Story

Rockwool improves Nottinghams MP's green credentials

Nottingham MP, Alan Simpson has used Rockwool’s complete high performance external wall insulation, RockShield, to maximise the energy efficiency in his new, environmentally sound, self-build home in the city.

Converting an unused Nottingham inner city building into a highly sustainable family home was both a statement of commitment by Alan to his Nottingham South constituency and an opportunity to exercise his strong green principles.

In addition to some radical alterations, including the installation of the solar panels and a water recycling system, Rockwool’s RockShield was used to insulate the exterior envelope of the refurbished property.

Julian Marsh of project architects, Marsh and Grochowski, commented on the new build: “Sited behind a local pub, the building, which was previously known as the Lacemaker’s House, had been disused for at least 60 years and needed extensive work.

“The external walls are solid, two bricks thick with no cavity, so we needed to apply external insulation. We used 110mm of Rockwool RockShield, which was mechanically fixed to the wall and rendered over. Rockwool was chosen for its unrivalled sustainability credentials, thermal performance and durability.

“Durability is particularly important for this project because one of the property walls backs onto the pub car park, making it vulnerable to damage by poorly parked cars. Unlike rigid insulation materials, which would rapidly crack and deteriorate, Rockwool will withstand this kind of impact, without compromising its integrity or thermal efficiency.”

Rockwool Rockfloor was also used over the ground floor slab and Rockwool Flexi was used for insulating the roof space of the property.

Rockwool stone wool insulation is one of the most environmentally friendly and energy efficient construction products available and meets the highest standards of ‘cradle to cradle’ sustainability, energy conservation and recyclability.

It is manufactured using igneous volcanic rock, an abundantly-available resource. Over the lifetime of the building, the energy saved could be 100s of times more than that consumed to manufacture the Rockwool insulation.

Rockwool stone wool insulation has a low embodied energy of 16.8MJ/Kg and has zero Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP) and Global Warming Potential (GWP). Its excellent thermal properties significantly cut energy consumption in homes, reducing the need to burn fossil fuels and therefore helping to minimise harmful emissions of greenhouse gases.

View Rockwool's profile:

Story

The West End Shopping Mall in Budapest, Hungary is one of Europe’s largest shopping malls. It houses over 400 luxury and brand-name stores, it is fully air-conditioned and its impressive futuristic design has won various architectural awards. However, maintaining the building and a comfortable shopping environment presents a major challenge for the facilities managers, as Hungarian summer temperatures often reach over forty-centigrade.

The site has 3 Baltimore TXV-500 cooling towers with total capacity of 9 megawatt, which work by the process of evaporation. So-called ‘wet’ cooling towers, they allow a portion of cooling water to evaporate into a moving stream of air. The cooling system experienced extreme limescale build up, which impaired the efficiency of the air conditioning system. This is due to the extreme water-hardness and high level of calcium in the region. This increased energy output, operating costs, and resulted in the system needing to be cleaned regularly using strong chemicals.

Monthly cleaning costs exceeded 2,500 Euros, plus the extra utility costs for topping up the system and the removal of chemical waste. Municipal drinking water was being used for topping-up the cooling towers because the hardness of the ground water, which therefore also increased the metered water costs.

To eliminate the high costs and the limescale problem, management at the site decided to trial Hydropath’s patented chemical free water conditioning technology in combination with a water filtration system.

Each cooling tower was installed with a Custom designed Aquaklear ‘P’ unit. A standard P unit was also installed on the side filtration, to enhance flocculation of the extra debris brought by air suction and to aid filtration. A HydroFlow C60 unit was installed to protect customer bathroom water systems.

Hydropath patented technology is unique as it treats all of the water in the system by inducing random varying electric fields into the water, which propagate throughout the entire system. The result is the production of nuclei everywhere in the water system. Without treatment, when water is heated the hard water salts deposit as encrusting limescale on the surface, blocking heat exchangers, pipes and components. With treatment, the limescale forms in suspension and is washed away with the flow. Hydropath technology prevents limescale forming and also reduces existing limescale.

The cooling system has seen significant improvements following the installation of the AquaKlear units. No new limescale had formed in the pipes of the cooling towers and the existing scale softened, which is easy to filter and wipe away – along with debris and algae. This has significantly reduced maintenance and energy costs at the shopping centre, removing the need for expensive chemicals and improved the efficiency of the cooling system. The HydroFlow C60 unit significantly reduced limescale build up on the self-pouring taps in the shopping centre’s toilets. The taps rely on sensors, which recognise when hands are placed underneath, which transmits a message to pour the water. The sensors were susceptible to scale build up, reducing their effectiveness. However, following the installation of Hydropath technology, this problem has now been eliminated.

