The Home Office is rolling out energy management contracts pioneered by Amey and British Gas Business (BGB) across 90% of its estate, after the two companies saved the department £212,000 in eight months. Working in a three-way partnership, Amey, BGB and the Home Office developed a ‘payment by results’ energy management contract to manage energy consumption across 350 Home Office-managed buildings in London and the South East.

Lord O’Neill of Clackmannan, president of the Specialist Engineering Contractors’ (SEC) Group, has begun a one-year term as chairman of the Strategic Forum for Construction (SFfC). The SFfC exists to provide an interface between Government and the construction industry, and describes its vision as achieving maximum value for clients, end users and stakeholders, and ensuring consistent delivery of world-class products and projects.

In the centre pages of this issue you will find an eight page supplement which previews The Energy Event, giving details of what to look out for when you visit the exhibition. Taking place from 13-14 September at the NEC, Birmingham, The Energy Event offers a showcase for the very latest technologies for delivering low energy and low carbon solutions and thus is the perfect environment for building services consultants, contractors, installers and end-users to discover the latest low carbon innovations and products across the market.

Stephen Woodnutt from Delmatic explains why lighting control can enhance sustainability and provide savings where you need them most.

After a competition was launched in their newsletter last year, Little Watty Baxter was the name chosen for the Baxi-SenerTec UK badger which appears on the company logo. Short for ‘Little Walter’, it was thought that Little Watty reflects the emphasis of the business being represented, which is Combined Heat and Power (CHP), both of which have the unit ‘Watt’.

The Prime Minister has announced that carbon emissions from Government HQs and offices have been slashed by nearly 14% in just one year and told Whitehall it would have to go further by cutting emissions by 25% by 2015. It is estimated that energy bills have been cut by £13 million as a result of bearing down on energy wastage in Government departments. The 10% target covered around 300,000 civil servants in 3,000 buildings.

Crofton Design was crowned as the overall winner at this year’s CIBSE Employer of the Year Awards which are sponsored by Baxi Commercial Division and Heatrae Sadia. The awards recognise those employers who have shown excellence and innovation in developing the engineers of the future. They reward organisations who proactively champion young people in the industry, whether through a commitment to young people in employment or by supporting those employees through education.

SummitSkills, the sector skills council representing employers in the building services engineering (BSE) sector, has welcomed the conclusions of consumer group Which’s recent undercover investigation into companies currently offering solar power equipment installation.

Ground source heating and cooling systems have the potential to heat 300,000 UK buildings by 2020 according to the Environment Agency which has published new guidance to support this energy revolution in homes and businesses. With Government incentives driving demand for renewable energy, the Environment Agency’s good practice guide supports the case for ground source heat and cooling systems as a viable source of sustainable energy for thousands of businesses and homes.

Coventry is set to become a hotbed for low carbon innovation after Coventry University, in partnership with Coventry City Council, was officially awarded global Living Labs status by the Brussels-based European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL). The membership of ENoLL means that the city is one of only three UK sites to be granted the status in 2011 and it will see the University’s Technology Park become a real-life test and experimentation environment for low carbon innovations, strengthening the city’s and the University’s existing green agenda.

Hard work is still needed to secure investment in energy infrastructure according to the CBI following the publication of the Government’s Electricity Market Reform White Paper. John Cridland, CBI Director-General, said: “This White Paper is an important step in the right direction, but the hardest work is still to come. There is much to do if we are to secure the £200 billion of essential investment needed in our energy infrastructure, including a mix of nuclear, clean coal, gas and renewables.

The new Building Products apprenticeship framework is directly targeted at the skills needs of employers according to Andy Rotherham, Building Products Industry Lead at Proskills, the Sector Skills Council for the process and manufacturing sector The new apprenticeship framework covers a wide range of areas within the building products industry, including the manufacture of concrete, cement and abrasive products, and is directly targeted at the skills needs of employers.

