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An electrical substation, built as a key part of the utilities infrastructure in the Olympic Park, has won the award for the best brickwork in Britain.

The external substation, hailed as a great success and an inspired piece of commissioning, beat off hundreds of competitors to take the prestigious Supreme Winner at the 2010 Brick Awards, held at the Marriott Grosvenor Square Hotel in London on 3rd November.

The Brick Awards is one of Britain’s most respected design competitions. Organised by the Brick Development Association, the annual contest provides the definitive showcase for what brick can do. This year, there were a record number of entries, with projects from right across the globe.

Bob Allies, Chairman of the Judging Panel and partner, Allies and Morrison, comments: “This remarkable building demonstrates many ways in which brick can be used. The precision and clarity of the expression persuaded the judging panel that it deserved the ‘best of the best’ award. It will provide an enduring legacy on the Olympic site.”

A clear emphasis was put on the architectural designs of the substation to ensure the structure fits in with the design of the wider Olympic Park. The use of more than 130,000 of Ibstock’s Aldridge Himley Ebony Black bricks in the design, also reflects the traditional use of dark brick stock as window and corner details on the former Kings Yard industrial buildings on the site where the new substation has been built.

With sustainability considerations at the heart of the substation design through the reuse of materials from the demolition of the former Kings Yard buildings, the judges were struck by the way the architects, NORD Architecture, managed to reduce the area of a standard substation by a third and within the cost limits.

The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and Design for London (DfL) went on to comment further: “We congratulate the client and architects for producing a real piece of architecture out of an everyday brief. We think this is an object lesson in how even relatively minor parts of the Olympic programme can benefit from committed design thinking.”

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Mitsubishi Electric has signed a five-year rolling contract with bespoke design and air conditioning supplier PACAIR following the company’s success as an official Value Added Reseller (VAR) of its comprehensive range of air conditioning, heating and ventilation products. The move comes after both companies enjoyed growth during one of the toughest periods for the industry for decades and reflects the investment that PACAIR has made which has seen the company grow its workforce and customer base. “Our sales have gone from strength to strength during an incredibly tough market and we put this down to our skills in giving customers the service levels they expect, combined with the excellent product line up that Mitsubishi Electric offers,” explained PACAIR Director, Nigel Palmer. Hertfordshire-based PACAIR supplies specialist independent support and has an experienced team covering all aspects of the supply chain from initial design to final commissioning; PACAIR staff have experience ranging from three to thirty years within the air conditioning industry. PACAIR complements Mitsubishi Electric’s nationwide sales network along with the company’s wholesalers, Dean & Wood, Air Creation and Kooltech, to offer the market a comprehensive choice in the provision of the company’s full range of air conditioning, heating and ventilation equipment. “Nigel and his team have developed an excellent reputation within the industry for delivering first-class customer service which matches the high standards that we demand and we are delighted to be able to demonstrate our faith in his approach with this new deal,” explained Deane Flint, Mitsubishi Electric’s Sales & Marketing Director. PACAIR was founded by Nigel Palmer, who has developed a team of key people to offer a full nationwide design service to customers in the commercial, leisure, retail and high-end residential sectors. The deal with PACAIR is a non-exclusive agreement, with the company also retaining its role as a sales channel for the Toshiba brand. “We have been delighted with how well the relationship with Mitsubishi Electric has progressed and see them as having a comprehensive range of the most innovative and energy efficient products available on the market today,” said Nigel Palmer. PACAIR would like to thank its supportive customers over the last few years and has stated: “This deal strengthens our ability to offer our customers a world-class brand enhanced by the bespoke design, sales, and technical expertise of our staff.”

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Estimation has launched DATAbank, an innovative automatic data backup system that enables users to back up and protect their valuable files and data to a remote, secure storage area. Included in the company’s comprehensive ProCover support package, DATAbank is the latest in a raft of added-value services that Estimation’s parent company AMTECH Group has recently introduced for customers.

Losing valuable data can be catastrophic for any business and when people are focused on their work they may forget to carry out routine backups. DATAbank operates in the background, automatically copying selected files to secure storage on the internet as frequently as the customer requires. This also means that, in the event of any major disruption or downtime at the customer’s premises, the data is safe and can be accessed and restored from an alternative location.

