Iron technology leader Saint-Gobain PAM UK has responded to consumer demand by extending its Classical range of cast iron rainwater and gutter systems, with the introduction of a selection of square and rectangular pipes and fittings.

Achieving good control of multiple boiler installations is essential to meet the demand for high system efficiencies and to exceed the Building Regulations recommended minimum standards.

To help effectively manage multiple boiler modules, Hamworthy Heating has introduced the Merley, the latest generation boiler sequence controller, which is perfectly matched for use with the leading manufacturer’s latest Fleet boiler range.

Fabweld Steel Products has launched a new recessed manhole cover and frame, with a unique feature eliminating health and safety lifting concerns.

The SOLO SLIDE is a recessed cover and frame fabricated from mild steel which can blend in with the surrounding area. A unique feature of the SOLO SLIDE, part of FSP's FAB Pave range, is an ergonomically designed key which allows for single person operation.

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

Best known for its expertise in floor standing boiler design, Hamworthy Heating has developed a new wall hung condensing boiler that demonstrates the company’s industry leading credentials and catapults the manufacturer into the centre of the wall hung market.

Part of the company’s recently launched Fleet range, the new ultra-compact, wall hung module promises to transform commercial boiler solutions, creating a new benchmark in versatility.

Pioneering LED lighting specialists, Visive, has ventured into the world of commercial general lighting, with the launch of the LED-Grid, a solid state lighting luminaire that can be used in conventional suspended grid ceilings.

Douglas-Delabie, the specialist supplier of thermostatic control solutions and accessories for the commercial market, has enhanced its successful Temposoft taps and mixers for washbasins with the development of its Temposoft 2 range.

Featuring a regulated flow rate at 3 litres/min, the company says these easy-to-operate ‘soft touch’ timed flow push basin taps and mixers can achieve water savings of approximately 84% compared with a traditional basin tap.

Selecting the right hot water system for a new building or a renovation project is complex. A.O. Smith has developed a unique calculation program called Sizing program to make this exercise easier.

By completing a number of consecutive steps, an advice for a specific hot water appliance will follow. Solar recommendations consist of an integrated system advice and non solar recommendations refer to a specific hot water appliance.

Fläkt Woods now offers a new Box Fan range which incorporates energy conscious EC motors, which help to deliver higher fan efficiencies and lower energy consumption.

The company has developed this new product range to deliver performance in line with current Part L Building Regulations, meeting the drive for tighter efficiencies, as well as conforming to ever changing circumstances, by providing ventilation on demand.

Dimplex is expanding the choice in heat pumps for larger homes with the new LA MAS range of air source heat pumps. A new design gives the range a considerably smaller footprint than previous options, allowing greater freedom over location and system design, as well as reduced visual impact.

The range offers homeowners the best of both worlds as it can be used either as the sole heating source for a property, or in ‘bivalent’ mode in combination with an existing conventional heating system to reduce bills and cut CO2 emissions.

Philips has launched the MASTER LEDtube range, offering up to 50% energy saving when compared to the traditional linear fluorescent lamp.

Available in 2, 3, 4 and 5 foot versions the lamp has been designed for general lighting applications such as office and industrial spaces, as well as warehouses and retail outlets.

Ex-Or has launched a range of simple to fit batten mounted sensors which can deliver energy savings of up to 50%.

The Ex-Or BattenFit offers advanced occupancy detection technology in a package which is quick and easy to fit to a battenstyle luminaire. This purpose designed detector family offers a range of functionality to suit all applications in an aesthetically pleasing design.

The new FLIR Ebx-Series from FLIR Systems is described as ‘the best value in thermal imaging and digital camera resolution they have ever offered’.

Designed specifically for building applications, these new compact thermal imaging cameras are ideal for those wanting enhanced imaging quality and more analysis functions from an entry level thermal imaging camera.

Venture Lighting’s new Ventronic Global electronic dimming ballast combines maximum energy savings with total system control, using DALI digital dimming, simple switch dimming or 1-10V variable dimming. The ballast has exceptionally low energy consumption and a power factor close to unity, providing the lowest current load and supports lamp dimming up to 70% total energy cost saving.

Taking the opportunity to review the situation when there is a requirement to replace a pump is rarely taken, instead the pump is replaced with a ‘like for like’ pump which means the opportunity to gain efficiency, save energy and improve comfort levels is lost.

When replacing a pump there are several points that should be considered as these will have an impact on whether you are making the best selection including:

Vent-Axia has recently been awarded Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) accreditation by the British Board of Agrément (BBA) for its Thernamic series of ground source heat pumps.

