Major changes in public-sector procurement are expected following a report from the National Audit Office ‘Improving public services through better procurement’ — according to the Specialist Engineering Contractors (SEC) Group.

LG sold over 10 million air-conditioning units in 2004, making it the world’s biggest manufacturer of air-conditioning products for five consecutive years — according to independent auditors.

DTI construction minister Nigel Griffiths and Edwina Hart, the Welsh Assembly Government minister for Social Justice & Regeneration, have launched a joint consultation on improving payment practices in the construction industry.

Mitsubishi Electric Air Conditioning has set up new arrangements for contractors designed to boost standards and service. Called the ‘Business solutions partner programme’, it is based on documented standards for installation, commissioning, aftercare, health and safety and corporate social responsibility. These new standards mean that the ultimate customer can expect a professional level of service from the company and its partners.

Vent-Axia is sponsoring a team in the British Superbike Championship. The leading riders in the Stobart-Honda team are (from left) Gary Mason, Michael Laverty and Jerry McWilliams. They are riding Honda Fireblade machines.

When a giant plasma-screen television was stolen from a hospital, Dalkia stepped in to donate a new 42 in plasma-screen/DVD installation through the Wallace & Gromit Appeal. The new screen is protected by extra security. Support was provided by Dalkia’s client, the Bank of Ireland, together with Sounds Commercial and Rentokil.

Consultants Pick Everard has won a major role in Derby’s largest-ever schools-building programme, worth £38 million.

National hire specialist Andrews Sykes has agreed a major sponsorship with one of the leading teams in the British Superbike Championship. Renewing its long-standing relationship with the Hawk Kawasaki team, the company plans to link its pumping, heating, and site-accommodation activities with customer events built around the 13-round series.

Briggs & Forrester has been awarded a contract at the London School of Economics for the refurbishment of mechanical, electrical and public-health building services. The project for Tower 1 and 2 at Clements Inn, Aldwych, consists of remodelling floor plate incorporating heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting and power.

The need for the speedy installation of ductwork for a new Midlands printing press for newspaper publisher Trinity has been addressed using 3500 m2 of Kingspan’s KoolDuct system. It was installed by Ductform UK throughout the 3-storey building and plant room at Fort Dunlop in Birmingham. The speed was achieved by not having to lag the ducting as a second operation. Scaffolding could be dismantled immediately after each stage of the installation rather than remain in place for lagging, enabling other trades to start work sooner.

The heart of the intelligent building-control system for Microsoft’s first fully networked home in Europe is based on Beckhoff’s home-automation components.

Replacing four chillers in a basement plant room called on the use of ‘keyhole surgery’ skills by Chillmech. Managing director Michael White explains that when the original R22 reciprocating chillers were installed in the basement of Sanctuary Buildings, home to the Department for Education & Skills, 20 years ago, the plant room was built around them.

Integration of the totally open building-management systems involving equipment from a large number of suppliers in a development near St Paul’s Cathedral in London has been achieved by Integrated Control Systems. The system for Juxon House, developed by Standard Life Investments, was designed by ICS to a specification by consulting engineers Curona. It embraces equipment from Invensys, Honeywell, Sontay, Mitsubishi, ABB, Delmatic, Calon and others on two networks to meet the client’s determination not to be tied into any one supplier or manufacturer.

The headquarters of em2c at Lyon in France has become the first building in Europe to install a plastic optical-fibre (POF) cabling solution supplied by Nexans. em2c provides corporate real estate solutions.

Just 14 days from placing an order for a York Sonata high-efficiency air-cooled chiller for BAE Systems in Farnborough to final connection has been achieved by York. The project was carried out for Emcor Facilities Services, which had worked with York on many previous projects involving the retrofit design, installation and replacement of air-conditioning equipment.

Durapipe is advising consultants and installers to give priority to pipe acoustics and sound insulation with the guidance in Part E of the Building Regulations on acoustic requirements.

To eliminate the risk of scalding from domestic hot water in Colchester General Hospital, Oventrop Brawa-Mix thermostatic mixing valves have been installed in new HDU/ITU facilities. They have been installed on baths and hand basins by Bower Fuller of Ipswich.

Cultural landmark Sage Gateshead has become the first major project to use all three versions of Ackermann Onix underfloor boxes, including one that is water resistant.

The renovation of La Scala in Milan features air-conditioning systems design by Trane to overcome the special problems of this renowned theatre.

Aermec’s NS range of air-cooled chillers comprises seven models with nominal cooling capacities from 150 to 1100 kW. The smaller units have one compressor and the larger ones multiple compressors — with a choice of Daikin or Bitzer. They use R134a.

