Widespread non-compliance with legislation designed to address the twin challenges of sustainability and carbon reduction is already jeopardising the nation's ability to meet its long-term environmental targets, according to HVCA president Graham Manly.

Constructing Excellence (CE) and BRE have announced a new collaborative partnership that aims to support organisations in the built environment so they can emerge strongly from the current economic slowdown.  

Concerns have been raised over an apparent fall in the number of air conditioning systems assessments taking place. Up to date figures from leading energy services companies show a distinct fall in the quantity of new inspection contracts placed during the last few months, despite the fact that tens of thousands of the inspections which were required by 4 January 2009 are still to be carried out.

Since the launch of the 2010 Building Controls Industry Awards last month the response has been staggering and we have been flooded with requests for more information and entry forms.

Which is great news - not just for the awards, but for the whole of the industry because it means that there are plenty of people out there whose colleagues think that they should be recognised for the excellent work which they do in the building controls industry.

In projects where the building services specifier or installer is acting in a project management role, it's important to see the safe disposal of end-of-life electrical equipment as an ideal opportunity to reduce the carbon footprint of the project.

It's estimated that power quality problems cost European businesses €150 billion as a direct result of their electrical power installations not being sufficiently reliable and resilient for today's and future operating demands.

Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management and security solutions, has completed the strategic transformation and brand migration of TAC to Schneider Electric.

The Carbon Trust has recently announced an extension to their Big Business Refit scheme that offers both private companies as well as public sector organisations the opportunity to apply for an interest free loan that can be repaid over a period of four years.

The Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) will have a positive impact on the market for combined heat and power (CHP) in buildings when it comes into effect next April.

The impact of the compulsory carbon cap and trading scheme was one of the key messages delivered by speakers at the recent Heat & Energy 09 conference attended by a large audience of public sector specifiers and government departments.

National  museums and Marriott Hotels are dominating the list of the organisations signed up to the 100 Hours of Carbon Clean up Campaign, leading the way in reducing the amount of carbon emitted from their buildings.

With just half a day's use, a variable speed drive can compensate for the environmental cost of its own manufacture and disposal, a new study from ABB shows.

The study, carried out in cooperation with Tampere University of Technology, demonstrates how long drives of various sizes need to be used before they begin making a positive contribution to the environment.

Priva Building Intelligence Ltd has appointed Adrian Scott as its business development manager for the South East of England.  This latest addition to the Priva team demonstrates the company's commitment to growing its business in the UK and supporting its network of Partners and customers.

AECOM has been appointed as lead consultant for a proposed new wind turbine facility at Lancaster University.

The proposed project is to develop two 2.3MW wind turbines on the University's Hazelrigg site to the east of the M6 motorway. Lancaster University would be the first in England to install wind turbines which would reduce its electricity consumption by approximately one third - equivalent to the residential requirements of all students who live on campus.

In a step designed to add value to registration with the organisation, NICEIC has launched an Equipment Hire service in association with Hire Station.

Equipment for any electrical or construction job can be hired by registered installers at extremely competitive rates and delivered directly to site, or collected from a local Hire Station store. 

SummitSkills has launched the 2010 National Training Awards, an awards scheme celebrating the achievements of the building services engineering sector's finest talent.

As the Sector Skills Council for the building services engineering sector, SummitSkills is looking for outstanding employees in the sector to be nominated for the awards recognising those who have demonstrated exceptional work in the industry.

Tour & Andersson has appointed Graeme Waugh as its UK technical manager. As an associate of Tour & Andersson's specialist TA Hydronic College, Graeme is equipped with an in-depth knowledge of hydronic engineering solutions.

A new bursary scheme to support the attendance of young engineers at the DFI and EFFC International conference has been launched by the Geotechnical Challenges in Urban Regeneration organising committee.

GEM Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Thermal Energy International (TEI), has taken over the European rights to Kemco International's range of water and heat recovery products following the signing of an agreement between Thermal Energy International Inc and Florida based Kemco Systems Inc.  

