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Leading radiator manufacturer Stelrad has provided the radiators for the new Gwynedd Museum and Art Gallery, recently opened in Bangor on the north west Wales coast. The new Museum and Art Gallery has been named ‘Storiel’ – a name that combines the Welsh language words for the two main purposes of the museum and gallery, stori – the stories about each of the artefacts cared for and exhibited, as well as being a gallery or ‘oriel’ showing contemporary and historical art.

The grade 2 listed building that houses the new facility is the site of the old Town Hall in Bangor and the museum and art gallery have literally moved across the road from the old home for the exhibits. It’s close by to the University and the Cathedral in the city. The renovation project has cost £2.4 million with £1.4 million coming from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Stelrad Radiators selected for the project were mainly Classic Columns and models from their Compact range, with a small number of Low Surface Temperature LSTi Plus radiators for the toilets for those with disabilities, in the building.

Project Manager for the new building is Esther Roberts: “We chose the Classic Column radiators for the main areas where the visitors will be and the Compacts for the staff areas and corridors around the building. The building is a very light and airy one, and the white radiators blend well into the décor of the building.”

“We’re delighted to be involved in such a prestigious development,” says Stelrad’s Marketing Manager Chris Harvey. “The Classic Column radiators could have been designed for a building like this and work really well in the reception area. They offer a classic design that complements both contemporary and traditional interiors so well. They provide a real, style statement that perfectly suits the space at the Storiel.”

Full details of the options available from Stelrad can be found at www.stelrad.com, you can call for brochures and information on 0844 543 6200 or email marketing@stelrad.com. You can follow Stelrad on Twitter @Stelrad or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/StelradRadiators.

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It is increasingly important in all sectors of industry to save energy, both for cost as well as environmental reasons. This is not least the case in the healthcare industry where monitoring the flow of water plays a vital part in this ambition. Buckingham-based Triple Red are specialists in laboratory equipment and a major supplier of equipment and servicing for water purification in the laboratory and healthcare sector. They were contacted by a blue chip pharmaceutical company for help and advice on an ongoing energy saving project. The company’s technical personnel had identified the need to replace a 22kW pump on a pure water distribution system that operated continuously. Ron Griffiths, Triple Red’s Project Manager made a site visit and formulated a plan to remove the pump and replace it with an inverter-driven, 5.5kW pump. However, it was vital to ensure that the new pump achieved the required flow rate but the existing system was fitted with five stainless steel loops and no means of measuring the flow of water through the pipes.

Jeremy Allen, Technical Manager, researched the market and identified a number of products which might fulfil the requirement. He decided to select the Micronics Portaflow 220 because Micronics is a UK based company which would ensure good, local product support and aftercare. Furthermore, the unit’s simplicity and economy of operation were attractive. The unit simply clamps onto the pipe without any need to cut into the pipe and therefore the time to verify flow rates around the system were minimal and the potential disruption to the running of a very busy research facility was minimal.

Jeremy was pleased with his selection: “I attended the site with an engineer to test and validate the Portaflow 220 and found it simple and straightforward to use with a good, menu-driven setup. I was impressed with the product design and build and am sure that it will prove to be a useful addition to other instrumentation we use out in the field.”

For further information on this project or the Micronics range call Micronics on +44(0)1628 810456, or visit www.micronicsflowmeters.com.

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Saniflo UK – a leading name in the plumbing & drainage sector – is reporting a successful exhibition at Ecobuild, which took place earlier this month at the Excel Centre in London.

This was the company’s second time exhibiting at the show and this year the focus was on the prestigious Kinedo range of shower cubicles with a Kinedo Horizon shower cubicle, a Kinemagic Design shower cubicle and the Saniflo Sanifloor all on display.

Saniflo UK Customer Services and Marketing Manager, Ann Boardman, comments: “Ecobuild was a great success for us. Showcasing the Kinedo range comes at a time when we’re noticing more specifiers, house builders and installers switching to cubicles from enclosures.

“Ecobuild provides us with a great opportunity to reach a wide, live audience. It’s taken a while for the sector to latch onto cubicles and the benefits of them have often been misunderstood, but as soon as industry professionals experience them in the flesh they realise the potential and benefits.

“We spoke with a high number of industry professionals who are working on residential, hotel and leisure projects. They love the fact that the Kinedo range not only looks great, but as the cubicles don’t need silicone and grout for installation and the internal opaque panels eliminate the need for tiling, they can be up and running in just a few hours in a pre-prepared area, meaning projects can be turned around faster and with less hassle.”

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Heat pump manufacturer, Mitsubishi Electric has just released a short animation which explains the new approach to heating and hot water provision now available from the latest addition to the Ecodan range of air source heat pumps.

