News Archive - May 2012
TV 'Rogue Trader' in court again for botched gas work
31 May 2012
A convicted plumber who left a series of householders at risk from his illegal gas work was sentenced at Leeds Crown Court today for putting more lives in danger.
New members elected to CIBSE Board for 2012/2013
30 May 2012
The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) has welcomed four new members to the CIBSE Board.
LG appoints specialist VRF distributors
29 May 2012
LG has appointed two specialist VRF distributors, PACAIR in the south and AUK in the north, and is rationalising its other distribution channels for spilt systems.
S I Sealy announces promotions
29 May 2012
S I Sealy & Associates has promoted Chris Crookes to electrical technical director and Daniel Madden and Matthew Pickford to associate directors.
Training fund deadline looms
29 May 2012
Installers only have until 31 July to access funding for environmental technology training under the Joint Investment Programme (JIP), warns the National Skills Academy for Environmental Technology.
FITs: Schott UK md urges industry to pull together
29 May 2012
Following the Government's announcement that the Feed-in Tariff scheme for solar pv will now be delayed until 1 August, John Meadows, managing director of Schott UK, is calling for the industry to pull together and focus on the opportunities available.
Firm fined after worker burned in gas pipe fire
29 May 2012
A demolition firm has been fined for safety failings after an employee suffered serious burns when a gas pipe ignited in his face.
Illegal North Somerset gasman lied about credentials
29 May 2012
A Clevedon man has been prosecuted for illegally installing a gas boiler and flue at a property at Severn Beach, Bristol, while not registered with CORGI, the then industry body.
SummitSkills seeks sector's most talented
29 May 2012
Nominations are now being invited for this year's SummitSkills Awards for Excellence.
Government announces new solar pv tariffs
28 May 2012
The latest changes to the Feed-in Tariff scheme for solar pv, now effective from 1 August, have been unveiled by the Government, following consultation with industry and consumers.
Business Edge and European Energy Centre partner to offer energy efficiency training
28 May 2012
Business Edge has joined forces with the European Energy Centre (EEC) to launch a series of courses designed to bring professionals up to date with the latest advances in energy efficient refrigeration, air conditioning, heat pumps and renewable energy.
Boiler still going strong after 39 years
24 May 2012
A WEC Firefly HD boiler, believed to be one of the oldest domestic boilers still operating in the UK, has been discovered by a homeowner in Oswestry, Shropshire.
OFTEC launches full scope Part P scheme
24 May 2012
The Oil Firing Technical Association (OFTEC) has introduced a full scope Part P scheme to allow existing registrants to self certify fixed low or extra-low voltage electrical installations.
Swegon opens Chinese subsidiary
24 May 2012
Swegon, the Swedish manufacturer of ventilation and indoor climate solutions, has launched a subsidiary in China.
RDM expands senior sales team
23 May 2012
HVACR controls firm Resource Data Management (RDM) is expanding and restructuring its senior sales management team to support its strategic growth plans.
SBS and PPL Training link up to offer Green Deal courses
23 May 2012
Sustainable Business Solutions (SBS), part of the Travis Perkins Group, and PPL Training, have announced that the first set of City & Guilds accredited courses in Green Deal Domestic Energy Assessing (Advice) are now available.
Industry chiefs urge Government to stick to RHI commitment
23 May 2012
Four senior heating industry figures have sent a letter to Greg Barker, Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change, requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the inclusion of air to water heat pumps in the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).
Grafton Group calls for clear strategy on FiTs
22 May 2012
Grafton Group says it welcomes the Government's decision to delay the Feed-in Tariff cuts that were due to take effect from the start of July but is calling for a clear strategy going forward.
Kingspan appoints training manager
22 May 2012
Kingspan Renewables has appointed Darren Till as training manager.
New category director for piping systems at BSS Industrial
22 May 2012
Chris Ricketts has joined BSS Industrial as its new category director for piping systems.
KGC launches RHI heat meter database
22 May 2012
Kiwa Gastec at CRE (KGC) has launched what it says is the first publicly available database listing heat meters and components that are deemed to be compliant with Ofgem's requirements under the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).
Davey unveils draft energy bill
22 May 2012
The Government's draft energy bill announced today (22 May) by the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) includes proposals for a radical reform of the electricity market and is designed to establish a legislative framework for delivering secure, affordable and low carbon energy.
GAIN urges people to take up grants before deadline
21 May 2012
Warm Front grants are not being taken up quickly enough and there is a danger of losing some of the £50M budget, according to the Grant Aided Heating Installers' Network (GAIN).
