Latest Features

Missed opportunity for significant efficiency gains

There is widespread acceptance of the pressing need to conserve energy on all sites - both residential and commercial. But the Government looks set to miss a golden opportunity to alleviate the strain on our over-stretched energy network and counteract poor enforcement. Chris Goggin explains the situation

21 Jan 2014

Scaling the hurdles of heating

Communicating the significant benefits of the lifetime cost as opposed to the initial acquisition outlay is one of the biggest challenges facing the award winning Poole-based boiler manufacturer Hamworthy Heating according to technical director Bob Walsh

21 Jan 2014

Ill wind breathes hope for specialist contractors

Last month we heard how Northern Ireland's building services engineering sector has suffered more than any other UK region during the recession. Now, although things are starting to pick up, the chairman of the SEC Northern Ireland Brian Hood urges caution

21 Jan 2014

Intelligent energy usage

Energy spend can have a dramatic impact on the bottom line, especially where operating margins are tight. Energy usage and building control data can prove a gold mine of information when harnessed in the right way, writes Spencer Rigler

21 Jan 2014

Maintenance is vital in burner efficiency

Failure to keep burners, used to produce heat in commercial buildings well maintained could lead to a potentially explosive situation according to Rick Crees

1 Dec 2013

Late payment threatens Northern Ireland recovery

Northern Ireland's building services engineering sector has suffered more than any other UK region during the recession. This is largely because the public sector is responsible for 70 per cent of its construction activity and, as a result of the 2008 financial crisis and attempts to manage the government deficit, workloads plummeted.

1 Dec 2013

Systems based strategy beats de-industrialisation

Offering sub-systems or solutions as opposed to singular products or components is the route to success in tackling the trend towards de industrialisation in the UK, according to David Jarvis, managing director of UK subsidiary of fan and motor specialist ebm-papst

1 Dec 2013

Ceiling casettes a key decision in system design

The choice of air conditioning ceiling cassette is an important part of the energy efficiency equation but need not come at the expense of interior design, says Martin Passingham

1 Dec 2013

The quest for ever-higher climate control efficiency

The development of ever more sophisticated controls will enable air conditioning and indoor climate control to achieve ever higher efficiencies through total building management. Nick Ryman believes it is the shape of things to come

1 Dec 2013

Spotlight on technology and legal updates at ACR show

Seminars on the latest ground-breaking cooling technologies, and vital changes in the law affecting the industry, are among the hot topics to be covered in the ACR Show seminars, the programme for which has now been published

1 Dec 2013

Modern air conditioning for DofE London offices

At a time when over one million young people are out of employment or training, the transformation of Duke of Edinburgh Award's London office space will allow for a greater number of DofE team members and better volunteer training facilities

1 Dec 2013

Going forward with DCV

Kurt Truniger explains the disadvantages of duct pressure control in variable-volume ventilation systems and shows how they can be replaced with forward-looking, demand controlled systems that comply with EN 15232, Class A requiring highly energy-efficient building automation and technical building management

1 Dec 2013

A step change in kitchen fans

For professional kitchens energy efficient ventilation is essential to both maintain good indoor air quality and comfort for staff as well as keeping fuel costs down. However, David Cook of Vent Axia says changes to Building Regulations are set to affect fan specification in kitchens

1 Dec 2013

Renewable technology is the focus of the future

When specifying heating and hot water systems for new or existing commercial buildings, renewable or low carbon solutions should be considered. Sean Green discusses the market

1 Dec 2013

District heating and the benefits of biomass

District heating offers a great solution to sites where multiple buildings need heat; from factories and industrial estates, to whole villages. When it comes to biomass, further benefits can be realised thanks to the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). Simon Holden, looks at the pros and options for wood-based district heating

1 Dec 2013

Smart tariffs are key to renewable heat schemes

Heat from a diverse range of sources can be utilised within a heat network, but the inclusion of low carbon and renewable technologies is being widely encouraged by the Government to help meet carbon reduction commitments. However Yan Evans warns that careful planning is needed at design stage to ensure tariffs that consider the true cost of low carbon and renewable technologies are set

1 Dec 2013

Low carbon heating and energy for zoo attraction

A heat pump is at the heart of 'animazing' new low carbon £300,000 visitor attraction at Banham Zoo, providing a year-round subtropical environment and home for exotic species

1 Dec 2013

Abuse of CE Mark by flue system counterfeiters

The introduction of the CE Mark in July was supposed to create a Europe-wide level playing field in the standard of flue systems, but according to John Hamnett there has been a rise in the number of dangerous, sub-standard counterfeit flue systems that are being passed off as genuine CE-marked systems

1 Dec 2013

'Heat pumps improving'

An in-depth Energy Saving Trust study shows heat pump performance has got better

1 Oct 2013

Mind the energy gap

The need to bridge the energy performance gap between predictions of building energy use at the design stage and the measured results once the buildings are operational is a hot topic right now in the building services industry, says Mark Northcott

1 Oct 2013

[title]

Missed opportunity for significant efficiency gains

Scaling the hurdles of heating

Ill wind breathes hope for specialist contractors

Intelligent energy usage

Maintenance is vital in burner efficiency

Late payment threatens Northern Ireland recovery

Systems based strategy beats de-industrialisation

Ceiling casettes a key decision in system design

The quest for ever-higher climate control efficiency

Spotlight on technology and legal updates at ACR show

Modern air conditioning for DofE London offices

Going forward with DCV

A step change in kitchen fans

Renewable technology is the focus of the future

District heating and the benefits of biomass

Smart tariffs are key to renewable heat schemes

Low carbon heating and energy for zoo attraction

Abuse of CE Mark by flue system counterfeiters

'Heat pumps improving'

Mind the energy gap

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