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Daikin Europe N.V. has embarked on creating an imposing European Development Centre (EDC) at its headquarters in Ostend, chosen as a site for the centre by Daikin’s Japanese parent company on account of its available and extensive expertise. The first of its kind in Europe, the EDC will play an important role in the development of innovative and energy efficient alternatives to traditional and conventional heating solutions.

Products for Europe made in Europe

The Ostend EDC will evolve in the future into an important research and development base with satellite centres in the Czech Republic and Germany and will be given a high degree of autonomy to develop its own design concepts and solutions specifically for the European market. In this respect Daikin Europe Chairman, Frans Hoorelbeke commented: “over the years we have become increasingly responsive to the diverse needs of the European market and this has given us a significant competitive advantage. We see the EDC as an extension of this since it will enable us to develop products in the same environment in which we sell, particularly in the heating sector”.

The company is already equipped with a great deal of innovative technology stemming from the development of its environmentally conscious, energy efficient, Daikin Altherma heat pump, which is rapidly gaining a significant share of the European heating market. The EDC is expected to play an important role in meeting this market’s requirements across an even wider base.

Investing in staff and technology

The first phase of the development of the EDC is associated with an investment of around 13 million euros, mainly for technology and infrastructure and work has commenced on the construction of several new hi tech testing rooms, one of which will enable engineers to simulate all climatic conditions extant throughout the 27 European countries. Daikin Europe expects to engage a team of 200 specialists by 2015, ranging from young University graduates to experienced researchers and engineers to augment the existing staff in Ostend.

Commenting on the training of new EDC staff, Bart Teerlynck, Deputy General Manager EDC, stated: “the market for climate solutions is at a turning point. We already have a great deal of in house know-how and have therefore, designed a training programme to educate EDC team members in a wide range of differing skills, some of which will be carried out in Japan”.

Daikin Europe’s Japanese parent company Daikin Industries Ltd. is also planning to open similar centres in China and the United States.

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Fakro roof windows have been used by SE5 Architects in their design of Pineapple Cottage, converting it from a mid-Victorian cottage to a modern four-bedroom home. The house, which is situated near Peckham Rye Park in South East London, has been transformed to provide a light-filled, contemporary interior as SE5 architect Elizabeth Borowiecka commented. “We had not specified Fakro's products previously but the company came to our notice by recommendation. The scope to use so many windows in combination was ideal as we wanted to create a light and airy space in the middle of the building”.

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(©Donal McCann Photography)

The last century can have produced few more iconic designs than that of the £97 million 'Titanic Belfast' building. Opening in early 2012 to coincide with the centenary of the vessel's maiden voyage, the stunning piece of architecture has a VMZINC PLUS® compact standing seam roof in QUARTZ-ZINC®. The three thousand faceted plates which form the angular building's rainscreen system may take the eye but it is the zinc roof which will form the first view for thousands of tourists whose flights into the city will pass directly over the building. The VMZINC PLUS® system was specified by Civic Arts / Eric R. Kuhne & Associates and delivered in collaboration with Todd Architects Belfast. It was mechanically fixed and required no ventilation through use of VMZINC's specially developed underside coating.

The centre is situated adjacent to the slipway from which Titanic was launched in 1911 and has been attracting visitors months before the official opening next April. It forms the focal point of the Titanic Quarter regeneration which, at 75 acres, is Europe's biggest waterfront development. With funding provided by Belfast City Council, Belfast Harbour Commissioners, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, Titanic Quarter Limited and the Department of Enterprise, Trade & investment, 400,000 visitors are expected each year.

Over 12,000m2 of floor space has been provided across 5 levels, to a height equivalent to a 10-storey building. At such a size, Titanic Belfast was always destined to attract a high profile and make a lasting, local impact. At long last, the ship's construction is rightly being seen as worthy of local pride. The pre-weathered zinc roof will continue to patinate naturally, retaining an 'as installed' appearance without maintenance for years to come. With a typical lifespan of 100 years or more, it will certainly play its part as the centre moves towards Titanic's bi-centenary.

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Amtech, the market leading developer of software for the Building Services Industry, has brought together all its software and services under a single new brand.

The new Amtech brand encompasses familiar names from the industry including, Luckins, Estimation, National Engineering Specification (Nes) and AMTECH Power Software. The result is an end to end solution – from Specification Writing and Design through Estimating, and Procurement, to Inspection and Testing and Service Management. The solutions are designed for engineers and contractors of all sizes, from a company with decades of experience in supplying software and information services to the building services industry.

To coincide with the launch of the new brand, Amtech is also developing a major new Contractor Directory to help contractors gain more exposure and win more work. This new site will be launched in the New Year and will be provided as a free service to all M & E contractors.

