The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan published by the Government sets out the key actions and strategies to meet climate change targets: cutting the UK's carbon emissions by 34% from 1990 levels by 2020 and deriving 15% of all energy from renewable sources by the same date.

SummitSkills, the Sector Skills Council (SSC) for the building services engineering sector has been praised as a well run Sector Skills Council in the National Audit Office (NAO) assessment of its performance.  The assessment was undertaken on behalf of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) as part of the relicensing process that all 25 SSCs will undertake this year.

The building services engineering sector has a great deal to gain from the increasing global commitment to carbon reduction and energy conservation, according to HVCA president Graham Manly.

The lack of skilled people entering the building services industry continues to be a problem but the good news is that many companies are now taking matters into their own hands and offering in-house training specific to their products.

One of the trends that nearly always accompanies an economic downturn is that more organisations decide to refurbish their existing premises rather than move to new premises. Or they may choose to delay any action altogether.

The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) has launched the most extensive online library of engineering information in the world, ICE Virtual Library, which hosts the Institution's journal and book content back to 1836.

Walter Meier (Climate UK) has appointed Andy Johnson as business development manager for its Service & After Sales division, with responsibility to broaden and strengthen the UK client base and continue its growth in this area. Andy joins the company from York, where he gained extensive experience in the sale and ongoing support of chiller plant.

HETAS has launched a brand new scheme to assure biomass and wood fuel quality for both domestic and commercial users. The first company to have it's products approved under the unique Solid Biomass Approvals Scheme (SBAS) is Certainly Wood, which supplies kiln dried firewood and kindling throughout the UK.

The Institution of Civil Engineers has announced its official endorsement of the NEC3 as the best practice contract form for construction projects, in the UK and overseas.

New research from British Gas Business shows that almost two thirds of companies do not know who is responsible for energy efficiency or don't have a dedicated energy efficiency manager.

Kelly Butler, BEAMA's marketing director, has welcomed the Government's commitment to support heat pumps saying: "The BEAMA Domestic Heat Pump Association has only recently been set up, so the Government's announcement so soon is great news for the industry. 

Just a matter of weeks after its introduction, Ellis Patents has finalised a comprehensive short circuit testing process that means all of its cable cleats now have third party certification to, or above the levels outlined in the new International Standard for the use of cable cleats in electrical installations (IEC61914 - 2009).

The Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering has welcomed the decision in Northern Ireland to fall in line with safety regulations in the rest of the UK.

Grundfos has released their 2008 Sustainability Report, explaining the great strides that have been achieved by the international pump manufacturer. To ensure they retain this edge, Grundfos continue to invest a total of 5.2% of their annual turnover in researching and developing new products. 

Two reports recently published highlight the link between noise and the effects on human health. Institute of Acoustics' members Bernard Berry and Dr Ian Flindell were commissioned by Defra to undertake a review of research into links between noise and health. Nicole Porter was also part of the project team.

The quantity of luminaires being recycled in the UK has increased by over 200% between the second half of 2007 and the same period in 2008, according to Luminaire recycling specialist Lumicom. In the last six months of 2007, 34 tonnes were recycled and this had risen to 80 tonnes by the end of 2008.

Public sector procurement has not been sufficiently focused in the past on vocational education and skills, according to Kevin Brennan, Minister of State for Further Education, Apprenticeship Skills and Consumer Affairs at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

AECOM and Steensen Varming have proved their commitment to developing young engineers - winning at the inaugural CIBSE Young Engineers Network Champions Award.

Long distance runner Stuart Walker has just returned from a mammoth trek travelling the entire length of the British Isles by muscle power alone.

Thorn has launched a major energy saving campaign, urging small and medium electrical contractors to change from installing glow-starter switch (magnetic) driven fluorescent fittings to high frequency (HF) electronic versions, which consume about 20% less power and hence reduce CO2 emissions.