Fully password protected, DATAbank has been tried and tested with hundreds of AMTECH Group customers and is offered at no extra charge to Estimation customers with ProCover support contracts.

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Beko, a leading UK appliance manufacturer, has expanded its range to include a new induction hob that complements the Beko Built-in range. Stylishly designed and packed with a range of functional features, the new induction hob offers a modern alternative to the gas hob, a high quality, affordable option for housebuilders and their potential buyers.

The induction hob complements the Beko Built-in range, with a combination of speed, controllability and economy. “The induction hob is a welcome addition to Beko’s selection of built-in appliances and represents a continuation of our commitment to offering high quality, affordable products packed with usable features that match today’s consumers requirements says ” Les Wicks, Head of Product and Buying, Beko plc:

With nine cooking levels per zone, the induction hob cooks food quickly and efficiently, saving time and energy. It is simple to use with touch controls, LED power level indicators, and individual time controls on each of the four zones with an end time buzzer. The unique induction operation ensures that all the energy is used to heat the pan; speed and controllability are the essence of hob cooking and the Beko induction hob gives you this – and makes cleaning up after cooking easier. The lower surface temperature of the ceramic glass and its frameless black ceramic surface ensures easy cleaning and maintenance. A child lock adds to the safety features.

“The new induction hob includes many additional touches designed to appeal to housebuilders, designers, contractors and homebuyers alike,” says Wicks.

“Consumers will appreciate the efficient heating method, stylish black design and easy-to-clean ceramic surface, while housebuilders, kitchen designers and installers will recognise the competitive affordability that will help them keep costs down and profits up in this challenging commercial market.”

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An innovative approach to the design of building services has won national acclaim for J&B Hopkins of Fareham, Hampshire with short listing in two prestigious awards.

The mechanical and electrical contracting engineers firm is a finalist in the ‘Innovation’ category of the Retrofit Awards and in the ‘Industrial & Commercial Project’ and ‘Small End User’ categories of the RAC Cooling Industry Awards.

J&B Hopkins entered both awards with a case study showing how it is possible to deliver a highly energy efficient way of controlling the temperature within buildings using low temperature heating and high temperature cooling.

“There is a real focus on minimising energy use in buildings and we have found a way of providing a comfortable internal environment by using the best design and the best equipment,” explains Managing Director, Paul Hopkins.

The company has used its headquarters in Concorde Way, Fareham to demonstrate that this approach can be replicated in almost any commercial building. J&B Hopkins is a Business Solutions Partner with Mitsubishi Electric and offers its services across the UK.

Where Hopkins and his team have been truly innovative is in installing underfloor heating on both floors and also including overhead piping to allow for cooling or heating via the ceiling or floors.

The ground and first floor are designed to accommodate the underfloor heating and the ceilings in both the ground and first floor are a mix of over-ceiling piping in perforated light-weight aluminium panels or pipe work embedded in plasterboard. The combination of underfloor and over-ceiling systems radiates heat from both the ceiling and floor and in summer, the large cooler surface area of both the floors and the ceilings allow both surfaces to absorb heat emitted either through a person’s body temperature or equipment such as computers, giving a steady level of comfort to the occupants.

This enables the building to benefit from what Hopkins calls the ‘Cathedral Effect’ where heat from the occupants and electrical equipment is absorbed by the cooler ceiling and floors.

“It means that the cooling can be provided at much higher temperatures or heating at lower temperatures, we are also only dealing with the sensible heat and not latent heat, saving overall energy,” adds Hopkins. “What we are simply doing is providing a suitable constant internal temperature all year round, rather than continuously trying to combat the different outdoor temperatures.

“We know that we have developed an effective system and it is great to make the shortlist. We are now looking forward to the two finals in September and October,” ended Hopkins.

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Kent based Intumescent Systems Ltd has successfully secured a massive contract to supply millions of the Envirograf brand of fire protective gaskets to a variety of top European electrical manufacturers of sockets and switches.

With stringent fire regulations now being enforced, the electrical manufacturers have seen compelling evidence of fire tests on an unprotected socket in a fire. The evidence shows how the front plate of an electrical socket when attacked by fire, would either disintegrate or sag forward in minutes, leaving the box at the complete mercy of the fire. Without any protection, the fire would be able to rapidly enter the socket, and pass unopposed through the cavity of the wall, and fiercely spread along the cables to other parts of the building.

