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The luxury and award-winning spa hotel at Lancashire’s five-star Ribby Hall Village recently celebrated its first birthday, having served 2,500 afternoon teas, massaged over 7,000 backs, welcomed 15,000 guests and celebrities and manicured 91,250 nails over the past year – all lit, powered and connected with the help of electrical wiring accessories from Hamilton Litestat.

Hamilton, a decorative electrical wiring accessories specialist and lighting and audio control systems manufacturer, supplied a selection of its classic Cheriton accessory plates throughout the hotel. The plates were finished in satin steel with black inserts, giving the simple, elegant plate design a contemporary edge. Products included switch plates, card switches and sockets, all installed throughout the hotel’s 42 bedrooms for a co-ordinated look.

Hamilton’s expert team also designed and manufactured bespoke products for the hotel based on the company’s Sheer plate design. Created within Hamilton’s Savile Row service, the products included media plates for the rooms comprising four standard electrical sockets, two data points and a Teleadapt wireless internet unit; and junction box covers for the rooms and public areas to hide unsightly wiring and connections. The bespoke products were also finished in satin steel to complement the Cheriton accessories and the ultra slim profile of the Sheer plates meant it was easy to fit the plates flush to the wall so they don’t intrude on to the desk space.

“Often in hotels the number of specific requirements mean that standard products don’t meet all the needs, which is where our bespoke Savile Row service comes in,” said Andy Partington, UK specification manager at Hamilton. “In this case the client wanted to use both Cheriton and Sheer plates so we were able to create a seamless effect by using the same satin steel finish across all accessories. However we often create bespoke products using exactly the same plate design as the standard accessories – or sometimes the idea is that they look completely unique and original so we come up with a brand new design or finish. The main thing is that we deliver the functionality required without compromising on style, and we believe that’s exactly what we’ve done with all our products for Ribby Hall Village.”

Ribby Hall Village is set within more than 100 acres of beautiful Lancashire countryside and features a luxury self-catering holiday village as well as The Spa Hotel. The hotel itself boasts a spa with an indoor hydro pool and seven heat experience rooms, as well as 14 treatment rooms and a brasserie.

The Hamilton products were installed by PEI Delta Ltd electrical contractors and supplied via Edmundson Electrical, Blackpool.

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Timeguard has introduced more energy saving external PIR lights designed to take pin-fitting compact fluorescent low energy light bulbs.

he new additions include a dusk-to-dawn floodlight, giving 200W output from a 42W bulb and a modern pyramid bulkhead design, suitable for wall or ceiling mounting and giving 100W output from an 18W energy-saving bulb.

The range also includes a 13W traditional lantern design.

Available from wholesalers nationwide or find out more at www.timeguard.com

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Re-designed steel perimeter trunking solutions System 130 and System 170, from market-leader Marshall-Tufflex, now offer specifiers and installers greater in-use flexibility thanks to a new clip system allowing the trunking to be divided into multiple compartments on site.

On both systems the internal ‘C’ rail has been replaced with a multipurpose clip that slots quickly and easily into position. The clips can be used to hold dividing fillets, transforming the trunking from a single channel to two or three compartments. The clips also securely position power and data cables ensuring a 50mm distance between each and act as an additional lid support.

System 130 (130mm x 63mm) and System 170 (170mm x 63mm) are manufactured from pre-galvanised steel with a hard-wearing powder coat finish to RAL 9010. All earth bondings are ‘friction fit’ to eliminate the need for screw fixings. Both systems offer increased capacity for power and data, base units with two standard mounting holes every 500mm, multiple earthing and are simple to cut given the empty base with no rail. A wide range of fittings and accessories are available.

“Our compact, easy to install, steel trunking systems incorporate stylish clean lines with a functionality that provides greater mechanical strength combined with first class fire performance and excellent screening capability,” said Jeremy Dodge, Head of Marketing & Technical Services.

Full details of the updated range are contained in a new Marshall-Tufflex product brochure, Steel Trunking Systems, which details the systems’ basic components, fittings, bonding assemblies and accessories/boxes plus product order numbers and diagrams explaining the trunking, its features/benefits and technical data.