In early 2008, SummitSkills, the Sector Skills Council for building services engineering developed the London Electrical Project.  This is an adult training initiative open to all electrical contracting businesses within the London area.  Funded by the London Development Agency, the project provides training for candidates who have completed, or who are about to complete, a theory based Level 3 Technical Certificate, enabling them to complete their National Vocational Qualification (NVQ).

Compact, energy efficient MicroKX VRF systems from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Europe (MHIE) are providing the perfect air conditioning solution for a new London restaurant, High Timber. Boasting the only Thames-side seating in the City, High Timber focuses on relaxed wine-dining: MicroKX, supplied by FM Air of Welwyn Garden City, and installed by Adcock Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, creates the right atmosphere.

Extensive refurbishment of a maintenance hangar at Gatwick Airport has included installation of 112 Prismpack high bay luminaires from Holophane Europe. The installation has provided Gatwick Airport with a 17% reduction in energy consumption, equivalent to over 80,000kWh. Lighting control and illuminance levels have also been improved.

Thirty kilometres northwest of Marseilles is the municipality of Berre l'Étang in the south of France. Berre-l'Étang, or Pond of Berre, is dominated by a large pond which is actually a 155m² lake, and was once home to an important naval air station.

Danlers PIR occupancy switches and electronic time lag switches have been installed at the Games Workshop head office in Lenton as part of an overall effort by the company to improve their energy efficiency.

Microwave detectors from CP Electronics have been used to control the lighting in the refurbishment of one of the campus buildings at Exeter University.

Two Yorkshire companies are working in partnership to make a local independent school the first in the UK to benefit from a revolutionary building system that radically reduces energy bills.

Charterhouse School near Godalming in Surrey has taken delivery of two new CG wall-hung condensing boilers from Clyde Energy Solutions as part of an ongoing programme to upgrade the entire heating system with Clyde's high efficiency units. The latest additions bring the total number of CG boilers at the school to eleven.

A compact, powerful Digital Variable Multi (DVM) air conditioning system from Samsung is providing highly efficient cooling and heating in newly refurbished bedrooms at a country house hotel near Stratford upon Avon. The 20hp heat pump system drives 24 slim one-way cassettes in the Charlecote Pheasant Hotel's contemporary Barford bedrooms. DVM is Samsung's development of the Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) principle, using new technology to deliver superior performance and efficiency. 

BG Controls has helped the Environmental Energy Technology Centre (EETC) at Waverley to maximise its green credentials by controlling its natural ventilation and under floor heating and cooling system.

In a move to reduce energy and life cycle costs, the Royal Academy of Arts (RAA) in London has replaced ageing air conditioning and humidification plant with Defensor Mk5 humidifiers and Hitachi Samurai chillers from Walter Meier (Climate UK). The products were specified by consulting engineers Peter Deer Associates Ltd (PDA), in conjunction with John Ellis, the Royal Academy's Environmental Consultant.

SAS International's System 600 acoustic lighting rafts provide a distinctive and stylish ceiling solution for Eircom's new headquarters building in Dublin. The rafts, which feature in the main offices areas, integrate lighting and electrical services along with providing excellent acoustic benefits. 

A development of six super luxury apartments in London's Belgravia, with price tags of up to £40million, has been the scene of a complex integration exercise by Integrated Control Systems, of Wokingham.

A  building management system (BMS) supplied by Priva Building Intelligence Ltd has been installed at Addiewell prison in Livingstone by Campbell Control Systems. 

A feasibility study recently carried out by Riegens Lighting for supermarket chain Netto confirms that fluorescent light fittings now offer a realistic and cost-effective alternative to HID luminaires, for low bay and high bay lighting in warehouses and similar spaces. Following a significant increase in electricity tariffs, the company decided to explore options for re-lighting its warehouses, beginning with the main warehouse in Yorkshire. Netto's criteria were to reduce energy consumption and create an improved lit environment with minimum cost and disruption.

Tour & Andersson has provided a full range of its hydronic balancing valves for the waterborne heating and cooling system of the new Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía opera house in Valencia, Spain. Installed to help maintain a comfortable indoor temperature with optimum energy efficiency, the valves will ensure that the interior climate is unaffected by seasonal fluctuations.

