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Masonry reinforcement for collar-jointed walls is the latest new product to be added to the Ancon range. Ancon AMR-CJ is used to tie the two leaves of thin masonry together, so it acts as a single unit.

The product consists of flat ties welded to flattened longitudinal wires. Manufactured in stainless and galvanised steel, AMR-CJ is supplied in a standard width of 175mm to suit a wall width of 215mm comprising of either standard bricks or 100mm blocks.

Ancon offers a free masonry panel design service. A standard design sheet is available to download from www.ancon.co.uk, which allows engineers to summarise the individual wall panels requiring Ancon’s attention.

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The Welcome shade collection from Chelsom has been so successful over the past year that the company will be showcasing a six page portfolio of recent installations within the next Chelsom catalogue, Edition 21, to be launched in May.

Created to provide striking visual impact together with diffused light for ambience, the range is also highly competitively priced when compared to alternative luminaires of similar size and light output.

Many interior designers specify standard product from the catalogue, however a growing number are creating their own unique designs inspired by the basic range. Designs can be modified by size, colour, choice of fabric, additional fringing or the combination of the shade within a second luminaire.

Over the past twelve months Welcome shades have been specified for use in used in hotel foyers and receptions, stairwells, restaurants, and casinos. Projects include the Principal George Hotel in Edinburgh (RPW and Cunningham McLean Partnership), the Hilton Grosvenor Edinburgh (Cunningham McLean Partnership), the Hilton Waldorf (Aukett Fitzroy Robinson) and the Paramount Lygon Arms in the Cotswolds (Max Benthem Design).

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For use in vertical glazing faÇade applications, the Twinfix Thermoclick system consists of 40mm wide, UV protected, multiwall sheet panels with a profiled tongue and groove connection, fitted into a thermally broken aluminium frame. This inter-connecting system eliminates the need for vertical profiles, thereby potentially saving costs, enhancing aesthetics and reducing internal shadows.

The X-structure of the panels provides exceptional stiffness and thermal insulation.

The thermally broken Twinfix Thermoclick system offers:

• Unique four wall with X-structure
• UV protected outer surface for long-term weather resistance
• Good light transmission and light diffusion characteristics
• Extremely high stiffness; spans unsupported up to 2.5m, depending on wind pressure
• Excellent thermal insulation, helps to cut your carbon footprint
• High impact strength
• Easy and fast installation
• Clear sheets available as standard, with colours to special order
• Solar Control IR version for optimal solar heat reduction also to special order

Use Twinfix Thermoclick for:

• Sports hall and swimming pool glazing
• External and internal warehouse glazing
• Plant room facades
• Vertically glazed screen
• Innovatively glazed facades

You can fix the panels from either the inside or the outside, depending upon the span of your glazing and the local wind pressure conditions. For long spans the panels can be fixed to internal horizontal rails with unobtrusive fix keys.

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Hamilton Litestat has added a touch dimmer module to its extensive GridIt wiring accessory range. The touch grid module is compatible with all incandescent type lamps.

Being a true touch dimmer a gentle tap to the face of the dimmer module brings the lights on or turns the dimmer off. By keeping a finger on the dimmer module the lights can be raised or lowered as required. Once the finger is removed the lighting level is set. To change this setting, all the user has to do is touch and hold the face of the module until the desired brightness is achieved.

Hamilton’s grid dimmer module incorporates an Intelligent Trailing Edge design which provides flicker free and near silent operation. By incorporating ‘soft start’ technology it is able to prolong lamp life whilst removing the necessity to de-rate for mains voltage halogen lamps.

The 250W/210va multi-way dimmer module has unidirectional protection and is able to detect a number of fault conditions including over current, no load protection and temperature cut-out. When a fault is detected the dimmer will switch off and either automatically turn back on when the fault is rectified or, in the case of the no load condition it will need the fault to be resolved before it can be manually switched on. This capability reduces the risk of damage to either the dimmer or any transformers in the lighting circuit.

For multi positional control additional slave units can be connected to the master unit or if preferred a push to make retractive switch can also be used, either option will mimic the dimming and on/off function of the master unit

This touch dimmer module has been manufactured to comply with the requirements of BSEN 60669-2-1 and fits wall boxes complying with BS4662:2006.

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– VW Caddy van prize for oldest one found before 30th June 2009

Wilo, the leading European pump manufacturer, is issuing the final reminder to installers around the UK to search for the oldest working Wilo small circulator in the UKThe deadline for entering the competition is 30th June 2009! So just under a month to take part and win yourself a stunning prize!

Whilst finding one will be interesting in itself, for the installer or contractor who finds the oldest one still working in the UK there’s an extra special reason for being pleased – he or she will drive away in a brand new VW Caddy van!

