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The Proudfoot Group, a Scarborough-based independent retail chain, and innovative lighting solutions company Sola Skylights are pioneering the use of energy-efficient natural lighting and other ‘sustainable’ practices, taking advantage of the Seamer store’s need for renovation to develop an exciting new type of retail outlet – the ‘eco-store’.

Refurbishment of the 61-year-old store (the chain’s first) has already started and, according to Terry Petch, Project Manager for the renovation (also manager at another Proudfoot store), once the renovation is complete (ETC end of July 2007), the 4,000-f2 store will be a model of eco-friendly energy efficiency. Plans include using space-age insulation materials, heat exchange pumps which produce three kW of power for each kW they use, ultra high-efficiency refrigeration compressors, a solar-powered water heater, and on the roof of the store, solar cells and (if the town council gives permission) a wind turbine to generate electricity. In addition, a total of 28 ‘Sky Tunnels’ will channel daylight down to the store interior, reducing energy costs, creating a pleasant atmosphere for customers and staff – and showcasing the store’s products in natural daylight.

Petch made the decision to use Sky Tunnels after discussing the options with Sola Skylights’ Peter Wood – concluding that their flexible-tubing skylights would not only be much easier to install than comparable systems used on a previous project, but also would cost significantly less. Not a difficult choice, then.

“There is a growing demand for products that are low on energy use, and we focus on making it not only easier, but more cost-efficient, for builders and contractors to meet that demand,” says Wood. “Sola’s Sky Tunnels can be fitted in a variety of types of rooms and buildings, and we are hoping we can convince more architects and developers in general that it is a good idea – and not as complicated or expensive as they might think – to use natural instead of artificial light.

Another high-tech solution being implemented in the store’s conversion is the use of Tri-Iso 10 (also known as Triso-Super 10), an extremely thin, yet thermally super-effective insulation material. Based on a material originally developed by NASA (later adapted for building use by ACTIS), a 30-mm thickness is equivalent to 210 mm of mineral wool, making it possible to incorporate exceptional thermal efficiency without sacrificing aesthetic considerations in the design and execution of the ‘green’ re-fit.

“We opened one of the country’s very first supermarkets, so it is most appropriate to be once again leading the way, developing an entirely new, environmentally friendly type of supermarket,” says The Proudfoot Group’s Joint Managing Director, Ian Proudfoot. While they’re at it, they appear to be the “early adopters” of an entirely new approach to building, as well.

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Weatherite Building Services has installed kitchen extract canopies at Waitrose supermarket in Bloomsbury, London.

WBS were awarded this contract – worth over £19,000 – by J A Sylvester Mechanical Services Ltd to design, manufacture and install the canopies in the store’s kitchen area. This project follows Weatherite’s successful completion of similar works at Waitrose stores in Droitwich and Cheltenham.

Each canopy contains an ultra violet light that uses ozone technology to break down and destroy residual grease and odour, ensuring that no cooking smells are emitted from the building.

Mike Turton, sales director, WBS, commented: “Having researched the different odour control methods, we selected the UV solution for Waitrose as this met the planning conditions and provided the best solution.

“Not only does the system comply with the local authorities stringent requirements, the reduced build-up of grease in the ductwork means that there is a greatly reduced requirement for ductwork cleaning.”

Mike added: “From the simplest hood design to the most sophisticated energy saving ceiling ventilation system, we can provide the complete solution for all types of kitchens.”

WBS is part of the £40m Weatherite group, one of the UK leaders in air conditioning and air handling equipment.

More recently WBS has expanded its activities to cover other sectors of the building services market, including heating, ventilation, boiler house refurbishment, water, control systems and electrics, as well as all aspects of commercial air conditioning systems. WBS now offers a single source choice to its customers which includes project management, design, installation and commissioning capabilities.

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Ground breaking LumiTec technology is behind Light & Space, the latest innovation from Dulux Trade. This pioneering new colour range reflects up to twice as much light*, making rooms look and feel more spacious and contributing to potential energy savings.