Many building managers are given the responsibility for reducing energy use in their businesses and often the most difficult part of the process is knowing where to start. 

Measuring the effectiveness of any energy reduction campaigns in the business is very important. For example, it is crucial to show return on investment for any investments in energy saving equipment. It can also help to encourage staff to save money by switching off lights or making sure PCs are not left on standby. Evidence that such steps are working is a good motivator.

CP Electronics has played a pivotal role in achieving the required energy savings for an iconic new building in the centre of Hull.  The company's MWS-1 microwave presence detectors have been used throughout Queens Court, a complex consisting of 115 executive apartments and two floors of penthouse apartments, all finished to an exceptionally high standard in a contemporary design. The seven storey building is also home to the regional headquarters of the BBC.

Jung KNX intelligent controls have helped Gateshead International Stadium score savings on the installation and future maintenance of the lighting on its practice pitches. The 11,800-capacity stadium is used for a range of sports including athletics, soccer, rugby league and American football.

Two Dachs mini-CHP units from Baxi-SenerTec UK are providing heat and power for the new £5 million Southport Centre for Health and Wellbeing.

The units, each producing 12.5kW of heating and 5.5kW of electricity, are supplemented by a 750-litre buffer vessel and two exhaust flue gas condensers to boost their heating output by 3kW each giving a total output of 31kW of heat and 11kW of electricity.

BG Controls has helped the Fusion@Magna Business Centre development to utilise natural energy sources by installing an intelligent ventilation system.

Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health Foundation Trust has invested £8.2 million in a new hospital unit which includes Dimplex ground source heat pumps to help meet the NHS' target to be zero carbon by 2018.

Philips, in partnership with electrical contractors, Cofely, has installed an integrated lighting management system at the headquarters of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in central London.

Lochinvar has supplied heating equipment to one of the University of Oxford's largest constituent colleges.

Two Lochinvar EcoKnight EKB145 gas-fired, high efficiency boilers have been installed at the 140 year old Keble College on Parks Road in the city. Situated in the basement plant room within the main college building, the boilers are providing space heating for the library, the main dining hall and the fellows' dining rooms.

The first UK installation of Sanyo's ground-breaking gas-powered VRF air conditioning system, which generates its own electricity, is taking place at Suffolk One, a state-of-the-art 16-19 centre of learning in Ipswich.

Chilled beams from Trox have been installed in the new headquarters building for Three Valleys Water built on the site of the legendary De Havilland aircraft factory.

In its continuing drive to cut carbon emissions Portsmouth University has recently installed a ThermiPro Hybrid Heat Station from MHG Heating in one of its campus buildings. The Portland building consists of five separate plant rooms housed in five separate towers, with each plant room feeding a dedicated area of the building with heating and hot water.

Lamps from Megaman (UK) Ltd have been used to provide an effective, low energy light source for temporary gantries used in the pit areas for the 2009 FIA Formula Two Championship.

Based at Bedford Autodrome in Thurleigh, Bedfordshire and owned by former grand prix driver Dr Jonathan Palmer the company manage a fleet of 26 Williams F1 designed cars and have a team of drivers that race at all of the major circuits in the UK and internationally.

Kentec has been chosen to defend another two of England's top soccer stadiums against fire with major fire protection systems at Aston Villa's redeveloped Villa Park, and at West Bromwich Albion's Hawthorns stadium.

The world of electrical installation is changing, more radically and rapidly than would have been thought only a decade ago. Driven by the trends of intelligent buildings and, naturally, of cost and time reduction, it's becoming a technological activity rather than a physical one. Emerging technologies are freeing installers from the constraints of complex wiring and power sources; providing greater intelligence and adding more value.

Three years on from the last set of revisions to the Building Regulations in 2006, the HVAC industry is once again in a position where further changes to the Building Regulations are going to be made as 2010 fast appraoches.  This is not the end though, as more will follow in 2013 as the Government steps up its energy efficiency drive to make all new homes zero carbon by 2016 and all new non domestic buildings zero carbon by 2019.