Vent-Axia’s Thernamic ground source heat pumps are thus fully compliant with the technology requirements of the MCS and eligible for payments under the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) which requires both the installer and the equipment to be MCS certified.

Envision from Holophane is a powerful new online tool that helps specifiers to visualise products as they build up a specification and evaluate the implications of changes. Envision also produces detailed specifications that can be used in specification documents or saved in a choice of formats for sharing with colleagues and clients.

Knowing where we can go to access particular information is something that can save us incalculable amounts of valuable time. The new Thinking Buildings Universe from Grundfos now offers building services professionals a centralised information point that is a one stop shop for commercial buildings services pump applications.

Peter Lackey, Fire Product Marketing Manager at ADT Fire & Security provides an overview of BS 5839 Part 1, which covers the design, installation and maintenance of such systems and offers some practical tips on developing appropriate programmes.

Figures from the ABI suggest that in 2009, the average commercial fire insurance claim amounted to £21,000 - a marked increase from just £8,000 six years prior. Added to this is the unfortunate fact that 80% of single site businesses affected by a major fire are forced to close within 18 months.

In today’s enterprise landscape organisations are rarely limited to a single business function or indeed a single market. Many companies in the facilities management and building services industries are expanding their target markets along with the range of services that are delivered via an increasingly flexible and mobile workforce.

Mike Elms, Technical Sales Manager for Uninterruptible Power Supplies Limited, a Kohler company, discusses the information you need to know to specify the right UPS for your organisation.

Although uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems perform many important power protection functions, their key role is to maintain a secure electrical supply if the mains fails or transgresses acceptable limits. To achieve this, they need an energy source which is safely stored and available for instant use on demand, and easily replenished when the mains power returns.

Andrew Lee, International Sales Manager for Sharp Solar examines how the UK solar industry is placed to react to the cuts and looks at where the job opportunities are for those looking to enter the industry.

Only a few days short of its one year anniversary, the UK Government dramatically cut the Feed in Tariff (FIT) rates for solar photovoltaic (PV) projects over 50kW. Whilst potentially damaging to an industry beginning to thrive, the opportunity for the domestic installation market remains as strong as ever.

Peter Jennings, Technical Director for ACO Building Drainage, looks at how poor planning of drainage systems can contribute directly to the spread of fire in large buildings.

Drainage systems, by their very nature, are fundamentally open systems that safely remove water and liquid wastes away from the inside and outside of commercial and public buildings. However, it is the intrinsically open construction of these channels and gullies that presents a significant problem when in comes to fire protection.

Designing truly smart buildings will require a complete rethink in how we do things, especially in regards to project management, says Mark Tallent of Crestron. In fact if we’re aiming for fully integrated technology we need to go back to the drawing board.

There are many new technologies and products currently on the market (and in development) that help reduce the impact of a building and its occupants on the environment. This is extremely welcome but the challenge for the building services engineer is to bring these elements together to create a truly integrated building technology system. Ultimately, this system will satisfy from a technological point of view and also meet the needs of occupants and facilities managers over the buildings lifetime.

Paul Hardy, Managing Director of Baxi Commercial Division, discusses the importance of encouraging young engineers into the Building Services profession and the support that can be offered by companies within the supply chain.

The Chancellor announced in the recent budget that the Government hopes to address acute skills shortages in the UK, with plans to make engineering a more desirable profession.

Montgomery Hall is a multi-purpose venue in Wath upon Dearne, South Yorkshire which boasts a stage, cinema and licensed bar and hosts a variety of events such as weddings, parties and other private functions. As part of the heating refurbishment at the hall, PH Heating Engineers recommended Caspian and Skyline fan convectors from Smith’s Environmental Products.

Pete Howell Snr, Director of PH Heating Engineers explained: “We decided to include Smith’s fan convectors as part of the installation as these were integral to the design of the system. The fan convectors offered a number of energy efficient and space saving solutions that we thought would be beneficial to the venue.

In two separate refurbishment projects, carried out over the summer break in successive years, Potterton Commercial has supplied a total of seven Eurocondense two condensing boilers to provide space heating in a number of areas at Stantonbury Campus in Milton Keynes.

Built in the seventies and one of the UK’s largest schools, Stantonbury Campus is a foundation comprehensive, specialising in arts, maths, computing and applied learning, providing education for 2,600 students aged 11-18 in five separate halls. On-site facilities also include an adult and continuing education centre, as well as a leisure centre, theatre and gallery displaying students’ work, all open to the public.

Osram’s highly efficient Lumilux fluorescent tubes have been installed throughout the east and west corridors of the Old College at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst to reap energy savings of over 50%.