The brochure is available to download from the Marshall-Tufflex website (www.marshall-tufflex.com) or by calling its Customer Services Team on 01424 856600.

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NON-DOMESTIC RHI GIVES ‘FREE’ HEATING AND COOLING FOR 20 YEARS

Wherever there is a building, you’ll find pumps, taking the responsibility for moving water around that building. Quietly, usually inconspicuously, often tucked away neatly in the plant room, pumps are a major component of ensuring that buildings work well and efficiently. And the latest generation of pumps contribute to the energy savings being sought currently by all building owners – with modern pumps such as those supplied by Wilo UK, offering up to 90% energy saving over the old standard efficiency pumps that in the main have been outlawed by recent European legislation. So to be involved in the first non-domestic heating and cooling system in the UK to achieve RHI accreditation, is a major feather in the cap of leading pump manufacturer Wilo UK.

Charles Hurst Group, based in Belfast, Northern Ireland decided many years ago that its car dealerships needed to be as environmentally friendly as possible. With cars getting ever greener in their emissions levels in line with Government carbon reduction targets and legislation, it made sense that the buildings and premises the dealer owned reflected this green attitude wherever it could.

Heating and cooling for showrooms can be very expensive so it made sense to look for cost effective ways of providing them, in as green a way as possible – so they began to look carefully at renewables. The arrival of the non-domestic renewable heat incentive (RHI) was a major boost to the option of using renewables as opposed to traditional fossil fuelled systems – with twenty years of financial contributions from Government to the renewable system output, a major attraction to the business.

The company called in BS Holdings, a Belfast-based renewables specialist to come up with their solution to the requirement they had for the first Ferrari Maserati dealership to be opened in Northern Ireland. BS Holdings came up with a solution that provided a heating and cooling system, utilising a modularised biomass system, pre-fabricated off site in a pre-packaged plant room that is then literally ‘craned’ onto a low loader, transported to the site and installed, with all connections made on site. The system, as with all systems manufactured by BS Holdings, incorporates components from tried and tested suppliers – including Wilo pumps.

This system incorporated pumps from Wilo to pump the primary and secondary heating systems and to boost the water pressure as required to provide the necessary water flow to all parts of the building.

“We are pleased to work alongside BS Holdings and to have been able to provide the full suite of pumping systems for the Charles Hurst Ferrari and Maserati dealership in Belfast,” says Wilo’s area sales manager Colin Mochan. “Our pumps are used in a host of applications where they rarely if ever get any praise for their reliability and performance, so it’s rewarding when they are used in high profile projects here in the Province – such as the Titanic development and the Giants Causeway Visitors Centre. When they are used in a project like this – it’s a joy to see the ‘green’ pumps from Wilo alongside the ‘Rosso’ red of Ferrari! It warms your heart when you see them doing the job here and getting some deserved credit!”

“We always use Wilo pumps in our pre-packaged plant room applications,” says BS Holdings Managing Director Brian Hood. “We have been in this business long enough to know that when you find component manufacturers that deliver on product and support, you stick with them, and we’ve always been more than impressed with the benefits we get from working alongside Wilo.”

So impressed have Charles Hurst been that they are planning similar installations in four more of their dealerships before the end of this year, all with Wilo pumps as integral parts of the package: “It’s been a major part of our plans for the future,” says Operations Director for Charles Hurst Group, Colin McNab. “It’s part of our green ethos as a business to make every effort to use energy efficient means to heat and cool our premises and these pre-packaged plant rooms, combined with biomass boilers and energy efficient pumps – all fit snugly into that approach. And the non-domestic RHI contributions for the next 20 years for every KWh of heat and cooling we use, makes huge business sense.”

More information about the wide range of energy saving pump options available from Wilo can be found at www.wilo.co.uk or by calling them on 01283 523000.