The majority of renewable energy technologies are powered by the sun. The earth-atmosphere system is in such a balance that heat radiation into space is equal to incoming solar radiation; the resulting level of energy within the earths atmosphere can roughly be described as the earth's climate. The hydrosphere (water) absorbs a major fraction of the incoming radiation. Most radiation is absorbed at low latitudes around the equator, but this energy is dissipated around the globe in the form of winds and ocean currents. Wave motion may play a role in the process of transferring mechanical energy between the atmosphere and the ocean through wind stress. Solar energy is also responsible for the distribution of precipitation which is tapped by hydroelectric projects, and for the growth of plants used to create biofuels.

The Climate Change Act has made it a legal requirement for the UK to reduce carbon emissions by 80% from the 1990 baseline by 2050. This could rise to 90% if the aviation industry fails to curb its own emissions. It's a tall order, and the most logical place to start is with the biggest consumer - buildings.

In an increasingly uncertain world, the security of a country's power supply starts with energy efficiency and one of the most promising pieces of technology in terms of saving energy and protecting precious environmental resources is microCHP (micro Combined Heat and Power).

Electric heating has for many years been favoured by landlords and developers of multiple-occupancy and rental properties to ensure safe, comfortable heating without the installation difficulties, expense, maintenance costs and risks/regulations associated with gas-fired central heating systems.

Installation of Sabien Technology's M2G intelligent boiler load optimisers at the headquarters of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), the United Kingdom's qualifying body for Mechanical Engineers, has reduced the gas consumption for heating and hot water by 17% - over and above the savings achieved by the building management system (BMS). This is equivalent to a reduction in carbon emissions of 25 tonnes per annum - with a payback of around 2.7 years.

Field trials carried out by Dunham-Bush in conjunction with a local authority have shown that fan convectors optimised for use with low grade heat from condensing boiler plant use up to 30% less energy than underfloor heating to maintain the same design conditions in classrooms. The tests were carried out on two similar schools with similar boiler plant to provide a direct comparison.

Ellis Patents has launched a range of fire proof cable cleats designed specifically for installation with fire protection (FP) rated cables. 

Developed to provide a proven and cost-effective method of safe cable restraint for any FP installation, the range is manufactured in 316L stainless steel and is fire proof and corrosion resistant.

Heating and cooling specialist, Watkins Hire, has become the only hire firm to offer the new KwikCOOL SAC 25 portable split air conditioning unit, offering customers a more powerful, flexible cooling solution than ever before.

Philips Dynalite has continued its pioneering role in lighting control system management, with the latest evolution of its MapView lighting control software solution/operator interface. In combination with the company's flagship DLight III Server, MapView provides users with a scalable and simple-to-use software application, delivering unmatched facility-wide lighting control, programming and energy management functionality.

WindowMaster has launched an innovative new indoor climate solution for small and medium-sized buildings.

Called NV Comfort the new control system enables an optimal indoor climate through consistent pure natural ventilation. At the same time it can save enough energy to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions.

Flextraction Ltd, suppliers and manufacturers of Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) products and sole UK representative of TEKA GmbH in Germany has introduced two venting to atmosphere (VTA) mobile and stationary exhaust systems for the extraction of non-explosive dusts and dust particles including welding fumes in restricted working environments. They can also be used for the ventilation of underground pipelines, enclosed containers and rooms.

Trox UK has launched a complete new system of façade ventilation and air conditioning products.  These units are built into the façade of the building and introduce fresh or conditioned air to the occupied space. 

In drinking or process water, there are often unwanted micro organisms such as pathogenic germs or disruptive factors for industrial processes. In the food and beverage industry in particular, complete production charges could be affected. The formation of biofilm is an additional problem.

In a major new initiative, taps, fittings and valves specialist Pegler Yorkshire is launching a new range of commercial valves. Known as Pegler Commercial Valves, the range will be marked by a wide selection of products and will incorporate the company's latest advances in innovative end-connection technology.