Wilo ran a similar competition in Germany recently and the oldest found there was 54 years old – still running flawlessly! Wilo ‘s Dan Wild says they don’t expect to find one that old in the UK, but you just never know: “Clearly Wilo UK has not been in existence as long as Wilo has been trading in Germany so to find one that old would be amazing, but we are confident we’ll find one that is pretty elderly and still working, so watch this space!” he says.

Clearly a pump that’s still working several decades after installation is doing so because it was and is a quality product, but because technology has moved on, however well the old pump is operating, replacement by a brand new, high technology, high efficiency Wilo pump will be overdue! Saving energy, reducing emissions and energy costs, using up to 80% less energy to run it, for starters.

Wilo is running the competition in conjunction with a major awareness campaign across the UK, making installers and specifiers aware of the facts behind the on-going growth of Wilo pump sales in the UK. Very definitely the second largest player in the UK marketplace, with pockets of the UK where it is by far the most popular brand – Northern Ireland for example – Wilo is seeing increasing take up of its energy efficient small circulator offering, particularly since the launch of the Wilo-Stratos ECO pump which offers up to 80% energy saving over standard uncontrolled pumps, that still operate extensively and expensively in millions of homes across the country.

“From research we’ve undertaken, it’s clear that many installers and specifiers had no idea that we invented the first small circulator pump and that we are the leading supplier of small circulators to combi boiler manufacturers across Europe,” says Dan Wild. “We manufacture more than 5 million small circulators a year in Europe and there are more than 3.5 million Wilo pumps operating either in combis, system boilers or independently in conventional heating systems in the UK. The numbers are phenomenal and we recently saw the Wilo-Stratos ECO independently tested as the most energy efficient small circulator you can buy, anywhere – tested by one of Europe’s leading consumer groups. It’s all good news and we need to get the message out and about to those who think there’s only one brand of pump in the UK – there’s a second – and its taking chunks of the marketplace year on year, as we grow, year on year.”

Installers looking to win the VW Caddy van need to search for Wilo small circulator pumps still operating in their customers homes and if they find one that has clearly been doing the business for a good many years, they need to take a photo of the pump in situ and take a note of the serial number which will allow Wilo to check exactly when it was manufactured. They should then send their entries to ruth.barnes@wilo.co.uk at Wilo UK Head Office or call her on 01283 523000 and ask for instructions on how to make their entry.

Wilo’s wide range of high efficiency pumps, incorporates models from small domestic circulator pumps right through to large commercial pumps, for virtually every end use. Full details of the range can be seen at www.wilo.co.uk or by calling Wilo on 01283 523 000 and asking for a catalogue.

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Elta Fans have launched their new and innovative QuietflowDCV (Demand Control Ventilation) system. In the face of sharply increasing fuel costs, the rapidly rising costs of owning and operating H&V equipment and services, added to the new environmental imperative “to be seen to be green”, one of the recurring themes of 2009 will be low energy, low carbon solutions. QuietflowDCV allows the efficient and effective implementation of variable ventilation solutions to variable occupancy spaces within a single building in order to save energy – and money.

The Elta Group has been fully committed to helping reduce the carbon-footprint of buildings for many years through more efficient components, products and control systems using less energy. But today’s soaring energy costs, along with recent and anticipated future legislation, are hastening the industry’s drive for faster product and system development in the important area of energy conservation.

In the QuietflowDCV system, Elta Fans has combined energy-efficient fan and impeller units with the ability to use Elta’s DCV control methodology. This combination and the use of electronic functionality to integrate complementary modes of operation and efficiency, make the units quieter, more energy-efficient and maximises control efficiency to enhance potential savings in energy costs – moving ventilation ‘through a paradigm shift’ into a whole new era of technology.

The new system can suit any application where there is a variable occupancy space to be ventilated. As occupants move about the building in large and small groups throughout the course of the day, the way in which they use the space therein, can vary dramatically. Their activities and the way in which they congregate can give rise to many different situations – thereby resulting in many varied ventilation requirements. The system is integrated fully into the building’s management system – either as a manually controlled system or as an intelligent system using a wide range of sensors and enabling devices.

The latter cleverly uses different forms of sensor to provide a vast array of different detection modules to detect the level of spatial contaminant (e.g: people, temperature, CO2, humidity) within the building. The sensors provide an almost infinite amount of variation to the ventilation system so that it matches the level of occupancy within the space. The intelligent system will also interface easily with other enabling systems (infra-red PRI, building automation systems) so that the end-user can be alerted to changes in performance levels, energy levels, maintenance requirements etc.

Efficiency of the fans has been greatly improved. Some models are fitted with a backwardcurved impeller to provide around 87% efficiency.