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Micronics the leading UK manufacturer of clamp-on metering products for building services has increased its product offering to provide complete metering solutions for building services engineers including a comprehensive range of traditional in-line meters to complement its established clamp-on range. Micronics clamp-on products have been specified on significant projects including BAA T5 and the ExCeL London exhibition and conference centre by some enlightened engineers who recognised the associated performance and cost benefits for critical and larger pipe applications.

Micronics now offers a comprehensive range of products for LPHW, Chilled water and Heat/Energy metering applications including standard in-line and cost-effective, clamp-on solutions for smaller pipe sizes! This new service will build on Micronics extensive expertise in building services with the addition of two individuals Andy Priscott and David Miller who join the Micronics team in June, bringing with them extensive experience in working within the building services market and delivering best value solutions. Andy will focus on the Midlands and North and David will develop Southern opportunities with a London focus.

The focus will be on delivering best value metering solutions using in-line or clamp-on products as appropriate and with an emphasis on service from pre-order design support enquiries and tender invitations through to installation support and a full commissioning service, as required and tailored to individual engineer and project requirements.

As you would expect Micronics will continue to be advocates of the benefits of ultrasonic clamp-on metering solutions and the technology is continually evolving with new products such as the U1000 offering significant cost and performance benefits for new build and major refurbishment installations. However, clamp-on is only part of the solution and Micronics has now added a comprehensive range of in-line meters to offer a complete solution and service for building services.

As part of this new initiative Micronics will step-up promotion of its CIBSE recognised CPD presentations, to develop a better understanding of the potential for wider application of clamp-on, liquid flow measurement as part of an overall metering solution. If you would like to take advantage of this service, or have a metering application you would like assistance with, large or small please call Micronics on 01628 810456, email sales@micronicsltd.co.uk or visit www.micronicsflowmeters.com.

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The quite wonderful Cotswold Wildlife Park (CWP) has become a champion of renewable energy utilising ground source heat pumps to provide cost effective, energy efficient warmth for its many animals that prefer the warmer climates they came from to the typical temperatures found on the Oxfordshire/Gloucestershire border!

The first part of the Park’s renewable journey saw a ground source heat pump being installed by local renewable experts Ecovision, based on the Highgrove Estate just outside Tetbury, to provide warmth for the resident giraffes at the Park and that was perceived as a major success. So it made sense to look at similar technology when it came to the Tropical House and the greenhouses used to winter tropical plants. So renewable energy now also turns the Park’s Tropical House into the tropical forests of South America so that a pair of Linnes Two-Toed Sloths feel at home – courtesy in no small part to the largest bank of Stelrad Compact K3 radiators you’ll probably ever see – or will you?

The back wall of the Tropical house is home to eighteen of Stelrad’s three panel, three fin energy efficient radiators, and there are four more strategically placed around the structure. But whether you will see them or not is open to question!

To blend in with their surroundings, in the normally steamy, misted environment created for the animals and birds in the Tropical House, the radiators have been firstly treated with an external corrosion inhibitor €“ to protect them in the environment created to make its occupants feel at home – that turned the white radiators into a sandy brown colour and then they have been painted in camouflage colours to blend in with the foliage and rocky back drop that makes the Tropical House seem authentic for animals and birds – and for human visitors. The radiators are ideal for operation with a lower temperature renewable ground source heat pump system. They are able to maximise the heat created from the radiator ‘footprint’ with three panels sharing the heat effectively so that the temperature in the Tropical House can be regulated easily to provide just the right environment required.

The Tropical House has to run at 17°C at night and between 20°-21°C during the day, and previously had been heated by three elderly and expensive to run oil boilers, at a cost of £20,000-£30,000 a year. The decision was taken to install a 75kW ground source heat pump system, again installed by Ecovision, at a cost of just over £90,000 plus ground work costs of £38,000. The ground works, carried out by the Park, were necessary to put 18 x 200M loops into the ground at a depth of around four feet, in a field on a site across a public road, to feed the heat pump.

