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Two products from Mira Showers – the UK’s leading manufacturer of showering products and accessories – have been awarded the prestigious Waterwise Marque, acknowledging their contribution to improving water efficiency. The Minilite Eco and Miniduo with Eco handset are ‘environmentally friendly’ showers designed to significantly reduce water and energy consumption, by as much as 75%, while still delivering superb performance.

Waterwise is an independent Non-governmental organisation dedicated to reversing the upward trend in how much water is used in the home and workplace; and is the leading authority on water efficiency.

The Minilite Eco which – as the name suggests – combines the company’s compact Minilite with the efficiency benefits of a 6 litres-per-minute (lpm) flow regulator; while the Miniduo is united with the innovative Eco showerhead. Importantly, both shower combinations assist in meeting the requirements of the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Both the valves are half the size of ‘standard’ ones – without any compromise in shower performance; are thermostatic and are available in both chrome built-in and exposed variants. The Minilite Eco has a simple, single sequential control; and is complete with a Mira fittings kit.

The Miniduo and Eco showerhead is just as it states: the Miniduo concentric valve combined with all the water saving benefits of the Eco showerhead. Operation is by separate ‘Select & Forget’ controls for temperature and flow.

The Miniduo also has 110mm pipe centres; and is suitable for easy retro-fitting onto pipe centres between 133 -153mm with the use of an adjustable elbow kit.

The Eco showerhead’s unique design reduces the amount of water normally used by up to a massive 75% (compared to a standard Logic showerhead at 0.5 bar pressure). The ‘ecoefficient™’ technology uses the Venturi principle, by which air is introduced into the flow without a pump. Mixing air with the water spray creates larger droplets filled with air bubbles. The droplets explode on impact and produce similar coverage to conventional, finer sprays giving the impression of increased volume of water and a refreshing shower. Not only does this offer the user huge savings in water, but in energy too – as less hot water needs to be heated.

The adjustable showerhead also provides a choice of three aerating spray modes – Start, Soothe and Force – which allow the user to ‘customise’ their shower ‘experience’.

Mira’s ‘eco’ Minilite and Miniduo with Eco handset delivers a win-win situation for all concerned. The user gets a high quality, high performance shower that is both water and energy efficient and therefore saves money on water and fuel bills; while developers and social landlords are able to meet the requirements of the Code for Sustainable Homes as well as delivering their buyers and tenants a superbly effective and economical shower.

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MK Electric, the UK’s leading manufacturer of wiring devices and accessories, is transforming light operation with the introduction of a range of innovative ‘self powered’ switches – called Echo – that are entirely wireless and battery-free! MK is the first major UK manufacturer to incorporate this patented technology – so-called ‘enabled by EnOcean’, after the German company that developed it – into switches; and the new Echo range harvests tiny amounts of ambient energy to wirelessly operate lighting at ranges of up to 30 metres within buildings.

The benefits of such technology – combined with MK Electric’s market-leading wiring devices and accessories – include almost instant switch installation; total location flexibility of light switches within buildings; and easy relocation, re-installation and considerable cost-savings when ‘churning’ office and other commercial spaces. The Echo range is also incredibly low maintenance thanks to the lack of batteries (that would need replacing) and lack of wiring in the wall.

Furthermore, the switches aid compliance with Building Regulations such as Part L by providing for localised control of lighting and integration with lighting management systems and other networks covering areas such as heating and air-conditioning. They also help with meeting Part M requirements thanks to their immense flexibility when positioning them, combined with their easy-to-operate wide rockers.

The wireless, battery free Echo range is suitable for a wide range of applications and installation environments: from office new build and refurbishment which may have a need to re-arrange space periodically, or glass partitions – preventing the use of wired devices – through to conservation or listed environments where chasing wires is not possible.

It also lends itself to domestic extensions or conservatories where switch location may be an issue or – again – where areas of glass feature; and, finally, one-off or ‘portable’ locations such as park homes, caravans, exhibition stands and temporary buildings where a fast, flexible solution is required.

The MK Electric Echo lighting system essentially comprises two components: the ‘self powered’ switch, and an RF receiver. The receiver is installed at the lighting fixture and wired into to the lighting circuit at the time of ceiling installation. The switch is then mounted, using either adhesive pads – for super-fast fixing or onto awkward surfaces like marble or glass – or with screws if additional security is necessary.

The switch is simply ‘aligned’ to the receiver by setting it into ‘learn mode’ and pressing the rocker. The switch is now wirelessly dedicated to the fixture in question. One receiver can be programmed so it can be operated by up to 30 switches; while, conversely, any number of receivers can be activated by a single switch. Where signals may be obstructed by impervious materials such as granite or steel, repeater units are available which will divert and/ or extend transmissions around a building.

MK Electric’s first ‘enabled by EnOcean’ Echo switches will be from its immensely popular Logic Plus wiring accessories range. Logic Plus has been designed to complement contemporary interiors and is probably the largest selection of wiring accessories available in any single range on the market today. The Logic Plus Echo switches are available in one or two gang variants; and readily integrate with other accessories in the Logic range – from socket outlets through to Euro, LJU6C and MK modular data frontplates. Other Echo range styles and options will be added over the coming months.