A group of 30 leading European companies and academic institutions has announced that they are working together in the newly established ENIAC JU project ENLIGHT, a three year programme which is partly funded by the European Commission and European member-states. Partners include companies throughout the lighting value chain, including universities and research centres.

Under the Shared Savings Scheme, the financial benefit arising from the new energy efficient lighting is shared between Energys and the client. This split (with the client pocketing up to 50% of the financial savings on energy bills) provides a low-risk way to unlock the cash savings available from lighting upgrades.

BSRIA has completed its new acoustic chamber for testing of airborne noise of space heating and cooling products. Acoustic testing is a requirement of the EN 14511 and some incentive and quality schemes that call upon EN 12102:2008 for sound power measurement. This applies to heat pumps, air conditioners, fan coils, liquid chilling packages, dehumidifiers, and other space heating/cooling products.

Specifications are always tricky, particularly when it comes to new buildings or major refurbishment projects. It may be that the client knows exactly what they want, but this seems to be quite rare. In speculative office buildings, for example, it can be difficult to predict exactly what the building will be used for and how each prospective occupant might use the space they take.

BSW Timber’s larch cladding has been used in the construction of a new restaurant at the base of the Nevis Range mountain gondola, near Fort William. The Pinemarten replaces a small coffee shop which was more than 20 years old and will cater for the diverse demands of the area’s growing customer base including sightseers, skiers, snowboarders, and mountain bikers.

Xpelair Ventilation Solutions has been specified by Mecserve Consulting Engineers for a landmark renovation project to revive a Grade II listed French Renaissance style heritage property overlooking London’s Hyde Park into prime residential living. The company has supplied its Xcell 400 mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) units as part of the refurbishment of The Lancasters, which is being transformed by developers Minerva/Northacre PLC into 77 grand apartments.

The Greenpower Centre, a showcase project to demonstrate the practicality of developing low energy commercial and office buildings has opened its doors. The new headquarters for Greenpower Education Trust has been developed in partnership between architects Emission Zero, Fordingbridge plc and Passivent to provide an inspiring learning environment and innovative test bed for low emission technologies.

Royal Philips Electronics has provided an LED lighting system as an alternative to the conventional halogen scheme proposed for a new branch of the Newcastle Building Society, the largest building society in the North East of the UK.

Ellis Patents has secured an order for 20,000 of its aluminium clamps to be installed in electrical substations throughout Lusail City – the new city currently being built on the east coast of Qatar. Yorkshire-based Ellis Patents two-hole aluminium cable clamps were specified through the company’s Qatari distributor, Mannai Trading and the latest shipment of them left the UK in May 2011.

The high performance Drive fitting from Riegens Lighting has been used with other Riegens luminaires as part of an energy efficiency refit campaign for leading vehicle rental company Hertz UK, based at Heathrow, Middlesex.

If you’re struggling to get to grips with the green deal or are finding the Feed-in Tariff misleading, then you need to get on board the Renewables Roadshow this September. Powered by Plumb Center, the Renewables Roadshow will provide the opportunity to interact with dozens of exhibiting manufacturers, merchants and professional bodies, and in addition there will be five theatres designed to make technologies and training more accessible.

Reducing the amount of energy which we use is now at the heart of every business and while there are plenty of ways to achieve this reduction, one of the best solutions comes in the form of building controls.

Rising power prices and increased government legislation have pushed energy management to the fore, with public and private users implementing an array of measures to cut consumption, bills and carbon emissions. For many organisations this process starts with an energy audit to pinpoint how much power is being used and where and sub-metering has become an established, straight-forward and effective method of doing this.

Steven Daniels, Director of Matrix explains how organisations can manage energy in the most efficient and cost-effective way. The use of energy is something that concerns every organisation across the country and efficient businesses are always looking for ways to manage energy as effectively as possible. Using energy efficiently is a challenge for all companies – from single site operations, to organisations that have a portfolio of properties across the UK.

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.

