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Twinfix aluminium framed canopies continue to be the product of choice at many schools. Nurseries, in particular find that a canopy situated adjacent to a classroom enables small children quick and easy access to sand and water play, a vital part of early years’ learning.

The complete process of design, manufacture and installation is undertaken by Twinfix with each canopy being designed to suit the needs of the individual school. Canopies can incorporate pitched or curved roof glazing, vertical side screens and colourful padded post protectors. Where required, roller shutter doors can be fitted, enabling toys to be safely locked away when the building is not in use.

Canopies can be ordered with a selection of tints and grades of polycarbonate roof glazing. The photo shows opal multiwall polycarbonate glazing complementing an aluminium powder coated turquoise structure that wont rust or require future repainting, helping to cut down on maintenance costs. Where clear visibility is required through the roof glazing clear solid polycarbonate can be fitted.

The roof glazing panels are a Twinfix patented design that conform to the Health & Safety Executive’s recommended drop test for ‘Safe’ roofing assemblies. This means that should anyone gain access on to a canopy roof they will not harm themselves by falling through the glazing.

These canopies require little in the way of maintenance apart from an occasional wash down and will look good for years to come. They are fully recyclable at the end of their long life span.

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Watermatic, part of the Sentinel Group, is increasingly offering many large businesses a way of reducing their energy consumption by reducing limescale build up in their systems. Untreated limescale in hard water areas of the country – that’s more than 60% of the UK – results in a need to use far more electricity than should be required for clean, scale free plant and hot water systems.

Watermatic’s KalGuard ‘+’ units are in particular proving hugely beneficial to hotels, nursing homes, leisure centres, food processing businesses, offices and retail outlets – the latest being ASDA. One of the UK’s leading supermarkets, ASDA has begun to utilise KalGuard ‘+’ units in their supermarkets to reduce limescale build up in direct hot water systems, and the kitchens and food preparation areas in their stores.

One of the first stores to benefit from a KalGuard ‘+’ unit is the store in Andover in Hampshire. The unit was installed in March 2008 and has been operating for more than 24 months.

Nicholas Riley, Mechanical Services Engineering Manager, Retail Development at ASDA says he’s happy with the outcome so far: “Many of our stores operate in hard water areas of the country and it plainly makes sense to try and address the issue of limescale at the point where the water supply comes onto our premises from the mains. At Andover, we have been able to mount the KalGuard ‘+’ unit at the mains supply inlet.

“All major businesses are looking for ways of reducing energy usage and CO2 emissions and in the current climate looking at their CRC commitment. Initial feedback from people working in the stores suggests that KalGuard ‘+’ is doing what we were told it would do and is providing the level of water treatment required to ensure that limescale build up does not become a major issue for us.”

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FAKRO’s FTT U5 Thermo triple glazed roof windows were among products chosen for use at Scotland’s first ever 'Housing Expo', at Balvonie Braes south of Inverness. 52 architect-designed homes on the 5 hectare brownfield site included some built along 'Passivhaus' principles, showcasing the very latest in sustainability. With an overall U-value of 0.94W/m2K, the FTT will make a major contribution towards energy saving when the Highland Housing Alliance makes 27 available for sale or rent.

With their high quality, slow growing redwood pine frames, FAKRO roof windows like the FTT Thermo are being used increasingly as a key element of interior design. The 52 Housing Expo properties were all competition winners and have interiors co-ordinated by leading household names in modern design. Each is unique and promotes eco-friendly living, with many exceptional examples of how to use the roofspace. For more details of inspiring ways to use FAKRO roof windows in new build or refurbishment projects, ring 0845 021 3030 or e-mail fakro@web-response.co.uk for a copy or download of their Product Selector and Price List.

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Eleven operating theatres at a leading South West hospital have been fitted out with a new and unique cable containment system developed to lead the way in the fight against harmful and potentially deadly bugs, providing hospitals managers with an additional weapon in their battle against infection.

Cat 6 compliant Odyssey Bio has been tested to ISO 22196;2007 and is proven to exhibit reductions in bacterial viable counts by more than 99.99%. It is a most effective weapon in the battle against superbugs and cross-infection when used in conjunction with meticulous cleaning and personal hygiene routines.

It is also the first three compartment PVC-U cable containment system with a fully curved profile to be manufactured from a material with antimicrobial properties. It uses a proven silver-ion based technology to neutralise bugs that come into contact with it. Tests show that bacteria such as MRSA, E-Coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and salmonella are reduced by at least 99.99% after only 24 hours.

Importantly, because the antimicrobial ingredient is mixed into the PVC-U rather than applied as a surface coating, it continues to work even if the plastic is scratched or damaged, and will remain 100% effective throughout the life of the trunking as it does not leach out or suffer any reduction in performance over time.

Odyssey Bio proved perfect for 11 operating theatres at the Derriford Hospital, Plymouth, an acute general hospital that is part of Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust. It was installed as part of a strict, on-going process to control the spread of infections and specified by Plymouth Hospital NHS Trust’s Electrical Estates department. Dodd Group, the resident electrical contractor on site, installed the sleek trunking, favoured for its aesthetically pleasing and easy-to-clean curved profile.

