SummitSkills, the Sector Skills Council for building services engineering has launched a UK-wide initiative to find people passionate about their work to fill the role of ambassadors for the sector.

Martin Bailey was inaugurated as the president of The Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) for 2009-2010 at the opening of the organisation's annual industry conference. 

New legislation taking effect from the start of next year could be bad news for anyone with air conditioning that is older than five years - yet most companies remain ignorant of the major impact this could have on their business.

The whole business world is busy depressing itself by repeating bad news stories. How many of us have joined in this process by talking about bad news in our business, and by the way did you hear about someone else who is having much worse problems? Talking continuously about lack of confidence in the future, or speculating that there must be a cliff out there that we are all going to fall over, does not help to find opportunities.

When history writes about the era we are now living through, it will be the politicians, scientists and the higher-profile green activists who will feature when issues relating to climate change are held up for scrutiny.

Baxi Group has been victorious at the Micropower Awards 2009, winning the hotly contested Innovation category for the Ecogen microCHP unit.

A buildings engineer is planning to swap planes, trains and automobiles for aches, pains and no mobiles as he prepares to travel the entire length of the British Isles using only muscle power.

Philips is calling upon leaders of world businesses, municipal authorities and other owners and operators of buildings to seize the opportunity to cut back on energy consumption by simply switching to energy-efficient lighting.

The Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering has declared its support for the Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment, launched in September 2008. The CBE Diploma is a qualification for 14 to 19-year-olds designed in collaboration with employers and universities. It is part of a national programme to encourage young people to continue learning for longer by widening their choices and helping them get the qualifications they need to succeed in work and life. It will allow young people to progress onto employment, college and university.

The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) has welcomed the proposed carbon targets and green stimulus package announced in the 2009 Budget.

Recent news that EU member states have approved a plan to ban low and standard efficiency circulating pumps from 2013 has been warmly welcomed by Wilo here in the UK. The plan also states that from 2015, only very high efficiency intelligent circulators will be allowed.

NICEIC Group has been accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to run a Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) for installers. The Scheme is designed to register businesses undertaking environmental technologies installation work in dwellings in the United Kingdom.

SAS International has developed a new CIBSE recognised CPD presentation on the theme of radiant heating. Ceiling mounted radiant heating panels (RHPs) are produced by HCP, the specialist heating division of SAS International.

ITT Corporation has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Laing GmbH of Germany, a privately-held leading producer of energy efficient circulator pumps primarily used in residential and commercial plumbing and heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.  Once completed, the acquisition will significantly broaden ITT's offering and will reflect the company's continued strategic focus on satisfying the market's growing demand for energy efficiency and lower life-cycle costs.

Samsung has announced the appointment of Dysk Air Conditioning, Easy Air Conditioning and Gallant Air Conditioning to a new line-up of distributors who will spearhead sales of its new DVM Plus III air conditioning systems alongside the range of RAC solutions.

There were some sharp intakes of breath recently when SummitSkills published its report on the likely impact of current economic conditions on jobs in the building services sector.

James Hall and Company is the regional distribution centre for SPAR operations in the north of England and runs a chain of 90 fully-owned stores, with a further 350-plus outlets operated by franchisees.

The biggest development project in the Fens for centuries is harnessing advanced design and technology to breathe new life into a derelict area.

Brighton Marina has a new, energy efficient, white lighting solution at the centre. The combination of the award winning Philips CosmoPolis lamps housed in stylish heritage lanterns has dramatically improved the night time ambience within this popular waterfront location.

One of Scotland's finest hotels is reaping the benefits of switching to a greener, lower carbon solution for its heating and electrical power requirements based on a new combined heat and power system (CHP).

New Spike LED light columns from EcoLEDLighting and Holophane Europe are being used to promote accessibility and safety for users and visitors to Milton Keynes Hospital. Located in a park close to the hospital, the custom-built fittings deliver enhanced light levels on pathways as well as significantly improving sightlines for pedestrians visiting the hospital and nearby public transport terminus.

A new highly visible office complex in Cambridge has used Fläkt Woods chilled beams to help create the three metre full-height ceiling requirements of NAPP Pharmaceuticals, for their three new office buildings on the Cambridge Science Park.

