Users of the web site of “Modern Building Services” are being offered a 10% discount for a seminar to launch a new guide in the Knowledge Series of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers. “Fan coil units : solutions for the 21st century” explains how chilled-water FCUs are a highly effective means of providing air conditioning for buildings. The event is on Monday 19 May at CIBSE's headquarters at Balham in South London.

Buro Happold raised £1383 for the charity RedR (Register of Engineers for Disaster Relief) with a company-wide ‘wear red for RedR Day’ in February. This was the second time the price has run a RedR Day since the scheme started three years ago.

Dalkia has reinforced its position in public-sector property manager by retaining its contract with the Welsh Assembly Government. This contract will allow Dalkia to provide flexible and effective services to the WAG, building on its long-term relationship with the Welsh regional government.

The extension of Enhanced Capital Allowances to include electrical systems may be one of the most important changes under the new system, according to property tax and finance specialist Davis Langdon Crosher & James.

Modern Building Services has launched a new service to simplify the task of matching the staffing needs of companies in the building-services industry and engineers. A new area on our web site enables engineers in the industry to post their CV and those looking for staff to access those CVs.

Birmingham building-services provider JS Wright has completed the £4.6 million fit-out of the 14-storey Park Plaza County Hall Hotel near the London Eye. The 2-year project was the biggest in JS Wright’s 118-year history and has resulted in the company’s work in London accounting for 70% of its forecast turnover of £19 million for 2007/8.

The UK’s first centre of excellence in low-carbon technologies for buildings is set to open at London South Bank University. The Centre of Efficient & Renewable Energy in Buildings will open in 2009. It will be a unique resource for teaching, research and demonstration of low-carbon energy technologies in the built environment.

Against the background of the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates for buildings, the CBI has launched a guide for business, with commercial real-estate advisor CB Richard Ellis.

The price of ductwork systems could rise by 10 to 15% as a result of rising steel prices, according to the Association of Ductwork Contractors & Allied Services (ADCAS). The association represents ductwork suppliers and suppliers of associated components and warns that the impact of rising steel prices cannot be avoided.

Prêt a Manger has appointed specialist maintenance provider M. J. Quinn Integrated Services to look after air conditioning, refrigerated display cabinets and general refrigeration in its 160 shops throughout the UK

Grundfos has opened a £12 million 1700 m2 factory in San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

There is huge potential to save energy in shopping centres using a combination of natural and mechanical ventilation to maintain indoor environmental quality, according to a new study. The beneficial effects of natural ventilation in buildings such as schools have been well documented, but until now there has been little work on how the system can be applied to large areas with a mixture of enclosed areas and common internal open spaces — such as shopping centres.

The Association for Consultancy & Engineering has continued its drive to have more engineering disciplines included on the Government’s list of professions suffering from skills shortages.

Five major trade associations are supporting RAC09 at the NEC from 24 to 26 February 2009 and being promoted as the premier event for low-carbon cooling solutions.

Balfour Kilpatrick has been awarded a £4.5 million contract to design, supply and install mechanical and electrical services for a new community hospital by Robertson Capital Projects.

Following consultation with members, the council of the Heating & Ventilating Contractors’ Association has pledged its support to the development of a single organisation to represent mechanical and electrical contractors — brought about by the convergence of the HVCA and the Electrical Contractors’ Association.

As part of its initiative to sell safety-critical gas parts only to CORGI-registered installers, Parts Center, part of the Wolseley Group, is hosting CORGI days at all 200 of its branches from 28 April to 2 May.

Asbestos surveying, management and environmental consultancy Redhill Analysts has been awarded RoSPA’s (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) Silver Award for Occupational Health & Safety.

The Buderus GB162 wall-hung gas-fired condensing boiler has won one of the world’s best known design awards for its excellence of technical design. The prestigious iF product-design award was presented at a high-profile award ceremony in Hanover.

Following the decision by Wolseley Parts Centers to supply sensitive spare parts for boilers only to Corgi-registered installers, ATAG Heating UK has appointed Parts Centers as a main supplier of its spares in the UK.

Power Electrics (PE), one of the UK’s biggest independent generator specialists, has opened a sale, hire and service centre in Abergarw trading estate in Bridgend.

