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The country’s architects have access to a new information source on renewable technology with the installation of a permanent exhibition stand at the Building Centre in London’s Store Street from Mitsubishi Electric which focuses on sustainability in the built-environment.

The company, which has long pioneered energy efficiency in our buildings, is using the space to highlight the potential that heat pumps offer in reducing the energy load required to heat, cool and ventilate both commercial and residential properties, and is also focusing on the energy producing potential of Photovoltaic panels.

“The Building Centre is renowned for providing essential information for all involved in the built environment, so it made perfect sense for us to use this venue to convey the energy saving potential of these technologies,” explained Sharon Oliver, Marketing Communications Manager for Mitsubishi Electric’s Photovoltaic and Domestic Heating Divisions.

Both air source and ground source heat pumps are classified as renewable technology by both the European Union and the UK Government because they harvest free, renewable energy from the air to maximise efficiency and minimise energy consumption.

Mitsubishi Electric has led the way in the use of heat pumps for commercial air conditioning and has pioneered air source heat pumps for both domestic and commercial heating systems.

The permanent stand at the Building Centre includes a touch screen panel which provides essential information on the technologies and highlights how their energy saving potential can be used to meet the Code for Sustainable Homes and other energy performance legislation. In addition to gaining advice on reducing energy costs and emissions levels, architects can also source information on equipment to help with indoor air quality and ventilation.

“Everyone involved in the construction industry, whether new-built or retro-fit is under immense pressure to demonstrate how low carbon the buildings they design now are and we wanted to raise awareness of the potential that this equipment can offer,” adds Oliver.

The Building Centre – established in 1931 – has developed to become an independent forum dedicated to providing information and inspiration to all sectors of the built environment. It is open from 9:30am – 6pm, Monday to Friday and on Saturday’s from 10:00am to 5:00pm. Further information can be sourced by visiting www.buildingcentre.co.uk.

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REHAU will shortly become the first manufacturer to extrude pre-insulated polymer pipework in the UK for use in biomass and district heating applications.

Production of REHAU’s RAUVITHERM pipework will start at REHAU’s factory in Blaenau, North Wales in May and will offer UK based contractors and specifiers a local source of pipe with a lower carbon footprint and improved lead times.

Martin Hitchin, REHAU’s Chief Executive, commented on the move: “We have invested in new manufacturing technology at our largest UK factory in order to meet growing demand from the market for a UK produced pipe.

“It will be produced to exactly the same specification and quality as the RAUVITHERM pipework which we currently supply from our factory in Germany but will have a much lower carbon footprint.”

This is the latest positive indication of REHAU’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions across the entire supply chain and will start to have an impact almost immediately. The carbon savings will be ongoing and are expected to increase significantly as demand for the product continues to surge in the UK.

Steve Richmond, Business Team Leader for REHAU’s Renewable Energy products, added: “In the past year, REHAU has seen sales of RAUVITHERM increase by 100%. This is being driven by the booming UK biomass and district heating markets and, more recently, by the Renewable Heat Incentive scheme launched in November 2011.

“By transferring production to the UK, we will have greater flexibility to meet this growing demand and will be able to offer customers shorter lead times.”

RAUVITHERM is a pre-insulated PE-Xa pipe constructed with layers of cross linked PE insulation and a robust HDPE outer jacket which is longitudinally watertight. It is popular in the UK market because of the high degree of flexibility it offers which simplifies and speeds up installation and because it uses REHAU’s renowned EVERLOC compression sleeve jointing system – proven millions of times in heating and plumbing applications to deliver a permanent leak free joint.

REHAU provides design support for RAUVITHERM installations, assisting specifiers and contractors with pipe sizing, heat loss calculations and drawing up bill of materials from heat network drawings.

RAUVITHERM is part of REHAU’s package of solutions for the district heating market which also includes closed cell RAUTHERMEX pre-insulated pipework, RAUGEO ground source energy solutions and underfloor heating systems.

