The 2009 BCIA Conference theme will be ‘Energy under control: solutions to save money and energy' and will focus on using building controls to reduce energy waste - and save money.

The HVCA has published the first in a series of Better Business Guides designed to provide its members with the expert advice and guidance they will require to continue to operate profitably in the months ahead.

KNX UK is putting major emphasis on its training programmes including sessions for its members on the energy saving benefits of KNX technology.

A number of top industry names were winners at the second annual Low Carbon Performance Awards, rewarding the people, projects and campaigns working towards a more sustainable built environment.

In making better use of energy in our buildings, which is certainly something we need to do, it's important that we don't just look at the energy consuming plant and equipment but also to how it is controlled. That seems an obvious statement, and is reinforced in Part L. Consequently, controls are selected and installed in the majority of projects now - but it is surprising how little thought is sometimes given to ensuring they are the right type of controls.

When specifying an air conditioning system, the decision used to be a fairly easy one to make - splits were for small installations, VRF systems were for larger operations, and chillers/AHUs were the only solution for the largest commercial projects. At either end of the spectrum, that still holds true in many cases. However, it is in the middle zone - medium-sized systems - where system selection becomes a more complex process, as VRF becomes ever more attractive in both smaller and larger projects.

The Trox Group has expanded their manufacturing base in china by moving to a new 8000m² facility in Suzhou.  Trox China already employs 140 people with three main sales offices for technical support staff and over 20 sales agents throughout the territory.

Following strong sales growth, Sontay has strengthened its sales team with two internal promotions. 

The Lighting Industry Federation (LIF) has unveiled plans for a lighting award scheme, which focuses on the upgrading of existing installations to improve energy-efficiency.

R22's phase-out, according to global air-conditioning giant LG, has identified an unprecedented opportunity for consultants to grow their business despite the present harsh economic climate.

Dave Newton has joined Faber Maunsell | AECOM's Altrincham office as a Director responsible for Government Services activity across the North of England.

Do you know someone who is bursting with talent and energy?  Why not reward their skills at SkillELECTRIC 2009, a competition organised by SummitSkills, the sector skills council for building services engineering.

In a move which is sure to be welcomed by the electrical contracting industry, NICEIC Group has announced a price freeze and new staged payment options on registration fees for 2009 and 2010.

BG Controls has been selected as a distributor for energy management specialist, EFT Control Systems.

Leading gas safety charity The CORGI Trust is challenging the industry to blow away their winter cobwebs and help raise funds for Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms at the same time by participating in the Brecon Challenge 2009.

High achievers on leading ductwork contractor Hotchkiss's award-winning apprenticeship scheme were congratulated by John Williams of Land Securities in a prize-giving ceremony.

Birmingham Children's Hospital Liver Ward 8 has thirteen new digital television sets thanks to the efforts of Kevin Harris, International Development Manager at Eaton.   Kevin raised more than £7,000 in sponsorship by walking Sharp Edge in the Lake District.

Thorn has opened a £28m factory and Academy of Light in Spennymore, County Durham, which represents the largest investment in lighting equipment manufacture and training in the UK since the 1940's.

Leaf through technical or business magazines, or indeed many national newspapers, and you will soon find yourself wading knee-deep in ‘greenwash'.

Hundreds of soldiers returning to the UK from Germany have brand new en-suite rooms fitted with Eaton's COPA clip-on plate wiring accessories.   COPA was selected by Building Services Engineers, Lorne Stewart, for use in a Defence Estates programme to upgrade single living accommodation for service personnel.   COPA accessories have a clip-on cover plate with no visible fixings.

More than half a kilometre of the Crompton Synthesis suspended lighting system from Cooper Lighting has been installed at Fibbersley Park Primary School at Willenhall in the West Midlands.

Speed is of the essence when working on sensitive sites such as hospitals - and that's why Hobbs Electrical selected Marshall-Tufflex's plug-and-play MT32 system for installing power and light into a new operating theatre.

Just two contracts have put Priva Building Intelligence in control of some 205,000m² of retail space in the Middle East: the Dalma Mall in Abu Dhabi with 150,000m² of leasable space and the Oasis Shopping Centre in Dubai at 55,700m².  In both instances the controls contract was won by Optima International employing Priva control systems to manage the HVAC services in these enormous shopping malls. 

