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The remarkable Sofitel, Heathrow, due to open early next year and the only hotel connected to new airport terminal 5 via bridges, is a £180 million joint venture between Sofitel and Arora Hotels, will boast 5 star status and will be the largest luxury airport hotel and convention centre in Europe.

All 600 of the hotel guest bedrooms, 41 meeting rooms, reception, conference hall, cinema and business centre etc, will be supplied with air conditioning via 637 Athena and 160 Titan 4 pipe fan coil units, manufactured by Ability Projects Ltd, Wimborne, Dorset.

The Athena units are purpose designed for hotel installation and offer capacities of 2.3kW (cooling) and 1.5kW (heating). Located mainly within bulkheads above the room entry doors, they are fitted with stainless steel condensate tray, customised rearward facing coil tails, extended drip trays to shield valves during transportation and installation and supply and return air sensors. They also feature discharge plenums with foam acoustic baffles to limit fresh air inlet noise to NR29, 125mm fresh air spigots on the plenum side and flying power leads to assist installation. All Athena units have been shipped to site.

The 1.2kW to 2.5kW nominal cooling and heating capacity Titan fan coil units, more or less standard and ordered for installation within the meeting rooms and other public areas, are designed to meet NR30 noise requirements, except in the bedroom floor corridors (NR35).

Installation of the Ability fan coil units will be carried out by project mechanical and electrical contractors, Crown House Technologies, Dartford, Kent.

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ATG Access SP1000 bollards now stand guard at the American Consular in Edinburgh.

ATG Access has installed over 250,000 bollards in the UK and abroad and its anti-terrorist SP1000 product is fast becoming the preferred method of secure access control for government facilities and other areas at risk of attack by vehicle borne explosives.

The American Embassy in Edinburgh follows several projects around the centre of London as well as a contract to protect the British Consular General in Istanbul and the installation of SP1000 anti terrorist bollards at the brand new Emirates Stadium in Islington.

The SP1000 has been tested to the forthcoming PAS68 standard which has been designed to match or exceed the American K12 L3 standard. One single SP1000 bollard was tested on three separate occasion, first at 30mph and then twice at 50mph, each time with a fully laden 7.5 tonne truck. Each test resulted in a dead stop of the vehicle and the bollard continuing to function.

For more details on this story or on the product range of ATG Access please contact their marketing department on 01942 685 522 or e-mail: ian.parry@atgaccess.com , visit their website at www.atgaccess.com for extensive product information or to see footage of the crash tests of the SP1000 bollard.

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Wilo delivering savings for the NHS and other public sector users

There’s a company here in the UK that is helping its customers to significantly cut the cost of energy used by their pumps and pumping systems. In the current climate, by up to 80%.

Wilo (U.K.) is part of the German based Wilo AG Group, one of the world’s top 6 pump manufacturers with annual sales approaching £700m. Throughout its history the Wilo group has been at the forefront of developing energy saving products through increased hydraulic efficiency, electronics and innovative motor design. These advances in product development have lead to the latest ranges of Wilo pumps qualifying for the top band ‘A’ energy rating.

In real terms the latest range of Wilo pumps are up to 80% more efficient than a standard fixed speed pump. With rising energy costs this can represent a huge saving on energy bills. There is not a huge awareness of the amount of energy pumps can use. In the same way that in simple terms the value of heating controls in a home is to turn off or turn down the heat and energy use when its not needed, if you can install pumps that only operate and consume energy when they are needed, you can make a huge saving on your energy bills.

Of course, this saving has to be balanced against the cost of purchasing a new pump.

It’s easy to bandy around impressive looking statistics. But what about in real life. Can these claims be substantiated? Let’s take a closer look at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth.

Early in 2006, Wilo made contact with Norman Spiller based at Derriford Hospital. Responsible for the maintenance of all plant on the site, Norman was concerned that the pumps installed were aging and that that could be part of the reason why the hospital had a £1m+ per annum electricity bill. Wilo was invited to survey the pumps in all of the 12 plant rooms within the hospital. The purpose of the survey was to catalogue all of the pumps on site and suggest an equivalent pump from the Wilo energy efficient range.

Dan Wild from Wilo takes up the story: “Upon inspection, we found the pumps on site ranged from 20 years old down to pumps that had been installed for only a couple of years.

“When the pumps had been catalogued and new equivalents selected, we calculated the energy costs of the old and the new. It was found that significant savings could be made by installing the new Wilo high efficiency pumps. This saving obviously had to be offset against the capital outlay required to purchase the new pumps. As you would expect, the most significant saving could be made on the older pumps and not surprisingly the pumps with larger motor sizes.”

Payback periods for the pumps ranged from 4 months up to several years with savings of up to £6,300 per annum available for an outlay of just £4,340. Over the 12 plant rooms surveyed, Wilo was able to produce savings in excess of £70,000 per annum.