More and more supermarkets in France not only offer modern convenience and perfect service to their customers, they are environmentally-friendly as well. Thanks to Johnson Controls' ECONEO integrated solution, these supermarkets reduce their energy consumption and operating costs, which in turn brings benefits to its customers.

When faced with replacing an ageing pump, engineers often install a like-for-like replacement, even though this can mean missing out on more energy efficient technology. Concerns often relate to the cost and disruption of selecting alternative equipment. The scale of these problems is, however, frequently over-estimated.

The glittering awards ceremony took place at the Hilton Hotel, Coventry on 14 May with guests travelling from far and wide to see who would receive these prestigious awards.

MediaCityUK is being developed by a partnership of the Central Salford Urban Regeneration Company, Peel Holdings and Salford City Council. This is a major development for the North of England, for the UK as a whole and will be of global importance as the project will revolutionise the media and creative industries in the North.

In west Hertfordshire, a history of financial deficit going back to the early 1990s led to a reported deficit of £26.8m in 2005/6 with a total accumulated deficit at just over £41m. One of the main contributing factors to this deficit was inefficiencies caused by duplicating services across a number of hospital sites. This financial situation and a drive to improve patient services led to a decision to centralise some services onto a single site. Meanwhile, an ambitious NHS rebuilding programme means a new hospital will be completed at Watford General Hospital in 2014/2015.

Correct lighting is important in all areas of life, but if we were to quantify which activities require the highest quality of light, then lighting for education would be fairly near the top of that list.

In many operations, within the industrial, construction and commercial sectors, the use of water is often an accepted process cost.  There is scant attention paid to reducing such a significant service cost with fixing leaking taps often being the extent of energy saving in this area.

Philip Jason Shaw, 20, who works for nationwide building services provider Birchall Ltd based in Newcastle-under-Lyme, scooped the top prize at the 2009 NTA as National Operative of The Year and was also awarded the title of National Heating and Ventilating Operative of the Year. Deemed best of the best, Philip was presented his trophies by Graham Goddard from Unite, and Nigel Vardy, British record-breaking mountaineer.

As teenagers across the country begin the countdown to the exams that could determine the course of the rest of their lives, memories of those evenings spent revising and days waiting nervously outside the exam room in the sunshine come flooding back. The summer I spent sitting in a humid exam hall poring over A level exam papers is, mercifully, a distant memory these days.  The hall is probably still there, however, and chances are it will be just as hot, stuffy and inhospitable for this year's crop of school leavers as it was in my day.

The demand for chilled beams has more than doubled over the past three years and its market value now exceeds that of fan coil units. 

Looking at the significant number of mixed use and commercial buildings planned for London that have succumbed to the deepening recession, it would be reasonable to conclude that commercial developers would be in the depths of despair.  Indeed, some are.  However, many projects are still being designed in the capital and there's a definite air of optimism amongst some of the more lateral-thinking developers. 

Challenging times lie ahead for consultants. With the current financial climate driving some finance directors to batten down the hatches where budgets are concerned, consultants face the significant hurdle of persuading clients to opt for the best value rather than the cheapest option when it comes to chiller specification. Consultants must therefore make clients aware of other essential factors that are currently driving product choice while conveying that chiller replacement is not only desirable but necessary.

As part of its exclusive distribution agreement with Wolf GmbH, Walter Meier (Climate UK) is offering Wolf's innovative KG Top range of air handling units (AHUs).

Andrews Water Heaters has supplied three gas-fired storage water heaters to provide domestic hot water throughout the new Travelodge hotel which forms part of the major redevelopment of Fort Dunlop, Birmingham. Built in 1916, the former tyre factory and warehouse was, at the time, one of the largest in the world but, after being unoccupied for some 25 years, it had become completely derelict. However, with funds provided by the Regional Development Agency, the site has been converted into an iconic commercial and retail centre with hotel accommodation attached.

Star Refrigeration has installed a high efficiency Indigochiller cooling system for specialist air conditioning at GlaxoSmithKline's global head office. 

Minimising energy consumption and carbon emissions in commercial, industrial and public buildings is being achieved through new developments from Passivent Ltd, the UK's leading supplier of natural ventilation systems.

