The Empire State Building is going green, following the unveiling of a landmark energy sustainability programme for the iconic property by Jones Lang LaSalle and its programme partners that will reduce the energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by up to 38%.

The CIBSE Young Engineers' Network is looking for companies who take the development of young people seriously and who know that supporting young people both in employment and in education is vital.

Meiny Prins, General Manager of Priva has become the Businesswoman of the year after being presented with the Prix Veuve Clicquot 2009.

The subject of energy efficiency continues to be a topic on which everyone in the industry has something to say and with new products continuing to emerge it feels like there are new developments on a daily basis.

The target of an 80% reduction in carbon emissions set out in the Climate Change Act passed in November last year can easily be seen as a remote and abstract benchmark, one which we have plenty of time to take action to achieve. But with the first key deadline fast approaching next month, where the government will be laying down the levels for the first three Carbon Budgets, the task is quickly becoming a more immediate concern.

The introduction of energy targets in support of the Building Regulations and other legislation is focusing minds very firmly on the efficiency of all of a building's services and lighting is no exception. Achieving higher efficiencies in lighting requires a combination of more efficient luminaires better lamps, and improved control.

There is increasing pressure on building managers to reduce energy use. Legislation in the form of Energy Performance Certificates and Display Energy Certificates is making building owners and occupants more aware of their energy consumption than ever before.  Perhaps even more important is the rising cost of energy in an increasingly uncertain economic climate. Managers in the private and public sectors are on the lookout for any ways to reduce operational costs.

Three innovative products and 11 outstanding projects were the winners of this year's Lighting Design Awards where projects were as diverse as they were distinguished, with a sublime cathedral and an urban gym sharing the laurels with a glistening 50m wide spider's web and a luxury apartment on the Strand in London.

The great challenge for any business is how to increase productivity without jeopardising quality. Indeed, in today's competitive market, this quest has an even sharper edge - the demand is to get more value for money while raising quality standards, and at the same time, of course, being lean and green.

The contemporary designed Torino IP66 Bi-Directional wall mounted luminaire from Ansell Lighting, has been used at the newly re-built Carnalridge Primary School in Portrush, County Antrim, to provide a high quality architectural light source that is able to complement the interior architecture.

Cablofil has won a new contract to provide all the cable containment for a state-of-the-art biomass fuel production plant in Ruthin, North Wales.

Osram transformed the glass façade of Kings Place, a new development in Kings Cross, London using its Lumilux T5 range of fluorescent tubes and Quicktronic electronic control gear (ECG). A contemporary lighting installation with a twist was created - the tubes can be programmed to tell the time or display text. Osram was specified for this project as its Lumilux fluorescent tubes and Quicktronic ECG allow individual control of the dimmable lighting segments.

Lochinvar has supplied high efficiency gas-fired equipment to top fashion brand, George, the clothing division of Asda.

Colston Hall, a venue which has been bringing music to Bristol for almost 140 years, is enjoying a new facelift, with a lighting control solution supplied by Andromeda.

The Service & After Sales division of Walter Meier (Climate UK) has recently completed installation of a Hitachi VRF air conditioning system at the University of Sheffield's S10health fitness centre. As well as meeting increased cooling demands, the new system is expected to achieve significant energy savings compared to the previous system.

When the Governing Body of Sidcot School were looking for a cost-effective way of keeping their pupils warm in the new Performance Arts Centre that has just opened, they were initially surprised when the building services contractors, A C Mechanical installed an air conditioning-based system that uses heat pump technology to warm underfloor heating throughout the school.

Bespoke Monodraught SunCatchers are taking centre stage at Make Architects' stunning new Sir Colin Campbell Building for Nottingham University's Jubilee Campus extension.

Vaillant has provided Aston Wood Golf Club with a heating system that would make even Tiger Woods green with envy. The installation at the Aston Wood clubhouse involved two Vaillant ecoTEC 65 commercial condensing boilers and a VRC 630 boiler management system. The new system has been so successful that the 200-acre championship golf course has recently seen more of its 850 members staying behind for a well-earned drink after their round. Mark Davies, managing director of Prolec UK, installed the Vaillant equipment. 