Hager has launched a free technical guide about Type B distribution boards and how to meet the requirements of the 17^th Edition and Part L2 of the Building Regulations for commercial installations.

Sontay has introduced two new wall-mounted sensors which provide better light level and occupancy detection performance to drive greater energy efficiency within commercial and public building applications.

Now available is the Fujitsu J-Series multi air conditioning VRF system, the next generation of air conditioning products designed and engineered to meet environmental and energy efficiency standards. Fujitsu's J-series is quick and easy to install and commission - and provides the end-user with comfortable conditions throughout the year.

Seaward has extended and upgraded the combined electrical test and certification concept introduced by its new PowerPlus 1557 multi-function electrical installation tester.

Titon has launched a brand new, comprehensive website which contains full technical details on all its products from trickle ventilators to whole house ventilation systems as well as installation instructions, how-to guides, case studies and the latest news from the company.   

In today’s cost effective and energy efficient climate, underfloor heating is playing an increasingly important role, especially when it comes to renovating a property. As a result, Purmo developed the Eljet underfloor heating mat system, featuring the usual high standards in safety, quality and design synonymous with the Purmo brand.

Continuing to diversify its offering to the HVAC market, BSS Industrial has partnered with key manufacturers across the industry to provide a new flexible off-site prefabrication solution to its customers.

JG Speedfit offers a range of 2, 3 and 4 port manifolds. The manifolds have colour coded hot and cold knobs that allow control over individual pipe runs. This means the manifolds can isolate the pipe runs for service or replacement, without the need to turn the water off to the whole building.

With flexibility and ease of installation topping the list of requirements for installers of electrical accessories, CLICK Scolmore's range of Minigrid mounting plates and modules tick all the right boxes.

Thorn has developed a high-lumen output LED version of its already successful Cruz downlight - an important step which, according to the company's product manager, Hans-Georg Schmidt, will completely change people's thinking about general lighting.

Fluke has introduced the Fluke Ti32 and TiR32 Thermal Imagers, the first industrial grade, high-performance imagers on the market to incorporate a powerful 320x240 sensor to provide high-definition, strikingly crisp, detailed images for under £7,200.

Mitsubishi Electric has developed a new range of heat pump air curtains that are fully compatible with City Multi VRF air conditioning to offer retail, hotel and commercial buildings a highly efficient way of maintaining a comfortable climate for customers and staff without compromising on performance.

Top of the ladder for technical specification, design, performance and value for money is the latest generation Fireman Switch range from Katko. 

Hattersley has launched a differential pressure control valve (DPCV) for HVAC systems which rely on variable speed pumps. Quick and easy to install, it has a long life expectancy and is designed to require little or no maintenance.

Hoval's range of TopVent warm air heaters includes units that have been optimised for use with any hot water source, including condensing and conventional boilers, biomass, solar energy and heat pumps. The range also includes decentralised, gas-fired recirculation units and heating and ventilation units.

Schott Solar is introducing the new InDaX V 225 roof-integration panel to its growing collection of solar energy products, providing an efficient photovoltaic function as well as protection against rain, hail, snow and wind.  

Glow-worm has introduced whole house mechanical ventilation with heat recovery into its growing range of renewable energy solutions.

Glow-worm is strengthening its position within the renewable technology market with the launch of the Clearly Heat Pump range of air to water heat pumps.

Forming part of the Clearly Renewables range, Glow-worm is dedicated to providing straightforward, hassle-free heating and hot water solutions for domestic properties.

From 1 November Megaman UK will be sole distributors of Eco-Eye, a revolutionary monitor for domestic and commercial use that provides concise information on electricity consumption.

Hochiki has extended its FIRElink high-sensitivity smoke detection offering with the introduction of FIRElink-Nano.  In common with other models in the range, it incorporates advanced semiconductor laser and electronics technology into a package that shows substantial savings in whole-life cost when compared with other systems on the market.  Its introduction is expected to further expand the applications for the FIRElink range that includes smaller non-compartmentalised rooms; warehouses with racking; and electronic and electromechanical equipment. 