The Westfield London Shopping Centre, situated between Shepherds Bush and Notting Hill, is as trendy as its location. With 256 shops from 15 countries in the Westfield Centre providing a mix of top of the range high street names and a plethora of designer labels, all set in an area dominated by the very latest and most glamorous interior design and decoration, it promises to be the fashion centre for London.

Abbots Bromley School for Girls is a thriving private boarding and day school with around 300 students aged between 4 and 18. It has a reputation for excellence aimed at ensuring every girl achieves her full potential both academically and socially, and offers a curriculum covering a wide range of subjects.

Following an initial pilot project, Sabien Technology's M2G intelligent boiler load optimisation technology has been rolled out across the Norwich Union estate.

As part of a Government funded replacement programme for capital works in schools, Remeha products are proving a popular choice when up-dating boilers in educational establishments in the Leeds area.

Enter the Grundfos new web portal and see the all new web window that will help to simplify pump selection by making available to you for the first time a one stop shop for commercial building services professionals.

Utilising a single high performance LED, the new Minela task light from Waldman Lighting provides uniform illumination over a wide surface area with no shadowy areas. With a minimal energy consumption of only 6W, Minela can easily be adjusted to individual requirements with a single touch, whilst the sleek head is also versatile and simple to position, putting the light exactly where it is needed to provide bright, glare-free work surface illumination. The energy saving LED produces no heat and has a life of around 50,000 hours.

CLICK Scolmore has just released a New Product catalogue detailing all of the new additions to the popular CLICK wiring accessory and lighting ranges. Designed to complement the existing CLICK Scolmore literature, the New Product catalogue reflects the company's commitment to providing installers with the very latest solutions for all their electrical accessories and lighting needs.

Airedale and Prism have launched a strategic partnership which features the introduction of the OnRak range of expandable, high efficiency rear door heat exchangers. Part of a new LogiCool range of high density solutions, the compact 32kW OnRak can be integrated with a Prism cabinet or aisle containment solution or adapted to fit any rack. The OnRak has an EER of more than 100 and optional n+1 redundancy.

Luxo's latest brochure has been designed to complement its existing range and help users design the ideal lighting solutions for an efficient workplace. It contains complete details of a number of recessed luminaires, interior lighting and task lights.

Estimation has launched DATAbank, an innovative automatic data backup system that enables users to back up and protect their valuable files and data to a remote, secure storage area. Included in the company's comprehensive ProCover support package, DATAbank is the latest in a raft of added-value services that Estimation's parent company Amtech Group has recently introduced for customers.

Danlers manufacture a comprehensive range of passive infra-red occupancy switches for automatic lighting control. The products are easy to install, using the existing wiring in a building.

Trox UK has extended the lighting options on its architecturally pleasing multi-service chilled beam (MSCB) range by adding a new high efficiency lighting option.

Megaman's new range of mains voltage integral LED reflectors look set to become the new benchmark for the industry offering a significant leap forward in light output and thermal management. They have overcome the temperature issues of other LEDs by incorporating an innovative vertical array of LEDs mounted back to back to generate as much of a point source as possible, thus increasing efficiency and light output. Based on over 10 years of R&D, these ground-breaking lamps offer a direct one-for-one replacement for halogen lamps in terms of colour temperature and intensity, with energy savings of up to 80%.

Sustainability and well-being are important factors in the Thorn Plurio range of lanterns, especially designed for urban and residential spaces.

Torin-Sifan has launched the next generation of EC technology double and single shafted Fandeck solutions. Designed for a variety of applications including fan coils, air curtains and air handlers, the 230v EC Fandeck range boasts the lowest specific fan powers as well as providing the lowest noise levels in its class. This is combined with fully integrated EMC filtering and optional PFC within the onboard electronics package, which avoids the cost of additional harmonic filtering and is supported by extremely versatile 0-10v speed control capabilities.

Seaward  Electronic has developed integrated test packages to  ensure  the  safe condition   of  all  types  of  workplace  electrical  equipment  and   portable appliances.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Europe (MHIE) has launched a dynamic new website dedicated to its high performance air conditioning solutions.