Worcestershire based Clarkson Controls have recently completed the installation of a Elesta BACnet building management system for Dudley College in the West Midlands. Funding for the works was obtained via a Learning & Skills Council Grant.

There is no question that the UK heating and ventilation sector is going to face some tough technical and engineering challenges over the next few years. Yan Evans, technical director of Andrews Water Heaters and Potterton Commercial, offers some innovative thoughts and methods on how to deliver ultra-low carbon heating and hot water solutions.

The right type of training can mean the difference between engaging and alienating a workforce. I spoke to Peter Johnson, production director for Trox UK about their implementation of a strategy which is already making a difference to their bottom line.

Section 3.3 of Part L2 of the Building Regulations states that ‘to enable owners or occupiers to measure their actual energy consumption, the building and engineering services should be provided with sufficient energy meters and submeters'.  The idea being that by monitoring power and lighting separately, operators can reduce energy usage by comparing actual consumption with targets, identifying unusual periodic changes and keeping annual records of seasonal consumption. 

With energy efficiency high on the agenda, I spoke to Navid Mehr, managing director of SC Controls about their extensive range of SeaChange modular building controls which is simplifying the way the industry thinks about building controls.

The government as a whole is in a right old mess but before they went completely to pot they did manage to announce the UK's first ‘green' budget and include in that a target of making all buildings zero carbon by 2019.  Is this something we can be thankful for or is it another example of all mouth and no trousers? 

With 18 months having passed since the opening of Heathrow T5, Andromeda has commissioned an energy performance study of the campus-wide intelligent lighting control system in association with BAA to highlight the many benefits of intelligent control systems and key issues currently faced by the industry.

The flexibility of REHAU's underfloor heating system was perfectly demonstrated in the new Music School built at Headington School in Oxford where the system has been installed on battens under an acoustic floor.

A novel approach to integrating solar water heating and continuous flow heaters has been installed at Burbage Primary School, on the outskirts of Buxton, by Derbyshire County Council's Corporate Property Design team.

JS Humidifiers has supplied and installed five Neptronic SKR steam humidifiers to the Alistair Reid Venom Research Unit at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. The in-room humidifiers are installed in the snake rooms and each provides up to 5.5kg of steam per hour to maintain the required humidity for the health and comfort of the snakes.

A project to upgrade existing 8ft T12 fluorescent light fittings using Chalmor's ReNew T5 upgrade solution, linked to BlueWave lighting controllers, at Oxfam's 2,000 m² central distribution centre is projected to deliver an operational cost saving of approximately 80% per annum. As a result, Oxfam is now able to direct more donated money to its front line activities.

Electrak has published a definitive guide to its comprehensive power distribution solutions. This new 86 page catalogue is an essential reference guide for all facility managers, consultants and contractors concerned with power and datacoms installations in the workplace. 

CLICK Scolmore has just launched the CLICK definity range of screwless wiring accessories. Designed for quick and easy installation, CLICK definity provides users with a choice of insert design and colour, plus the preferred finish of clip-on cover plate.

Seaward has published a free guide to the electrical testing requirements of the 17th Edition of the Wiring Regulations.

The popular CLICK MODE wiring accessory range from CLICK Scolmore has now been extended to include a sub range of anthracite grey finished accessories with lighter coloured rockers for higher visibility in line with the requirements of Part M1 of the Building Regulations. The MODE M range also includes suitable pull-cord switches for improved accessibility.

Tyco Electronics has launched the new AMP Netconnect AMP-TWIST 6_AS RJ45 connector. The AMP-TWIST 6_AS SL Jack offers 600 MHz performance, exceeds the upcoming Category 6_A component performance specification of the global cabling standard ISO/IEC 11801 amendment 2 and is the key component of the new AMP Netconnect XG_A cabling system.