When boilers, air conditioning plant and heat exchangers scale up, time is of the essence in removing the scale and getting the plant functional again. Chemical descaling is the favoured method of solving the problem, and Kamco has introduced SCALEBREAKER FX, a vigorous descaling agent which dissolves lime-scale, rust and corrosion deposits.

Shentongroup has expanded its powertherm range of innovative Combined Heat & Power(CHP) systems. By combining its expertise with that of its European partners, SEVA AG and Tedom, shentongroup now supplies its powertherm range in over 60 sizes ranging from 7kW to 2MW and in five package styles that include open sets, acoustic enclosures, compact series, containerised and total pre-fabricated plant room packages.

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.

High quality and reliability combine with high energy efficiency to make the latest Econoflame boilers from Stokvis Energy Systems a popular choice for commercial and public sector applications. The Econoflame brand is now split into three separate ranges: entering with the wall hung, R30 series, the R6000 range and the top output R3400, R3500 & R3600SB premix commercial boilers.

Alpha Electronics, nationwide distributor of handheld and portable electrical and electronic test equipment, has been appointed an authorised distributor of FLIR thermal imagers. Gary Biggs, Sales Director for Alpha Electronics, explained: “We are delighted to be given the opportunity to promote FLIR products which we shall be using to target the higher end thermal imaging applications, for example to building diagnostics consultants, with 640 x 480 array cameras such as the FLIR T640bx and T620bx Series.”

The models in the BITZER OCTAGON VARISPEED series have a flange mounted suction-gas-cooled frequency inverter. This makes the series particularly economic in terms of energy and is also environmentally friendly. Thanks to their suction-gas cooling, these frequency inverters are also maintenance-free and safe to operate even at high ambient temperatures.

Specifiers can gain BREEAM credits by paying particular attention to the use of water in their buildings. Cistermiser’s Sensazone helps to fulfil the automatic sanitary water supply shut off demanded by BREEAM Wat 4. This means it can help to gain additional credits, removes the risk of significant water wastage as a result of leaks or damage and also saves costs for the end user.

Vaillant has added to its renewables portfolio with the launch of its new geoTHERM air range of air to water heat pumps (AWHP), suitable for a wide range of applications in new build and refurbishment properties. Available from July 2011, the geoTHERM air range will consist of three models (7kW, 12kW and 15kW) each of which will provide maximum comfort and efficiency, combined with simple installation, smooth operation and advanced diagnostics.

New to the market from SAS International is the cleverly designed Drop & Slide metal ceiling system. Drop & Slide looks like any other suspended metal ceiling system as it provides a flush finish. But where this product differs is its ingenious way of allowing access to the ceiling void for on-going essential maintenance.

HARTING has developed a new generation of flexible data cables which guarantee transmission in accordance with the IEEE 802.3an 10 GBase-D Ethernet standard. The new cables are designed to meet the demand for improved network components, which is rising with the growing need for higher bandwidths.

Accurate water and heat metering are now an integral part of energy efficient, modern building control. Sontay, the market leading manufacturer and distributor of field control devices, has introduced a brand new series of water and heat metering products to help building services specifiers and contractors achieve precise and affordable flow and energy metering.

Dimplex’s energy efficient air source heat pumps are now easier than ever to specify, with the launch of a range of heat pump packs containing everything required for most common domestic applications. Whether your project requires both heating and hot water, heating only, or an especially compact installation, there’s a Dimplex air source heat pump pack to make specification and ordering straightforward.

Panasonic has launched its new ECOi VRF Designer software. The package will allow air conditioning system designers, installers and dealers to very quickly design and size systems using Panasonic’s ECOi VRF range, create wiring diagrams and issue bills of quantities at the push of a button.

Polypipe Ventilation has launched the first new addition to the Silavent range following its acquisition of the brand last year - a new range of low Watt centrifugal bathroom extract fans. The new competitively priced Silavent low Watt fans use an incredible 70% less power than conventional fans, dramatically reducing operating costs and helping to reduce overall building energy consumption, an issue which remains high on the political agenda.