To meet growing demand for improved energy consumption and performance from a building's HVAC system, Taconova (UK) Ltd has introduced two new Danfoss Ultrasonic energy meters to its range.

Xpelair has extended its innovative range of energy saving ventilation solutions with the launch of the new Premier Ultra DC2 fan range.

Low energy GX53 downlighters are now available from CLICK Scolmore to provide a solution for installations where ceiling recess depth is limited.

MHS Radiators' versatile new Ionic cast iron column radiator combines up to date reliability with time-honoured styling and comfortable heating.

Underfloor heating specialist Timoleon has launched a new inspection, maintenance and commissioning service to be known as Streamline.

Design and specification of variable refrigeration flow (VRF) air conditioning systems takes another big step forward with the launch of a new generation software tool from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Europe (MHIE). The new version of MHIE's highly successful E-solution software includes specification details of the latest KX6 VRF systems. It is available free to air conditioning engineers - simply log on to the website and register to receive the software disk and to receive future updates automatically.

JS Air Curtains is launching the Venesse, a new vertical air curtain with exceptionally low noise levels. The Venesse has been designed to be very quiet during operation making it ideal for use in public buildings like banks, offices, hotels and restaurants.

Dalkia has recently released the Little Black Book of FM to help provide facilities managers with a handy reference to energy saving, efficiency improvement and environmental measures for cost and CO₂ reduction.

The new Push-Fit range of brass plumbing fittings from Conex is the answer to an installers prayers for flame-free jointing. Suitable for a wide variety of applications with almost any pipe material, the Push-Fit range is quick and easy to fit and can be demounted and reused just as easily.

JG Speedfit has introduced a Pipe Repair Kit that provides a quick and easy method of replacing burst or damaged rigid pipe without altering existing pipe work.

New or existing air conditioning sites will benefit from the LG Art Cool range of indoor units which are aesthetically pleasing, energy efficient, top of the range units aimed at enhancing any site.

Renowned for offering its customers the highest standards of engineering and technology, Scorpion Power Systems has introduced a new, top of the range series of British built generators.  Called the Sterling Series, the competitively priced standby generators provide an extremely cost effective solution for standard package requirements.

LG has added a handy new mini model to its comprehensive range of ceiling cassettes - a 1.6kw mini version.  The company's established range of ceiling models are available from 2.5 to 15kw and are connectable not only as single split systems in both inverter and non inverter configuration but also as twin triple and double twin configuration. 

Samsung is claiming three world records with its new DVM Plus III VRF air conditioning system. With best-in-class COP, the new Digital Variable Multi range boasts the world's largest system capacity, the greatest piping lengths, and at just 0.92m² the smallest footprint for a 16hp unit.

Fire Protection Ltd has launched a new website to better reflect the range and breadth of high-profile projects that it has worked on. The site includes an interactive map of London, highlighting just some of the many prestigious buildings installed with its ductwork in the Capital. In addition to UK projects, the website features an extensive International case studies section, providing existing and potential customers with more in-depth information regarding the capabilities and experience of this fire-rated duct specialist.

Around 70% of commercial installations still use inefficient fluorescent tubes.  Now, by installing Electronic Control Gear (ECG) with new Lumilux T8 and T5 tubes from Osram, specifiers can benefit from a better colour rendering index, long life and substantial energy savings.

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.

MK Electric has introduced a new range of multi-media devices designed to provide a complete solution for all residential television, radio and audio needs. The range consists of combination plates and audio-visual outlets which complement the company's market-leading Logic Plus and other decorative collections.

MK Electric has expanded its Echo range of innovative self powered wireless and battery-free switches with the addition of a variety of decorative and industrial finishes.

Where external doors are in constant use, heated or conditioned air losses are considerable, but the new AB Series air curtains from Airbloc have the answer - cutting energy loss by over 80%.

The versatile Pollustop air purification system from Halton Foodservice now includes an energy-saving heat recovery option for the recovery of heat from the warm air extracted from kitchens. The recovered heat can then be used for pre-warming incoming fresh air or pre-heating hot water services.

The new energy-saving, AA-rated M Series models from Mitsubishi Electric offer a combination of cutting-edge inverter technologies with highly efficient heat exchangers to deliver remarkable energy efficiency at the quietest operation possible.