Also, a self-extinguishing, acoustic lining provides an enhanced and greatly improved noiserating when compared to similar models. For cleaning and maintenance, access is much simpler via easy-to-remove top panels and the control systems also incorporates SELV (Safety Extra Low Voltage facility) for the greater protection of users and installers alike.

Generally all QuietflowDCV units have been designed and developed to minimise their height, so that they can fit easily into ceiling spaces and voids. Multiple choice of fan allows for a wide range of airflows to ensure a good choice for the customer. They are ideally suited to either new-build or refurbishment projects where space is at a premium and energy conservation is a priority.

QuietflowDCV units have been fully tested in compliance with ISO 5801:1997 (airside performance) and BS848 Part2: 1985 (sound performance) in order to provide accurate and reliable test data. All QuietflowDCV products (indeed, all Elta products) are designed and manufactured in accordance with BS EN ISO9001: 2000 to strict design and manufacturing standards.

The QuietflowDCV is the first product in the range of in-line box fan units, with the twin fan unit following later in 2009.

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Physical performance for the replacement fenestration was put on a par with sympathetic styling by the project team responsible for the conversion of a former Royal Mail building in the heart of London; seeking to create residential accommodation as well as a contemporary design studio with a light and comfortable working environment.

Howick Place in Westminster dates from 1894 and had served as a sorting office until developer, Fabbriche & Ceramiche, purchased the property. The painstaking refurbishment of the premises, led by Squire and Partners, involved Crittall Ltd in supplying some 200 of its Corporate 2000 windows under a sub-contract package for ISG Interior & Exterior Plc.

Crittall worked in close cooperation with both the main contractor and the architectural consultants to ensure its high performance steel framed units met the project's wide ranging requirements; including planning conditions, thermal performance and physical security.

The project architect at Squire and Partners commented: “I have used Crittall on other contracts in the past and knew they would be one of the few companies able to supply the profile required to match the original fenestration in this building. We also required a high specification in terms of thermal performance and Crittall therefore supplied argon filled 28 mm units to match the requirements of the Building Regulations.

“In terms of the design support the manufacturer's technical representatives responded well when coming back to us with information and possible solutions. This was a major project and the spaces created are very bright and attractive, with the slim window profile offering the maximum transmission.”

The majority of the window supplied for Howick Place are of the side-hung, open in configuration and were finished in anthracite grey polyester powder coat paint over the galvanised corrosion protection. The sealed units feature a 6.4 mm thick clear laminated inner pane with low-E coating, separated from a 6 mm clear toughened outer pane by the 16 mm gas filled cavity.

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The Government announcement of a strategy to make Britain’s buildings more energy efficient, give a boost to low carbon energy and slash carbon emissions by 34 per cent by 2020 was welcomed by most energy analysts – and by BusinessNet Explorer Construction, Manufacturing and Energy news teams.

‘A vision of a Britain with smart meters, electric cars, clean power and greener buildings within a decade is overdue but great news ’ said BNE editor Paul Garrett.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband outlined nothing less than a green energy revolution which promises that 40 per cent of electricity in the UK will come from low carbon sources, including new nuclear power, by 2020.

Energy efficiency in buildings will be boosted by a £3.2 billion which will be invested by energy companies. Energy use will also be greener thanks to the introduction of smart meters in homes and businesses across Britain.

Financial support will be made available for homes and businesses which generate their own energy through local or micro CHP, solar or wind power.

There will also be support for hybrid and electric cars.

It is estimated that 400,000 ‘green jobs’ will be created as a result of these initiatives. But the cost of energy to homes of businesses could also rise a the price of Britain’s move towards a low carbon economy.

Along with the creation of new jobs to support this low carbon revolution, businesses and households could, despite higher energy costs, actually save money through more sustainable energy use. The economy could also benefit as Britain moves to the forefront of low carbon technologies such as marine – wave and tidal – electricity generation.

‘The whole world faces an opportunity to tackle climate change head on and also be more efficient and less wasteful’ said BNE’s Garrett ‘The UK Government’s announcement shows the way forward and it us up to every home and business to grasp the opportunities now presenting themselves to go on to live, work and play in a greener, more sustainable way’.

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Thorn’s revamped Jupiter II linear fluorescent widens the choice for office and school illumination. While retaining its predecessor’s reputation for performance and slimness, it gains more optics, additional lamp types, greater flexibility in the variety of mounting combinations available and lighting control “intelligence”.

Single or twin T5 lamps, from 14W to 80W, combine with interchangeable louvres (including an asymmetric option for corridors) or diffusers. Whether surface or suspended (direct/indirect), the white or grey finished luminaires can be mounted singly, in continuous lines or in a variety of geometric configurations.

Lighting control is an important consideration. The user can choose from digital dimmable versions to intelligent ‘Sensa’ modules that incorporate a photocell / PIR sensor to compensate for daylight and respond to presence/absence.

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