MK Electric’s new ‘enabled by EnOcean’ Echo range of ‘self powered’ switches mean no wires, no batteries and no fuss. They will radically revise the way switching is treated within commercial spaces; and deliver a host of benefits to the specifier, installer and facilities manager – whether seeking products permitting super-fast installation; to mount switches on glass; or total flexibility over switch location in partitioned offices subject to re-arrangement.

Low maintenance, sustainable and highly accessible products; MK Electric’s Echo range represents a new generation of switching devices and helps take the company’s renowned strength of product in depth, quality and service to a new level.

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For those seeking a roof window which combines good eco-credentials with added security, Fakro roof windows now use the patented, topSafe® system. This provides the highest standard of security and safety currently available (Class 3 – EN 13049), its micro-opening facility enabling it to remain secure even when open. Additional steel reinforcement is built into the lower part of the sash, while improved lock security and fixing screws driven in at an angle prevent hinges being ruptured.

U.K. Sales Director Phil Adams commented, “topSafe is not used in any other manufacturer’s roof windows and the fact that a number of our windows achieve EN13049 Class 4 adds further emphasis to the benefits that the system provides”. The level of safety provided means most windows will withstand the weight of an individual if stepped on. Fakro roof windows are also made using only close-grain, knot-free, redwood pine, a growing proportion of which is from FSC approved sources. They have also been designed to enable every element to be stripped out easily for recycling.

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Construction specialist Willmott Dixon has unveiled the future of local health at the BRE Innovation Park in Watford, with a building designed to show what a community health centre of the future could look like.

As a top ten health sector contractor, the company has developed the Willmott Dixon Community Healthcare Campus to give the health industry a valuable insight into what the patient experience could be at a local level in the next 20 years. With an ageing population, the way we currently deliver healthcare will no longer be viable and there will be a real need for more localised care to help people manage increasingly complex medical conditions in their own home.

Willmott Dixon and partner Primary Asset are also using the facility to demonstrate different ways of designing and building in line with the NHS 2018 zero-carbon building targets.

At the heart of the building’s mechanical services is an M2M Maxi control system from Mitsubishi Electric which acts as a mini-BMES, controlling all of the heating, cooling, ventilation and power generation for the centre.

“The building incorporates passively ventilated consulting rooms, comfort heating and cooling, and a Lossnay RX5 heat recovery system and these all need an accurate control system to work efficiently together,” explained Jonathan Leyland, of Mitsubishi Electric’s Corporate Operations Division, which is responsible for maintaining the relationship with Willmott Dixon.

“We have also installed an array of photovoltaic panels on the roof of the centre which will generate around 11 per cent of the electricity required,” he added. Mitsubishi Electric recently launched a new PV system in the UK and this is the first installation to demonstrate its efficiency and effectiveness.

In addition to a covered roof terrace that incorporates a healthy food growing area, the building features a reception area incorporating a smartcard system that links to patients’ online records, an outdoor fitness area and a pharmacy of the future. The medical centre has been built by transforming the original ‘Re-Thinking School’ built by Willmott Dixon in 2007 to point the way towards the educational establishments of tomorrow. The new healthcare centre will be open for visits for the next two years.

“We’ve worked with contractor N G Bailey to help redesign the centre’s services so that they can achieve the year-round comfortable and stress-free climate needed to put patients at their ease, whilst ensuring that the building is as energy efficient as possible,” added Leyland.

The M2M control system is the first of its kind in the air conditioning industry to come with the unique ability to monitor other systems within a building. It offers a relatively low-cost solution for premises without Ethernet connections or with security networks and firewalls. Heating, cooling and ventilation are major energy consumers in modern buildings but we must have them to meet legislation on air quality and internal temperatures as well as match the demands of modern life.

“When a building introduces different systems, there is a danger that they can work against each other and this is where the M2M comes into its own as it allows the centre’s staff to closely monitor energy use and accurately control the building’s facilities in harmony,” ended Leyland.

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Hydropath Holdings will be displaying their range of patented water conditioning products on stand 19 at this year’s Plumbing and Heating Exhibition in Chelsea. Taking centre stage will be the HS38, Hydropath’s domestic unit, which provides a simple and cost effective solution to preventing limescale problems without the use of chemicals. The HS38 unit is sold across 5 continents, and has particular success in America replacing water softeners, as the US has become more eco-friendly due to governmental directives.

The HS38 patented water conditioning system by Hydropath is unique as it removes limescale by transmitting randomly varying electric fields into the water and the entire plumbing system. The result is the production of nuclei everywhere in the water system. This causes limescale to form in suspension, which is then washed away with the flow. The treated water is normally able to dissolve existing scale in a few weeks.