To ensure the Tropical House was kept at the right temperature, the 22 camouflaged Stelrad Compact K3 radiators were installed along the back wall, bolted to a specially designed and constructed framework and have been painted so that they blend in with the tropical environment. In order to reduce the stress levels for the animals living in the Tropical House, work to install the radiators and additional pipes, took place around them in a ‘noise free’ zone with all the necessary work being carried out by hand – no electric power drills whatsoever! The Tropical House and two greenhouses were fully commissioned in the middle of October last year.

Energy efficient, but is it cost efficient?

The use of renewable technology sounds great and clearly meets the owner’s personal green agenda. But was it a good investment? Was it cost efficient too?

The overall cost of the ground source heat pump systems from Ecovision and the ground work, carried out by the Park itself, for both projects was in the region of £156,800.00.

The estimated annual Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) payments that will come back from Government on both projects is £10,690, which combined with the net saving (increased electricity costs but nil oil cost) means a payback of 8.6 years.

The total financial benefit over 20 years, as a result of energy cost savings and RHI, and using 3% inflation a year, amounts to just over £490,000. An impressive return by any standards. It’s easy to see why Cotswold Wildlife Park is often visited by representatives from other Parks and Zoos, to see just how efficiently it is using renewable energy, not only to cut operating costs but more importantly to keep its wonderful wild animals happy and on display for all to see.

“This is an innovative and rewarding use of our products,” says Stelrad’s managing director Mike Conlon. “It’s good to see our Compact K3s working so well with ground source heat pumps, confirming what we already know, that radiators can operate just as well alongside renewables as alongside traditional boiler driven heating systems. I don’t think we’ve ever been aware of our products being camouflaged before €“ that’s a first for us, but we’re delighted that our products are being used to make every day comfortable for two-toed sloths at the Cotswold Wildlife Park!”

For more details of the Cotswold Wildlife Park, near Burford just off the A40, go to http://www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk/ and to find out more about Stelrad Radiators, visit www.stelrad.com.

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One of Harrow School’s most eye-catching features is the rotunda roof of the Grade II-listed Old Speech Room. ALM supplied code 5, 6 and 8 lead and wood roll for its complex refurbishment in which the original splash lap design had given rise to leaks. The wood rolls were therefore radiated to natural falls from a raised tier at the roof pinnacle, forming a hub where roll ends are hidden. Segments of king roll and wood rolls had to be lost and to offset the problem whereby laps appeared too large, the base of wood rolls was rebated and also covered in lead.

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The U3000 & U1000 latest generation of clamp-on, ultrasonic flow meters from Micronics are a viable alternative to in-line meters for HVAC metering, in both retrofit and new build applications, delivering major installation savings, minimal downtime, maximised availability and significant maintenance benefits.

Liquid flow metering including LTHW, Chilled water and DHWS plus flow measurement for Thermal Energy measurement are all areas where clamp-on meters offer a best value solution for Building Services or Energy Management i.e. they will be significantly cheaper to install than traditional in-line meters and as they’re non-invasive they deliver maximum availability through dry servicing and minimal maintenance.

The larger the pipe size the greater the installed saving will be but with the elimination of flanges and by-pass valves significant savings are available for a wide range of pipe sizes with major savings for larger applications! The following is a comparison of new build installation costs the comparable savings for retrofit would be higher:

The above demonstrates the potential installation price savings from using a clamp-on solution, which would deliver an installed clamp-on meter price with savings ranging from significant to major from 50mm upwards. And with the added benefits of being non-invasive, requiring only dry servicing and maximising availability. Call+44 (0) 1628 810456 or visit www.micronicsflowmeters.com for further info.

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Floor Restorers have carried out work at the renowned school premises before, but it was the first time this particular floor had been sanded back for 16 years. Consequently there was considerable surface damage to deal with including scratches and scrapes, a build up of maintenance products and some water damage.

She explained “I specified Bona Traffic Anti-Slip as events are held on both walkways and I was concerned that drink/food spillage on the Oak floor could cause someone to slip. Stewart Taylor of the flooring contractors, Bailey & Taylor, had already recommended we use a Bona varnish and, after doing my own research, it seemed that Traffic Anti-Slip was just what we required. The walkways are used by the public in high numbers and the high durability offered by Traffic again made it ideal for this type of use. We also wanted a natural look and we were reassured that we would achieve this using Traffic. The City of London is committed to using environmentally friendly materials and Bona’s green credentials confirmed our choice.”

