News Archive - March 2012
New specialist group chairman
30 March 2012
The latest HEVAC Specialist Section - the Demand Controlled Ventilation Group (DCVG) - has elected Marcus Lightfoot as its chairman.
Government plan to slash emissions from heating
30 March 2012
The Government has set out its vision of how it plans to cut emissions from heating homes, businesses and industry in the decades ahead.
Vent-Axia offers 5 per cent cashback on heating kit
30 March 2012
Vent-Axia is offering contractors the chance to claim a 5 per cent cashback on many of its heating products. The offer applies to selected heating products purchased between 1 April and 30 June.
TM44 Inspection of Air Conditioning Systems launched
30 March 2012
A new edition of TM44 Inspection of Air Conditioning Systems has been prepared for the start of statutory lodgement of air conditioning inspection reports which begins on 6 April, 2012.
Contractors invited to tender for refurb contract
30 March 2012
Property developer FreshStart Living is inviting contractors to contact it regarding refurbishment work after it was granted planning permission to transform a former office block in the heart of Bradford into student accommodation.
SummitSkills urges future focus for PV industry
30 March 2012
With the distraction of a third Government legal challenge to the December Feed-in Tariff (FiT) reduction now ruled out by the Supreme Court, it is time for the PV industry to focus on the future,
SummitSkills has said.
Air conditioning manufacturer Airedale has appointed Adam Yarrington as engineering manager.
'Retrofitting is a necessity, not a luxury', says ebm-papst
29 March 2012
Rising energy costs, ageing equipment and the financial impact of carbon emissions mean that retrofitting energy efficiency products shouldn't be seen as a luxury, according to fan and motor manufacturer ebm-papst.
Arjowiggins extends Cofely's CHP management contract
29 March 2012
Cofely, a GDF SUEZ company, has signed a five-year contract extension with Arjowiggins Paper Group to provide energy and utilities management for the CHP energy centre at the company's tracing paper manufacturing facility at Chartham Mill, Kent.
Glen Dimplex Group integrates three brands into new division
29 March 2012
A new Gas Fire Division has been created by the Glen Dimplex Group following the recent acquisition of two fire brands - Valor and Wonderfire - alongside Robinson Willey, the brand acquired in 2010 by the group.
Spirax Sarco celebrates 500th course delegate
29 March 2012
Spirax Sarco is celebrating the 500th delegate to complete its Boiler Operation Accreditation Scheme (BOAS) course at its new UK Steam Technology Centre in Cheltenham.
Anesco offers free biomass boilers
28 March 2012
Energy services provider Anesco has launched a new initiative to offer businesses fully funded biomass boiler installations free of charge.
Hitachi expands its ac business under new company
27 March 2012
Hitachi plans to establish a new company in Europe to incorporate all activities for air conditioning products, including sales, manufacture and service operations across the European market from 1 April, 2012.
Black Country plumber jailed for tax fraud
27 March 2012
A 53 year old man from the Black Country has been jailed for depriving public finances of £91,000 through income tax and national insurance evasion - money he failed to declare and pay during his 10 years of trading as a self-employed plumber.
Culligan UK appoints business development manager
27 March 2012
Culligan UK, a provider of commercial and industrial water treatment solutions, has appointed Jim Baker to the position of business development manager.
CRC 'simplified to save businesses millions'
27 March 2012
Millions of pounds will be saved for businesses through new proposals to simplify the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC), according to the Government.
New Illustrated Guide to Mechanical Building Services coming soon
27 March 2012
Research organisation BSRIA is publishing an update to AG 15/2002 - the Illustrated Guide to Mechanical Building Services.
RHPP Phase 2 launch imminent
27 March 2012
The Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) is being be extended with a new budget of £25 million: £10m for a new social landlords' competition, £8m for a new communities competition and £7m for an extension of the existing scheme.
Sales manager for MHG
26 March 2012
Heating system supplier MHG Heating has appointed Mike Loveluck to the role of sales manager for North London and the Northern Home Counties.