MITIE posts strong results
21 May 2012
MITIE Group has reported a 5.9% increase in revenue to £2,002.5m, 5.4% of which is organic, in its results for the year ending 31 March 2012.
TMVA welcomes new publications
21 May 2012
The Thermostatic Mixing Valve Manufacturers' Association (TMVA), part of BEAMA, has welcomed the publication of two reports following on from the tragic infant deaths at neonatal units in Belfast in December 2011 and January this year.
Hilti completes purchase of Eurofox
21 May 2012
Construction products manufacturer Hilti has acquired Eurofox, the Austrian facade technology design and manufacturing business.
REF claims climate change policies will make 65% of UK households worse off
21 May 2012
Renewable Energy Forum (REF) is claiming that the public has been "seriously misled" by the Government about the likely impact of climate policies on energy bills, following a new assessment of the Department of Energy & Climate Change's (DECC) proposed energy efficiency measures.
Builder fined after CO death
18 May 2012
Builder John Martin Riva has been fined £15,000 at Haddington Sheriff Court near Edinburgh after pleading guilty to a contravention of Sections 3 and 33 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
Whitehall set to delay FiT cuts
18 May 2012
The Government is delaying proposed Feed-in Tariff cuts that were due to take effect from the start of July.
Mitsi joins calls for heat pump regulatory reform
18 May 2012
Mitsubishi Electric is joining the UK's leading heat pump manufacturers and installers to jointly set out a vision detailing how industry and Government can achieve a radical decarbonising of residential heating in the UK by 2030.
Report calls on councils to cut carbon emissions
17 May 2012
Local authorities could be the key to meeting national emissions targets, according to a report by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC).
Norfolk gas installer may face prison after gas explosion
16 May 2012
A Norwich gas installer has received an eight-month suspended prison sentence and 250 hours of unpaid community service after his inadequate work on domestic gas appliances put the lives of a mother and daughter at risk in their own home.
Sabien supports call for swifter action on mandatory carbon reporting
16 May 2012
Sabien Technology, the manufacturer and supplier of the M2G intelligent boiler load optimiser is unsurprised by UK businesses' demands for the Government to expedite plans for mandatory carbon reporting (MCR) rules for large companies.
'Failing' Green Deal to be reviewed
16 May 2012
The Green Deal is being reviewed after warnings that it's liable to fail, according to the BBC.
Henderson Green pioneers P21+ contracts
15 May 2012
Independent engineering consultancy Henderson Green has secured the first two contracts in the country under the NHS' new ProCure21+ (P21+) framework, both of which are on the South Coast.
Employer fined after electrician injures back in fall
15 May 2012
An apprentice electrician sustained serious back injuries after falling through a ceiling while working in the loft space of a Swindon youth centre.
Stiebel Eltron UK appoints new regional manager
15 May 2012
Stiebel Eltron UK ihas appointed Richard Myers as a new regional manager to manage the company's renewable accounts in the South East region.
Climaveneta acquires Powermaster to form Climaveneta UK Group
15 May 2012
Climaveneta has signed an agreement to acquire most of Powermaster Products, its long established distribution partner for England and Wales, together with the majority of service organisation Powermaster Service. The move follows the acquisition of the chiller distribution and service activities of Climate from the Walter Meier Group in 2011.
B&ES president claims buoyant membership
15 May 2012
Membership of B&ES (the Building & Engineering Services Association) remains buoyant despite the continuing effects of recession, according to president Bob Shelley.
New CIBSE president calls for rejection of 'greenwash'
14 May 2012
Incoming CIBSE president David Fisk has called for more real performance data and less 'greenwash' in building services systems.
Demand for better F-Gas training
14 May 2012
Thousands of gas engineers remain untrained to the required F-Gas standards, according to training provider Develop Training.
Willmott Dixon Partnerships wins award
14 May 2012
Social housing repairs and maintenance contractor Willmott Dixon Partnerships has achieved national recognition for its collaborative working practices. Willmott Dixon Group's repairs specialist won the 'Contractor of the Year' award at the annual Housing Excellence Awards in Manchester.
Miliband tours Viessmann biomass installation
14 May 2012
David Miliband MP attended the unveiling of the latest installation in South Shields of heating systems manufacturer Viessmann.
ACE welcomes Queen's Speech
10 May 2012
The Association for Consultancy and Engineering has welcomed the emphasis of the Queen's Speech on the importance of electricity market reform and the launch of the Green Investment Bank as part of the government's continued focus on restoring growth to the UK economy.
