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Vissa SRL contractors, from Schio (VI) Italy, a certified applicator for Mapei resin and cementitious flooring products, enlisted Mapei UK to provide a complete flooring solution for the Italian fashion store Mandarina Duck, located on the prestigious new Gloucester Quays development.

The store required a hardwearing surface, which could be applied to a newly laid concrete substrate, Mapei Ultratop was specified. The concrete was initially lightly abraded and primed using Mapei’s two-component, solvent-free, epoxy primer, Primer SN. Successful in protecting and coating industrial floors, Primer SN can even be used on substrates, which are slightly damp.

Immediately after application, the primed surface was sprinkled with Quartz 1.2, to guarantee the perfect bonding of the successive self-levelling coat.  Due to the store opening its doors only 13 days after the laying of the floor, Mapei’s Ultratop self-levelling topping was specified; designed for fast-track resurfacing.

Mapei is the world’s largest manufacturer of adhesives, sealants and chemical products for building. With over 70 years experience, Mapei is a specialist in the production of quality products for the installation of all types of wall and floor coverings, and has a vast range of admixtures and repair products for concrete and building materials.

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Roofing materials manufacturer Hambleside Danelaw has won a Green Apple award for the development of its new Insulator Rooflight Lighting Control System that can reduce the need for artificial lighting inside a building by as much as 50%.

The top environmental award from the Green Organisation is in recognition of the energy savings that the unique and innovative system will deliver to the building end-user.

The system, which is contained within an in-plane GRP Insulator rooflight, will automatically control artificial lighting through dimming or switching off according to the amount of measured natural daylight entering the building through the rooflight.

End-users will see their staff enjoy a very pleasant working environment in the diffuse natural daylight that is spread by the unique transparent honeycomb core of the Insulator rooflight range.

Designed in partnership with Setsquare Ltd and a market first, Hambleside’s Insulator Lighting Control System is ideal for a typical industrial, warehouse or retail unit. The prototype, which was first seen at this year’s Ecobuild show, is currently being tested and is expected to be on the market in the first half of 2010.

Lighting automatically controlled by an in-built sensor

Each Insulator Lighting Control System unit monitors continually the light level in its part of the building through an in-built sensor. The measurements of light are relayed to the hard wired control panel of the artificial lighting, usually sited at ground level.

The building occupier decides on the level of light required for the activities within the building. This can be achieved through full artificial lighting, full natural daylighting or a controlled combination of both via the data received from the sensors. Zoning is possible, light settings are adjustable and manual override is available.

An important additional benefit of this dimming system is that it significantly extends the operating life of the artificial lighting components.

Robin Jeffery, Hambleside Danelaw’s vice chairman, said: “When businesses and other organisations are looking hard for efficiency savings, the Insulator Lighting Control System will offer lower energy costs and workforce productivity benefits that are too valuable to ignore. It is very encouraging that the independent Green Organisation has already recognised the potential of this unique product.”

The new lighting control in-plane rooflight panels are installed in the usual way by the roofing contractor without the need for special fixings or specialist electrical work. The complete unit is maintenance free and requires no switching. It is also a sustainable solution as virtually all of the components can either be recycled at end of life or composted.

Rooflights from the Insulator range have been installed on major distribution sheds used by the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury and B&Q as well as in high profile projects such as the Gorilla Kingdom at London Zoo and the British Museum.

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To ensure fast, convenient operation – whether testing new or existing equipment – the latest PAT4 Mk3 portable appliance testers from Megger are pre-programmed with test limits that cover all of the requirements of IET Code of Practice for In-Service Inspection and Test of Electrical Equipment.

All testers in the PAT4 range have been designed to minimise the time required to perform tests and access the results. The testers are ready for use within just five seconds of being switched on – less than one-sixth of the time needed by some other testers. In addition, a large QWERTY keyboard makes operation and data entry simple and fast.

Plain English group test codes make PAT4 testers easy to work with. Users have the choice of adding their own groups and making their own decisions about pass/fail limits on a test-by-test basis, or of using the pre-stored limits that will automatically be applied by the instrument. Users can also set the test duration.

Test results, grouped by client, location, room, etc., are automatically stored in an on-board database, which can be searched by asset ID, retest due date, group test code, or the location within a client site.

To complement its PAT4 testers, Megger offers a low-cost barcode label printer. This time and cost saving accessory automatically generates barcode labels using data supplied by the instrument, eliminating the time-consuming and error-prone process of transferring data by hand to write-on labels.

Storage space in the case supplied for the instrument ensures that essential accessories – such as test leads, scanner or printer – can be kept with the instrument and protected by the tough ABS case.

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Sikkens has now completed the introduction of its new “plus” range of coatings products. The “plus” range has been formulated to ensure that all of Sikkens trusted finishes remain available from 2010 – when new EU VOC reduction legislation comes into force.

The introduction complements Sikkens existing lower VOC options, the water-borne “BL” range and the high solids “Nova” range.