Bilco UK has extended its commitment to further improve safety at work by introducing a new range of fixed vertical and retractable ladder products. This, together with its established range of roof and access hatches and floor doors, means Bilco can now offer a complete access solution. The new retractable aluminium ladders are available with or without a hatchbox with a laminated wood trapdoor and lining and have an option for a fire-rated steel hatchbox and lining.

Alfa Laval Limited is now able to offer ex-stock, next day delivery of 97% of their Plate Heat Exchanger (PHE) gasket range – a promise that no other UK- based supplier can match. Alfa Laval is by far the largest supplier of gasketted heat exchangers to industry in the UK & Ireland. Covering 6000 square metres of their Camberley Headquarters, their workshops have the capacity to re-gasket and recondition 54,000 large PHE plates every year.

The new generation of spring-return actuators from Belimo is based on the proven technology of the legendary AF actuators. With powerful torques of 10 and 20 Nm, respectively, the NF and SF types ensure absolute reliability, not only in standard mode but also in the event of an emergency.

Buderus, the commercial heating arm of Bosch Thermotechnology in the UK, has boosted its comprehensive range with the introduction of GWPL low-carbon gas absorption heat pumps, providing a more sustainable alternative to electric heat pumps and gas-fired condensing boilers.

Goodlight retrofit LED High and Low Bay lighting is the ultimate energy efficient option to replace metal halide and sodium high bay lamps. Heavyweight in both performance and design, these LED lamps from LED Eco Lights incorporate a multi-layered LED chip arrangement to create an intensive light source. The light is then distributed by using a range of aluminium and prismatic reflectors to provide unparalleled levels of brightness and clarity.

A new dedicated software programme for the solar PV industry helps system installers produce all electrical test documentation for client handover packs quickly and easily. The new Seaward SolarCert Elements software is designed to help solar PV installers create comprehensive folders of system information including customised test certification and inspection reports, installation layout diagrams, photographs and any other information relevant to PV installation such as datasheets.

Interplast’s Three Compartment Dado and Skirting trunking systems are available in packs of 2 x 3 metres of base and lids to aid storage, logistics and on site installation. It is available in both skirting and dado profiles with either chamfered or square lids to ensure an aesthetically pleasing, cost-effective, solution for power and data management installations.

Glow-worm is further developing the popular Ultracom range of boilers with the launch of the Ultracom2 35 Store boiler. The Ultracom2 35 Store is a new high efficiency storage combi boiler, which provides instant and unlimited domestic hot water with an impressive flow rate, from a single wall hung unit.

BSS Industrial is now offering Geberit’s innovative Mapress stainless steel and carbon steel – the first press fitting product for fire protection systems to receive approval from the Loss Prevention Certification Board (LPCB). The accreditation covers all dimensions of Geberit Mapress piping up to 108mm for wet sprinkler installations.

JS Humidifiers is launching the Condair FF2 high pressure spray humidifier, capable of delivering up to 1,080kg/h of moisture to a duct or air handling unit. The Condair FF2 is ideal for AHUs that have multiple humidification and adiabatic cooling elements as a single pump station can feed nozzles grids in up to four different ducts.

Mitsubishi Electric has launched a new range of City Multi air conditioning units that not only offer a higher seasonal efficiency, but can also maintain higher heating capacities at low ambient temperatures making it ideal for UK climate.

FireCell from EMS Fire & Security is the UK’s first fully certified EN54 Part 25 compliant wireless fire detection solution. With no need for cabling it is swift to install, making it ideal for buildings such as schools, offices and industrial applications where downtime and disruption are not an option.

With a 10-year history, The Energy Event has grown to be one of the largest energy exhibitions and conferences in Europe. Taking place on the 13 – 14 September 2011 at the Birmingham NEC, it is the only event dedicated to energy procurement, management and efficiency. Supported by the leading industry associations and organisations, this year’s event will provide the UK’s largest customer-led seminar programme free of charge and will address the key issues of energy availability, affordability and sustainability.