Tyco Fire Suppression & Building Products has unveiled its new ANSUL AQUASONIC fire suppression system that is aimed at Class B fires that involve flammable liquids such as petrol, diesel, solvents, lubricants and spirits.  It is being heralded as an advanced water-atomising system that quickly and efficiently suppresses fires while discharging a minimal amount of water; a solution that is safe for people and the environment.  The new system utilises non-toxic and readily available extinguishing media - water and nitrogen.

Wieland Electric has extended its popular RST series of pluggable electrical installation products with the addition of the 5 pole RST Power Connector for use with currents up to 50A. The new RST 50i5 is extremely compact and significantly smaller than comparable connectors with the same current carrying capability. 

Mini-Lynx Fast-Start from Havells-Sylvania offers bright, flicker-free light within two seconds of switch-on and runs up to full light output in less than minute. Lamp life too has been hugely extended - its rated lamp-life is 10,000 hours, the equivalent of 10 years in domestic use or 3.5 years in commercial applications. The lamps are also extremely compact - from 104mm to 150mm long, depending on wattage - and will fit comfortably into most domestic light fixtures, so they can be used as direct replacements for inefficient tungsten lamps in virtually all applications.

Pilkington has launched a new range of products following the cessation of manufacture and processing of wired and translucent glass in the UK last year. Pilkington Pyroshield 2 will replace the long-serving Pilkington Pyroshield range, while Pilkington Optifloat Opal is an excellent replacement for the existing translucent glass.

New to the Fujitsu range of air conditioning products is a state-of-the-art AA rated cassette split system for cooling and heating that ticks all the boxes for today's energy conscious installations.

With a fast drying time of 15-22 seconds, the new Redring Turbo-Airflo automatic hand dryer is ideal for areas where hygiene is key, including food preparation areas, surgeries and clinics.

Protec have introduced a new Fast Fixed base for their recently introduced Algo-Tec 6000PLUS sensor range. Its neat design not only provides a low profile and unobtrusive mount to better blend devices into modern working environments, but also helps overcome system commissioning delays brought about by building schedule setbacks.

Trion has introduced the T-Series Plus automatic wash option for its market leading AIR BOSS T Series electronic air cleaner range. This facility makes unit cleaning much easier and quicker, so reducing the time and cost of maintenance whilst ensuring that the AIR BOSS T Series continues to remove fumes and odours as effectively as possible from commercial kitchen applications. 

Power Management Company, Scorpion Power Systems, has upgraded its AMF panels with a state-of-the-art Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) Controller, the Deep Sea 332.   Replacing earlier models the 332 has been specifically designed for single set generator applications.  The module monitors the voltage and frequency of the incoming AC mains supply and in the event of failure will issue a start command to the generator control system.

Vent-Axia has launched the eTurboprop - a new generation of high performance, speed controllable axial fans, offering guaranteed reliability thanks to a two year standard warranty, which can be extended to five years through simple product registration.

Four new digital and analogue I/O modules and three new CANopen modules are the latest additions to the popular range of Easy control products from Eaton's Moeller Business. The new modules further extend the versatility of the Easy system, which is already well known for combining ease of use with flexibility and value for money.

Monodraught has introduced a new range of Sunpipes manufactured using material that is made from more than 90% recycled aluminium which, says managing director Tony Cull, makes this already sustainable product even more environmentally friendly.

Enclosure specialist Schroff has launched a new dehumidifier system that is designed to remove moisture from the air within an enclosure, providing an inexpensive yet highly effective way to protect electronic and electrical components from condensation.

Lochinvar has extended its range of LZC solutions, with the introduction of an air source heat pump range as part of its renewable packages.

Developers and refurbishment specialists working within the commercial building sector have their work cut out when it comes to delivering projects to tight deadlines and even tighter budgets.