To meet with Government legislation and combat high fuel costs, energy efficiency is essential for any modern business, which is why Schneider Electric has published an Energy Efficiency Application Guide packed full of recommendations and easy steps to help end users make the most of their energy.

Building on the success of the Woods Partnership Range of the 90's, Fläkt Woods has launched their brand new Express Range.

All existing bath and shower installations in public, residential and commercial premises should be upgraded to provide the same protection from injurious scalding hot water as is now necessary in new homes. This is easy to achieve by fitting failsafe Honeywell thermostatic mixing valves (TMVs) in the supplies to hot water outlets.

Combining sophisticated logic with a stunning appearance, the Philips Dynalite DTP100 Revolution colour touchscreen is a simple and easy-to-use interface, allowing users to manage aspects of their environment-including lighting and temperature. The fascia of the Revolution colour touchscreen can be matched to nearly any architectural surface, creating an elegant single-point-interface for intelligent indoor control.

Hamworthy's Milborne wall hung condensing boilers are now better than ever. To ensure they stay at the forefront of modern technology and customer demand, Hamworthy has made improvements to the range.  Milborne boilers offer a simple, compact and powerful solution for wall hung boiler applications and are available in 38kW, 50kW, 76kW and 100kW models. The new and improved range of options ensures that ease of installation and optimum performance are guaranteed.

Finder has produced its first product catalogue dedicated to commercial and residential applications. 

Titon has launched an ultra-efficient central mechanical extract unit - the CME1 Q Plus.  Thanks to its revolutionary clamshell design the CME1 Q Plus is easy to install, easy to connect, is SAP Appendix Q eligible and is EST Best Practice compliant.  The innovative design reduces installation time and costs.

Fluke has introduced a new entry-level thermal imager aimed at facility managers, building inspectors, energy assessors and plumbers to detect energy loss and damage in residential or commercial buildings. Faults in buildings show up in unrivalled detail: resolution is 160 x 120 pixels (triple the figure of other entry-level imagers), and thermal sensitivity is an excellent 0.1°C (NETD) at 30°C.  

Stylish new Vivace and Neo Forte wall-mounted air conditioners from Samsung are designed to ensure a healthy and comfortable environment for living, working and sleeping. Models of both types are compatible with Samsung's RAC single split systems, FJM multi splits and DVM Plus III (VRF) systems. With similar internal specifications but dramatically different fascias, Vivace and Neo Forte models range from  2.2kW to 7.1kW.

Glow-worm's comprehensive range of domestic heating products and systems cover not just domestic gas boilers but hot water cylinders and solar thermal systems.

Daikin Europe NV has introduced two new EWAD model air cooled inverter controlled chillers designated AJYNN(S) and AJYNN(X) and featuring both high full load and maximum partial load efficiencies.

As a responsible lighting manufacturer, Kingfisher takes their environmental implications seriously and actively encourages sustainable lighting solutions.

Vitesse Modular is the latest addition to CP Electronics' range of marshalling boxes. Its modular design makes it quick and easy to add luminaires, simply by plugging in 4-way extender modules, so that design changes at fit-out - or changes in the layout of the space - can by accommodated very cost-effectively. An appropriate CP detector (PIR, microwave - absence or presence detection) is then simply plugged into the end module, using a pre-wired lead.

MK Electric is set to make energy saving even easier to achieve with the launch of a range of simple to fit sensors. The no-hassle sensors promise fast installation and even faster payback.

The new Compact 200mm radiator from Purmo meets the highest standards of quality and is one of the most energy efficient designs on the market. A low line, space saving product, it can be used under low windows and in areas with low wall heights, such as conservatories. The radiator also comes with floor standing brackets, ensuring it does not obscure the viewing line when it is used in fully glazed areas.

The Dimplex range of SCx unvented water cylinders has been expanded with a range of commercial size cylinders. With sizes available from 450 litres up to 4000 litres the stainless steel cylinders are an ideal solution for both multi-occupancy dwellings and commercial properties such as sports clubs.