A further benefit that West End Shopping Centre did not anticipate is that now they do not need to use the treated municipal supply water to run the cooling system, which is charged per usage. The cooling system now runs efficiently using ground water supply only. Louk van den Bosch of Hydroflow Magyarorszag Kft, who managed the installation of the units in West End Shopping Centre commented, “Water in the cooling towers is now crystal clear. Almost as good as drinking water – and that’s no joke!”

The HydroFlow ‘C’ Range and the AquaKlear ‘P’ Range is maintenance free and is simple to install by fitting to the exterior of the pipe. Additionally, The AquaKlear system also provides the additional benefit of killing bacteria and algae, therefore preventing bio-fouling. Units can also be used for smaller commercial and domestic applications such as swimming pools and spas, available to fit pipe sizes 60 – 200mm.

View Hydroflow's profile:

Story

Jacobs Ladder in Falmouth has had new handrails fitted with state of the art lighting to light up a flight of 111 steps.

The old handrails made up of crude sections of wrought iron work and cast iron pipe work have been replaced with a new high quality stainless steel handrail with light emitting diode (LED) light strips to the underside, which will enable the steps to be lit fully without the need to lay cables or disturb any ground, as all the cabling has been carried out within the central rail. The LEDs are fitted in such a way that in the event of a failure, the remaining LEDs will still operate, ensuring that sections of the steps will remain lit. LED strips provide a low maintenance and low energy lighting solution with a life expectancy of ten years.

The LED lighting strips will provide a uniform level of light along the entire length of the flight of steps which will have the benefit of allowing safe use in the dark and enhancing the appearance of the steps, creating an attractive architectural feature to a local landmark.

View Urbis's profile:

Story

Rockwool, the world’s leading manufacturer of non-combustible stone wool insulation, has developed a unique insulation system for a refurbishment project at the Grade II-listed Barbican Estate.

The project – which has been on-site since October 2008 – involves £40,000 of insulation product being installed to insulate the top three storeys in one part of the Estate’s buildings, which were being converted from offices into residential accommodation.

However, the tight radius of the Barbican’s barrel roofs meant that Rockwool, working in collaboration with its partners – the client; the roofing contractor, Delomac Roofing; and the membrane manufacturer, Sarnafil – had to develop a new kind of insulation system.

After designing, fabricating and trialling various alternatives, the team eventually settled on Rockwool’s 40mm Hardrock SPA roof insulation board (installed with Sarnafil membrane) with special grooves cut into the base of the board to allow for bending around the tight radius, fitting the roofs snugly.

David Adams, Market Development Director from Rockwool, said: “Barrel roofs are often difficult to insulate fully. Most insulation comes in boards, which is fine for covering vertical walls or horizontal roofs, but cannot always bend sufficiently to fit tightly – and therefore effectively – over a curved surface. Our bespoke product design will ensure the Barbican Estate roofs will be well insulated and as energy efficient as possible.”

Brendan McNulty from Delomac Roofing, the roofing contractor, said: “We have worked closely with Rockwool on developing this unique product. The installation is now well underway and reports confirm the system is performing precisely as intended.”

The Barbican Estate in the heart of London’s Square Mile contains a mix of urban residential accommodation and office space, as well as the Barbican Centre, Europe’s largest performing arts centre, which includes a library, concert halls, gallery, cinema and theatre auditoriums.

View Rockwool's profile:

Story

JS Humidifiers has supplied, installed and commissioned three Neptronic SKE resistive steam humidifiers at the Royal Armouries Museum and the National Firearms Centre in Leeds. The humidifiers maintain the humidity around the 8,500 exhibits on display and in stores at the two sites. These exhibits include cannons, mortars and the largest collection of arms and armour on display since the 19th century.

Glyn Barraclough, Mechanical Engineer at the Royal Armouries, comments, “If the atmosphere becomes too dry it can damage the exhibits on display and in storage. The humidifiers maintain the atmosphere at 60-65% relative humidity preventing humidity-related damage to materials such as wood, fabric and hair. Incorrect humidity control can also affect the metals on suits of armour, causing concentric rings to appear.”

The Leeds Royal Armouries Museum is split into five galleries displaying different types of armaments from across the World. There is also a jousting display arena with seating for 1,200 people, a menagerie, a craft court and a “Hall of Steel” with a display of over 2,500 objects.

