The highly successful third annual HVR Awards for Excellence ceremony held in St Paul's Grange Hotel in central London earlier this week saw well known industry names pitted against smaller companies for the prestige of winning an award in their sector.
The winners announced at the lavish ceremony are:

Air Conditioning Product
Belimo Automation UK
Commended for a strong concept and expert execution, Belimo Automation UK's Energy Valve was praised as a novel, trailblazing device that heralds the way the industry is set to go. The judges felt it ticked a number of boxes, and were particularly impressed by its intelligent energy monitoring facility. This means that energy usage for both heating and cooling is monitored continuously and then saved on a web server for future analysis and documentation. Along with its ability to measure, control, balance and shut the valve, this offers all the fundamentals for optimising a system's consumption.

Sustainable Project
Ingleton Wood
Impressed both by the simplicity and effectiveness of Ingleton Wood's design, the judges were pleased to see the successful installation of an impressive project completed on time and on budget. They particularly liked the fact that the company took into account the impact on the occupants during the development of this excellent project. Overall, the building shows how holistic design can bring state-of-the-art materials, low and zero carbon technologies, art and visuals together into a sustainable development for the well-being of staff and residents.

Commercial Ventilation Product
SAV Systems
Maintaining high indoor air quality in the most energy efficient way is a big challenge and one that SAV Systems has risen to with its Airmaster through-the-wall heat recovery air handling units. According to the judges, SAV Systems particularly deserves this award because it is a simple and neat solution to ventilating classrooms that tackles head-on the acoustics challenge and overcomes installation problems in tight plant rooms. As well as providing a particularly responsive solution to indoor air quality, the ductless Airmaster is also designed to deliver significant energy savings compared with centralised systems.

Sustainable Product
Nationwide Filter Company
Winning support from all the judges, Nationwide's Bacticell air filter cartridge was praised for its simplicity, creativity and effectiveness. The filter uses replaceable elements and includes anti-microbial treatment to eradicate a wide range of micro-organisms and boost the protection to building occupants. The judges particularly liked the fact that the company had taken a relatively simple, everyday piece of technology and made it better.

Contractor
A1R Services
A1R Services' bone-deep commitment to training - demonstrated by the fact that this 12-person business employs no less than three apprentices - particularly impressed the judges. Not only does the company take a progressive approach to training, but it is also implementing all sorts of other enlightened business processes including issuing its engineers with tablets to input paperwork, offering extensive design capabilities and all- embracing service and maintenance facilities, providing a dedicated contract manager to liaise with clients and engineers to provide the highest service levels.

Commercial Heating Product
Altecnic
Blown away by the innovation incorporated into Altenic's Heating Interface Unit, the judges were particularly impressed that a standard product had been made substantially better. Inside the HIU, traditional mechanical control valves have been replaced by high-tech electronic valves that quickly react to changes in pressure and continually monitor pipework, plate and output temperatures. The electronic valves allow a water flow to warm the exchanger, but then the valve closes, only reopening to keep the exchanger temperature above a pre-set point, thus minimising wasted energy.

Consultant
Hilson Moran
Credited with great enthusiasm and creative flair, Hilson Moran saw off strong competition from the other entries to claim this coveted award. The range of the firm's services and its clear focus on quality as well as its approach to partnering and fostering great client satisfaction impressed the judges. As the company itself puts it: 'We assemble teams specifically based on the required skill set and then draw in specialisms as required to deliver a seamless service via dedicated project co-ordinators.'