Environment 2000 specified and installed the new lighting scheme which not only achieves significant energy savings, but also provides a massive increase in lux levels. This prestigious building at the heart of the British military and the artwork housed within it are now displayed in fantastic light.

Regular user of Marshall-Tufflex cable management systems, The University of Warwick Estates Office, opted for the manufacturer’s all-curved profile Odyssey trunking system for electrical upgrades to 769 student rooms within 12 separate blocks of student halls of residence because of its sleek lines and impossibility to clutter.

Good quality lighting, manufactured in the UK, was the preferred choice of leading construction company SRW (Skanska, Raleigh, and Weatherfoil), who specified luminaires by Riegens Lighting for the new Fluor Limited Headquarters at IQ Farnborough. American owned Fluor provides engineering, procurement, construction and project management services on a global basis.

Gloucestershire based energy expert SIEL, in conjunction with Prism Power, has recently completed the first installation phase of 56 bespoke Exchange 4 pole Static Transfer Switches (STS) at NYSE Euronext’s new state of the art UK data centre.

In total, 18 STS systems, each rated at 1,600Amps complete the first phase. The whole package has been constructed to meet stringent customer requirements and specifications, including ASTA 80kA fault rating certification and form 4.7 segregation/separation. This is one of the first STS systems to meet such stringent specifications as a composite system.

Variable speed drives supplied by Vacon UK are to be used extensively in the HVAC systems of the Shard at London Bridge, which will not only be the tallest building in the European Union, but also one of the world’s most prestigious addresses.

The HVAC installation will incorporate more than 219 drives to date, selected from the Vacon 100 HVAC IP54 range, which has been optimised specifically for HVAC applications and which includes models with ratings from 1.1kW to 132kW .

As further evidence of the worldwide demand for chilled beams, the Trox Group is supplying 11,000 units together with constant volume valves to the €1 billion Ciudad de la Justicia (City of Justice) in Barcelona, the largest site in Europe devoted to justice.

Trox active chilled beams, which are used for both heating and cooling, were specifically selected for their energy efficiency and the high comfort levels achieved with this system.

With indoor air quality within educational premises becoming an increasingly important issue, it is necessary to regularly clean ventilation ductwork to maintain a healthy and comfortable learning environment for students and teachers.

System Hygienics recently completed a large-scale cleaning contract at Havering College in Essex to improve the cleanliness and efficiency of the college’s ventilation systems.

Regular readers of this column will know just how important building controls can be when it comes to reducing energy use in buildings. Figures are now widely available that show how much more energy efficient buildings are when controls and building management systems (BMS) are applied and used.

The judging panel have continued their difficult but rewarding task of selecting just three entries for the final stage of the Challenge. The entries submitted have been an uplifting reminder not only of the scope of the causes that exist throughout the country to benefit members of the community, but also the energy and dedication of their organisers and supporters. The panel has now selected the second project that has been shortlisted for the final stage, put forward by the Buxted Scout Group, based in East Sussex.

Johnson Controls, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and The Climate Group have officially signed a partnership agreement for the second phase of the Euro-Mediterranean Energy Efficiency Forum (EEF), which will take place in Monaco on 10 and 11 May 2011.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the parties took place at the International Conference & Exhibition on Ecologic Vehicles & Renewable Energies (EVER) 2011 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. The agreement builds on the success of the 2010 EEF event, which called for policy and decision makers to act on energy efficiency.

The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) supports the UK Green Building Council call for the wider roll out of display energy certificates contained in its report ‘Carbon Reductions in Existing Non-Domestic Buildings’.

“There is now a clear industry consensus around making more use of Display Energy Certificates to identify potential energy and cost savings,” said Hywel Davies, CIBSE’s Technical Director.

Hilson Moran has been named the NCE/ACE Medium Consultant of the Year 2011. Now in its eighth year, the awards celebrate outstanding business performance by engineering consultancies across the UK.

The awards are based on submissions to NCE’s Consultants File, a unique insight into the health and wealth of the engineering consultancy market. Judging is based on strict criteria including revenues in relation to staff numbers, projects that applicants have been involved in and innovative activity undertaken during the year.

ENER-G has appointed Yan Evans as Group Business Development Director. He will report to Group Managing Director Derek Duffill on a wide-ranging remit to drive ongoing growth that has seen turnover reach £130m in the current financial year.

Yan joins ENER-G from Baxi’s commercial division, where he was technical director with responsibility for the market-leading Potterton Commercial and Andrews Water Heater brands.

Gary Hales has been appointed as Head of Operations for national energy solutions company Anesco.