To celebrate these significant milestones, Amtech has also announced a major free prize draw, giving contractors an opportunity to win a brand new Mercedes van, complete with sign writing and up to 5 years free servicing! In association with Mercedes-Benz and Intercounty Truck and Van Ltd.

All you need to do to enter is visit Amtech’s new website at www.amtech.co.uk and enter your details into the new Luckinslive.com Contractor Directory – it’s as simple as that!

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With the latest range of enclosed meterpacks from Eaton’s Electrical Sector, sub-load check metering facilities can be added easily and conveniently to almost any new or existing electrical distribution installation. The meterpacks provide an ideal way of satisfying the growing demand for detailed metering of electricity usage as an aid to saving energy and to meeting the requirements of Part L2 of the Building Regulations.

Eaton’s new meterpacks comprise a multifunction MID-compliant digital meter with its associated CTs, and convenient studs for bolted lug “in and out” connections, all ready assembled and wired in a rugged industrial steel enclosure. No time consuming assembly or wiring is, therefore, required on site and, as every meterpack is fully tested prior to despatch, correct operation is guaranteed.
Easy installation is ensured by removable steel top and bottom gland plates, and by the provision of ample space within the enclosures for cabling.

The meterpacks can be supplied with meters that offer pulsed outputs, or both pulsed and RS 485 (Modbus) outputs, thereby allowing easy interfacing with almost any type of energy or building management system. Pulse-only versions are available to suit loads up to 400 A, while pulse plus RS 485 versions have a maximum rating of 320 A.

Enclosure type and size depends on the meter rating. The 400 A and 320 A versions use enclosures that are uniform with those of Eaton’s MEM series of Glasgow distribution products, while the 125 A versions use enclosures that are uniform with Eaton’s MEM series of Exel 2 products.

For use with Glasgow and Exel 2 products, the meterpacks are supplied complete with ready terminated jumper cables as a further aid to speedy installation. All units in the range are, however, equally suitable for use in standalone applications in conjunction with almost any type of distribution equipment.

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Combining the new Daikin REYAQ-P VRV® III Heat Recovery system with an HXHD hydrobox extends the advantages of heat recovery throughout the year. As well as the normal VRV®III heat recovery benefits the free recovered heat can also be used to produce hot water, thereby satisfying a year-round domestic hot water requirement or to provide heating to radiators or under floor elements.

Standard VRV®III technology employs Daikin variable refrigerant volume technology and inverter control to ensure optimal compressor efficiency. The addition of heat recovery further enhances overall efficiency by using the free heat obtained from cooling one part of a building to warm another part of the same building. This arrangement is ideal for moderate outdoor temperatures in which part of the building needs heating and the other part cooling, due to its orientation to the sun or to room occupancy.

The new REYAQ-P VRV® III Heat Recovery system supports connection of the HXHD hydrobox, which allows recovered heat to be used to produce domestic hot water and hot water for under floor heating or radiator heating. The year-round demand for domestic hot water extends the possibilities for using recovered heat to all four seasons. Connection ratios up to 200% are possible — 100% of compressor capacity is used for cooling with the resultant recovered heat fully utilised for hot water production. When heating and cooling loads are balanced in this way, the system is at its most efficient, doubling the efficiency it obtains in cooling only or heating only mode.

During winter, when insufficient recovered heat is available, the energy efficient VRV®III outdoor unit takes up the slack and even in this mode, hot water production is 17% more efficient than a traditional gas boiler solution.

The hydrobox includes all the connections, pumps, filter and valves to connect to a water circuit and can be stacked along with its domestic hot water tank for installation flexibility. Intelligent control of the water temperature eliminates the need for a mixing valve by producing the precise required leaving water temperature. Alternatively, a weather dependant floating set point can be established whereby a higher water temperature will be selected for lower outdoor temperatures in order to satisfy increased heating demand. Conversely, at higher temperatures, a lower water temperature will be chosen for increased energy efficiency. Leaving water temperatures up to 80°C are possible without an auxiliary heater.

Several domestic hot water tanks are available. The EKHTS-A domestic hot water tank is available in 200 and 260 litre versions, and offers super quick heat-up from 10°C to 50°C in 60 minutes. The EKHWP-A is available in 300 and 500 litre versions and supports connection to a solar collector for even more efficient domestic hot water production.

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The £100m Derby Riverlights city centre development is adjacent to River Derwent and has already become one of the East Midlands' foremost leisure, living and business landmarks. Occupying over 46,000m2, the project incorporates a casino, Holiday Inn and Hilton hotels, bars, restaurants, retail units and a new bus station.