'UK needs 450,000 skilled technicians by 2020'
26 March 2012
An alarming gap between the number of UK technicians and the skilled jobs that will be needed by 2020 to boost competiveness and growth has been revealed in a review from the Technician Council (TC).
Unregistered gas fitter's work put people at risk
26 March 2012
A Wrexham gas fitter has been sentenced after installing and illegally servicing equipment which could have resulted in harm to the tenants and landlord of a Wrexham property.
Government loses solar tariff appeal
23 March 2012
The Government has lost an appeal over its Feed in Tariff (FiT) plan to cut subsidies for solar panels on homes. The appeal in January was against a High Court ruling that blocked a plan to halve to around 21p per kW hr the payments made to households with solar panels.
HVCA Publications renamed, but existing literature remains valid
22 March 2012
B&ES Publications is the new name for HVCA Publications to reflect its full coverage across the building and engineering services sector.
TWITTER SIGN-OFF
22 March 2012
Intro
Skills Minister praises EAL for building skilled workforce
22 March 2012
Skills Minister John Hayes has commended EAL, the specialist awarding organisation for building services qualifications, for encouraging employers to take on apprentices and helping to boost the economy by up skilling the industry workforce.
MITIE launches integrated fit-out business
21 March 2012
MITIE has introduced a new £240m integrated fit-out business called Built Environment.
Budget 2012: Osborne cuts corporation tax
21 March 2012
Chancellor George Osborne has announced that he will cut corporation tax, reducing it to 22p by 2014, signalling Britain's competitiveness to foreign investors.
Government frees up another £150m to get Britain building
20 March 2012
The Government has announced that it will release an extra £150m for the Get Britain Building Fund, taking the total to £570m.
Elta appoints SE account manager
19 March 2012
Glenn Hughes has been appointed as a new key account manager for Elta Fans Building Services.
Organisers confirm ACR Show as regular biennial event
19 March 2012
The first staging of the ACR Show 2012 proved to be an outstanding success, with exhibitors praising the quality and buying-power of visitors.
New account exec for Pipe Center
19 March 2012
Pipe Center has appointed Patrick Reid as account executive in its industrial sales team.
Specialist Groups AGM set for Thursday 3 May
19 March 2012
The Annual General Meetings of B&ES's four
specialist groups will return to Trinity House on London's Tower Hill, on Thursday 3 May.
OFGEM has announced that the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) tariffs for solid biomass will be increasing from April 1, 2012
Culligan UK appoints area sales manager
19 March 2012
Industrial and commercial water treatment solutions supplier Culligan UK has appointed Dave Heard to the position of area sales manager.
Mitsi aims to raise £75K for SCF
19 March 2012
Mitsubishi Electric's Commercial Heating team is aiming to raise £75,000 for Save the Children by embarking on an eight day trek to Machu Picchu, Peru in a charity challenge that will test the strength and endurance of all the participants.
Is BIM the future of project information, asks BSRIA?
16 March 2012
Results from an annual industry-wide survey undertaken by NBS have provided a detailed picture of UK BIM (Building Information Modelling) and its growing influence within the built environment industry.
Embodied carbon guide launched
16 March 2012
A guide designed to improve understanding of the embodied carbon impacts of construction products has been launched by the Construction Products Association.
Climate change to cost business up to £355m extra a year, says RICS
16 March 2012
The annual electricity bill for the business sector could rise by hundreds of millions of pounds by 2030 as a result of climate change, warns the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
Ploughcroft creates 25 new jobs
16 March 2012
Solar panel specialist Ploughcroft is expanding its national team with the appointment of 25 new staff. The company said it had recognised the opportunities that will arise as a result of the Green Deal and has created the new roles for Energy Assessors.
Building professionals urged to join web energy use debate
16 March 2012
Mitsubishi Electric is urging everyone involved in designing, creating and maintaining our built environment to join an online debate on how the nation can lower energy use in buildings.
Climaveneta expands sales team
16 March 2012
Climaveneta has appointed Sam Bainborough to its external sales team, with responsibility for sales in the areas surrounding the M1 corridor and into London.