In his new role as Head of Operations, Gary will be responsible for leading and developing the operations and bid teams on a daily basis, ensuring high standards are met during the delivery process. Gary previously headed up operations for national building and maintenance firm Rok where he worked as an area leader with responsibility for the company’s operations in Oxford, Swindon and Reading.

JS Humidifiers has been acquired by Walter Meier in a move which consolidates Walter Meier’s leading position in the global humidification market.

Following the recent acquisition of its distributor in Denmark, the purchase of JS Humidifiers is a further contribution to Walter Meier’s development strategy of direct involvement in important markets.

Engineering Services SKILLcard, the industry recognised personnel registration scheme for the mechanical sector of the building services engineering sector, has launched a redesigned website, enabling employers to check legitimate cardholders through its online skills checker.

With a fresh new look and streamlined navigation, www.skillcard.org.uk is simple to read and use.

NICEIC, the UK’s largest certification body for electrical contractors and renewable installers, and Building Engineering Services Competence Accreditation Ltd (BESCA), the independent national assessment and certification body, have announced a strategic alliance.

The alliance covers the provision of NICEIC’s Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) for installers of renewable technologies to the membership of the Heating and Ventilating Contractors’ Association (HVCA) and brings MCS in line with the wider certification services already offered by BESCA to the HVCA.

Daikin UK has extended its £400 cash back offer for home owners who want to scrap their old boiler and replace it with a new Daikin Altherma air-to-water heat pump, in a move to help installers grow their businesses.

The offer, which was first launched in October 2010, has been extended until 31 May in light of the Government’s announcement that the first phase of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), to be launched later this year, will not cover domestic air-to-water heat pump installations.

BEAMA has launched its newest initiative, the BEAMA Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project which brings together organisations with a major interest in developing the charging infrastructure in the UK.

BEAMA’s Chief Executive Officer Dr Howard Porter said: “This project is a sign that BEAMA members are committed to helping the Government achieve its low carbon transport targets. Notably, by helping to develop the standards regime and infrastructure rollout that will signal a shift in the way we power our road vehicles to 2050 and beyond.

Peter Brown has been named as NCE/ACE Young Consultant of the Year for 2011.

Peter, 30, from Epsom in Surrey, is a senior mechanical engineer with engineering and design consultancy Atkins who impressed the judges with his infectious enthusiasm for the profession and commitment to the future of engineering.

Mitsubishi Electric has announced the appointment of two new VARs (Value Added Resellers) following the company's growth in market share in all areas of business during one of the toughest periods in the industry for decades.

The appointment of Logicool Air Conditioning Distribution Ltd of South Derbyshire and Intra-grated Solutions Ltd of Peterborough vindicates Mitsubishi Electric's decision to expand its product portfolio into renewable technology with the addition of more heat pump-based air conditioning and the expansion of the Ecodan air source heat pump heating range.

A £77 million contract to construct the multi-storey car park and covered court for Heathrow Airport’s new Terminal 2 has been awarded to Laing O’Rourke with work planned to start in May 2011.

The 1,340-space car park, with associated roads and ramps, and covered court are integral to the design of the new terminal which will open to passengers in 2014.

Philips has announced a new partnership between its consumer lighting business and Inman and Co (Electrical) Ltd to supply and service independent retailers with an exciting range of Philips consumer luminaires across the UK.

The agreement will substantially improve the service and offering available to the customers of both Philips and Inmans and other sellers of Philips lighting products. Inmans will offer retailers access to wider stockholdings at their three distribution centres in London, Sheffield and Bristol.

Last year, Baxi-SenerTec UK, part of Baxi Commercial Division, ran a competition in their newsletter to find a name for the badger which forms part of their logo. The name Little Watty Baxter was chosen, as Little Watty (short for Little Walter) reflects the emphasis of the business being represented, which is Combined Heat and Power (CHP).

Choosing the right lamps for a lighting upgrade is very much a matter of horses for courses and there is no one size fits all solution. LEDs are a case in point, says Simon Dixon of Riegens Lighting.

In the current economic and environmentally aware climate many building operators, and the specialists they employ, are faced with something of a balancing act. On the one hand they need to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. On the other hand, capital budgets are tight and a sensible return on investment (ROI) is vital.

The budget has provided a further boost to building services companies who are considering up-skilling to include renewables in their offering, according to the new National Skills Academy for Environmental Technologies.

Highlights included the confirmation that end-users would be incentivised to take-advantage of the Green Deal and the indication that planning reforms will lean in favour of sustainable development.

The HVCA has appointed Blane Judd to the position of Chief Executive designate.

A chartered engineer and fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Mr Judd brings with him very considerable experience of the energy and building services engineering sectors.