Laidlaw Solutions Group company Saturn Architectural Ironmongery project-managed the supply of over 660 doorsets and ironmongery as principal supplier to Shepherd Construction. Doors were scheduled for the 116-bedroom Hampton by Hilton hotel, the 105-bedroom Holiday Inn and the bus station. For the Holiday Inn, a mix of factory-painted and American Black Walnut veneered doors were supplied, some with a bespoke horizontal grain. The Hampton by Hilton hotel involved installation of a combination of factory-painted and oak-veneered doors and both hotels feature handles and closers from the Saturn 'Aquarius' range.

Close collaboration with the main contractor was key to the fulfilment of effective scheduling as Paul Eastwood, Supply Chain Manager of Shepherd Construction commented, “I was impressed with the high quality of Laidlaw products which arrived on time, clearly marked and carefully packaged. As a main contractor, we firmly believe that the use of factory finished doorsets is the only way forward”.

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Under a collaboration between Telling Architectural and Eurobond Laminates, the Argeton terracotta rainscreen system can now be applied directly onto Rainspan insulated steel faced panels.

The proven Rainspan composite panel system can be clad using the natural finish and clean lines of the Argeton terracotta tile available in 13 captivating natural colours, with the tiles either smooth faced, wire drag, engobe, riven or glazed. Architects and specifiers are not restricted in the aesthetic achievable for their buildings when using the fast-track construction method offered by the Rainspan composite panel system. It will be ideal for enhancing projects in the retail, education and health sectors.

Developed by Eurobond Laminates, Rainspan is a robust insulated panel system with a two-hour fire rating available in spans of up to 6 metres and with an ease of installation that creates a quick, weather-tight building envelope. The system helps to reduce operational carbon and achieve BREEAM excellent rated buildings, combining optimum air tightness with thermal performance and using a high level of recycled content.

Whether as a main theme cladding or as a feature, the Argeton terracotta provides a natural beauty and symmetry of the faÇade created by contrasting the smooth faced tile with the precise joint. Colours available are natural, salmon, brick and pastel red, sand, apricot, beige, light platinum volcano and iron grey, sahara yellow, pearl white and glacier blue. Tiles are 30mm to 35mm thick and their length can be from 300mm to 1500mm to suit the desired format either horizontally or vertically laid.

The Rainspan system has a guaranteed performance of 25 years and the Argeton terracotta faÇade has an assessed structural integrity of up to 50 years.

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WorkSmart is Estimation’s new all-in-one package for quoting, pricing and invoicing – specifically designed for the busy mechanical and electrical contractor, heating engineer and plumber to spend more time on the tasks that make money.

Quick and easy to use, WorkSmart enables accurate, professional quotes and invoices to be generated at the touch of a button, saving time on everyday paperwork. Plus, with full integration to LUCKINS pricing data, WorkSmart ensures estimates are based on up to date information.

WorkSmart also incorporates links to LUCKINSlive.com, for instant access to the industry’s leading information centre.

Selling prices are automatically calculated using preferred supplier discounts and combined with LUCKINS industry-standard labour norms to calculate the price and the profit for each job. This information is then used to create professional estimates and reports, all customised and branded to suit the user. Standard reports include estimates, invoices, buying lists and job sheets.

WorkSmart’s introductory offer and major time savings ensure that users enjoy a fast return on their investment with ongoing savings for increased profitability.

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Daikin Europe (N.V.) has launched its new R-410A-based EWA/YQ~BA range which brings the advantages of inverter control to the small chiller market. Small office buildings and industrial processes can now benefit from cost savings due to the increased partial load efficiency (ESEER up to 4.5) and superior environmental performance of inverter control.

The integrated inverter in the new range adjusts compressor speed to actual cooling/heating demand, allowing the chiller to operate at optimal efficiency regardless of thermal load conditions. By consuming only the power necessary to match the load, annual operating costs are minimised and the financial payback time of the chilled water system is shortened.

Running the compressor at the exact speed required also in optimised comfort and technical performance: extremely stable leaving water temperatures, reduced sound levels, quicker response to system demand, lower starting current requirements and an optimum power factor (always > 0.95). Fan control is also inverter based. The new chillers have the optimum partial load performance in their class, with ESEER values up to 4.5.

Wide applicability

The new units, available in cooling only and heat pump versions, can operate in a wide range of ambient conditions and are suitable for comfort and process cooling/heating, including brine applications. They also provide easy access to key components and good serviceability, for efficient maintenance and long system life. The basic hydraulic module can be equipped with an optional factory-mounted pump or high ESP pump. No buffer tank is required, further reducing system payback time. The units include a digital controller and support for an additional remote controller, as well as commonly requested accessory kits.

The new ‘EWA/YQ~BA’ range offers cooling capacities from 17 up to 75kW, in seven sizes with 1 or 2 circuits and is particularly suitable for applications requiring the highest levels of efficiency, savings and comfort.

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