SAS International has supplied both passive and active Integrated Service Modules (ISMs) to the Police Federation of England and Wales' Headquarters in Leatherhead, Surrey. The design brief demanded that the building utilise energy efficient technologies to meet the Police Federation's ongoing commitment to embracing sustainability within its buildings.

Aggreko stepped into the breach to prevent a top West Midlands tourist destination from having to close due to loss of power during the height of its lucrative summer season.

Building controls specialist, BG Controls has installed a state-of-the-art Building Management System (BMS) at BreathingSpace - the UK's pioneering respiratory centre.

Over the last three years we have brought news of the latest data centre and IT cooling systems which Trox AITCS has brought to the market. Here we look at the latest development designed to maximise a CRAC system and provide an expandable solution.

Over 4,000 fires occur in retail outlets every year and on average larger fires cause over £5m of damage annually. Following the outbreak of a small fire in a shop, it can take less than three minutes to fill a mall with smoke, while it can take 30 minutes to evacuate a mall, taking into account parents with young children, the elderly and the disabled.

Large corporations are consistently being challenged to adopt ground-breaking social responsibility and environmental policies. Engineering and technology experts Siemens put these philosophies into practice by using its own products throughout its estate, achieving impressive energy-savings as well as outstanding working environments for the company's employees. But to take the leap from manufacturer to end-user, Siemens employed the help of Andromeda to provide integrated control solutions for their building services; offering the missing ingredient for realising a green, sustainable development.

Schools have always been noisy places, and it is perhaps not surprising to learn that teachers form a disproportionate percentage of those who attend hospital clinics with voice injuries. Prolonged use of the voice coupled with a frequent need to shout above the din of the classroom is often cited as the cause of these injuries. Children are also affected by noise.

It was telling that one of the first actions of Barack Obama on entering office was to herald a sea change in the US government's policy on climate change and carbon emissions. Within 100 hours of his inauguration he had announced that he expected federal agencies to make all government buildings far more energy efficient. He had a target in mind as well, hoping to achieve energy savings of up to $2 billion (£1.5 billion) per year alongside a reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases blamed for global warming. 

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has launched a simplified, easy to use air conditioning controller designed specifically for use in hotel rooms. The RCH-E3 (H is for Hotels) is based on the well-established RC-E3 controller, which has been proven in use with MHI's VRF systems for some time. The new hotel room control panel retains the best features of the existing model, including the easy-to-read LCD display and installer-friendly two-wire installation, but only has the functions which a hotel guest will need.          

Vaillant is further demonstrating its commitment to microgeneration technologies by integrating its climaVAIR air-to-air heat pump range within its renewables offering.

Vaillant has confirmed that not even the sky is the limit, with the introduction of two new additions to its solar thermal range of renewable energy products. This latest innovation has strengthened Vaillant's Total System Solution, while heating up its solar portfolio. The new flat plate solar thermal collectors from Vaillant include the auroTHERM plus VFK 150 and auroTHERM VFK 145. Both products weigh 38kg and have a low profile thickness of 80mm, making them some of the lightest in their class.

Walter Meier (Climate UK) has entered into an exclusive agreement with Wolf GmbH to distribute Wolf's innovative KG Top range of air handling units in the UK. The move reinforces Walter Meier's focus on engineered solutions and complement's the company's ranges of applied air conditioning and humidification products.

Schneider Electric has extended its innovative Canalis range with the introduction of the Plug-on Distribution boards, designed to increase installation efficiency and improve performance. 

Sontay has added a new highly programmable multi-function kWh Meter to its comprehensive range. The new PM M850 has user programmable CT and VT ratios and can be used on any single or 3-phase system.

The Stopgel-Antifreeze range of ready to use cables from electric temperature maintenance specialist Flexelec have been specifically designed to protect metal piping against freezing - something we all know about this winter!

The Lamp Company has just unveiled its new interactive website, which enables the user to locate any lamp or fluorescent tubes. The Lamp Company is expert in the supply of light bulbs and holds stocks of over one million items at any one time. All of the major lamp brands are stocked, including Megaman, Philips, Osram, GE, Sylvania and Venture. Selection is made easy by simply selecting the lamp required by following the selection steps in ‘find your lamp by shape' or ‘by characteristic' which offers cap type, wattage or colour.