Extensive European and UK fire protection tests on Envirograf gaskets have shown that when attacked by fire, these gaskets will expand to form a formidable fire barrier in the socket box and offer a minimum integrity of 87 minutes. This incredible resistance will dramatically reduce the fire spreading to other parts of the building and allow the buildings occupants, ample time to safely evacuate. The reduction of fires in the home and business is absolutely essential to avoid serious injury or death and this contract will see millions of European homes and businesses finally comply with the regulations. In the UK all electrical boxes must be fitted with fire protective gaskets to meet the 17th Edition IEE & Building Regulations.

Derek Ward (Managing Director of Intumescent Systems Ltd) feels that all existing electrical boxes currently in use should be fitted with these important gaskets and from less than 50p they could save many lives and reduce damage to property.

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Dulux Trade has unveiled the latest innovation in advanced exterior wood protection with the launch of its ground-breaking Weathershield Ultimate Woodstain and Weathershield Ultimate Opaque products – offering up to ten years’ protection for exterior wood.

Ensuring that wood is protected for longer, the new products offer professionals long-term financial and environmental benefits through extended maintenance cycles. In addition, the products also provide cost efficiencies where shorter cycles are in place, as this durability means that surfaces will be better protected at the point of refurbishment, equating to less preparation time.

The innovative products also boast an excellent spreading rate of up to 20m2 – not only providing a great return on investment, but also increasing the sustainability credentials of any project by reducing the amount of product required for a job.

Richard Bradley, Trade Marketing Manager for the woodcare portfolio, comments: “We aim to provide our customers with the most efficient and cost effective woodcare solutions possible – the Weathershield Ultimate products provide a robust and quality solution for woodcare, giving customers excellent value for money.

“The new products also incorporate all of the most popular qualities of the Weathershield Advanced Protection products which they are replacing, such as a wide range of colours and an easy to apply formula. The new products also offer customers additional financial and environmental savings by ensuring exterior wood is maintained to a high standard for longer.”

Dulux Trade has an excellent reputation among professionals, who rely on its extensive portfolio of products to produce a high specification finish. Weathershield Ultimate Woodstain and Weathershield Ultimate Opaque will join the comprehensive collection of Dulux Trade woodcare solutions – re-enforcing Dulux Trade’s position as one of the most respected names in wood protection.

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When the decision was taken to effectively demolish and rebuild the elderly Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, piece by piece, the PFI project that resulted imposed a number of demanding requirements on the consultants and contractors involved in delivering the required outcomes.

Because the hospital sits on a relatively small site for such a large undertaking, parts of the hospital had to be demolished and rebuilt whilst allowing the rest of the hospital to function normally. Storage space was at a premium so deliveries of materials required, had to be delivered as they were needed – a ‘just-in-time’ delivery regime had to be implemented and maintained.

In keeping with the location, project involved some intricate surgery and its fair share of intensive care to make sure the hospital came through the operation!

The Queen Alexandra Hospital – the QAH – in Portsmouth, is a major provider of health care services through the National Health Service. It’s operated by the Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust. The Trust has a vision to be recognised as a world-class hospital, leading the field through innovative healthcare solutions focused on the best outcome for our patients delivered in a safe, caring and inspiring environment. A new, modern, highly equipped set of buildings was key to delivering this vision.

DSSR headed up the project with Carillion as the main contractor and Hayden Mechanical as the M&E contractor. Hayden Mechanical has worked with Wilo on some major projects previously and so it was natural that they looked to Wilo to supply the pumps required for the project – a contract worth around £250,000 to Wilo, highlighting the level of investment this project represented. Wilo’s Sue Claydon headed up the pump support activity for Wilo using her technical expertise to help write and amend the specifications to ensure that the project benefitted from exactly the right pumps to deliver the huge demand for hot, cold and chilled water – to provide water at the taps and showers around the building, to run the air conditioning and heating systems and to provide the necessary water sources for specialist departments including for example, cooling water for the radiology centre.

As with most major projects this one evolved as the months ticked by, and Wilo’s Sue Claydon was part of the project team that worked closely together over the duration of the project to decide the way forward and deliver the finished project.