The walkways had been carpeted until this year a decision was made by the Surveyors to find a floorcovering which would give a long term saving and would look more stylish. The walkways are now used as a venue for sophisticated corporate events and wedding receptions. Bailey and Taylor sourced character grade English Oak planks and recommended using a lacquer from Bona’s range to deliver the required look and performance.

The carpet and plywood beneath was removed to reveal rubber studded tiles which, as part of the fabric of the Tower, have to be retained. New battens, insulation board and plywood were installed and the Oak planks were then secret nailed into place with the perimeter boards being stuck down with Bona’s silane based adhesive, R850.

The new boards were then sanded to a 120 grit finish and one coat of Bona’s Prime Classic applied. Prime Classic helps give a wooden surface a well-bodied appearance and also reduces the risk of sidebonding due to its flexibility. Finally, three coats of Traffic Anti Slip were applied according to the specification.

A two component, waterborne 100% polyurethane finish, Traffic Anti Slip delivers a highly durable surface in addition to anti-slip properties conforming to DIN standard 51130 -R10. All versions of Bona Traffic (Matt, Silkmatt and Anti Slip) offer the most durable finish of all Bona’s lacquers and are therefore recommended for areas such as the bridge walkways where extreme resistance to wear is required. Traffic Anti Slip is supplied in a matt finish with a reflective value of just 25% which means the floor maintains a natural look even after the lacquer has been applied.

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Floor Restorers of Cheltenham, who specialise in the renovation of natural floors such as stone, marble and wood, have renovated the hardwood floor in the Princess Hall at Cheltenham Ladies’ College. The floor was installed in 1952 and is constructed from Gurjun planks, a warm, pinkish brown species which was chosen to tone with the woodwork of the stage and balconies, and which is particularly silent to the tread.

Floor Restorers have carried out work at the renowned school premises before, but it was the first time this particular floor had been sanded back for 16 years. Consequently there was considerable surface damage to deal with including scratches and scrapes, a build up of maintenance products and some water damage.

Floor Restorer’s Paul Biver consulted Bona’s Tony Peak over the most appropriate finish for the floor. Tony recommended new Bona Traffic HD would provide the most durable finish for a surface that was subject to constant traffic from pupils and the public attending a wide range of events and performances. Traffic HD is a new waterborne formulation from Bona that is 40% more hard wearing than classic Bona Traffic and with a VOC content that is 40% lower. A key feature is its fast development time which means a floor can be put back in to use just 24 hours after application of the final coat.

The magnificent organ, installed in 2006, is a prized feature of the Princess Hall. The College was very concerned to protect this visual and aurally inspiring instrument from possible sanding dust contamination. Floor Restorers were able to guarantee a completely dust free procedure by using a Bona DCS dust containment system. This powerful vacuum is designed to be connected to Bona Belt and Edge sanding machines during sanding and removes and stores every speck of dust from the air and the machines, eliminating contamination from sanding dust as well as resulting in highly effective sanding and clean, safer working conditions for the team.

Some parts of the floor were so heavily scratched that Paul had to start sanding with 24 grit abrasives. And, after working through to 100 grit quality, he used the Bona Scrad system to deliver a fine finish before applying a coat of Bona Prime Intense. Bona Prime Intense is designed to produce a rich colouration to the surface as well as providing increased build to help improve wear resistance. When the primer coat had dried Paul used Bona’s Scrad System again to deal with any grain raising and to produce a really fine, flat finish ready for the first of three coats of Bona Traffic HD. The three coats were applied over a three day period with the Scrad System being used again to key the first two coats back when dry.

“Traffic HD is really great to use” said Paul “it’s got very good self-levelling properties and the long open time is useful when working in a large area like the Princess Hall. Everyone is delighted with the floor and the room looks totally different now it’s finished.”

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