As the nation looks to build new homes to meet demand, the hot water requirements of these houses requires a different approach, to help reduce emissions whilst delivering warm and cosy places for people to live.

Buildings account for 44 per cent of all UK CO2emissions (more than industry or transport) and space heating and hot water account for almost 75 per cent of total energy consumed in homes.

Yet the balance between hot water and heating is different in new built properties is different from older homes because of a reduction in fabric U-values and thermal bridging, which reduces the energy requirements for heating and makes hot water the dominant load.

The animation explains how the new 4kW Ecodan QUHZ unit works to efficiently match the hot water requirements, whilst still meeting the lower heating demand of today’s well insulated properties.

To find out more about the Ecodan QUHZ visit http://ecodanerp.co.uk/180 and to view the animation, visit the company’s dedicated video channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/mitsubishielectric2 .

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Klober has launched Permo® therm, a Kooltherm® insulation board with tongue and groove edges, integrated underlay and self-adhesive edge strips for sealing laps. With full LABC approval, it is suitable for all pitches but, unlike square-edged boards won’t provide an air leakage path. Permo therm is installed as over-rafter insulation and therefore provides added height within the roof space. Boards are 80 mm thick and can be laid on boarded or un-boarded roofs, either from left to right or right to left. No ventilation of the batten/counter-batten cavity is needed with most tiles or slates as these are primarily classed as air-open but for impervious or tight-fitting roof coverings ventilation is necessary. A range of fittings are available to ensure correct installation, thermal performance and airtightness including a Universal Roll for dressing over ridges, hips, valleys, verges and abutments. These can be used to complement Klober’s range of airtightness tapes and sealants.

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Marflow Hydronics has further developed its website to now allow customers to download relevant technical information, including BIM Models, via a brand new Product Downloads section.

With BIM Level 2 being a new requirement from April 2016 and the move towards complete BIM compliance getting closer every day, Marflow Hydronics has introduced a brand new Product Downloads area on its website that allows people to download BIM Models as well as other technical documentation. Marflow Hydronics is dedicated to providing customers with the information that they require, and this is just another part of the company’s added value service. In addition, all product pages can now be captured in PDF format at the press of a button and can be used as a data sheet, another way the company is trying to make life easier for product users.

Chris Forbes, Managing Director, says, “We are continually seeking to add value for our customers and we are constantly looking at ways to develop our website further to provide people with access to the information they need. The Product Downloads area is very new and we will be working hard over the coming weeks to make sure all relevant documentation and BIM Models are included. We encourage our customers to let us know if there’s something they need that they can’t find.”

The new Product Downloads area can be accessed via the relevant button at the top of all product pages or in the Knowledgebase. Also on all product pages, there’s a new PDF Download button that will export the product information into a PDF at the click of a button.

Access to the new area is found on the Marflow Hydronics website: www.marflowhydronics.co.uk.

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Valerie Owen was appointed Chair of the BBA’s Governing Board in February 2016. On her appointment, Valerie said: ‘I am delighted to take on this worthwhile position. As the UK’s leading Certification body for innovative building materials and construction installation techniques, the BBA has a key role to play in helping drive forward the construction sector, which is such an important contributor to our economy.’

Valerie is a multi-disciplinary property professional – she is a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb), the Royal Society of the Arts (RSA) and the Chartered Society of Environmentalists (CEnv).

An expert in economic and sustainable development, Valerie is a co-founding director of Le Vaillant Owen Consultancy, an innovative company specialising in sustainable development and community regeneration. The business was established in 2004, with offices in London and Kent. In her earlier executive career, Valerie was a Director of international real estate Consultants Jones Lang LaSalle, after which she worked as Managing Director at London First, where she delivered economic development programmes in sustainable development, housing, regeneration and health in collaboration with local, national and regional Governments.

Valerie operates at the highest levels, and now has a portfolio career comprising a number of nonexecutive Directorships and Ministerial appointments. Valerie is Chair of Swan Housing Group which is currently regenerating 1,600 homes on the Blackwall Reach estate in Tower Hamlets, London; she is also Chair of Lantra, the Sector Skills Council for land-based and environmental industries.

In 2001 Valerie was made an OBE for service to ‘architecture, and the community in East London’. In December 2009 she was made a Cabinet Office Ambassador to champion equality and diversity in Ministerial/Public Appointments, and in 2015, she won the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in the National Women in Construction Awards.

Valerie is married to Bob Le Vaillant and has three daughters.