Spirax Sarco will be at The Energy Event to give expert advice on how to improve steam system efficiency, reducing carbon emissions and saving thousands from the bottom line. Visitors to the stand will be able to see Spirax Sarco’s unique vacuum insulated pipe. Soon to be released in the UK, this presents an innovative approach to pipe insulation, using vacuum technology to give the lowest operating cost of any insulation system.

Research by the Carbon Trust shows British business could save up to 20% off their energy costs by taking basic energy saving steps. For many companies that’s the same as a 5% increase in sales. In addition to complying with the Government’s CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, energy-saving within your business can provide a number of benefits which include reduced costs as a result of lower energy consumption and tax incentives which are available for some businesses that buy and use energy and water efficient technologies or low emission vehicles.

Haven Power is now well and truly established as an electricity supplier to some of the biggest I&C names in the UK. Despite its initial role to serve the needs of the SME market, it has grown its I&C customer base thanks to a strong range of tailored products, including flexible contracts.

Climaveneta UK (formerly Walter Meier) will demonstrate its total approach to air conditioning, from advice with product selection and application, installation and commissioning to on-going maintenance and energy optimisation.

As energy costs continue to rise and Government increases pressure on building owners to measure and reduce carbon emissions, Tridium will showcase how its industry-leading NIAGARAAX Framework can provide an effective smart services solution to meet these requirements.

Energy saving specialist Marshall-Tufflex Energy Management will be exhibiting its full portfolio of products at the Energy Event, including its newly launched domestic voltage optimisation system and a wireless sub-metering solution, both of which have already created much interest in the market.

Endress+Hauser’s two new EngyCal energy managers provide high-precision recording and billing information for steam mass, energy flow, plus heating and cooling in liquid heat transfer systems will be on show at The Energy Event. For a simple, scalable automatic meter reading solution in energy monitoring applications, EngyCal is the answer.

Consumers can now reap the rewards of flexible energy purchasing with enhanced risk management protection thanks to next-generation technology from ENER-G Procurement. ENER-G Procurement’s new RiskManager software monitors wholesale market prices in real time, automatically tracking, recording and reporting market movements as they happen to support decision making.

Sabien Technology will be featuring a live demonstration of its M2G intelligent boiler load optimiser, working with a boiler and BMS on the stand to demonstrate how significant energy savings are achieved by preventing dry cycling. Boiler dry cycling is caused when boilers fire to compensate for standing heat losses from the boiler without actively contributing to the building’s heating load, even when the plant is linked to a BMS or BEMS.

Acksen Ltd

When it comes to ventilation, choosing the right controls can be an important and relatively low cost way to lower the carbon footprint of a building. David Cook, Product Marketing Manager – Non-Residential at Vent-Axia reveals how upgrading controls will improve the performance of existing A/C controllable fans.

Since the introduction of the Display Energy Certificate, the importance of improving energy efficiency has grown. Despite this however, there remains a level of uncertainty surrounding its application. The Display Energy Certificate (DEC) was introduced back in October 2008 following the mandatory introduction of the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, which all EU member states were required to implement by January 2009.

With ambitious Government targets putting pressure on developers to focus on energy efficiency in order to ensure that all commercial buildings are zero carbon by 2019, the pace of innovation for sustainable technologies has never been more dynamic. For those involved in the construction sector, there is an added pressure to ensure that they lead by example and can demonstrate the validity and workability of a low carbon approach in practice.

Sources of energy waste lurk in almost every building. These overlooked energy drains have a high financial and carbon cost. Nicola Martin makes the case for energy audits. Energy is wasted every day in every organisation, and identifying how and why that energy goes to waste can unlock the potential for substantial financial savings and vital carbon reduction. For this reason, the free Carbon Surveys initiative provided by sustainability advisory body, the Carbon Trust, was hugely popular among businesses.

Rising energy costs, particularly for multi-site businesses and anyone managing a property portfolio, is an increasingly significant issue, but retro-fitting a wireless energy management system could be the ideal solution, says Ivan McKeever, Director at WEMS International.