Simmtronic lighting controls have been installed as part of Land Securities' major renovation of the Dashwood House corporate office building in London.  The scheme was designed in conjunction with consultants Long & Partners, applying the latest DALI lighting protocol equipment and featuring Simmtronic's advanced Automatic Testing System (ATS) for DALI based emergency lighting.

Vaillant's ecoCRAFT 120, part of its high efficiency floor standing commercial boiler range, has been commended with top marks by the head teacher and staff at Millbank Primary School, Westminster.  Two high efficiency, condensing floor standing ecoCRAFT commercial boilers have been specified and installed by Enterprise FM at the school.

Premier League fans of legendary Aston Villa football Club will be warming to the Hamworthy Wessex ModuMax 160 kW high efficiency modular boilers recently installed in the Trinity Road Stand.

Two Remeha Quinta 85 boilers have been installed at the Hard Day's Night Hotel, Liverpool's exclusive Beatles inspired luxury hotel. The 110-bed 4 Star Hotel, dedicated to the famous four, has been created within the Central Buildings situated just around the corner from the celebrated Cavern Club.

Andrews Water Heaters has provided two Queens award-winning MAXXflo condensing storage water heaters to The Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, South Wales. Famous first and foremost for its beautiful golf courses, home to The Celtic Manor Wales Open and two luxurious hotels, The Celtic Manor Resort is the chosen venue for the prestigious Ryder Cup in 2010.

Founded in 1932, Pershore High School has served as a community school for over 70 years and during this time has expanded with additions to most departments, most recently with a state-of-the-art science block and 6th form centre.  It now has 1200 pupils and has established a reputation for excellence which it extends beyond the academic side into all aspects including the quality of the school environment and its buildings.

Claremont Group Interiors has completed the fit-out of Vindon Scientific's new premises at the 420-acre Kingsway Business Park development in Rochdale.

Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park Authority received the Carbon Trust Low Carbon Building Award 2009 for the new Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park Authority headquarters, or Carrochan as it's known. The name Carrochan is a local place name, thought to be Gaelic for either ‘winding' or ‘rocky place' - both very apt given the final form of the building.

Andromeda has commenced work at Dublin Airport Terminal 2, a project which sees them extend their impressive airports portfolio, and establish themselves as key players in Ireland.

Riegens Lighting has designed and developed a versatile and energy efficient lighting system for the sales floor of the Tesco Homeplus store at Cribbs Causeway in Bristol. Working closely with the Tesco design team, Riegens came up with a solution that would meet all of the requirements of the scheme. This included achieving the required illuminance of 900 lux throughout the store with a distribution that enhances the products and attracts the customer, whilst maintaining Tesco's green credentials.

Since it was first developed around 20 years ago, the concept of sustainable development has suffered from a flood of definitions which has led to a great deal of confusion about what it actually means as well as damaging its credibility and diluting its impact.

The energy used to power buildings is responsible for more than 50% of UK carbon emissions. London alone emits around 44 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year - 8% of the UK's total. The industrial, commercial and public sector produces 40% of this, with 38% generated by domestic premises. Public buildings in England and Wales are pumping out 11 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year at a cost of £4 billion per annum in energy bills, which, according to data released under the Freedom of Information Act, is more than Kenya's entire carbon footprint.

I am extremely delighted to have joined SummitSkills at this crucial and exciting time for both the organisation and the BSE sector as a whole. SummitSkills has recently published its strategic plan for the next five years, and this is a period that will present the sector with significant challenges and opportunities.

Our online voting site is now open - all you have to do is go to our dedicated website and cast your vote for one entry in each category and have your say in who will win these prestigious awards.

All these considerations were key to the planning of a major redevelopment of Epping Forest College in North East London, which has created 18,000m² of purpose-built learning and training facilities at a development cost of £38 million.  The new campus will enable the college to provide state-of-the-art facilities for its 2,000 full-time and 4,000 part-time students, help it attract talented staff and ensure it wins lucrative training contracts.

Delivering high standards of indoor air quality is an imperative in good building services design.  Building regulations demand it, the building fabric requires it and numerous studies prove how end-users benefit from an indoor environment that boosts comfort, alertness and productivity. In the current economic and environmental climate, cutting running costs and reducing carbon also remain key priorities for building occupiers.