The cable management is part of an upgrade to the monitoring system linking essential patient data during an operation – such as blood pressure, pulse, and heart rate – to a central information processing unit. Installed in vertical lengths from floor to ceiling, Odyssey Bio provides an alternative to chasing cabling into walls, a process that can generate undesirable bacteria.

Fears that a trunking system might be a potential dust and dirt trap were quickly dispelled: “We had expected something far heftier but people don’t notice it unless it’s pointed out to them,“ said Paul Cookney for Theatre Estates, Plymouth NHS Trust, about Odyssey Bio. “It has such a low profile with the advantage of no edge. It is a superb product that has provided us with a cheaper and more effective method of managing cables. We are very pleased with it.”

Placing enormous emphasis on quality, safety and the effective care of patients, Plymouth Hospital NHS Trust has been named as one of the 40 top performing trusts in the country for the 6th year running. It provides services to 460,000 people in Plymouth, East Cornwall and South-West Devon, as well as specialist treatment for up to two million people from across Devon, Cornwall and Dorset.

Rob Ellis, Head of Electrical Estates for Plymouth NHS Trust, said: “We have a long working relationship with Marshall-Tufflex and the introduction of Odyssey Bio re-affirms that partnership. It is a product that is likely to come to the fore in the control of infection as Trusts up and down the country tackle the continuing threat of virulent infectious diseases.”

Odyssey Bio is a highly complementary addition to Marshall-Tufflex’s portfolio of cable management systems. Owing to the major contribution it can make to hygiene, it is also expected to be well received in other health conscious environments, such as nursing and care homes, medical centres, dental surgeries, schools and sports complexes, and indeed anywhere where there is a likelihood of cross-infection.

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Further weight has been added to VMZINC’s credentials in respect of sustainability with 3 key assessments of performance. The award of a BRE Green Guide A+ rating for the company’s Standing Seam roofing system on boards was accompanied by the Overlapping Panel system achieving an environmental profile score of 0.84 UK Ecopoints from the BRE Centre for Sustainable Construction. This took account of 13 key issues over a 60 year service life while further weathertightness tests, following Centre for Window and Cladding Technology procedure, confirmed that water penetration, wind resistance and impact resistance all far exceeded BS EN curtain walling standards.

Ecopoint 'issue headings' are:-

1. Climate change
2. Fossil fuel depletion
3. Ozone depletion
4. Freight transport
5. Human toxicity to air
6. Human toxicity to water
7. Waste disposal
8. Water extraction
9. Acid deposition
10. Ecotoxicity
11. Eutrophication
12. Summer smog
13. Minerals extraction

By comparing each environmental impact to a “norm”, all can be measured on the same scale. BRE has taken as its norm the impacts of a typical UK citizen, making assessments based on “normalised” data which gives all the measured issues the same importance. BRE has undertaken an extensive study to identify weightings for the range of sustainability issues.

The resulting environmental issue weightings have been used to weight the normalised environmental impacts to provide the Ecopoints score.

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Flexible AC Transmission (FACTS) system will be installed in EDF Energy Networks’ distribution network on the Norfolk coast of the UK, to level out load peaks and improve access to wind power.

Zurich, Switzerland, 18th December , 2008 – ABB, the leading power and automation technology group, has agreed a contract with EDF Energy Networks to work on a collaborative research, development and demonstration project in the UK to install an SVC Light® with dynamic energy storage in a grid with a high penetration of wind power.

The installation will yield dynamic voltage control in an 11 kV distribution system and at the same time enable dynamic storage of surplus energy from wind farms, which can be utilized to level out peaks in grid loading. Using this strategy, the power harnessed from the wind can be put to more efficient use than would otherwise be possible.

The SVC Light with dynamic energy storage based on high-tech lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries will be constructed in Hemsby, Norfolk, and connected to the distribution network between Ormesby and Martham in Norfolk, England. It will be in operation by the end of next year (2009).

Allan Boardman, EDF Energy Networks planning engineer said: “This project will make a difference, because it will allow more renewable generation connections to existing electricity networks, and it will also demonstrate the value of energy storage”.

“The installation will improve the usability of power from wind farms and avoid the destabilizing effect it can have on the grid.” said Per Eckemark, Head of ABB’s FACTS System Group. “It will also provide a useful reference project for energy storage”.

This collaboration project clearly demonstrates the commitment of both ABB and EDF Energy Networks to address climate change, by improving network access to renewable electricity production. The benefits may include a reduction in the amount of carbon produced by the UK power industry.

The project is being financially supported through industry regulator Ofgem’s Innovation Funding Incentive scheme.

About SVC Light

SVC Light is part of ABB’s FACTS portfolio. The term FACTS (Flexible AC Transmission Systems) covers a number of technologies that enhance the security, capacity and flexibility of power transmission and distribution systems, as well as enhance productivity and power quality in industry.

SVC Light is a unique power semiconductor technology based on power transistors (IGBT). With dynamic energy storage, it enables voltage control and control of active power flow in the grid at the same time.