Advanced Ergonomic Technologies (AET) has announced an expansion of its range with the launch of the new all air VAV underfloor air conditioning system, PleinAir. 

Hager has launched a new range of staircase time lag switches that offers a simple and flexible energy saving solution.

Architects, specifiers and contractors wishing to know more about the market's only all-curved trunking system should consult new product literature produced by its manufacturer Marshall-Tufflex.

Hamilton Litestat has added to its product portfolio with the launch of its own range of electronic transformers. Designed for low voltage halogen lighting specifications, this range has been introduced to provide the market with a fully tested product that is able to complement the quality of Hamilton's dimmers. 

The extension of the Daikin inverter driven mini chiller range signals the company's ability to cover any cooling/heating requirement up to 14kW for the residential and light commercial market. Furthermore, the new EWAQ/EWYQ unit returns some of the best ESEERs (European Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratios) and COPs in the industry today.

Finder has launched a pair of digital weekly time switches providing an astrological programming capability enabling switching according to local sunrise and sunset times. These are automatically calculated from user input of current date, time and either local longitude and latitude or nearest major city.

The look, feel and mode of operation of the IQView4 touch screen display for Trend building management systems will be instantly familiar to anyone who has an MP3 player, Sat Nav system or modern mobile phone. Learning how to use the new device will thus come as second nature to most facilities managers and building services engineers.

Venture Lighting, the world leader in metal halide technology, has introduced a new Online Energy Calculator to provide an invaluable tool for calculating energy savings in specific installations. This simple to use tool will also calculate financial savings that can be achieved by choosing to switch to lamps within the Venture range.

A new type of ultra-efficient chiller, now being launched simultaneously in the UK and across Europe, delivers unprecedented energy savings for end users and takes carbon reduction into new territory for the industry.

MK Electric has recently compiled a collection of wiring accessories ideally suited to the demanding needs of the healthcare sector - whether they are safety, security, or hygiene. The collection encompasses anti-bacterial switches and sockets; lockable and surge-protected devices and accessories dedicated for those with disabilities.

MK Electric - the UK's leading manufacturer of wiring devices and electrical accessories - has launched a unique Fire Alarm Isolator to ensure that systems comply with the requirements of BS 5839: Fire Detection and Fire Alarm Systems for Buildings, Part 1.

A new thermal imaging camera that takes the guesswork out of temperature measurement, by fusing visual and thermal images on to the same screen, has been launched to meet the needs of electrical contractors, maintenance engineers, HVAC professionals, energy inspectors and auditors, and engineers in construction and the automotive industry.

The new and updated version of the renowned Britmac Powertrack brand for 2009 is now available from Crabtree, and is set to become an even more popular under-floor power distribution system than its predecessor.

Draka claims to have become the only cable manufacturer in the UK to be able to offer installers a full range of third-party approved SWA (Steel Wire Armoured) power cables down to 4mm².  The newly enhanced LPCB (Loss Prevention Certification Board) approved 600/1000V Firetuf Powerplus cable offering is available in two, three and four-core options with nominal conductor areas spanning from 4mm² to 400mm².  The range also includes a 2.5mm² seven-core cable.

With growing interest in renewable technology, plumbing and heating specialist Pegler Yorkshire is making its solar technology available for the UK market.

Hoval has manufactured a specially designed steam sterilising system for use with raw clinical waste for leading clinical waste management company Cliniserve. The sterilising system is believed to be the first of its kind, allowing clinical waste to be fully sterilised to the required environmental standards prior to shredding and disposal to landfill.

JG Speedfit, the push-fit solution for plumbing, heating and underfloor heating systems has just launched an update to its underfloor heating literature.

Tyco Thermal Controls has produced a new 12 page colour brochure detailing its Raychem HWAT heat-tracing system for hot water temperature maintenance in commercial and residential buildings.

Superbly easy to operate and install, Danfoss Randall's new TP4000 RF (wireless) programmable room thermostat is ideal for use with combination boiler systems and those numerous basic room temperature control applications that call for same-each-day programming. Today's prominence of combination boilers, and the growing need for controls simplicity, means this unit is sure to appeal to a major sector of today's domestic central heating controls market.