'Government intervention needed' to boost green initiatives
10 May 2012
Responding to yesterday's Queen's Speech - the first in two years - the UK Green Building Council (UK-GBC) called on the Government to show renewed leadership on green issues, arguing that deregulation for deregulation's sake would be counterproductive for the built environment sector.
SDH Building Services takes on two new staff
10 May 2012
Commercial building services company SDH Building Services has appointed two new members of staff to support growth in the business. The company, based in Bolton, in Greater Manchester, has taken on Alan Hyde and Kevin Byrom.
Outlook for construction sector improving, says RICS
10 May 2012
Activity levels in the construction sector edged upwards in the first three months of the year according to the latest RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) Construction Market Survey. This result contrasts with the sharp fall in output suggested by the official data.
Toshiba Air Conditioning expands distribution network
10 May 2012
Toshiba Air Conditioning is expanding its UK network with the appointment of DYSK Air Conditioning as a full Toshiba distributor.
Industry experts appointed to lead focus on key sectors
10 May 2012
Europe's largest engineers' body has appointed five industry experts to head up new sector-focused, global communities of engineers.
Graeme Fox re-elected as AREA president
08 May 2012
AREA, the European air conditioning and refrigeration contractors association, has re-elected Graeme Fox as president for the next two years. Other board members saw their mandate renewed for another two years, except Gerhard Neuhauser, past president of AREA, who has had to step down due to professional reasons.
Solarcentury appoints new CEO
08 May 2012
Solar photovoltaic (PV) company Solarcentury has appointed Frans van den Heuvel as its new CEO.
More optimistic outlook for specialist contractors, says NSCC
04 May 2012
Specialist contractors are experiencing improvements in trade according to the latest National Specialist Contractors Council (NSCC) State of Trade Survey. Forty four per cent of respondents reported an increase in enquiries in the first quarter of 2012, up from 32 per cent last quarter, and 37 per cent an increase in orders, up from 30 per cent.
Solar leaders launch Global Solar Council
04 May 2012
Chief executives in the solar industry have got together to launch the Global Solar Council (GSC) in a bid to boost the deployment of solar energy worldwide through stakeholder and policy maker engagement.
Deputy PM visits Spirax Sarco
04 May 2012
Spirax Sarco won praise for its commitment to investment in new UK based production and R&D facilities when Deputy Prime Minister, Rt Hon Nick Clegg visited the company's Cheltenham site last week.
TROX celebrates half a century in the UK
04 May 2012
TROX UK is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The UK subsidiary company of the TROX Group was established in 1962 and a new production facility was built in Thetford in 1971.
New accounts manager appointed at Wolseley UK
04 May 2012
Wolseley UK has appointed Sean Blandford to the position of national accounts manager - key accounts.
Ploughcroft md joins Green Construction Board
03 May 2012
Renewable specialist Ploughcroft's managing director, Chris Hopkins, is to join the Green Construction Board as a representative of the small and medium sized enterprise (SME) sector.
Illegal gas fitter prosecuted for endangering lives
02 May 2012
An illegal gas fitter has been prosecuted for endangering lives at a property in Surrey with shoddy and unsafe work.
New national Green Deal body launched
02 May 2012
A new not-for-profit organisation, the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Buildings, is launching this week to create the largest network of potential Green Deal providers, financiers, product and service suppliers in a hub of expertise to represent industry's views on the practical implementation of Green Deal, ECO and wider energy efficiency opportunities in the UK.
New technical estimator for S&P
02 May 2012
Soler & Palau (S&P) has welcomed Sergejs Darznieks to its growing Ipswich-based technical support team.
Plumb Center and Parts Center appoint chief operating officer
02 May 2012
Plumb Center and Parts Center have appointed Rob Gladwin into the newly created role of chief operating officer.
HEVAR announces CPD certified seminar programme
01 May 2012
The seminar programme has been announced for HEVAR, the UK's national heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration exhibition taking place at the NEC, Birmingham on 22 - 24 May 2012.
New senior product manager for Baxi
01 May 2012
Ian Halford has been appointed to the recently created position of senior product manager for Baxi Commercial Division, reporting to the technical manager.
Rinnai appoints regional sales manager
01 May 2012
Rinnai, a supplier of continuous flow water heating products, has appointed Michael Leach as regional sales manager responsible for the Midlands and South.
Logic4training calls on employers to take on an apprentice
01 May 2012
Logic4training is looking for employers to take on and/or provide support for would-be apprentices who have completed its new course, Access to Building Services Engineering, City & Guilds (C&G) 2000 - Level 1, which it is delivering in partnership with the Job Centre and Pearson in Practice.