One of the main challenges with reformulating products is that the application characteristics are often altered quite dramatically. Trade users and specifiers who have confidently used a particular product for many years are likely to be disappointed if that product changes significantly. The “plus” range has been produced to mirror the application properties of the current range, and although there are minor changes to the drying times and appearance of the in-can product of some of the products, these will not significantly change any of the general painting procedures contractors are used to.

Formulation changes have been made to the resin binder and the solvent content of the products – there is no change to the finished colour of the “plus” product compared to the current range, and the 8 traditional shades (Light Oak, Pine, Dark Oak, Teak, Mahogany, Walnut, Rosewood and Ebony) are still available as off the shelf colours in the key products. In addition ’ plus’ products are available in the new translucent colour collections – Cetol Design Classic and Cetol Design Style – inspirational ranges comprising colours that can be used for exterior and interior surfaces in all solvent-borne and water-borne Cetol woodstains.

The full range now incorporates: Cetol HLS plus exterior satin basecoat, Cetol TSI Satin plus interior clear varnish, Cetol THB plus highly translucent semi-gloss finish, Cetol Filter 7 plus maximum durability woodstain, Rubbol AZ plus high gloss finish, Rubbol Satura plus abrasion resistant satin finish and Rubbol Primer plus.

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Marshall-Tufflex is an undisputed leader in its field when it comes to cable management and containment systems. It’s no surprise, therefore, that this market-leading expertise had been put to good use in developing the manufacturer’s range of bed head service units.

The MT Conquest Series is now an established, and well-respected, range of service units that can be designed to perfectly match the requirements of individual projects, be they new-build or refurbishment schemes for hospitals, medical or laboratory environments, clean rooms etc

The horizontal and vertical units are designed to accommodate gas, vacuum, nurse call, power, entertainment or lighting. MT Conquest will accept all popular nurse call systems, data and gas valve outlets.

MT Conquest has been used to great effect in many medical environments. For example, seven MT Conquest modular bed head units were installed within treatment rooms during a major new-build project at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

This project entailed the installation of Marshall-Tufflex’s Series 220 three compartment system (65mm x 310mm) and the Series 240 (65mm x 360mm).

All were individual ‘bespoke’ designs to suit different room layouts. The finished units carried provision for a range of accessory fittings such as twin-gang switched socket outlets, data and telephone outlets, switched fused spurs, stop buttons, nurse call and gas outlet valves and pipes. One single unit for a workshop was 8m long and had the added requirement of built in task lighting.

As well as Conquest trunking, the scheme also incorporated another Marshall-Tufflex product, namely Supertube, an LSOH ‘pliable’ high impact conduit. Apart from its LSOH and EMC protection attributes, its major benefit is that it is supplied on coils and is much quicker to install than standard conduits. More than 10 kilometres of MT Supertube was specified and installed.

MT Conquest Series bed head service units have also proved an invaluable addition for Mercy Ships, a global charity that operates hospital ships in developing countries.

Marshall-Tufflex was, therefore, extremely pleased to help the charity when one of its ships docked at Tyneside for a re-fit.

In all medical areas of the ship, MT Conquest Series 260 Medical Service Units (65 x 398mm) were installed. A specially tailored solution of 27 horizontal units were supplied in lengths from 2.5m to 6m, all with a riser to the ceiling at one end to accommodate incoming supply.

Faceplates for gas valves, twin and single gang switched sockets, outlets for data and telephone, and light switches, were provided within each module.

Again, the MT Conquest solution was specified alongside other products from Marshall-Tufflex – this time its robust cable management system Sterling XL 303 in aluminium was installed throughout all non-medical areas of the ship.

The new Queen’s Hospital in Romford is another good example of Marshall-Tufflex providing more than just bed head services. Amongst some of the electrical solutions specified and installed by South London electrical engineers, T Clarke, were three different Marshall-Tufflex cable management systems:

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The new energy-saving, AA-rated M Series models from Mitsubishi Electric offer a combination of cutting-edge inverter technologies with highly efficient heat exchangers to deliver remarkable energy efficiency at the quietest operation possible.

Mitsubishi Electric heat pump systems have always been among the quietest on the market and with its super-quiet ‘Silent Mode’ of operation at just 19dB, the MSZ-GE Series is now the quietest heat pump available.

The inverter-driven heat pump air conditioning units in the MSZ-GE range deliver exceptionally efficient heating or cooling. With a choice of 4 new indoor units that can be used in a single split system or as part of an MXZ Multi system, the line-up offers complete flexibility for smaller multi-room applications.

The heat exchanger capacities of both the indoor and outdoor units have been increased to enhance overall heat exchange efficiency levels, yet the new ‘Silent mode’ setting added to the fan speed settings ensures a super-quiet operation below 20dB for the smaller models making it ideal for bedrooms.

Added to this is a new, compact wall-mounted unit design of just 798mm which fits neatly above a standard 800mm-wide door.

The MSZ-GE indoor units are engineered so that multiple indoor units can also be connected to a single MXZ Multi outdoor unit, reducing outdoor installation space considerably. This includes the Power Multi MXZ-8A140VA outdoor model which can run up to eight indoor units simultaneously.