The pumps were required for three main buldings – Pathology, the Energy Centre and the main building. The pumps were required to drive the main heating systems and the air conditioning systems, and the specification included pressurisation units, and booster pumps – a five pump booster set was selected with a separate inverter in the control panel to ensure the circulating water was able to reach the upper floors and the extremities of the buildings, on demand.

For a big project, there was a need for big pumps and most of the pumps were end suction pumps with separate inverters, with a few in-line pumps and a couple of direct couple pumps. The pumps were mounted on concrete inertia bases and had anti-vibration mountings to stop vibration heading off around the pipework. The pumps were incorporated in a large number of plant rooms around the building and included sump pumps in the main plant room, on the ground floor to address potential flooding issues.

Wilo’s pumps offer easy integration into building and facility systems, pumps that only operate on demand, and pumps which utilise far less energy to keep them operating when they are operating than traditional pumps , offering improved performance and reliability and as a result, lower maintenance costs as well – a key component of any life cycle costing calculation.

Project Manager for Haydon Ian Wright says working with Wilo was a good experience: “In installations like this, all you want are good quality pumps that are simple to install and which can quickly begin to do the job you ask of them,“ he says. “That’s exactly what we got from the Wilo pumps that have been integrated into this project – and they are already delivering the performance and results we were given to believe they would – its been an excellent project to work on. It hasn’t been without its nail biting moments – you’d expect that on any major project like this, but the support and rapid response we’ve had from Sue and her colleagues at Wilo, has been magnificent.“

“We were delighted to win this project and to have delivered on it,“ says Wilo’s Sue Claydon. “From the moment we were able to sit down with the contractors, I knew we could deliver here and so its proved. We’re providing the highest quality pumps and pumping systems options to the hospital and the patients and the staff at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth will continue to benefit from them – probably without knowing it – every day of their involvement with the hospital.”

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When specialist solar contractor ISO Energy needed quality products to help it provide the maximum benefit from a solar thermal heating installation at the new maternity and HIV wing of Barking Hospital in Essex, Project Manager Stuart Whiting had no hesitation in turning to Sentinel Performance Solutions to provide the glycol-based thermal fluid for the system – 600 litres of it – and the ancillary products – the system cleaner solution and the test kits, to ensure that the system would operate at maximum efficiency and reliably provide all of the heat that the system was designed to deliver.

The new hospital building had a ‘10% renewable obligation’ as part of its planning consent – 10% of the energy use had to be provided by a renewable energy source and the architects included solar energy as the means of meeting that obligation. The system sees solar thermal panel collectors on the south facing roof of the building to gather the solar energy into the system. The main contractor brought in ISO Energy as the specialist solar sub-contractor to deliver this part of the project for them and in turn ISO Energy turned to Sentinel to provide the means of delivering the optimum benefits from the installed solar system.

“Many local authorities insist that a percentage of the energy requirement for a new building comes from renewable energy sources so we’re used to responding in this way,” confirms Stuart Whiting. “We have worked closely with Sentinel previously when we have installed ground source heat pumps and found their specialist knowledge in these areas to be highly beneficial, so knowing they also specialised in providing bespoke solutions to solar thermal installation needs, I had no qualms approaching Sentinel to help us with this installation.”

And it’s a sizeable installation. 600 litres of glycol based thermal fluid takes some filling: “The benefits to us of using Sentinel are many,” he continues. “Not least of all the level of service we get from them. They supplied the product we needed at a good price and delivered within three days of order – that’s ideal for us. We didn’t want the fluid on site for weeks waiting to be used but equally we wanted to be able to order it so it arrived when we needed it. As well as the glycol based fluid product, they supplied the filling kit which made life much easier for us and they also supplied the check kits so we could monitor the system as the fill took place.”

The high performance solar heating system installed by ISO Energy and filled with Sentinel R100 heat transfer solution will meet the required 10% renewable energy target delivering an estimated 34,000kWh/annum and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 7,250 kg/annum. The value of solar heating depends on the continued efficiency of heat transfer between the solar collector and the thermal store. Sentinel R100 glycol based fluid is formulated for solar heating systems operating up to 200oC, containing special reversibly vapourisable inhibitors to protect all metals commonly found in solar heating systems when exposed to both liquid and vapour phases. Whether the system is operating at its highest or lowest temperatures, system metals are afforded superior protection against corrosion, fouling and deposit formation. Sentinel R100, a clear blue liquid, is easy to use and effective straight from the container.