Walter Meier (Climate UK) has introduced two new Blue Box free cooling chillers - the Zeta Echos FC and the Kappa Evo FC - designed to take maximum advantage of low ambient temperatures for cooling capacities from 45kW to 1200kW.

The Acu from Rada represents a new generation of digital thermostatic mixing valves, specifically designed to bring effective non-touch controlled hand-washing facilities to the total range of healthcare applications and offering an enhanced aesthetic which assists in de-institutionalising the hospital environment.

Tyco Thermal Controls has developed and launched a new Raychem self-regulating electric heating cable for central heating pipework, capable of withstanding the high temperatures of active systems yet providing frost protection whenever the central heating is dormant. It eliminates any need to drain the whole system whenever property is to be unoccupied for extended periods during winter months.

Draka has added to its already extensive customer support arsenal with the launch of a unique cable sizing calculator on its website. 

Fläkt Woods has launched a wholly new type of energy recovery system, the TE3 Energy Recovery Wheels.

WAGO has developed a new range of KNX products, which provide improved performance and versatility for intelligent building control.  These include a modular KNX/IP controller and KNX/TPI bus module which, when combined, offer an integrated KNX/IP router capability.

The ultimate in German technologies and engineering comes to the UK for the first time with a range of performance door air curtains capable of transforming the climate in retail shop entrances at a time when keeping customers spending is key to retail success. 

Hager has launched a new range of type B distribution boards that make it easier to meet the needs of the 17th Edition and the Building Regulations for commercial installations.

Bespoke lighting designers, engineers and manufacturers, PJR Engineering have introduced their bespoke quality, Diffusion T5 products as a standard product range.

The ethical and legal requirements to protect workers from risk of electrocution are stronger today than ever before.  The only way to ensure safety is by insisting on the use of true Safety Switches in the workplace, rather than ordinary rotary isolators.

For existing internal lighting systems fitted with conventional control gears, there are now two more energy-efficient alternatives. Osram's new LUMILUX T8 Energy Saver (ES) fluorescent tubes and DULUX D Energy Saver (ES) compact fluorescent lamps enable energy costs to be reduced by up to 10% compared with the corresponding conventional lamps.

Electrical contractors and specifiers working in challenging and aggressive environments such as rail, road and sea projects will welcome the latest brochure ‘GRP Cable Management Systems' from Marshall-Tufflex.

Save electricity, save money. That's the promise from Intelli Heat, which has launched a range of stylish LST electric radiators that offer great heat control.

JS Humidifiers is launching the new JetSpray HP, a high pressure spray humidifier. The JetSpray HP is a low energy in-duct humidifier that runs on 135 times less energy than standard electric steam humidifiers and 15 times less energy than compressed air and water spray systems.

Xpelair Ventilation Solutions has launched a brand new Product and Price Guide 2009 to showcase its complete range of ventilation solutions to installers, contractors and specifiers.

Delmatic's emergency luminaire monitoring photocell is designed to test, monitor and log emergency lighting, relaying performance data to a PC for logging and pass/fail analysis.

Introducing the Intelux range of lighting control systems by Kingfisher Lighting. Designed for HID systems (SON / Metal Halide) and wirewound control gear, the Intelux system allows the user to switch or dim their lighting to suit their requirement.

Cooper Lighting has expanded its popular Safe Edge range of exit signs with the addition of two new models that incorporate LED light sources to maximise energy efficiency and minimise maintenance requirements.

Havells Sylvania has launched its new Contractor Guide for 2009. This pocket sized guide is a one-stop catalogue for both Havells Sylvania fixtures and lamps.

The latest addition to Jaga's extensive range of heating solutions, the Pebbles Grille is the first of its kind in trench heating grilles.

CIAT Ozonair Ltd is the first manufacturer to market air/water inverter type heat pumps - the Aquaciat Grand Inverter range - as a result of close collaboration with DCC Danfoss Inc.

Commercial boiler specialist Potterton Commercial presents the Paramount MB, a modular prefabricated condensing heating solution to significantly reduce downtime for existing buildings and reduce installation time.