Ductwork and air-movement specialist CCL Veloduct has developed a new web site. It has many interactive features and provides a comprehensive guide to the company’s huge range of ductwork, fans and air-movement products.

Fagerhult’s Lighting’s latest catalogue brings together the Lyktan range of luminaires and many new Fagerhult products.

Vent-Axia has compiled a special selection of ventilation and heating products for small-commercial and residential applications.

With the need for refurbishment comes the opportunity to improve energy efficiency.

IAN ADAMS explains how the problems of financing such projects can be overcome.

Delivering comfort conditions using a mix of air conditioning and natural ventilation is much more energy-efficient than air-conditioning alone. A refurbishment project at Mitsubishi Electric shows how.

HUGH KING discusses the newly emerging sense of commercial reality with energy-efficient lighting.

Both operating and energy-efficiency benefits have been gained using Belimo characterised-control ball valves in the refurbishment of the induction air-conditioning system in the 16-storey building of German broadcasting company ZDF in Mainz, Germany.

Cooling equipment that uses far less energy than conventional air conditioning has been installed at Premier Foods at Bury St Edmunds.

The development by Airedale of a compact remote electronic-expansion-valve management system (REEV) that can be added to a split air-conditioning system can improve energy efficiency by up to 30% compared with a conventional condensing unit and air-handling unit (AHU).

Three Stokvis wall-hung condensing boilers have been selected to replace a large, outdated unit in a hospital which had become unreliable.

To provide funding for the replacement of major plant items in two of its hospitals, Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust has entered into a partnership with Honeywell. This approach replaces contract energy management and enables Honeywell to provide a guaranteed level of cost savings for the trust for a 15-year period. The savings amount to about £380 000 a year. The partnership enables Royal Gwent and Neville Hall hospitals to have the most modern equipment that may have been beyond the financial reach of the trust on its own.

Combustion efficiency has been increased and emissions reduced following the replacement of dual-fuel (oil/gas) burners at the Newport site of the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Warm-air heating that distributes warmth with minimal air movement and no draughts is delivered in a large workshop at HMYOI Rochester by two Reznor V3 gas-fired warm-air heaters. This establishment is the original Borstal of 1902, named after the nearby village.

As part of a wider upgrade of services in the headquarters of the Football Association in London, a 22 kW variable-speed drive from ABB controls the speed of the fan in the air-handling unit to match changing pressure in the air ducts, reducing energy consumption.

Ferroli combination boilers are providing energy efficient heating and hot water as art of a wide-ranging programme of property improvements by Glasgow Housing Association. Work in thousands of council homes across Glasgow includes new kitchens and bathrooms, rewiring and security upgrades — as well as the installation of Ferroli Modena 80 combi boilers. About 40 new boilers are being installed each week.

As part of refurbishment and reorganisation of the headquarters of engineering-parts wholesaler WNT outside Sheffield, Toshiba VRF air-conditioning equipment using R410A dual inverter technology has been installed.

DAVID HEARNE discusses the benefits of modern metal plumbing systems.

With electronic variable-speed pumps being increasingly specified in commercial heating systems, PETER NEARS emphasises that care must be taken to ensure problem-free operation and enable the benefits of energy savings to be achieved.

TED FARNON reviews the potential for the non-invasive measurement of liquid flows, levels and energy flow using ultrasonic devices.

If the water and pipework in HVAC systems is contaminated, the consequences can be expensive. GLENN SIMPSON highlights the benefits of clean systems.

Howard Hall of Andrew Reid & Partners shows how to change a pump seal in just 18 min 45 s. He won a competition at the recent London Hevar exhibition to change the seal on an Armstrong Holden Brook Pullen 4300 pump, earning for himself a DAB digital radio.

The control of the heating system in a new building at The Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare in Sussex is provided by a wide range of Oventrop valves.

The latest pressurisation sets from Grundfos Pumps are offered as single- and twin-pump versions in two models. They are applicable to sealed heating and chilled-water systems. They detect a reduction in pressure and automatically refill the system, restoring it to its original pressure.

TONY MATTHEWS reports on the progress of the Avanti initiative, which is demonstrating the value of information and communication technologies on real construction projects

STEVE KEAR explains why BACnet/IP provides a solution for the complete integration of building systems.