EU regulation on ozone depleting substances prohibits the use of the low temperature refrigerant R22 as a top-up fluid for maintenance from 2010, and with a complete ban set to take effect from 2015, companies need to consider alternatives and how they will manage the transition.

The European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) means that the UK Government is putting the onus on all those involved with the construction, maintenance and selling of buildings to focus their attentions on the energy performance of their properties. This increase in demand for both public and commercial buildings to have an energy performance certificate is leading to increased demand for renewable technologies to provide HVAC and electrical solutions.

Hamilton Litestat has introduced its new and improved Woods range of electrical accessories which has been re-engineered to provide a contemporary feel that suits current interior design.

Advanced portable appliance testers in the Seaward PrimeTest range are equipped with a special RCD test capability in line with the requirements of the IEE Code of Practice for PAT testing.

SmartCool has been launched into the data centre and computer room cooling market by leading air conditioning manufacturer Airedale. SmartCool is Airedale's next generation of precision cooling solutions, capable of significantly reducing energy consumption and maximising uptime.

The new ReNew T5 from Chalmor enables existing fluorescent fittings to be upgraded to use high efficiency T5 lamps with high frequency control gear - backed by a five year warranty. As such, it significantly improves lighting energy performance with a customised solution that avoids the disruption and cost of installing new fittings Consequently, ReNew T5 offers a number of benefits over and above T5 adapters.

Following the successful launch of the Riegens Lighting catalogue, the company has announced the new option of an electronic version, which can be downloaded quickly and easily from the website. Hard copy versions can also be requested online.

Armstrong has announced the launch of Pump-in-a-Box - a range comprising some of the most regularly requested commercial pump models available with shorter lead times than ever before. Shipment from stock within 24 hours of placement of order is available on many pumps with the remainder delivered within seven working days. The new product offering encompasses both fixed and variable speed pumps, available in a wide range of impeller and motor combinations for extensive coverage of the most frequently encountered head and flow requirements. Included in the range are models with all-bronze construction, or cast iron pumps with bronze impellers.

Armstrong has published a concise energy saving guide which helps engineers to drive down costs when they refurbish or upgrade ageing systems. The free eight page booklet has been written by engineers from Armstrong's after-sales team and runs through the key energy saving opportunities presented by today's technology.

Kanmor Control Systems has introduced an additional Boiler Controller type 264e to complement the current type 262e, which features weather compensation and typical associated fuel savings of between 10-18% when compared with systems employing thermostats alone. 

Meter solutions company, MWA Technology has added new meters to its CPT Quantometer range, and introduced updated models in the TBX turbine gas meter range for the UK market.

Building controls expert, BG Controls, has revamped its website to provide clients with practical facilities management tools online.

Merlin Power Management has added the valuable diagnostics tool, Thermal Imaging, to its growing portfolio of products to further enhance its status as a total solutions company. 

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Europe (MHIE) has just made life a little easier for air con system designers and installers working on hotel projects with the addition of the new FDUH duct-connected indoor unit to its high efficiency KX VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow) range.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Europe (MHIE) has expanded its air con system servicing and troubleshooting functionality by extending the scope of the company's Mente PC maintenance and monitoring software tool. Mente PC was previously only available to work on MHIE's sophisticated KX4 and new KX6 Compact VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow) systems. The new release of Mente PC, version 4.1-01, is now fully functional on the complete MHIE air con range, including splits.

Delta Controls Inc has announced the launch of its 7-inch, colour LCD display touch screen - the DHMI.

Cylon Controls has released the UCU Room Display, the latest in room control display for individual fan coil control. The UCU Room Display is connected to an advanced energy efficient controller integrated into the UnitronUC32 BEMS. Its incorporated room temperature sensor measures the room temperature which is then displayed on the clear and readable LCD screen.

Purmo UK has changed the name of its Column range to Delta, bringing it into the fold of Purmo's pan-European Warm Society.  The range features four different styles of radiator; the Laserline, Bench, Bar and Twin.

Danlers Limited design and manufacture a range of indoor and outdoor electronic time lag switches for lighting or heating loads, which are ideal for simply saving energy in stairwells, store rooms, student accommodation, smoking shelters etc.

Packexe is proud to announce the launch of its latest editions to the suite-Glass & Glazing film and the 1250mm dispenser.