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Fläkt Woods are prepared for the EU-regulations Ecodesign ErO 1253/2014 and 1254/2014 regarding Air Handling Units and energy labelling for non-residential and residential buildings

With the Ecodesign directive 2009/125/EC, the European Parliament creates a framework which allows the EU commission to produce regulations for energy related products to achieve the 2020 goals;

• 20% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
• 20% share of renewable energy
• 20% better energy efficiency

Fläkt Woods welcome these initiatives as they are fully in line with their strategy to develop energy efficient and smart product and solutions which benefit occupants, property owners and our shared environment.

ECODESIGN – CARING FOR THE FUTURE IS A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY

Under the Directive  (2009/125/EC) Ecodesign for Energy-related Products (often mentioned as ErP) the first 13 implementing measures are estimated to allow about 365 TWh yearly savings by 2020, equivalent to more than 12% of the final EU electricity consumption in 2009. Electric motors alone are estimated to contribute more than 35% of these savings.

Fläkt Woods as a supplier of Air Handling Units, fans and ventilation solutions are already prepared to adhere to these directives concerning Ecodesign for Energy-related Products (ErP) as this is important for us to take our corporate social responsibility, and to help our customers to minimize the climate footprint.

To read this section in full > http://www.flaktwoods.co.uk/support-centre/legislation/ecodesign-and-erp/

Link to Flakt Woods Legislation page >http://www.flaktwoods.co.uk/support-centre/legislation/

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When Paul and CatheHazlewood decided to leave the agreeable urban living environment they had enjoyed for years in the centre of Oxford, looking for a new life in the country, they and Cathe’sbrother and sister-in-law decided to head for deepest Dorset.

The sale of their properties allowed them to shop around for an idyllic setting that they could remodel to suit the lifestyle choices they wanted to make with energy efficiency, ‘green’ living and utilising modern renewable technologies an important factor in their decision-making.

What they found exceeded their wildest dreams and allowed them to reshape their futures in a way that whilst they had hoped might be possible, they needed to see to believe. The property they purchased allowed them both to enjoy large adjoining semi-detached properties, on a plot that included a large building that had been built and envisaged as a ‘business centre’ although it had never quite managed to be that, extensive woods and views across the Dorset countryside to die for.

Paul and Cathe admit they were not renewable experts. Being intelligent people they had a grasp of what was available but knew only a little more than the average person when it came to what they could go with and how those options might fit together. They were convinced they would go with solar PV to generate their electricity – the properties they had chosen were blessed with south east and south west facing roofs – and were sizeable, allowing them to install a solar array that would more than meet their requirements. They thought they might possibly go for a biomass boiler option – they had the woods and a pretty much endless supply of fuel available so they wouldn’t necessarily be reliant on a supply of expensive wood pellets.

They had an initial successful environmental ‘hit’. They inherited a home that was lit entirely by halogen lamps set into ceilings around the home. They quickly switched these all to LEDs and cut their lighting bill by 90%. This and the impending arrival of an 18kW solar PV system on the roof was beginning to shape the future for the couple. But the deeper they got into planning their future the more they began to realise they needed to talk to someone. Someone they could trust who really understood renewables and how they might work together to provide the best energy solutions for them. There is no ‘off the shelf solution’ – it needed someone who really understood the options to sit down with them, take them through the options and lead them gently towards the holy grail – an integrated heating, hot water and lighting system that met their very particular needs.

Living in deepest Dorset, there might have been initial panic. Would they find such a person, or such people. They were recommended to talk to local experts Bublshop. Bublshop had been operating in the area under its name and a previous one – Dorset Energy Solutions – for several years and was driven by two knowledgeable guys – xxx xxx and Martin Perrin, both dedicated to working with renewable options, both well versed in the options available and with the experience to be able to advise pretty much anyone about what was best for them. Specifically. And that is exactly what they did for Paul and Cathe.

After a lengthy chat they decided to start with the solar PV system and then rather than going with biomass, to look at the latest high temperature air source heat pump from LG as the source of their heating and hot water. The homes they had bought were both fuelled by elderly and inefficient oil boilers and they quickly realised that that was not the way forward for them.

The solar PV 18kW array would see them exporting around 50% of the electricity they generated. They were attracted by the idea of storing electricity if they could but decided to put of this extension of the system until the technology to do it was cheaper and more reliable. It’s on their agenda!

The feed in tariff (FIT) and Renewable heat incentive (RHI) weren’t essential decision makers for the solar PV or the heat pump although it was a significant help especially for the heat pump: “It is a nice bonus,” says Paul, “but it wasn’t a dealmaker or breaker. Because of the sale of our home in Oxford, we could pay for these up front, but the heat pump decision might have been a bit more difficult if we hadn’t had the RHI payments to look forward to over the next seven years.”