The Neptronic SKE is ideal for maintaining the correct humidity in museums and art galleries as it responds rapidly to a humidity requirement. Museums can be empty one minute and full of visitors in from the rain the next. Steam humidifiers are ideal as they can quickly increase or decrease their output accordingly.

The Neptronic SKE is a resistive steam humidifier that can deliver up to 80kg of steam per hour from a single unit and, unlike an electrode boiler humidifier, does not incorporate disposable boiling cylinders, making it much more economical to run.

The humidifier has an innovative scale management system that detaches the limescale from its heating elements and flushes it to drain during normal operation. This maintains the efficiency of the system and helps reduce required maintenance. The SKE is also the only resistive steam humidifier in the UK to have a two year guarantee on all components, including the heating elements. Its heating elements are robustly constructed from super alloy incoloy 825. They are protected from “element burn-out”, due to foaming in the water tank, with electronic water level sensors, internal and external temperature sensors, and an internal foam sensor.

A PureFlo reverse osmosis (RO) water filter was installed alongside the steam humidifiers at the Royal Armouries, which removes 90% of the minerals from the water prior to it being boiled inside the humidifiers.

This virtually eliminates limescale build-up in the units reducing the maintenance requirements to a simple check-over once or twice a year. An RO water filter also allows precise control over humidity to ±1%rH, as the mineral level in water tank does not need to be controlled through flushing and re-filling the cylinder. This results in a more consistent temperature level in the tank and a more consistent output.

JS Humidifiers is the UK’s largest humidification company with the widest range of products and offers a service of advice, design, supply, installation and maintenance. It also offers a comprehensive range of humidifier spares, not only for JS equipment but also for a large range of different manufacturers’ humidifiers, mostly available ex-stock.

View Condair's profile:

Story

As a pioneer in the design and manufacture of decorative wiring accessories Hamilton Litestat has just introduced its redesigned Linea CFX Collection featuring super thin plate profiles, split finishes and secret screw fixings.

The CFX concealed fixing system affords seamless styling and sophistication to address specifiers’ more sophisticated requirements. Offering minimal depth for both modern and traditional accessories, its stunning appearance creates another facet within the interior design scheme.

The patented CFX Linea face plates have 4 pillars, with each pillar having a small metal clip which is designed to hold the face plate firmly to the back fame, neatly concealing the fixing screws. As the Linea CFX accessories incorporate a separate back frame and face plate they allow the specifier to choose whether to use the same finish on both elements or to use different ones to create a sublime contrasting option.

Utilizing the finest materials and production standards, Hamiltons offers six super finishes which are available for both the frame and face plate. These include polished brass, satin brass, antique brass, bright chrome, satin nickel and black nickel. In most cases, matching switch rockers are also available with either black or white surrounds to the switch inserts.

View Hamilton-Litestat's profile:

Story

At 80 pages, Laidlaw Solutions’ 2009 Handrail and Balustrade Solutions brochure provides an invaluable guide to handrail and balustrade specification and design. It includes detailed information on stainless steel, nylon, timber and combination systems as well as uprights, infills and structural glazing. Guidance on key aspects of installation such as spacing and loading is also provided in relation to Approved Doc Parts M, K (England and Wales), R (Northern Ireland) and Non-Domestic Technical Handbook Section 4 – safety (Scotland). Coverage of Building Regulations and Standards includes specific reference to the newly updated BS8300 in respect of grip, dimensions, spacing, LRVs and visual impairment.

Diverse case studies for all key sectors illustrate how use of Laidlaw systems fulfils aesthetic as well as functional design requirements, utilising component based, rather than site fabricated systems. As market leader in the supply of doorsets and architectural ironmongery, Laidlaw, which is now Chas accredited, offers six handrail and balustrading systems:

• Nylon – using nylon-sleeved galvanised steel components Stainless steel – using stainless steel components
• Timber – using four basic types of timber in conjunction with either nylon-sleeved galvanised steel or stainless steel components
• Combi – using a combination of nylon-sleeved galvanised steel and stainless steel components
• 3kN – using larger diameter stainless steel uprights to resist the greater loadings required for certain environments
• Modu-line –an on-site, easy assembly component system

Specification clauses are available via NBS Plus or from the company’s Handrail department which can supply detailed technical support and guidance.

View Laidlaw's profile:

Story

Specifiers, housebuilders and self-builders looking to achieve Level 3 of the Code of Sustainable Homes (25% reduced CO2 emissions from January 2010) should consider the latest Genvex heat pump ventilation systems from Total Home Environment Ltd (T.H.E).