Light & Space uses cleaner tinting recipes and paint components resulting in surfaces that are more reflective and less absorbent of natural or artificial light. As such, significantly more light is effectively reflected and distributed around a space.

Smaller windows and energy efficient, or lower wattage, light bulbs are increasingly being used throughout building design and fit outs, following demands by Building Regulations Approved Document Part L that as little energy as possible is lost through the building fabric and fittings. However, this does affect the levels of light in a room. Dulux Trade’s new Light & Space colour range has been developed to combat this problem.

Tests have shown that when comparing Light & Space with a standard paint of similar hue and chroma it is possible to have up to 20%** smaller windows and yet still achieve the same levels of light within a room. When it comes to distributing artificial light, Light & Space has also been proven to achieve the same average level of illumination, using up to 20%** less lighting energy.

Ian Bradshaw, Group Brand Manager for Dulux Trade, said: “Now lighter doesn’t have to mean whiter. The innovative new Light & Space colour range means that, for the first time, designers aren’t restricted to using white paint to brighten up a room. With 27 colours available, designers aren’t just contributing to the demands of Part L, it will also be easier to meet Part M guidelines at the same time. A truly functional, aesthetically superior solution.”

Light & Space can be specified in Diamond Matt or Flat Matt finishes.

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The latest Glidden Trade Colour Card is now available, showcasing an extended colour range.

Supporting the brand’s new livery and improved product formulation, the colour card has been updated to include Glidden Trade’s new contemporary colour range of 90 exclusive ICI colours, plus standard BS 4800 and RAL.

The colour card’s design has an improved layout that ensures easy colour selection. It also includes advice on health and safety issues and application case studies. A new fandeck format is also available, which also includes NCS1 and NCS2 ranges.

Craig Frost, senior brand manager for Glidden, said “The range has been extended in response to calls for a wider colour choice from Glidden. We are finding that increasingly, even when projects need to stick to strict budgets, the scope is widening when it comes to colour schemes. By extending the colour range, Glidden can meet both budgetary and design requirements.”

Supported by new in-store POS, the Glidden Trade Colour Card is available directly from merchants, or can be ordered from the ICI Paints website www.icipaints.co.uk or www.glidden.co.uk

Launched just over ten years ago, Glidden Trade has seen tremendous growth in recent years in the UK trade market to become number three in the trade paint market. This investment in colour collateral is aimed at building on this success, with continued activity planned throughout 2007.

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Mitsubishi Electric has issued a reminder of the value of regular check ups for heating and cooling systems to ensure that they do not waste money or energy and perform well throughout the coming winter months.

In order to maximise efficiency of performance and ensure that staff stay warm or cool, whatever the British weather produces over the coming months, Mitsubishi Electric is calling on all facility managers and operators of air conditioning to check and see that installed systems are set to work to their optimum running performance.

“It may sound obvious, but its incredible how many people don’t think about how their air conditioning system is performing until they hit a problem,” says Philip Ord, Mitsubishi Electric’s City Multi Product Marketing Manager, referring not only to Mitsubishi Electric’s comprehensive range, but any system currently in use.

“People wouldn’t dream of driving their cars for thousands of miles without regular visits to the garage to make sure that the cars are performing well and an air conditioning system is exactly the same,” adds Philip.

“Filters that are clogged in air handling units result in the system’s performance being reduced and energy wasted. Vents blocked by accident or on purpose can also reduce the performance of the system.”

Regular check ups for systems, just like for people, help you get the most out of your air conditioning and ensure that you save energy and money.

Systems maintained in accordance with manufacturers’ preferred standards will run better, cost less in energy and reduce problems associated with disputes between hot and cold staff.

“We are advising everyone to carry out regular pre-winter checks on installed systems,” concludes Philip.

Mitsubishi Electric offers a full health check and system evaluation service for all City Multi systems. Further details can be obtained by calling the company on 01707 282880.

The drive for better maintenance is one of the key elements of the Green Gateway Initiative™, Mitsubishi Electric’s 10-point plan to help the country save over 3 million tonnes of CO2 per year by 2016. For further details visit www.greengatewayinitiative.co.uk.