With payback periods of over a few months, Derriford Hospital was able to make the decision to replace the first pumps immediately as they would show a saving in that financial year. Derriford Hospital has also programmed the replacement of all pumps in the hospital as funding becomes available. This plan will result in the hospital having huge energy savings year on year together with new pumps which will render reduced running costs when compared to many of the older pumps which required increasingly more frequent maintenance.

By standardising on a single manufacturer of pumps on the site, the hospital is now in a position where it can standardise any spare parts which it may decide to carry in the event of pump failures. The hospital has also negotiated with a local pump distributor to hold stock of spares and replacement pumps.

Wilo has agreed to train the hospitals training staff in the installation and maintenance of all the pumps installed and this training has taken place both at the hospital and at the Wilo headquarters in Burton on Trent.

As a result of this kind of exercise, Wilo is now working on a number of government sites, particularly within the military sector, to help them drive down their energy costs. A free site survey and energy comparison service is the gateway to any establishment saving significantly on their annual energy costs.

Anyone can contact Wilo UK to arrange a free, no obligation site survey and energy comparison. They’ll show you in simple terms what your current set up is costing and what you can save by switching to Wilo energy saving pumps. It costs you nothing and could save you a lot. Call them now on 01283 523 000 or visit them first at www.wilo.co.uk to get a feel for what they do – and how they do it.

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The building products manufacturer, Hambleside Danelaw Ltd, is making further cuts to its carbon output by sourcing the electricity supply for its carbon-neutral Inverness factory entirely from renewable energy.

With the switch taking effect from today, the Group estimates that the measure will reduce its carbon footprint by about 40 tonnes a year. Last year Hambleside Danelaw successfully cut emissions by 24.6% and it expects to achieve further major reductions this year as a result of using renewable energy sources. The Group has won numerous awards for environmental good practice.

The Inverness facility’s electricity is now being supplied by Green Energy UK. The electricity is generated from a wide range of renewable energy sources including wind, solar, combined heat and power, small-scale hydro-electric, energy from biomass and organic waste material. The wind energy is sourced from turbines on an island off the west coast of Scotland and a farm in Pembrokeshire.

Ray Khan, Hambleside’s Quality, Safety and Environment Manager, said: “Switching to green energy is the latest step in Hambleside Danelaw’s ongoing commitment to the environment. With the Inverness facility already carbon neutral, we are now using recycled materials in the manufacturing processes of our award winning roofing products.”

Government consultation on carbon offsetting

Hambleside Danelaw also said today that it will respond in full to a Defra consultation on a code of practice for carbon offsetting schemes to follow.

The Group offsets its emissions through the Trees for Global Benefit scheme in the Bushenyi District of Uganda. This project uses the Plan Vivo system which offers a tried and tested system for generating carbon offsets. Responding to the Government’s initiative today, Hambleside Danelaw agreed with Environment Secretary, David Miliband, that offsetting was not enough on its own and this was why the Group continued to pursue all avenues to reduce its emissions still further.

Hambleside Danelaw is pleased that its environmental programme using a planned approach, which includes reductions in landfill waste, is very similar in approach to that being adopted by major retailers such as Marks & Spencer. The leading environmentalist, Jonathon Porritt, has said that the M&S plan sets a new benchmark for businesses in caring for the environment.

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Already established as offering the best performance in terms of fire resistance and sound insulation, Saint-Gobain Pipelines’ Ensign cast iron drainage system is now set to take on the competition for ease of installation. The new Ensign EEZI-FIT push-fit range of fittings and couplings for above ground gravity drainage combines the benefits of cast-iron performance with the simplicity of push-fit assembly.

Announcing this new innovation to the Ensign range, Mike Rawlings of Saint-Gobain Pipelines said: “Ensign has already established its position in the market as the most versatile system for above and below ground use, but we are always looking to develop the range to reflect market needs. The introduction of Ensign EEZI-FIT answers the call for a system that combines all the benefits of cast iron with a push fit installation method. The addition of a push-fit option reinforces Ensign’s position as the most versatile system on the market.”

Mechanical jointing will remain the favoured option for applications where internal drainage systems may need to be altered or extended in the future, or if there is a higher level of pressure capability required in case of blockages, such as internal rainwater systems. Whereas push-fit offers the perfect solution and is generally used for installations such as high-rise residential blocks where the main soil stacks are not likely to be changed over time and the system performance is no more than 0.5bar gravity pressure. However, because the EEZI-FIT range has been designed to the parameters of BS EN 877, both jointing methods can be used allowing ductile iron mechanical couplings to be used in certain sections of a push-fit system that may require dismantling at a later stage.