Sentinel R100 is best charged from its 10 or 20 litre containers into a system using the Sentinel SolarFlush unit. Easy to manoeuvre on pneumatic wheels, the Sentinel SolarFlush unit is the quickest, most efficient way to flush, vent and fill solar collector circuits to exactly the right pressure. The large tank that forms part of the unit is easily cleaned and allows users to observe the progress of the operation.

The SolarFlush unit comes with a ‘-40°C to 60°C’ temperature resistant hose, a dry self priming pump and a cast iron housing. It features an integral strainer and a manual drain valve. It’s important to check and monitor the efficiency of any solar collector circuit and the Sentinel Solar Check Kit is invaluable for both first fit and on-going maintenance of solar collector circuits. The kit allows users to check the orientation of solar panels for optimum energy collection and can confirm the level and effectiveness of anti-freeze in thermal fluid, providing a reliable way of determining the need for and timing of thermal fluid replacement. Sentinel’s Neil Davies says that this is an excellent example of the kind of installation where Sentinel can make a positive contribution: “Whether domestic properties or commercial installations, the Sentinel solar product range is finding a very impressive niche as the quantity of solar installations increase year by year.

“Many of the thermal fluids being used today were not designed for solar thermal use and struggle to cope with the harsh environment in which they have to operate. The top temperatures experienced on hot summer days can exceed 230°C and many of the non-specialised glycol mixes simply weren’t designed to work well at those temperatures and suffer from premature degradation. It’s really key for renewable heating systems to deliver at their optimum levels of efficiency otherwise the investment in them is pointless, and if the glycol mix breaks down quickly, its ability to collect and transport the solar energy to the heat store is rapidly reduced, making the installation a pretty pointless exercise in the first place. “We have developed a robust glycol mix that will last far longer and be much more effective than the non-specific fluids that have been used until now, along with a range of ancillary products that ensure that the products can be easily used and monitored, and we’re delighted that our products will be able to contribute massively to the effectiveness of the new installation at Barking Hospital.”

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The “Business in a Box” is a new and innovative product which has been specifically developed to make it as easy as possible for electrical contractors to generate extra income.

• Offers every thing you need for a PAT testing business in one box
• Guides to PAT testing
• Class leading tester
• Certification software
• Guide to marketing your new business

Innovative
The “Business in a Box” is a new and innovative product which has been specifically developed to make it as easy as possible for electrical contractors to generate extra income – something that is likely to be particularly welcome in the current economic climate.

Recognising that there is a huge demand for portable appliance (PAT) testing services, and that this demand is virtually unaffected by current economic factors, Megger has provided, in the form of a convenient and very comprehensive kit, everything contractors need to tap into this potentially lucrative market.

In addition to a PAT tester and versatile software for organising and storing results, Megger’s Business in a Box includes guidance on PAT testing as well as a range of valuable marketing tools. Among these are guides to the types of customers that have a need for PAT testing, and hints on how to find such customers in the local area.

Sample publicity material, including template letters, flyers, posters, etc which contractors can easily customise to promote their own businesses, is also provided.

To ensure that purchasers of the Business in a Box are able to provide the widest range of cost-effective PAT testing services, Megger is including as part of the kit its premium model tester – the PAT4, together with a full set of adaptors and leads.

Suitable for use with 230 V and 110 V appliances as well as with IT equipment, the versatile PAT4 tester incorporates features that reduce testing time by up to 50% compared with nominally competitive products. It has a QWERTY keyboard for speedy entry of asset identification data, and an integral database for storing test results. The PAT4 also complies fully with the latest IEE Code of Practice.

The tester is accompanied by a copy of Megger’s renowned PowerSuite Professional Contractor PAT software package. This not only provides powerful reporting and archiving facilities, but also includes a client manager module for organising customer data, and even an organiser to assist with the scheduling of future appointments.

For contractors seeking to increase their income, Megger’s new “Business in a Box” offers a complete and convenient solution at an exceptionally attractive price.

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