Fagerhult Lighting’s Indigo luminaires are designed to reduce the sharp gradient between lighting inside the luminaire and the suspended ceiling. The Soft-Frame feature achieves a soft transition at the intersection between the suspended ceiling and secondary reflector. The range is designed to match several types of suspended ceilings.

Three insulation testers from Martindale Electric offer full compliance with the inspection and testing requirements of the new Part P of the Building Regulations.

An acoustic canopy for standby generators that is said to be 10 dB(A) more effective than standard acoustic canopies has been launched by Scorpion Power Systems.

Stark’s paper-free Meteor for reading utility meters halves the time spent on manual meter reading. It is relevant for organisations with large numbers of sub-meters for cost-centre accounting, tenant billing or monitoring and targeting.

LG Air Conditioning’s Universal range of outdoor units features MPS and inverter technology. There are two ranges, which can be used with three types of indoor unit — ceiling and floor, ceiling cassette and ceiling concealed duct.

Exhausto’s VEX100 range of air-handling units incorporates cross-flow plate heat exchangers to provide at least 65% heat recovery. The superior design of the new EXstream impeller makes the fan particularly effective at moving large volumes of air, has low noise levels and good specific-fan-power values.

Spirax Sarco’s DP27 steam-pressure control valve replaces the DP17 and combines accurate control with increased resilience to harsh environments, easier servicing and simpler selection. These benefits are achieved by a redesign of the pilot valve block, new control spring and enclosure and other improvements. The face-to-face dimensions have not changed, so it is easy to retrofit.

The velocity and volume of Airbloc’s ACR high-capacity recessed air curtain enable it to mounted up to 4 m high. It is suitable for larger commercial premises such retail outlets, leisure facilities, office complexes and lobby areas.

Lochinvar’s CP-M range of wall hung condensing boiler have pre-mix burners and offer outputs from 60 to 180 kW from six models. They achieve an efficiency of 109.5%.

Trox’s TVR-Easy volume flow control for air systems is significantly cheaper than its predecessor and also much easier to set up and commission. These units can be applied to variable-air-volume and constant-air-volume systems.

MHS Boilers has teamed up with Italian manufacturer Giacomini to offer a total service in underfloor heating — embracing design, supply, installation and commissioning.

Vokera’s Linea high-efficiency condensing combination boiler has SEDBUK Band A rating and is available with outputs of 25, 30 and 35 kW. Flues can be up to 35 m long, and there are multiple flue systems.

Keston Boilers has entered the market for combination condensing boilers with the 36 kW C36 Combi with high water output. It has a small 50 mm-diameter flue and air-intake system made from muPVC kitchen waste pipe for cost efficiency and easy availability. The flue can extend up to 60 m, vertically or horizontally.

Water-treatment specialist has included Honeywell’s Kaltec magnesium-exchange water treatment in its Mg3 range of water-treatment products for the UK market. The technology is said to be very successful in commercial and domestic installations in Europe.

TridonicAtco’s PC Industry range of electronic lighting-control gear is designed for use with T5 and T8 fluorescent lamps in industrial environments.

The control system of the Aqualogic Hydrocell+ flush-control system for urinals is designed to optimise the balance between hygiene and water economy. Water savings of up to 75% are claimed.

TridonicAtco’s PC Industry range of electronic lighting-control gear is designed for use with T5 and T8 fluorescent lamps in industrial environments.

Water-treatment specialist has included Honeywell’s Kaltec magnesium-exchange water treatment in its Mg3 range of water-treatment products for the UK market. The technology is said to be very successful in commercial and domestic installations in Europe.

Economic and reliable monitoring of power-supply quality is provided by PRI’s Series 400 EC430 power-quality analysers. This range of panel meters costs little more than a portable instrument. Their scope covers analysis up to the 50th harmonic, neutral current measurement and continuous recording of both current and voltage.

Emerson Network Power has added 10, 12 and 14 kW models to its range of Liebert-Hiross HPS high-performance air conditioners. The HPS range is applications to IT applications and telecom sites.

CP Electronics has introduced lighting-control solutions ranging from simple, high-quality wiring solutions to powerful, addressable lighting-management systems. There are three models in the range.

There is one unbeatable way of learning how to tackle the issue of Carbon 60, says Dave Hampton. Just try.

HVCA president Mike Taylor argues that sustainability is the most immediate battle confronting the building-services sector and that contractors are in the front line.

Reducing the energy consumption of housing in the UK is a vital part of delivering the Carbon 60 objective. Reg Brown explains.

CIBSE’s headquarters buildings in south London could achieve the Government’s Carbon 60 target with at least 30 years to spare — using proposals in the winning entry of the institution’s Carbon 60 competition. The ideas are widely applicable to existing buildings.