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Hepworth Building Products has expanded its range of domestic channel drainage products by introducing the HepFlow Polymer Concrete Channel Drain.

Lightweight and easy to fit, HepFlow Polymer Concrete gives installers a wider choice when specifying applications for domestic driveways and pedestrian areas around residential properties.

The new channel drain is suitable for class A15 applications, so ideal for use around garden paths, walkways, patios, barbecue areas, pool surrounds, laundry rooms, domestic driveways and stepped areas. It comes complete with galvanised grating and fixing mechanism and is 75% lighter than traditional concrete, making for easy installation.

Tony Robinson, Market Development Manager at Hepworth Building Products comments: “The introduction of the HepFlow Polymer Concrete Channel Drain complements our existing range of domestic channel drainage products including the HepFlow Polypropylene Channel Drain and the Hepworth PVC Threshold Drain. All three applications offer a complete and integrated surface water drainage system for domestic applications.

“With no special tools required, fitting a domestic channel drainage system could not be simpler. “

The launch of the HepFlow Polymer Concrete Channel Drain is accompanied by the Domestic Channel Drainage System Product Guide, which highlights features and benefits of the complete range and includes step by step installation instructions. This piece of literature is available to download from www.hepstore.co.uk

The HepFlow Polymer Concrete comes in one metre lengths with an overall depth of 80mm.

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With increasing economic pressure on many businesses, particularly those involved in transport and logistics, the use of double-deck trailers to transport goods is on the increase. Double-deck trailers make environmental as well as economic sense, but taller trailers can mean problems at the loading bay, where a large range of vehicle heights may be difficult to handle. Stertil’s WIS inflatable dock shelter aims to solve many of the problems caused when unusually large trailers meet traditional loading bays.

Although inflatable dock shelters are not new, they have historically been very expensive and therefore difficult to justify, except on temperature-controlled stores or where the dock is in use all day. Stertil has designed a cost-effective inflatable head dock shelter with curtain sides, which operates quickly and provides an ideal solution to the question of whether to install an inflatable or curtain shelter. The WIS inflatable dock shelter is both practical and aesthetically pleasing, with good looks an important part of the design.

The shelter is attractive and built to stay that way, with inflatable seals made from high-grade Cordura, which gives excellent tear resistance, reliable damp and mould resistance and good colour-fastness too. The inflatable seal is virtually air-tight, meaning substantial potential energy savings, as well as an improved working environment.

Inflatable shelters and seals offer a greater degree of weather-resistance over a wider range of vehicles than traditional curtain shelters, which are not designed for thermal efficiency. The top cushion of Stertil’s WIS inflatable shelter sits on the roof of the vehicle rather than against the back, giving access to the whole of the vehicle opening. For a curtain shelter to offer similar sealing range to the same range of vehicles, the head curtain would need to be more than two metres long. This would be too long to offer weather protection to smaller vehicles, as it would be difficult to create a seal against the roofline of the vehicle. Taller vehicles would be likely to catch the curtain and drag it backwards into the bay when reversing, causing considerable wear to the curtain and, significantly, blocking access to the vehicle’s load.

The WIS shelter’s top cushion is a very large 2300mm deep enabling it to cope with a wide range of vehicle heights and types. The shelter is also user-friendly: because the top cushion is inflated by a fan, the shelter can be set into a sequence of operation with the door and traffic light system, freeing up operator time and increasing productivity. Significantly, a major benefit of the Stertil WIS dock shelter is that it can be easily retro-fitted into clients’ loading bays to replace existing curtain shelters.

The WIS inflatable dock shelter is in daily use in hundreds of busy loading bays and has proved a successful and cost-effective quick fix, helping companies to cope with the increasing range of vehicle shapes and sizes they have to handle.

Stertil leads the market in the development, production and marketing of dock equipment. As well as dock shelters, its comprehensive range includes wheel guides; mobile yard ramps; scissor lifts; dock bumpers and vehicle restraint systems and mechanically- and hydraulically-operated dock levellers.