The HS38 is suitable for use in most domestic applications including open vented combination boilers, condensing boilers, mains pressurized unvented and direct fired water heaters. The unit is simple to install, simply clipped onto the exterior of the pipe without the need for plumbing or incision. The HS38 also benefits from low running costs of only 90 pence a year, does not require any ongoing maintenance, has a 1 year ‘fit for purpose’ warranty and 3 year guarantee.

Two power supply options are available for the HS38; including a built-in supply, which needs to be wired in, or a plug-in style transformer that uses a mains power supply. Hydropath technology is recommended by British Gas and installed as an OEM by leading boiler manufacturers.

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Fakro GB specification clauses are now available via NBS Plus. This enables concise, technically accurate and up-to-date information in relation to the company’s extensive and growing range of roof windows and roofing accessories to be copied and pasted including its newly launched solar system. MD Noel Shanahan commented, “We believe that the growing interest in our roof windows will continue and the amount of specification detail advice our technical sales staff already provides meant that it was the right time to enable our products to be specified in this way”.

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Mitsubishi Electric has used its annual sales conference to congratulate its major business partners for outperforming the market during the current recession but also highlighted the need to cross traditional boundaries and enter new markets using the energy saving potential of heat pumps.

Commercial director Donald Daw, told delegates to the BSP (Business Solution Provider) Annual Conference in Daventry, that whilst the air conditioning market had dropped 12% over the previous year, Mitsubishi Electric and its major customers had increased market share.

“This has happened during the toughest economic times we’ve ever seen and our success is due to a combination of the quality of your installations, the developments in energy efficiency of our products and the strength of the relationship we have,” he told the audience of over 150 attendees.

The construction industry has been hit especially hard by the recession but the reasons behind the drop in sales of air conditioning is not entirely linked to the current economic turmoil Daw explained: “Our research shows that market growth in single and small splits systems is very dependant on weather patterns – for the past 2 years we have experienced cool summers in the UK and small businesses have no memory of substantial discomfort caused by warm weather – a normal summer in 2009 should see a return to growth in the small spits market ”

In the larger system and VRF markets, Daw warned that the dramatic impact of the recession on the construction industry will have much longer term implications: “As an industry we have seen double-digit growth in the VRF market for many years and we had started to see this as the norm,” he explained.

“We shouldn’t be surprised that in these tougher economic times businesses are cutting back on capital intensive building refurbishments,” he commented. “The market will bounce back strongly as soon as the investment cycle begins again – the suitability of VRF products for heating and cooling modern buildings has not changed.”

Daw warned that the tougher trading conditions will mean changes in the supply chain and weaker companies leaving the market. He also highlighted how the traditional boundaries between ‘heating,’ ‘ventilation’ and ‘air conditioning’ were now overlapping, with manufacturers from other sectors looking to enter the air conditioning market. He saw this as both a challenge and an opportunity.

“As an industry, we must look to expand our reach and highlight how beneficial heat pump technology can be in addressing the need for lower energy bills and carbon emission reduction,” he explained. “We can do this by moving into the mainstream heating industry and away from being classed as a cooling-only industry. There is already a general blurring of the boundaries and we all need to be ready to step over those boundaries.”

Daw also explained that as a company, Mitsubishi Electric is developing the technology to put heat pumps into as many heating applications as possible, as heat pumps will be one of the key technologies in helping the country achieve the CO2 emission reduction targets that are required, while still allowing users the convenience and comfort they demand. The company is also moving further into the micro generation sector with the launch of Photovoltaic systems and has already established a strong brand in the residential ‘renewables’ sector with its low carbon, Ecodan® air source heat pump.

“We need to find new markets for our technology and skills and heat pumps used in the wider heating industry are an important part of that opportunity,” he ended.

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There’s a renewed look to the sports pavilion at Cambridge University, where Sikkens Cetol BL Opaque has helped to transform and rejuvenate the external timber elements. The building, which is used extensively by the students and visitors to the pavilion and the running track, was originally constructed in the 1990s and the coating that had been used for the timber had begun to crack and fade badly. The University of Cambridge Estate Management department, who are responsible for the upkeep of the buildings on site, needed a product that offered both durability and colour fastness. Cetol BL Opaque fitted the bill perfectly.

The colour issue was an important factor as the new coatings had to perfectly match the original deep green and white to maintain the required visual impact of the pavilion in its location. “We chose an opaque coating because of the need to offer better UV light resistance,” comments Ian Scrivener at the Estate Management Department. “The proven credentials of Cetol BL Opaque offered the solution. It’s able to provide the desired protective finish and in addition, the product’s extensive colour range meant that we could make a perfect match with the original.”

Cetol BL Opaque is a water borne coating that combines durability with the ability to flex with the natural movement of the timber. The high build coating has a paint like appearance with excellent covering power and adhesion to the timber to ensure that any blemishes are covered up, without hiding the natural grain texture.

Work on the pavilion, which was carried out by the contractor Haywoods, began in May 2009 and is now complete, with Sikkens Cetol BL Opaque coating providing a colour resistant exterior for many years to come.

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