Paslode has responded to a genuine gap in the market with the new PPN35i - the first cordless positive placement nailer for fixing metal connector plates to timber. The PPN35i can help improve the quality of the installation; is significantly quicker and far less painstaking than traditional methods - saving both time and money on site.

GE is expanding its family of control and automation products with the introduction of the new RE range of electronic overload relays.  Designed for industrial and OEM applications such as pumping, metal manufacturing and HVAC installations, the new products offer major advantages compared to conventional thermal overload relays.

GE has announced the introduction of its new Fixwell range of screwless plug and play MCBs and RCCBs.  Fixwell enables connection to be made quickly and without tools, reducing cabling time significantly and ensuring dependable connection, whatever the application.

Thermal Energy International Inc, which recently acquired the Bristol based steam trap manufacturer GEM Ltd, is launching its highly acclaimed FLU-ACE technology to the UK and European market.  Greatly improving the fuel efficiency of boiler operations, FLU-ACE provides a significant return on investment, and reduces environmental emissions.

The full range of Draka fire performance cabling is now incorporated into the ProDesign software package from Amtech, the market leading provider of electrical design and test-and-inspection software solutions for building services engineers.  The powerful, engineer-friendly software provides total control - from initial concept stage through to commissioning.

With the use of carbon dioxide as a natural refrigerant becoming increasingly popular, Bitzer now offers an enhanced range of CO₂ Octagon compressors for air-conditioning and medium and low temperature refrigeration applications.  In 1989, Bitzer was one of the first companies to start extensive field tests with carbon-dioxide compressors and therefore has more expertise in the industry than any other supplier.  With this vast experience, customers can now benefit both from a large, technologically sophisticated range of Bitzer CO₂ compressors and a guarantee of intensive and professional technical support.

Specialist energy saving lamp manufacturer Megaman UK, has released a new concept in catalogues. Split into two distinct sections, the 2009 catalogue details the company's energy efficient lamps on one side and, when turned over, highlights the Fozz Lighting range of products, that provide flexible, energy saving lighting solutions for a wide range of domestic and leisure applications.

Eaton has introduced a range of Type B, 200A final distribution boards with integral smart metering for power and lighting.  This enables specifiers and installers to meet the energy metering requirements of the current Building Regulations Part L2 cost-effectively without having to install separate distribution boards and feeders for each type of load.

Joining the popular IS range of infra-red sensors from Steinel is the IS NM 360, a wall mounted sensor that provides outstanding functionality in a unique new design. The motion detectors area of coverage is 360° but this can be limited with the use of the shrouds provided and a ‘sneak-by' guard can also be employed. The unit offers simple selection of ‘ON' time, twilight threshold and programme on the removable sensor module, in addition to manual override.  The unit also offers a sensor reach of up to eight metres.

Daikin has upgraded the design of its RZQ Super Inverter (1 phase) and RZQS Comfort Inverter, developed for use in offices, shops and restaurants, thereby increasing efficiencies throughout both ranges. In the case of the RZQS100 for example, cooling and heating efficiencies are improved by up to 23% and 11% respectively over those of the earlier model. Both RZQ and RZQS units continue to support the connection of a wide range of indoor units and retain their wide temperature operating range.

The Safeguard LST, from MHS Radiators, is a range of low surface temperature emitters and casings. The Safeguard is an ideal choice wherever high efficiency heating is required, yet where safety demands a low surface temperature.

MHS Boilers has launched a range of energy efficient Ground and Water Source Heat Pumps.  AQUATOP T from Elco is a new generation of heat pumps which use the ground and/or water as a free energy source.  They are perfect for underfloor heating and where design conditions permit, a high temperature version may also be used with radiators.

Mitsubishi Electric has launched an SMS version of its unique M2M wireless air conditioning controller, to bring advanced air conditioning control and monitoring to handsets everywhere.

Siemens Building Technologies has extended its proven Acvatix range of valves and actuators by introducing a new range of pressure independent control combi valves for room and zone applications.

Hager has produced a downloadable web video advising about the correct selection of junction boxes to meet the 17^th edition wiring regulations.

Switching from standard halogen lamps to energy efficient replacements is now easy and hassle free with the extension of the Halogen Energy Savers range from Osram. The latest additions can achieve a 30% energy reduction, last twice as long as standard incandescent lamps, and are fully dimmable, providing further significant savings on energy, costs and materials.