Energy efficiency and sustainability need not be at odds with good, commercial development or be difficult to understand, as multi-disciplinary consultant Gifford is proving.

The forthcoming new Building Regulations dealing with the conservation of fuel and power (Part L) and ventilation (Part F) present both challenges and opportunities to the building-services industry. It is a challenge that the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineering has responded to with the development of much guidance that is widely referred to in the new regulations and in organising a major conference to provide guidance for building designers, constructors, owners and operators.

A future for the building-services industry of all the components of plant and systems having fully embedded communications capability and intelligence has been suggested by Andrew Eastwell, chief executive of BSRIA. Speaking at the association’s annual briefing in November, he suggested that the ever-falling price of micro-processors is the key to fulfiling what he dubbed the ‘plug-and-play dream’. The event marked 50 years of BSRIA’s role as a leading research organisation in the building-services industry, and Andrew Eastwell was not shy of looking forward.

LG has invested £500 000 in the development of an air-conditioning training academy that can provide courses for over 240 air-conditioning engineers and contractors each month.

The announcement by the Government of £30 million of funding for the Low Carbon Building Programme (LCBP) over the next three years has been criticised by the Chartered Institute of Building.

Airedale is to supply cooling equipment for critical IT/VT applications at the new Emirates Stadium of Arsenal football club in North London.

Skanska Innisfree has achieved financial close on a PFI scheme to transform health-care provision for users of three hospitals in central Nottinghamshire.

Procurement practices on Government projects have improved only marginally over the last five years, according to an extensive survey among specialist engineering contractors by the Specialist Engineering Contractors Group. The survey sought feedback on the extent to which best practice on Government projects has permeated along the supply chain and followed a similar survey in 2000.

A £250 000 investment by Trox in rebuilding and refurbishing its powder-coating plant at Thetford enables one of the two lines to accommodate products up to 5 m long in a huge variety of colours. This line can handle virtually all types of multi-service chilled beam. The other line concentrates on commodity items such as grilles and diffusers.

The training academy at NG Bailey in Leeds has been opened by Alun Michael, Minister of State for Industry & the Regions. It boosts Bailey’s training capacity to 400 apprentices.

The formal launch of the new office in the south west of SES was celebrated with a soiree at Swindon Steam Museum, with the Lord Mayor of Swindon (left) welcoming this national building-services contractor into the area. Guests included architects, main contractors and clients. Also pictured are managing director Allan McDougall and southern regional director Mark Perkins,

Chillers using ammonia and hydrocarbons have been designed and installed by Star Refrigeration at the new 21 800 m2 headquarters of Roche Products at Shire Park in Welwyn Garden City.

The use of Kingspan’s Koolduct pre-insulated ducting at the Scottish Exhibition + Conference Centre in Glasgow has overcome severe space restrictions — especially around the riser ducts.

The low energy consumption and emissions of Ultramax boilers and Gemini calorifiers are being exploited in the Cotman Centre of Norwich & Norfolk University Hospital to provide space heating and domestic hot water.

Solarcentury has joined forces with Hammerson UK Properties to install 494 solar panels into the roof of the new Bishops Square development in London’s Spitalfields.

Extremely fast recovery of hot water for three community schools in Southampton is provided by 14 water heaters from Lochinvar’s Knight and Charger range of gas-fired water heaters.

Luminaires from RIDI Lighting have been installed in virtually every area of the 4180 m2 of the London office of Christian Aid. There are six floors, including a basement.

To support the safe and secure operation of its new personality disorder unit, Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland Mental Health Trust has installed a building-management system based on the Apogee range from Siemens Building Technologies.

To provide realistic training scenarios for firefighters, Nu-way is providing gas-fired burners at facilities for Hereford & Worcester Fire & Rescue Service and Hereford Fire Station.

Lighting that mimics the effect of daylight by varying its colour temperature during the day has been devised by GIA Lighting Design for the offices of chartered surveyors Gordon Ingram Associates. The lighting philosophy in the main working space relies on The Intelligent Solutions lighting-management system.

Faced with an electricity supply that was inadequate for an electrically powered air-conditioning system, the new Nobu restaurant in the Mayfair area of London has opted for a gas-power solution.