The enthusiasm for achieving zero-carbon buildings could result in ‘highly perverse outcomes’, according to Dr David Strong, chief executive of Inbuilt Consulting, speaking at last month’s Ecobuild conference in London.

The University of Warwick has appointed Hoare Lea Consulting Engineers to provide detailed design of mechanical, electrical and public-health engineering services for the Warwick Digital Laboratory. The practice will also supply specialist advice on building design, including virtual engineering and acoustic consultancy.

Energy-service companies Dalkia and Honeywell Building Solutions have been appointed to help deliver a 25% reduction in the energy used by 42 buildings of the Greater London Authority.

BSS Industrial has reached its £50 000 target with Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity, helping families who have a child with a life-threatening or terminal illness. Following this success, BSS has pledged to raise the same amount over the next 12 months.

SummitSkills, the sector skills council for building-services engineering, has welcomed Government plans to expand and strengthen apprenticeships.

Operon’s design division has been appointed M&E consultant for the complete redevelopment of the first three phases of Stockport College’s town-centre campus.

Event organiser 3049 is planning a new industry event this Autumn. The Heat + Vent Northern Show will run from 26 to 27 November at the Lancashire County Cricket Ground at Old Trafford in Manchester.

LG is preparing to expand its Art Cool range of air-conditioning products into the residential and higher-end interiors market with a network of strategically placed dealers. The company is in detailed discussion with several companies, some new to the air-conditioning industry, but well versed in dealing with the more lucrative parts of the domestic market.

Underfloor-heating specialist Giacomini (UK) has moved to larger premises close to its previous location on Westerleigh Business Park in Bristol.

The CIBSE/ASHRAE 2008 conference in Newcastle next month will tackle the major issues and burning topics that managers, clients, architects and planners all face in the challenge to produce green buildings.

The health-and-safety division of Cyril Sweett has been appointed to the design and construction team of Tate Modern as co-ordinator for construction design and management.

Balfour Kilpatrick has been awarded a £3 million contract to design, supply and install services for a new court building at Caernarfon Criminal Justice Court.

Elmhurst Energy Systems, creator of the Design SAP software for energy performance measurement, has purchased the rights to the SuperHeat software product from Survey Design Associates. This move brings together two popular and widely used SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure for Energy Rating of Dwellings) products.

Trox UK, which specialises in air-distribution systems, has invested over £100 000 in extensions to its test facilities and buying specialist equipment.

Looking to raise £2000 for the Anthony Nolan Trust by running in the London Marathon on 13 April is Simon Russell, southern divisional manager with Heatrae Sadia.

The construction industry ended 2007 on a positive note, with modest growth set to continue during 2008 — according to the latest trade survey report from the Construction Products Association and the Construction Confederation. Although both product manufacturers and contractors reported that the growth in activity slowed during the final quarter of last year, output and sales volume remained solidly up compared to the same period a year earlier.

Building-services contractor Skerritt has won contracts worth £18.2 million to supply services for prisons at Nottingham and Swaleside in Kent.

Following the securing of over £12 million-worth of new business, Inviron, a provider of building services and facilities management, has created 57 new jobs. They have come about in the 18 months since the company moved into its new offices in Washington and can be credited to a succession of major contract wins and a growing regional economy.

Fire-alarm control-panel manufacturer Kentec has achieved ISO14001:2004 certification for environmental management systems.

One of the UK’s biggest housebuilders, Galliford Try, has named the Glow-worm brand as the sole specification for domestic heating boilers on all of its private and social housing sites.

Toshiba Air Conditioning has launched a new industry-wide benefits scheme that goes hand in hand with a fresh appreciation of the value of its installers throughout the UK. The scheme is called ‘Additions’ to emphasise that it is all about giving added value. Registered Additions members gain points on all system purchases, redeemable for free Toshiba products.

Glow-Worm’s combi range proved to be a big hit, with 10 lucky installers winning free Ultracom boilers at a special PTS event held recently in Orpington.

Following 12 years of growth, Britannia has moved to bright new premises, centrally located in Leamington Spa.

Grundfos has completed a full review on its training offering and produced a new training schedule for 2008.

Toshiba Air Conditioning has appointed Somerset-based Heronhill Air Conditioning as its first dedicated spare parts distributor in the UK. Heronhill will supply a complete range of Toshiba air-conditioning spare parts nationally.