, pre-wired, wall-mountable unit for maximum convenience and versatility. Eagerly anticipated by designers, installers and integrators, the 458 is suitable for architectural and residential use, as well as a variety of commercial applications. 

A completely new way of achieving optimum temperature comfort in buildings has been developed by Kanmor Control Systems.

Ridi has launched AIDA-Vario, a suspended luminaire for recessed ceiling grids. Designed to meet the latest demands of CIBSE LG3a and LG7 the AIDA-Vario can be lowered to maximise ceiling illumination or fully recessed to ensure a flush ceiling line.

Kopex International has introduced an extensive range of conduit accessories - all tested to ATEX and IECEx standards.

The new MRJ21 pre-terminated copper cabling system from the AMP NETCONNECT Business Unit of Tyco Electronics is designed to offer simple plug-and-play installation, high-density interconnection with more ports in less space, and the reliability to handle substantial data streams in applications such as data centres.