Underfloor heating in very sheltered housing in Gateshead addresses the issues of providing homes that are inherently safe, economic to run and comfortably designed.

The impressive Galway Clinic in the west of Ireland has become Fujitsu’s largest VRF air-conditioning installation. Fujitsu distributor ICE of Dublin supplied the 36 VRF systems. They serve 183 indoor units in the £100 million clinic, which has a hundred beds and more than doubles the number of private hospital beds available in the area. There are 36 consulting suites used by 97 top medical consultants.

To reduce heat gain in the shooting range for the Olympic Games in Beijing, a heat-reflecting membrane has been specified for the roof and wall cavities. The contract for Thermo-Foil membrane from Apollo Energy Research in the UK was secured with help from the commercial department of the British Embassy in Beijing.

To stimulate the practical application of equipment using solar energy, heat pumps, photo-voltaics and biomass, Viessmann has devised a package of guidance and support. Called ‘More than heat’, the package comprises four components to support a project from concept to successful operation.

Design changes to LG’s Art Cool range of indoor units for air conditioning enable customers in Asia regions to display their own images on the front panel by uploading them from USB memory sticks.

To simplify the specification of fire-protection systems, Siemens Building Technologies has introduced a new brand name for all its fixed fire-suppression products.

Advanced Ergonomic Technologies has introduced a slimline version of its Fresh Air Module (FAM) — an integral component of its Flexible Space Concept, which comprises Hiross underfloor air conditioning, raised access flooring and demountable partitioning systems.

Viessmann’s steel-tube shell Vitoplex PV boiler achieves a gross efficiency of 84% and is designed for projects with a low budget.

Load-shedding software that is compatible with Priva’s Compri HX controllers can set peak electricity consumption, making it possible to choose a more economic supply contract.

Lennox has extended its unitary range of Aircoolair and Flatair ducted air-conditioning systems.

Dimplex has launched a range of heat pumps in response to the growing demand for sustainable, low-carbon heating solutions.

Greenstock has introduced shatterproof versions of its Aura super-long-life fluorescent tubes. The Aura Protector range uses a transparent FEP plastic film to contain the glass and contents of the lamp if it should break. The coating will outlast the 60 000 h life of these fluorescent tubes and suffers no ultra-violet degradation.

A new range of I/O control modules from Sontay feature digital electronics to eliminate the need for frequent resetting and adjustment that is needed with analogue modules to offset problems with volt drop and component ageing.

Function and aesthetic appeal are combined by the addition of a brushed stainless-steel finish to MK’s Albany plus range of wiring accessories.

Hamworthy has extended the Dorchester range of direct-fired water heaters from six to 28 models, offering options such as room-sealed, oil-fired, fully automatic and permanent-pilot models.

Bisque Commercial has introduced a range of radiant -heating panels using hot water as the heat source. They are made in the UK and are mounted at high level.

The Roth range of ready-to-install solar systems is available from Climate Pipework Solutions. Solutions include standard installation and solar service water heating through to complex installations designed to support heating systems.

Vent-Axia’s Centrif Plus range of ventilation fans meet the requirements of Part F of the Building Regulations with low sound levels. The larger Centrif 250 models have sound levels of 40 dB(A) at high speed down to 25 dB(A).

Broag has launched an enhanced Mark II range of its Remeha Gas 210 Eco boilers. There are four models of these floor-standing boilers with maximum outputs from 80 to 200 kW. Pre-mix combustion enables all these boilers to modulate down to 10% of full output.

LG’s Multi M multi-split air-conditioning system can provide cooling only or heating and cooling via Art Cool or wall-mounted indoor units.

Designed as a ultra-modern design feature for commercial and educational premises, Thorn’s Optus IV linear fluorescent luminaire can be surface mounted or suspended.

The HallScrew HSS 3100 series of compressors from J & E Hall International has a stepless capacity-control system and is designed to use R134a and R407C.

Steinel’s LuxMaster lighting control system controls light according to ambient brightness and movement in the controlled area. The sensitivity to movement varies according to the distance from the sensor.

Plumbing Trade Supplies, part of BSS Group, has extended its BOSS range of thermostatic radiator valves. The Supreme Plus combines the popular BOSS TVR with a matching lockshield valve in one pack.