'Service is key to boosting energy efficiency'
16 March 2012
Reassuring service is a key element in promoting energy efficient technologies at a time when companies are nervous about investing in new technology, according to Sabien Technology ceo Alan O'Brien.
Staffordshire family exposed to carbon monoxide
13 March 2012
A gas engineer from West Bromwich has been prosecuted after a family of five were taken to hospital following exposure to carbon monoxide.
ACE calls on Chancellor to support small firms
13 March 2012
The Association for Consultancy and Engineering has called on Chancellor George Osborne to support small companies that employ a disproportionate proportion of the workforce.
Benson appoints new technical sales engineer
12 March 2012
Dale Thomas has joined Benson Heating's Knighton team as a technical sales engineer.
Panasonic makes air-to-water appointment
12 March 2012
Panasonic has appointed Graham Evans as air-to-water business developer.
Financing can boost investment in energy efficient kit, says Siemens
08 March 2012
Rising world energy costs are encouraging businesses across the world to invest in energy efficient technologies to reduce their energy consumption, according to the latest research paper from SFS, the Financial Services unit of Siemens.
Fill in the forms for funding lifeline, urges JTL
08 March 2012
JTL, a training charity for the building services engineering sector, is urging firms to take action now if they are to benefit from a new employer initiative from the National Apprenticeship Service.
Sabien Technology chosen for Carbon Disclosure Project
08 March 2012
Sabien Technology has been selected as a Carbon Reduction Partner to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).
Spirax Sarco advises on flowmeter selection
08 March 2012
Spirax Sarco has published a White Paper providing steam users with tips to correctly select the right flowmeter to achieve energy savings.
EAL initiates Parliamentary Group on apprenticeships
08 March 2012
MPs from all parties have pledged to promote Apprenticeships through a new parliamentary group.
HEVAR 2012 seminar programme finalised
08 March 2012
The seminar programme for HEVAR 2012 is now complete.
£3.5m Green Deal cash boost announced
08 March 2012
Funding worth £3.5 million has been announced by the Government to help train hundreds of people in key green skills ahead of the launch of the Green Deal.
Docherty Chimney Group acquires MMF
06 March 2012
Docherty Chimney Group, which claims to be the UK's largest independent supplier of chimney products, has acquired MMF, one of its competitors and another specialist chimney and flue supplier.
Swiftclean appointments signal expansion in the UK
06 March 2012
Ventilation hygiene and legionella prevention firm Swiftclean (UK) has appointed two new technical sales consultants and an operations manager.
New hvac supplier formed in West Midlands
06 March 2012
A new company, Airtherm Engineering, has been formed in Stourbridge, West Midlands to design supply and install heating, cooling, ventilation and renewable systems.
CHPA report sets out heat decarbonisation plan
05 March 2012
A new report from the Combined Heat and Power Association (CHPA) aims to set out a pathway for the decarbonisation of heat in advance of the Government's forthcoming Heat Strategy.
Airedale appoints training manager
05 March 2012
Air conditioning manufacturer Airedale has appointed Keith Nicholls as training manager. His appointment follows the company's investment last year in a £250,000 purpose-built learning environment of classroom and workshops.
SummitSkills warns over challenge of upskilling workforce for Green Deal
05 March 2012
The scale of the challenge to upskill and accredit the workforce and training providers in time for the Green Deal cannot be under-estimated, but SMEs can profit from the scheme, new research has found.
TROX opens Manchester office
05 March 2012
TROX UK has opened a Manchester office in Salford Quays.
Tropo wins Yorkshire heat pumps contract
01 March 2012
Tropo, the renewable energy subsidiary of Henry Boot Construction, has won a contract to provide heating and hot water using ground source heat pumps to domestic properties in North Yorkshire.
HVCA changes name
01 March 2012
The HVCA has become B&ES - the Building & Engineering Services Association. More than 90 per cent of the membership voted to change the name at a special general meeting held in London late last year following a major consultation exercise.