ABB is a worldwide leader in the growing field of FACTS, with more than 700 installations in operation or under construction all over the world, and the technology is part of the company’s contribution to Smart Grids: the evolution of electricity networks to incorporate information technologies. The developments will help to meet the changing power needs of society. FACTS significantly ease the incorporation of renewable power into the grid and can therefore contribute significantly to climate protection initiatives.

About EDF Energy

EDF Energy is one of the UK’s largest energy companies. It provides power to a quarter of the UK’s population via electricity distribution networks in London, the South East and the East of England. It supplies gas and electricity to more than five million customers and generates about 5GW of energy from our coal and gas power stations, as well as combined heat and power plants and wind farms. Through its Climate and Social Commitments it has launched the biggest environmental and social packages of any UK energy company. The company is also a key player in national infrastructure projects including management of private electricity networks serving four London airports and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, the country’s first major new railway in 100 years. EDF Energy employs nearly 13,000 people at locations across the UK and is a core part of EDF Group, one of Europe’s largest power companies. EDF is the official energy utilities partner and sustainability partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

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Over 30 off EC-DC Matrix 1 fan coil units, manufactured by Ability Projects Ltd, have been installed as part of the high grade refurbishment programme carried out on the now fully let, 1 to 3 Mortimer Street, London W1, mixed commercial office and retail complex.

Refurbishment of office floors 1 to 4 comprised raised floors and new windows as well as air conditioning provided by a combination of Matrix horizontal ceiling concealed and vertical low level 4 pipe fan coil units, supplied with chilled and LPHW from new chiller and boiler plant, all installed by JSMS Ltd, Erith, Kent.

The Matrix fan coil system is unique in the UK in providing infinitely variable speed control of the entire fan coil unit as well as each fan within it, enabling each air duct to be balanced for air volume through fan speed alone, thus removing the need for costly, noisy volume control dampers and their time consuming installation.

Historically, fan coil installations have been designed for single speed operation and are invariably left running with a fixed air volume with thermal output controlled by water volume alone. Matrix however, is designed to adjust the overall fan coil air volume based on either occupancy, thermal demand or a combination of both. Throughout the year Matrix follows demand and occupancy, adjusting the air volume (and conventionally, water volume) to meet that requirement and no more. Thus, if a room is empty, the fan coil can operate in set back mode, increasing its speed if a person enters, just sufficiently to compensate for the marginal increase in demand

It simply makes no sense to use drinking quality water at a time when water is becoming a scarcer commodity, with growing demand for potable water – particularly in London and the south east as the population grows, but ironically, whilst we’re seeing heavier rainfall in parts if the UK, equally on the East Coast of the UK, rainfall has in places and at times during the year dropped to an alarming level – in particular across East Anglia. With forecasts suggesting that the south coast could be experiencing a Mediterranean climate by 2050 – some suggesting this could arrive much earlier – water could become a very expensive commodity and any help available from naturally occurring sources of water will be met with open arms. The UK’s position as an island, with prevailing winds for much of the time heading at us from the south west across the Atlantic Ocean – and a warm current into the bargain – does give us a number of benefits and Polypipe is one company that believes that preparing now, by conserving precious rainwater supplies, would not be a moment too soon to take rainwater harvesting seriously.

Nominal capacities of the fan coils range from 1.7 to 5.0kW at an operating noise level of NR35 and environment of 30Pa Pascals resistance. Some horizontal units have stepped discharge plenums fitted to suit 300mm dia discharge spigots, whilst the vertical units measure 400mm high x 200mm deep. All units are fitted with free issue Trend IQL11 and 13 controllers.

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When the Heinz Wolff Building at Brunel University needed its steel windows replacing, Crittall Windows provided the perfect solution. The building, which is home to the Bioscience teaching laboratories, is part of the original buildings on the Uxbridge campus site, established in 1966.

£8m has been allocated to update the block, with window replacement high up on the priority list for the refurbishment. Architects, Kendall Kingscott were in charge of the project, with Crispin & Borst as main contractors.

What was required for the £420,000 scheme was a complete like for like replacement., with the new units replicating the existing profiles in order to maintain the architectural integrity of the building and complementing the rest of the structures on the campus. Crittall Windows supplied its Corporate W20 profiles as the ideal solution. Not only do they fit in aesthetically but the narrow sightlines afforded by the strength of the steel profile enable larger amounts of glass to be used.

Because the block is home to sensitive physics and chemistry work, it proved a delicate operation to remove the existing windows and replace them with contemporary, double glazed options without disturbing the daily operations and continuous research within the labs. Architect in charge of the project Gavin Cowling explains: “Access was difficult to the windows and the university laboratories were in constant use throughout the entire length of the project. We used the Crittall W20 profiles as they provided the strength and resilience that was needed as well as the overall attractive appearance.”

The project took nine months to complete, and now the Heinz Wolff building boasts modern, up-to-date fenestration that meets all the requirements of thermal and sound insulation, allowing the students to carry on their research within.

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