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Mitsubishi Electric has launched a new air conditioning web-based controller to replace the “Baby” GB-50 and offer users high level control and energy monitoring functionality. The controller is aimed at the more cost and environmentally conscious end users in these times of austerity and energy conservation.

The new GB50ADA is the latest web-based group controller from Mitsubishi Electric and offers much of the functionality previously only available in the more advanced touch screen AG150A controller, but at a significantly lower price.

The new controller is compatible with the full range of Mitsubishi Electric Air conditioning products such as City Multi, Mr Slim and M Series product ranges. It also supports the latest Windows 7 operating system and can control up to 50 indoor units or groups.

“There are occasions where buildings do not require the full scope of advanced controls provided by the AG150A, and there are also applications where not having a touch screen interface on the controller provides a good level of security against unauthorised use, and this new model recognises both of these applications,” explains Philip Ord, Product Marketing Manager for Mitsubishi Electric’s range of air conditioning products.

With easy connection to the Internet and full group control, the energy use of the outdoor units can be controlled efficiently and the energy usage monitored. Support for third-party pulse meters also allows other building services to be monitored in real time.

Advanced annual scheduling allows for two different seasonal settings (summer and winter) and both fan speed and air direction can also be set.

The new GB50ADA web controller comes with additional functions including optimised start – which enables the system to reach setpoint temperature in a faster and more responsive way – refrigerant gas volume status check, USB memory backup and restore, outdoor ambient temperature interlocking, night setback (night-time low energy mode) and interlock control which can be used for interlocking related third party equipment with the air conditioning system.

“Building owners are looking for ways to control costs and this new model brings together a number of useful facilities that let people monitor trends and identify where savings can be made,” adds Ord. “The Internet is now part of everyday life and it allows us to offer our customers advanced energy monitoring so that they can be sure that their system is always optimised for performance and energy use.”

The new intelligent GB50ADA controller learns how long it takes to reach a set temperature, so it is no longer necessary to switch on the air conditioning two hours before it is needed. Automatic setpoint adjustment also takes into account seasonal effects so that the indoor temperature works in line with actual outdoor temperatures to provide greater levels of comfort.

Advanced night set back allows the temperature for each indoor unit to be as low as 12°C, with the relevant unit restarting if the temperature drops below this preset level. The controller also has an in-built refrigerant status check which can be activated to check the City Multi outdoor units.

“We have listened carefully to our customers and are continuously striving to bring them low cost but advanced controllers that increase information and control,” says Ord. “This new unit will allow more organisations to get a grip on their energy use in a more advanced way than before.”

For further information on the GB50ADA and the complete range of advanced air conditioning controls, visit www.mitsubishielectric.co.uk/aircon.

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Mitsubishi Electric has announced a new I/O Interface which will deliver the precise control and advanced energy saving functions normally associated with much more expensive BEMS interfaces.

The I/O Interface is fully compatible with both the M Series and Mr Slim ranges of Mitsubishi Electric air conditioning products with features that allow for more intelligent centralised control. Businesses will therefore be able to reduce energy consumption without compromising on the occupant’s level of control or comfort.

“This will make control of different premises much easier for organisations to manage and will also allow companies to more closely monitor and control their energy use,” explained Mitsubishi Electric’s controls expert, Sebastien Desmottes.

The new Interface, which is available immediately along with the more standard control inputs and outputs, offers two new energy saving modes which were previously only available on much more expensive control solutions – bringing high level functionality to a much wider market.

‘Auto Off’ – the first of the two modes, sets the auto mode for a predetermined period of time, before reverting back to fan only to save energy. The time can be set to two hours, one hour or half an hour. This could be used to turn the air conditioning on at a set time of the day – say 8am and two hours later, the unit would switch to fan only mode.

If staff on site need to reactivate the system, a simple button will reset the unit for another two hours. This ‘Auto Off’ function prevents the user turning on the system in the morning and leaving it running all day regardless of need and has obvious energy saving potential.

The second mode – ‘Set point’ – allows the temperature to be used to activate the air conditioning, with the fan only running if the ambient temperature falls or exceeds a specified temperature, e.g. below 19°C or exceeding 23°C.

In this example, the I/O Interface could still be programmed to switch the air conditioning on at 8am but the air conditioning will only function if the temperature drops below or exceeds the predetermined limits. This ‘Set point’ operation is a version of the ‘Night set-back function’ which was previously available on much more advanced control systems.

“The Interface has three digital inputs (On/Off, Function Lock and Energy Save), three analogue inputs (Setpoint, Mode and Fan speed) and four digital, relay-driven outputs (Run, Fault, Thermo and Mode) with individual LEDs to show if the relay contact is open or closed,” explains Desmottes.

As well as BEMS and energy-saving functions, new outputs have been added to allow simple interlocking with third party heating to ensure that heating and cooling equipment don’t run at the same time. Mitsubishi Electric has been running a prototype at its Hatfield offices for several months to demonstrate the different operating performances to customers and has also installed demonstration systems at other live premises to highlight its suitability – especially for retail operations.

“Energy use is a major cost for businesses today and carbon reduction targets mean that companies must be able to demonstrate that they are controlling consumption,” adds Desmottes. “This new interface makes the straightforward control of individual sites much more affordable and will make the energy consumed by the air conditioning much more predictable.”

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Mitsubishi Electric’s Commercial Director, Donald Daw has put the company’s belief in the energy-saving value of air source heat pumps to the test recently by taking part in a special ‘Dragon’s Den’ style presentation involving Grand Design’s Kevin McCloud.

The Channel 4 star was part of a panel which included Professor David Strong, Chair of the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes, and David MacKay, Chief Scientific Advisor, Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

The trio quizzed Mitsubishi Electric and three other companies (the Mark Group, Knauf Insulation, and BEAMA) who have come up with new and innovative ideas to make homes more energy efficient.

“The panel didn’t pull their punches just like the real Dragon’s but I think heat pumps came out very well because they are one of the few technologies that are flexible, affordable, and scalable enough to really make a difference to the majority of our homes,” commented Daw.

“However, the real winner was the idea of everyone working together to find a whole house solution rather than believing that one single technology can be the answer in every situation,” he added.

The event was one of the highlights of the Civil Service Live expo held at London’s Olympia on the 6th – 8th July attended by over 10,000 visitors.

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Leaders from ten global companies gathered in London today to announce publicly the formation of the “Friends of the Supergrid” (FOSG) which has been set up to progress policy towards the construction of a pan-European Offshore Supergrid. Through the combination of their respective areas of expertise, the FOSG members have unique insight into the policies needed to create the Supergrid and have the capability to deliver it in practice.

The FOSG is the only representative body that combines companies in sectors that will deliver the High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) infrastructure and related technology, together with companies that will develop, install, own and operate that infrastructure. It brings together the organisations that will design the physical equipment, with those who will build the structures at sea.

The founding members include 3E, AREVA T&D, DEME Blue Energy, Elia, Hochtief Construction AG, Mainstream Renewable Power, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Prysmian Cables & Systems, Siemens and Visser & Smit Marine Contracting.

Speaking at the launch on behalf of the members, Mainstream Renewable Power’s Chief Executive Dr Eddie O’Connor said,” The UK government has recently shown its commitment to large-scale offshore wind by announcing the development of up to 50GW by 2020. We now need to integrate this huge resource into Europe to enable the open trade of electricity between Member States. The Friends of the Supergrid is uniquely placed to influence policy-makers towards creating the Supergrid and ultimately changing how we generate, transmit and consume electricity for generations to come.”

In December last year, nine EU Member States, including the UK and Germany, signed a political declaration for the “North Seas Countries Offshore Grid Initiative”. Last month Norway signed the declaration, whose aim is to develop policy to advance offshore interconnection in Europe. The FOSG is solely able to present “cradle to grave” interconnection solutions to the policy-makers and others looking to develop energy policy across Europe through to 2050.

FOSG will be run by an Executive and directed by the Board of members. Membership will be kept to a maximum of 20 companies and aims to have both an industrial and geographic cross-section, with its base in Brussels. The concept of the Supergrid was first launched a decade ago and it is defined as “an electricity transmission system, mainly based on direct current, designed to facilitate large-scale sustainable power generation in remote areas for transmission to centres of consumption, one of whose fundamental attributes will be the enhancement of the market in electricity”.

The Supergrid will open markets, strengthen security of supply and create another global opportunity for European companies to export sustainable energy technology. The technology underpinning the Supergrid will give competitive advantage to the companies involved with its specification and design. This type of integrated AC/DC grid will be a template for what will be needed in other global markets including the US and China.

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Mainstream Renewable Power South Africa has released the results of a technical study undertaken to estimate the scale of the country’s wind resource. The analysis, which uses Geographic Information System (GIS) technology and a state of the art Mesoscale wind flow model, concludes that South Africa has enough economically viable wind energy sites to generate 184 Terawatt hours (TWh) of indigenous, sustainable energy. Electricity demand in South Africa currently stands at around 250 TWh, coming from 44GW of installed capacity and is expected to grow to 80GW by 2025. The country is currently the 12th biggest producer of CO2 emission per capita in the world and emissions are set to quadruple by 2050 if drastic measures are not taken.

The study modelled the entire surface area of the country using GIS technology, which assesses a variety of inputs including terrain elevation, wind speed, grid line locations and urban areas, and outputs the areas where wind farms can be constructed. The company believes that up to 5GW can be built within a five year period, which would generate 13 TWh, or about 5% of the country’s current electricity demand. Strong public and government commitment combined with the right regulatory environment, wind power could easily reach 25% of the country’s current electricity demand by 2025, similar to what is happening in many other international markets.

Mark Tanton, the deputy chairperson of the South African Wind Energy Association commented “This study, once again, proves that we have a significant wind resource in the country. In order to deliver on our long-term energy future we need to take immediate action. If government is serious about reaching its renewable energy targets and finding a cost effective solutions to bolster our ailing power supply, the potential contribution from wind power projects cannot be ignored. To date Eskom has received applications in excess of 10.5GW for grid connections for wind power projects in South Africa. Once the issues around accessing the PPA are resolved, the 28 developers who have lodged these applications would be more than capable of bringing a minimum of 4GW into the system by 2013.”

Commenting on the report, Mainstream South Africa’s Davin Chown said,” South Africa is facing a serious economic and energy crises and wind energy has a significant role to play in tackling both of these issues. As a nation, we can’t afford to ignore the potential of our vast wind energy resource. We need to introduce at least 36GW of new energy capacity over the next 15 years and by using our own natural resources to plug this gap we will not only reduce our CO2 emissions by over 68 million tonnes each year, but we’ll create a whole new economic industry, particularly in rural areas, generating new jobs and empowering local communities through education, training and skills transfer.”

Dr Eddie O’Connor, Mainstream’s Chief Executive said,”There’s nothing new to this. There’s already 150GW of wind energy installed around the globe and it’s growing by 30GW per annum, employing over 400,000 people worldwide. This is a highly reliable, competitive and scalable form of power generation with zero long-term fuel risks and highly predictable long-term power generation capabilities.”

He continued,” Mainstream is prepared to invest large quantities of capital to build these sustainable energy assets, but we need to see long-term targets and a clear, investor-friendly regulatory environment. South Africa still needs transparent grid connection and queuing processes.”

“We are very encouraged by the government’s work to date to promote renewable energies and encourage new independent power producers into the market and we look forward to continuing to facilitate and work with government on these activities.”

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Logica to continue managing outsourced IT services until 2014

Logica, a leading IT and business services company, today announced that Morrison Utility Services has extended an outsourced IT service agreement that will provide further efficiency and flexibility throughout its IT infrastructure while ensuring a competitive cost base. Morrison Utility Services has been a Logica client for eight years, and the new £10.9 million deal will see this relationship extend to 2014. The service supports Morrison Utility Services’ 3,200-strong workforce, spread across more than 50 sites in the UK and Ireland.

Morrison Utility Services, one of the UK and Ireland’s leading utility services providers, offers replacement, repair, provision and maintenance of utility infrastructure to the gas, water, electricity and telecommunications sectors. Given the fast-changing, dynamic nature of Morrison Utility Services’ business, Logica will continue to focus on delivering a flexible service, enabling the delivery team to react quickly to the changing needs of Morrison Utility Services and its customers.

In addition to supporting and continuing to update their infrastructure services, Logica will also provide application and change management services. Logica is working closely with Morrison Utility Services to foster innovation and help deploy new technology to benefit their clients. Solutions such as cloud based services are helping them deliver greater flexibility, reliability and speed of deployment.

Judith Halkerston, Managing Director for Energy, Utilities and Telecoms, Logica, highlighted that the contract extension reflects the commitment shown to Morrison by the service delivery team: “We are excited about continuing to provide Morrison with a service that helps them continue leading in their market. By understanding their need for flexibility in what we deliver, our team is helping Morrison to provide the level of partnership-based service that its clients demand.”

Graeme Cross, Head of IT at Morrison Utility Services, explains that this extension is testimony to the strength of relationship his team enjoys with Logica. “As our business grows and adapts to changing market conditions, Logica continues to re-engineer its service. The contract that we have with Logica provides a flexible framework that meets the changing nature of our business and we look forward to working together.”

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Mitsubishi Electric has launched its second generation of R410A City Multi Replace models to offer an 80 per cent increase in COP (Coefficient of Performance), halve the install time and cut installation costs by up to 40 per cent, when replacing a 10-year-old R22 air conditioning system.

The new City Multi YJM Replace units join the existing splits Replace line up to offer one of the widest and most efficient replacement model ranges available on the market.

Mitsubishi Electric were the first manufacturer to offer R22 replace models in the UK and have over five years experience in the Replace VRF market and even longer in the splits sector. This new development completes the product range with 100 per cent of the City Multi, Mr Slim and M Series models now available with R410A.

The new City Multi YJM Replace model is a modular system which comes in both heat pump and standard size small module (22 – 100kW) and heat recovery in the standard larger model (22 – 33kW). All currently available City Multi indoor units can be used with the Replace model and there is also the potential to upgrade the R22 systems of other manufacturers in addition to Mitsubishi Electric equipment.

Once installed, the City Multi Replace system will perform automatic refrigerant charging ensuring the optimal amount of R410A refrigerant is used. Following this, the system performs an automatic flushing of the mineral oil whilst operating in either heating or cooling modes.

The system saves on installation time by using Mitsubishi Electric’s unique, patented flushing operation which takes less than 2 hours and involves sending an R410A gas / liquid mix through the R22 pipes to collect any residual R22 refrigerant mineral oil.

“The sale of virgin R22 was outlawed at the start of 2010 and with a total ban on R22 sales by 2014 at the latest, anyone operating older equipment may soon run into difficulties,” explains Philip Ord, Product Marketing Manager for Mitsubishi Electric. “These old systems may still work at the moment but they will need replacing before too long and operators can benefit immediately from lower running costs if they switch now.”

Many elements of the existing system can be used including all piping, control wiring and power wiring as well as circuit breakers. This allows installation time to be reduced dramatically by up to 50 per cent with disruption kept to an absolute minimum.

Substantial material cost savings can be made, as well as installation costs, and there is also less waste. Overall, a 40 per cent installation cost reduction can be made on a replace system compared to installing a new system. Replacing a 10-year-old R22 system with a same capacity modern unit will deliver up to a 45 per cent power consumption saving leading to a potential 80 per cent increase in COP.

“We have spent the last five years preparing the most comprehensive range of replacement models to offer anyone with an R22 system the simplest way of upgrading,” adds Ord. “No other manufacturer can deliver such a wide range of solutions to the R22 challenge.”

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