The new Genvex Premium range combines heat recovery ventilation with heat pump technology to efficiently harness energy from outgoing air. With a 35-year pedigree in developing advanced ventilation systems, the Danish company Genvex, has designed the new Premium range to provide heat as well as ventilation and also cooling on hot summer days

All this from one appliance, compact enough to fit into the loft space of the house.

The efficiency of the low energy Genvex Premium system is outstanding; the appliance generates as much as six times the heat energy, as the power it consumes. Whilst the system provides an air change in the house every two hours, it can take outside air of –1°C and convert this to an incoming air temperature of 34°C.

The Genvex system continually provides fresh filtered air (pollen filters as standard) whilst removing moisture and humidity. It also usefully extracts the harmful cocktail of chemicals and dustmites present in the modern home and all in extremely quiet conditions because of its advanced design EC motors.

View Total Home Environment's profile:

Story

The new 17th Edition of the wiring regulations is due to be implemented on the 1st June 2008. There are a significant number of changes, additions and deletions, both big and small.By ensuring the manufacturer states the instrument meets this standard and you cannot go far wrong. And of course Megger testers all meet the requirements of the 17th Edition.

The new 17th Edition of the wiring regulations is due to be implemented on the 1st June 2008. There are a significant number of changes, additions and deletions, both big and small.

To align the British and IEC numbering system sections 6 (Special installations or locations) and 7 (Inspection and testing) change places. The new section 7 will now include sections on: “Marinas and similar locations”, “Exhibitions, Shows and Stands”, “Solar Voltaic Power Supply Systems”, “Mobile and transportable units”, “Temporary electrical installations” and “Floor and ceiling heating systems”.

The good news for anyone doing “Testing and Inspection”, – there are no changes that prevent your current Megger testers being used.

A brief summary of current instrument requirements is detailed below:

Insulation testing

The most important change is to the insulation test limits for SELV, PELV and systems of <500 V

View Megger's profile:

Story

Wilo UK has launched the incredible new Wilo-Stratos PICO high efficiency small circulator pump into the UK marketplace. The latest in the family of high efficiency ‘A’ rated small circulators, the PICO is right at the top of the class when it comes to energy efficiency savings with an average annual electricity consumption of just 46.5 kWh for a typical home. According to standard Europump Commitment measuring procedures, when it comes to electricity consumption, PICO is more efficient than any other A class pump you can buy.

A large percentage of the initial cost of the pump will be paid off in the first year of operation and by the end of the second year, it will have paid for itself and be giving back savings for the rest of its working life. There’s not many items in a home you can say that about!

As you would expect from a Wilo product it offers all the other benefits that you would want from a high efficiency small circulator, including reliable starting and maximum convenience due to its high starting torque and its in-built de-blocking software. It’s remarkably simple to set up and quick to install and features a display with a consumption reading along with a thermal insulation shell as standard

.

Installing a pump has never been so easy as with the PICO. Its compact design allows this little high efficiency pump to fit into any set up you care to choose. And on top of that there’s its clever power connection mechanism. Until now you’ve had to connect the ends of the power cables to the terminal box but with the Wilo Connector that comes with the Wilo-Stratos PICO, you simply connect the cable to the patented plug connection, plug this into the corresponding connection on the pump and you’re done! In the blink of an eye!

Then what? Well it runs by itself. Just one press of a button sees the PICO activate its automatic bleeding device giving maximum performance and minimum noise. The most important thing is that the setting is correct and this is simple because this small pump has the same large display you have on the big brother – the Wilo-Stratos. This means the pump can be operated and read with ease from the front and all the setting parameters can be seen at a glance. The big display is also a big advantage for the homeowner as it allows them to read the current power consumption and total electricity consumption at any time. In effect this is like having your own electricity meter, so you can keep a wary eye on just how energy efficient the PICO is!

Dave Spragg is Wilo’s UK Domestic Product Manager: “Obviously I’ve seen this coming for several months and couldn’t wait for it to arrive here in the UK! We showed it for the first time at Installer Live 2009 a few weeks ago and it got an incredibly warm reception there. It’s great to have a pump that is ahead of all the competition in energy savings terms and it’s excellent to have a family of high efficiency ‘A’ rated pumps that we can offer to our customers. This is a little beauty and installers will love it – not just because its so energy efficient but because it makes their lives so much easier! It’s been designed to be the best of the ‘A’ rated pumps available but it’s also been designed for ease of installation and in such a way as you can prove its operating as it should do. It’s an installers dream and we have high hopes for PICO here in the UK.”

View Wilo's profile: