With fewer public-sector projects started on site following the General Election the value of construction projects starting on site in the three month to May 2010 fell back to below 2006 levels — according to the latest Glenigan Index. However, the index for May was 10% up on a year ago, but lower than the index for March and April this year.

A cautious welcome to the coalition Government’s approach to technology training has come from Keith Marshall, chief executive of SummitSkills, the sector skills council for building-services engineering. Speaking at the Spring conference of the Building Services Engineering Employment Agency Alliance, he referred in particular to two statements made by members of the new administration, both of which he sees as providing some cause for optimism.

Organisations and companies in the heat-pump sector have expressed concern and disappointment at the abrupt closure of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme by the new Government. Before its closure, the scheme funded the installation of 20 000 renewable-energy systems. The £63 million-worth of applications due for payment in 2010/2011 will not be affected. Cancellation of LCBP support means there is no support programme in place until the proposed introduction of the Renewable Heat Incentive in April 2011.

Durapipe UK has achieved a breakthrough in its education and training initiative with the inclusion of a plastics module within the requirements of the SkillPipe competition. This competition is organised by SummitSkills and sees young apprentices tested across a series of challenging pipe-fitting modules. It began in 2009, and this year’s competition in June included a module on plastics pipework installations using Durapipe’s Friatherm system.

Is this the first hospital to combine a biomass steam-raising boiler with CHP to halve carbon emissions?

It will not be possible to achieve the UK’s carbon-reduction targets without a serious campaign to refurbish existing buildings. Hywel Davies presents CIBSE’s perspective.

Alan Stevenson explains the rationale behind the latest revisions to Part G of the Building Regulations — and routes to compliance.

The first supermarket to be built to PassivHaus standards in the British Isles includes a Dimplex ground-source heat pump that draws energy from refrigeration and cooling systems to supply domestic hot water. The Tesco sore in Tramore, County Waterford, is built to very high levels of air tightness and insulation, so water heating is an important consideration in the overall performance of the building. Such buildings typically have an annual energy consumption less than 15 kWh/m2.

Following the upgrading of the building-management system at the Gatehouse Theatre in Stafford, heating costs have been halved, despite the severity of last Winter. This 19th-century building in the centre of Stafford houses a wide variety of professional shows and amateur productions throughout the year. Facilities include conference rooms, a studio theatre and recording space.

New filters in air-handling plant at Heathrow Airport are expected to lead to savings of over a £1 million a year and a reduction in CO2 emissions of 6000 t a year. Vokes-Air Group has been working with Heathrow Airport to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Already contracted to supply, fit and dispose of filters, Vokes-Air has installed its Synsafe Revo pocket filter following a full review of the airport’s current arrangements for filters in air-handling units.

Renewable energy for the new Royal Mail distribution hub in Swan Valley, Northamptonshire, is provide by 800 m2 of SolarWall from CA Group. It helps the building reduce its operational carbon emissions by 66% and contributes to a total of 59 t of CO2 savings a year.