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Leading air conditioning manufacturer Airedale has launched its most efficient chiller yet, the TurboChill air-cooled, high capacity chiller. Central to the design of the TurboChill and key to its superior performance, are revolutionary centrifugal Turbocor compressors optimised with a raft of cutting-edge components. Brilliantly engineered, using Airedale’s vast expertise in cooling technology, the TurboChill minimises environmental impact by lifting efficiency to new heights and pushing down sound levels.

The TurboChill’s ‘seasonal efficiency’ ESEER values of up to 5.7 are virtually 50% higher than those of a traditional screw chiller and unparalleled for an air cooled chiller, greatly reducing operational costs and carbon emissions. The Turbocor compressor itself has an EER of up to 8.0 at part load.

The TurboChill’s intelligent, self-optimising compressors present near silent operation and allow ultra efficient variable speed control, thereby using substantially less power at part load and giving accurate setpoint control and exact capacity match. The TurboChill offers a modular capacity range of 500 – 1100kW and is optimised for R134a.

Featuring the very latest low speed sickle-bladed fans with EC motors, the TurboChill offers two sound ranges – Quiet (SQ) and Super Quiet (SSQ). The friction-free operation of the compressor presents virtually no vibration, enabling the compressor to run in a smooth sound spectrum, and as much as 5 -7 dBA quieter than a similar sized screw compressor.

A very low starting current of just 2A is built into the TurboChill compressor’s variable speed control, removing the transient starting ‘spikes’ of high peak currents normally associated with screw chillers of this capacity. It also means that electrical supply components need not be oversized on site.

The compressor’s reliable, oil-free technology enables the TurboChill to operate up to four compressors on a single circuit, intelligently managed by AireTronix controls and significantly increasing part load efficiencies. With fewer moving parts within the compressor there is no operational ‘wear and tear’ avoiding costly bearing replacement.

The TurboChill’s single pass evaporator offers the same excellent performance and efficiencies as a flooded evaporator but with much lower refrigerant charge, facilitating F Gas compliance. Optimised heat exchange and oil-free operation allow a reduced compression ratio and increased EERs of up to 10%.

Due to its superior energy efficient performance, the TurboChill meets the criteria of Class A Eurovent rating and is included on the Energy Technology List thereby qualifying for the Carbon Trust ECA (Enhanced Capital Allowance) Scheme. Log onto www.eca.gov.uk for more details.

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The HQ Stainless Steel hose assemblies with JG Speedfit and Mapress ends, both in stainless steel. These additions compliment the standard threaded and flanged fittings already being supplied by HYDRAQUIP across the UK for use by OEM’s and installers. Research within the industry also showed that a large majority of hoses used in h&v applications are over spec and HYDRAQUIP are offering a lighter weight version, which still meets the working parameters required by many applications.

HYDRAQUIP are able to offer convoluted stainless steel assemblies in bore sizes from DN6 to DN250 fitted with the appropriate stainless or mild steel fittings in a wide choice of styles, such as threaded, flanged and camlock.

An ex-stock range of Stainless Assemblies are available with stainless steel taper barrel male threaded ends offers the option of either immediate connection or adapting to suit the application. These are available in bore sizes up to DN50.

In addition to the standard fittings HYDRAQUIP are able to offer two other ranges of fittings suitable for building service applications. Assemblies with Stainless Steel MAPRESS fittings, in sizes up to 108mm, are available to suit to a number of applications such as Hot and cold water supply (mains and risers), Industrial applications, Fire sprinkler systems, Gas supply and Air supply. Technical features include; exceptionally high temperature resistance, fire resistant, hygienic, corrosion resistant, diameters from DN06 to DN250mm and offer high stability. Alongside these are the HQ Stainless Steel Push Fit range with John Guest Speedfit connections, suitable for 15 & 22mm tubes.

The HQ range of metallic hoses have a life expectancy of up to 25 years, subject to the application and can therefore offer a fit and forget solution to expansion and final connections.

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