With pumps accounting for 20% of the world’s energy consumption, Peter Reynolds of Grundfos advocates the use of variable-speed pump technology wherever possible.

Fully automatic central heating using a Hoval boiler fuelled by wood pellets has replaced an oil boiler for a project in Switzerland. This is the first Hoval wood-pellet plant of this scale; previous installations had outputs up to 26 kW.

To contribute to the efficiency of condensing boilers, a new range of packaged plate heat exchangers form Stokvis operates with return temperatures around 45°C and flow at 70°C. There are three ranges of C Series Econoplates, offering some 50 units with outputs up to 740 kW.

The Breezair evaporative cooling system avoids many of the energy and environmental issues associated with conventional air conditioning. Not only is evaporative air cooling emission-free, but it is far cheaper to run than refrigerant-based air conditioning.

The installation of a wind turbine on an Aberdeenshire dairy farm where Mackie’s of Scotland luxury ice cream is produced is expected to pay for itself in the next four to five years.

Energy conservation was a key part of the design brief for the new headquarters of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development in Wimbledon. Among the energy-efficient systems is a roof-mounted solar system supplied and installed by Inviron and providing a supplementary source of water heating. Inviron was responsible for the £2.2 million M&E Services installation.

Energy-efficient lighting based on luminaires from Whitecroft Lighting makes an important contribution to achieving of a ‘very good’ rating in the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment (BREEAM) scheme in the new Exeter Crown & County Court.

Photo-voltaic glazing incorporated into the structure of an extension to Park Lane College in Leeds is expected to meet about 15% of the building’s energy requirements. The £6.9 million building includes 60 classrooms. 472 m2 of PowerGlaz from BP Solar has been incorporated into the south elevation.

Among energy-saving opportunities identified by the Parasense Smart E monitoring system in a plastics factory was a change of refrigerant in chillers.

As part of a 2-year contract to supply Westminster City Council’s entire portfolio of 1563 sites with 118 GWh of electricity and 255 GWh of gas, Npower Business is supplying 28 major site with 100% renewable electricity from sources such as wind farms and hydro stations.

As part of its remit to reduce carbon-dioxide levels, North Tyneside Metropolitan Council has installed modular boiler plant to provide heating for Marden City Learning Centre.

Energy-efficient heating in winter with 100% fresh-air ventilation in summer for many IKEA stores in the UK is provided by Nordair direct gas-fired air-handling units.

Enough electricity to power the heating and cooling system of Gateshead Council’s new International Business Centre is provided by BP PowerGlaz panels. Incorporated into the front elevation and roof structure, the 36 modules can generate up to 34 kW of electricity. They power a system than transfers heat generated in offices on the sunny side of the building to heat cooler offices on the opposite side.

Lochinvar’s CP-M range of wall-hung fully condensing and modular boilers are 109.5% efficient and have pre-mix burners to minimise NOx emissions.

Environmentally friendly building services for Southport Eco-Centre installed by the Liverpool regional centre of Hills Mechanical & Electrical include the highly visible wind turbine with a maximum electrical output of 20 kVA. Excess output is fed to the National Grid through a 2-way panel.

Considering the benefits offered by variable-speed drives — including competitive cost — Nick Thorne argues that there is often no benefit in using traditional systems without drives.

Gareth Holden highlights the many benefits of variable-speed drives for air-cooled condensers – including complying with a noise-abatement order.

The redesign of its variable-speed drives by Danfoss has achieved volume and weight reductions averaging over 35% — and the price has also come down.

Energy savings of over 80% for kitchen ventilation hoods are being achieved in bakeries and staff restaurants of Tesco stores. The installation of Intelli-Hood systems is part of Tesco’s 8-year commitment to reduce energy consumption by 35% by 2006. Over 750 Intelli-Hood system have been installed.

Over the past eight years, Darren Bryant has encountered many examples of inefficient fan systems. The good news is that achieving energy-efficient fan systems is not at all difficult.

Dramatic lighting immediately attracts attention. Modern and imaginative techniques play a key role in creating stimulating environments in workplaces — as the latest Lighting Design Awards demonstrate.

Ventilation is essential to maintaining good air quality in industrial buildings. The good news is that ventilation can be integrated in the heating system to avoid additional expenditure on separate ventilation plant. Alan Dorsey explains.

The benefits of cooling towers are so significant that the risks associated with maintenance and water treatment ought really to be overcome so that they can be fully exploited.

There has been a sea change in the energy efficiency and capabilities of VRF air conditioning sytems within the last three years — opening up expanding markets.