Thermostatic radiator valve failures are frequently caused by particles from the pipework system preventing the full shut-off function or damage the valve disc seal.  Normally, the only way to rectify such problems would be to close the system down, drain off, replace necessary components, refill and restart.  There is also the matter of bleeding air out of the system once it is up and running.  This process can be very time consuming and costly.

Valve specialist, Taconova (UK) Ltd has launched the IP54 protected RA57 Topdrive actuator range as a versatile, robust and easy to install solution ideally suited to underfloor heating system applications.

The future of indoor air treatment is here according to Flakt Woods with the launch of their new eQ range of air handling units, which progressively will replace the Company's world-famous EC, STING, and then EU ranges.

Representing a significant development in flame detector technology, the new Draeger Flame 5000 is a reliable, explosion-proof, colour imaging based CCTV flame detector. 

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

MHS Boilers has launched the next generation of its innovative Nexus district heating substation.  Nexus is a heat interface unit which allows metered services to be installed in multi-dwelling developments like apartment blocks, sheltered housing or community heating schemes.

Philips has announced the launch of a second generation of its highly successful MASTER LED family of lamps, revealing plans to introduce a further extension of the range, which offer a direct replacement for incandescent and halogen lamps.

Cementing its position at the forefront of innovation in low carbon ventilation, Vent-Axia has launched its latest product development for the residential market - the Sentinel Kinetic mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) system. Part of the Vent-Axia Lo Carbon initiative, the Sentinel Kinetic is designed to be a SAP Appendix Q listed ventilation solution capable of 90% heat recovery, so helping to reduce the DER of new build properties.

Hager has produced an energy saving guide.  It identifies major areas of electrical consumption and outlines some energy saving solutions.

HVAC balancing specialist Taconova (UK) has extended its range of Danfoss self acting flow and differential pressure control valves with the stocking of the AVP Differential Pressure Controller series suitable for flow mounting. Already proven in numerous applications across continental Europe, these flow-mounted control valves can solve a number of issues with engineers seeking to balance a variety of HVAC system applications.

The award-winning Carat range of panel radiators from MHS is proving to be a hit with housebuilders and developers, housing associations and local authorities.

Lochinvar has produced a dedicated guide on the use of solar energy in conjunction with traditional gas-fired water heating systems.

Mitsubishi Electric has launched a new version of its popular Lossnay heat recovery ventilation system to set a new benchmark for advanced energy recovery products.  The Lossnay RX5 series, which is now available in the UK, helps maintain Mitsubishi Electric's lead in the field of energy recovery ventilators. 

Ashtead Technology has seen a growing demand across its fleet of thermal imaging cameras from the building inspection industry, due to the cost savings associated with energy efficiency.

After launching in 2008, the website of specialist controls supplier Havelock now offers the option to pay securely online by either credit or debit card. 

The new ClipPlates now available from Timoleon have been purpose designed to speed the installation of high efficiency underfloor heating systems.

Now available from LG is a comprehensive range of ceiling cassettes available from 2.5 to 15kw, connectable not only as single split systems in both inverter and non inverter configuration, but also as twin triple and double twin configuration. For VRF sites the LG cassette range is even more comprehensive with a new 1.6kw mini cassette making its debut.

Now available from LG is the full suite of VRF products with a comprehensive range of indoor units - cassettes, ducted cassettes, wall mounted units, floor standing cased and uncased units and, of course, the Art Cool range.

Fläkt Woods has launched the new Powerbox - Greasefighter, a new generation of kitchen canopy fan, featuring an externally located motor, enabling high performance canopy extraction, at high temperatures.

Around the world, global warming is headline news and energy efficiency is at the top of everyone's agenda; individuals, businesses and governments.

A new range of flush-mount modular unloaded patch panels for use in network cabling systems has been released by the AMP Netconnect business unit of Tyco Electronics.

The Kopex Ex range of accessories is, uniquely, certified as a piece of equipment, removing the need for retesting of existing equipment when there are any changes or replacement takes place.  The new range of converters, adapters, reducers and stopping plugs can be interchanged without altering the Ex approval of the installation or system.

To offer even greater capacity and energy efficiency, Bitzer has enhanced its CSH Compact Screw compressor range with two new models and as a result can offer increased potential cooling capacity in air-conditioning applications.