The detailed technical specification is available from Mitsubishi Electric but includes:

? Heating Capacity: 1.3 – 7.3 kW
? Cooling Capacity: 1.1 – 5.5 kW
? COP: 4.57 (MSZ-GE25VA)
? Indoor Noise : 19dB – 49dB

For further information call 01707 282880, or email: air.conditioning@meuk.mee.com.

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Newly launched into the UK marketplace, the 2008 Chelsom collection takes occasional furniture to the next level. Inspired by worldwide trends, the collection is original and unique, designed to keep the Chelsom name at the forefront of innovative and affordable furniture for both commercial and residential applications.

The mood is predominately contemporary, in line with the consumer’s desire and hunger for newer and more imaginative designs that will compliment their upholstery.

The range incorporates over twenty collections including the sculptured look of TOWER which offers a talking point as well as being a highly functional piece of modern furniture. For those who like a more traditional approach EXCEL presents a classic shape with the use of modern materials bringing the look into the current time zone.

As its name describes, COOL is presented in bright white lacquer, a finish that was re-introduced recently at the influential Milan furniture exhibition, and offers an alternative to the dark wenge finishes that were predominant in 2007.

The new wooden occasional furniture models are quite progressive, with the gently curved shape of PENTHOUSE, the structured design of LAYER, to the more industrially inspired BLOCK. All these tables use the beauty of fine veneered wood with the complementary use of metal where appropriate.

The exclusive Orsenigo Contemporary range has also been extended as part of the new collection.

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Eddie O’Connor, founder and CEO of Mainstream Renewable Power, was presented with the first ever Leadership award at the annual Ernst & Young Global Renewable Energy Awards in London’s Science Museum last night. EU Energy Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs was also nominated for the award.

Now in their sixth year, the awards are dubbed the “Green Oscars” and recognise the projects, companies and individuals who have made a significant contribution to the global renewable energy sector. Dr. O’Connor received the award in recognition of his” vision, leadership and personal commitment to advancing the renewable energy sector”.

Former CEO of Airtricity, Dr. O’Connor founded Mainstream Renewable Power in February of last year and during this time has created a significant pipeline of onshore and offshore wind farm projects in Europe, North America, South America and South Africa. Mainstream was shortlisted for the “Entrepreneurial Developer of the Year” award at last night’s ceremony.

Dr. O’Connor is widely known for his personal commitment to bringing forward the concept of the European Offshore Supergrid – a vision of electricity interconnectivity which has the power and scale to transform the outlook for European energy security. Large-scale grid interconnection has been adopted as EU energy policy, and a number of EU member States are looking closely at the concept as part of their efforts to meet the challenge of the 2020 and 2050 carbon reduction targets.

Commenting at the awards ceremony, Dr. O’Connor said “I am both humbled and honoured to be recognised by my peers in this way. The world is going through a once-off transition to sustainability and we need more people with the vision and the commitment to look beyond the here and now. We’ve built this world of ours on fossil fuels and now we have to un-build it and completely revolutionise not only the way we generate our electricity but the way we deliver it to consumers. The European Offshore Supergrid has the potential to achieve energy independence for Europe as well as reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050. I am personally and wholeheartedly committed to realising this potential”.

Dr. O’Connor was named world energy policy leader by Scientific American magazine in 2003 and was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Science from University College Dublin in June 2008. He holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering and a Masters in Industrial Engineering and has a doctorate in Business Administration from the International Management Centres, Europe. He is Secretary of the European Wind Energy Association.

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Replacing the windows on 76 flats and bungalows without disturbing the elderly residents was the task facing the contractors working on Isleden House in Islington, London and with the help of Crittall Windows the challenging job was completed successfully, on time and to the required specification.

Isleden House comprises 76 units made up of 12 bungalows and 64 flats of varying sizes. The City of London is landlord to this sheltered housing & residential estate which is located in Prebend Street in Islington, set around a quiet private courtyard. Originally built in 1948, this was the first replacement programme undertaken at the site. The 26 week programme to replace the windows was done in conjunction with the refurbishment and rejuvenation of other elements of the properties, and was undertaken by Apollo Property Services, one of the City of London’s approved contractors. Mark Hughes was the site manager, and as he explained, overseeing the replacement of all of the existing windows afforded careful thought.

“The local council planning department at Islington Council requested like for like replacement from the single glazed original Crittall steel profiles to contemporary double glazed equivalent that would meet all the requirements in terms of thermal insulation and aesthetic appearance,” he comments. “As a solution, the City of London specified the Homelight Crittall window profiles range. Logistically, we had to ensure that the replacement programme did not disrupt the residents and we were able to devise a programme with Crittall installers to ensure that none of them were decanted.”

Working at a rate of two properties a day, the original windows were removed and the new ones installed bringing the entire development up to date with current Building Regulation and environmental criteria. The Homelight profiles provide light and airy windows with very slim sightlines that allow larger areas of glass to be installed, thus maximising the ingress of daylight. Being steel, strength and security is assured, bringing peace of mind to all the residents on the estate and providing a new lease of life for every bungalow and flat on the site.

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