The LG Therma V high temperature air source heat pumps – one for each home – have been a huge eye opener to the couple. They had got used over twenty years to heat on demand using a traditional boiler. They had got used to the ease of having gas through the mains. There was concern initially about how responsive the air source heat pumps would be to deliver heat and hot water when it was needed. But with the latest ‘high temp’ system from LG they say they shouldn’t have worried: “It’s not a flippant remark,” says Paul, “but the heat pump is up and running and commissioned and the biggest compliment I can pay it is that we don’t actually notice the difference! It’s pretty rapid to respond – we’d heard stories about having to switch the thing on several hours before you needed hot water – but that’s just not the case. You quickly adjust to the new kit and it’s been excellent for us since we moved in and got it up and running.”

Bublshop’s Martin Perrin says this is the beauty of the new high temperature heat pumps from LG: “Low temperature air source heat pumps really need to be on 24 hours a day to bring the temperature of the home up to the required temperature and keep it there. They work well and for the right home, they do a great job. But if you need the security of almost instant response the high temperature ASHP is the one to choose. And they’re not hugely more expensive than the low temperature units. People who have them use them very much like boilers and they respond to that kind of use. The key to success is to get the heating system design right at the outset. Work through what you need, your lifestyle requirements and build those into a hardware design that delivers it. It sounds simple and is when you have considered all the complications. Once it’s sorted, it works a treat.”

We know its far more energy efficient and much more environmentally friendly to use renewables than fossil fuels. But what about costs?

“It’s difficult to be exact because we don’t have historical oil usage figures for the properties here – so we can’t measure or compare the costs but in our experience the savings over oil are in excess of 50% per year – and that’s impressive,” says Martin. We will be monitoring the ‘real time’ costs of the air source heat pump and we’re confident it will be mightily impressive when compared with any other forms of heating and hot water comfort provision.”

In modern homes, with several bathrooms – certainly a couple of en-suites and a family bathroom becoming commonplace – and the new standards of insulation and heating, it’s common to see heating demand halved and hot water demand tripled – so high temperature air source heat pumps are ideal for this scenario – perfect for refurbishment projects like this one – but spot on for new build properties.

“The way homes are built these days is very different and the issues we face have changed hugely,” says Martin. “We’re delighted to have access to the technology we have from LG through the distributorship we have in this area. It gives us huge competitive advantage and a range of new options that we know work, that are cost effective and energy efficient and that allows us to combine renewable technologies in a way that we haven’t been able to before.”

To find out more about LG high temperature air source heat pumps head to http://partner.lge.com/uk, or www.bublshop.co.uk or you can email LG at HVAC.marketing@lge.com.

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When Catherine Jackson wanted to add an extension to her home and refurbish part of her existing property in Beverley in the East Riding of Yorkshire, she decided that she wanted something special for the heating system. Although the original radiators were in good shape, she decided to invest in smart new radiators for the existing part of the large new extension at the rear of the home and add these new radiators to the extended kitchen and day room that was being built there.

She selected the Stelrad Planar, a slim, flat fronted, minimalist designer radiator to achieve the contemporary look and feel she was after and the Planar met this brief perfectly especially with the vertical Planar fitting a space where wall space was at a premium.
She chose a large Caliente tubular rail design for the refurbished laundry room with its modern stylish looks but also for its large heat output which meant it was ideal for drying clothes as well as heating the room space.

“The project took around four months from start to finish and we’re all very happy with the outcome,” says Catherine. “The Planars have done the job I wanted them to and the Caliente Rail is a focal point of the décor in the laundry room – so all in all, I’m delighted with the decisions we made!”
The project saw the inclusion of five horizontal Planar radiators, one vertical Planar in the new open plan kitchen area and the Caliente Rail in the adjacent laundry room.

“We’re seeing Planars selected more often for residential opportunities,” says Stelrad’s Marketing Communications Manager Sarah Baker. “The slim good looks with the attractive flat front panel really does lend itself to projects where customers want something a bit more special for their homes. And the wide range of sizes it’s available in make it perfect for pretty much any refurbishment project – there’s a Planar for almost any wall space you care to mention.”

As well as being selected for residential refurbishment projects, Planar is increasingly popular with new build developers and in commercial developments where good looking radiators are required particularly front of house for reception and waiting room type opportunities. Stelrad has recently launched its Heavy Duty Planar – for use in commercial applications where a more robust radiator is required that can stand up to slightly rougher treatment than a standard radiator will have to cope with – ideal in warehouse or distribution settings where small vehicles often towing trailers will be passing by on a regular basis and possibly delivering a glancing blow.

Stelrad radiators are available from all quality builders and plumbers merchants and more information about the wide range of radiators they manufacture can be found on their excellent web site at www.stelrad.com. You can follow Stelrad on Twitter @Stelrad or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/StelradRadiators.

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