With the proven qualities of durability, strength, sustainability, fire resistance and acoustic performance, speed of installation is sometimes seen as a disadvantage for mechanically jointed cast iron systems, with the perception of a longer installation time adding to the overall cost of a project. According to Saint-Gobain, Ensign EEZI-FIT directly addresses that challenge and offers a speed and ease of installation comparable with other push-fit systems.

The Ensign EEZI-FIT range utilises the standard range of Ensign brackets, including the new acoustic bracket which has been tested to the new European Standard BS EN 14366:2004. Results from the tests proved that Ensign cast iron is significantly quieter than any other material – 4-5dB(A) airborne noise and up to 10dB(A) for structure borne noise, offering significant savings on acoustic insulation. So, for quality flats and apartments Ensign EEZI-FIT really is the perfect solution.

Ensign is the only cast-iron system kitemarked to BS EN 877. Ensign EEZI-FIT will also be kitemarked to the standard for gravity applications of 0.5 bar performance although it has been successfully tested to higher pressures. The new range features 100mm diameter push-fit fittings and coupling including a new radius branch with up to four boss options to connect to waste pipes available plain or with an access door. The range is red epoxy coated internally and externally and its joints are made with EPDM rubber gasket seals.

With the first phase of the Ensign EEZI-FIT range now available, Saint-Gobain Pipelines has also announced that a number of new fittings will follow by September. These will include a range of boss pipes with up to 3 waste connections, a double branch with boss options, and a new push-fit manifold connector with an extended spigot that will avoid the need for a joint in the floor slab.

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AMTECH Power Software has chosen the educational facilities operated by the UK’s largest electrical safety specialist CLM as the perfect venue for training courses in the North West of England. Located at CLM’s headquarters in Warrington, the Learning Centre offers the ideal environment for AMTECH’s comprehensive, CPD registered courses.

“Demand in the North West for our training courses has been overwhelming so we are delighted to have found such an ideal facility,” said AMTECH Sales Director James Cooper. “This will enable us to deliver a consistently high standard of training to customers in a comfortable learning environment,” he added.

The first course to be held at the Warrington training centre is on AMTECH’s FastTest Test & Inspection software on the 4th September 2007. There are a few spaces left, so please call 0800 028 28 28 ASAP to reserve your space.

AMTECH is an Institution of Electrical Engineers (IET) Endorsed Training Provider and is registered with the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) as a course provider. All AMTECH courses attract Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours, which are credited towards an individual's CPD.

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The replacement of out of date, often inefficient, high-maintenance air conditioning plant can present a major headache for the end user. Mechanical and performance deficiencies, frequent breakdowns and spiralling maintenance and repair costs can create a nightmare scenario for end users and facilities management companies. At the same time, managers are understandably reluctant to undertake any work that involves prolonged downtime and disruption whilst ripping out the old equipment and starting again from scratch.

Weatherite, the UK's leading roof-top packaged air-conditioning specialists, offers a cost effective, energy saving alternative – direct replacement units.

By replacing old, worn out equipment with a bespoke package from Weatherite, clients can achieve substantial savings in installation costs, downtime and long term energy usage. As a further bonus, replacement systems also deliver a rapid pay back for building owners or end users a like.

Weatherite’s replacement solutions offer significant advantages over many ‘off- the-shelf alternatives. In many cases, current standard equipment may not match the footprint of the existing system or dovetail with existing services. Replacement units, however, provide a technologically advanced solution with all the energy and performance benefits of a new system – plus the bonus that the new equipment will match the existing physical parameters, in terms of footprint, services and ductwork.

There’s more. A Weatherite replacement unit comes with all the rewards of substantial – often spectacular – savings in energy costs and performance. Many of the systems still in situ on rooftops are, by definition, based on technology that is now decades old. Componentry, design and energy efficiency standards have made giant strides in that time. In Weatherite’s case, that means systems that have been designed to achieve key performance criteria for the minimum of capital outlay.

Having new equipment installed, especially if it involves the major structural changes often required to accommodate new units, is inevitably going to cause disruption. However, the bespoke design of a Weatherite system greatly reduces the work involved. Installation is much faster and simpler as the units undergo full testing and pre-commissioning before they leave the factory. The systems are also specifically designed to satisfy the demands of today’s ‘fast-track’ building environments. As the replacement units are designed to fit directly into the footprint of the old unit to be replaced, existing ductwork and services can usually be used, without disruption, saving a great deal of time and cost.

The cost-saving and performance benefits of a direct replacement unit do not end once commissioning has taken place. All facilities managers know that a good preventative maintenance programme will ensure the optimum performance of the air handling system and, of course, maximize cost-savings. Weatherite provides a total package of services that can last for the lifetime of the unit.

Weatherite has produced a new Replacement system brochure highlighting all the benefits associated with replacement systems.

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