Latest Features

Underfloor Cooling: Cool alternative to air con!

Underfloor cooling is becoming increasingly popular among clients and consultants chasing low SAP and high BREEAM ratings for their buildings, writies Malcolm Morgan, senior development engineer, Rehau. In schools, hospitals and buildings where large expanses of glazing are an issue, it has the potential to become the default alternative to air conditioning.

8 May 2010

Company Profile: And there is more good news from him!

Paul Hardy believes the upturn is here, especally if his figures for quarter one are anything to go by. Paul Braithwaite goes back to the head office at Erdington to talk to the upbeat managing director of Baxi Commercial Division.

8 May 2010

Contractor Profile: Changing passive to active is Four Seasons Group goal

The air conditioning and FM company wants customers to see it in a new light. As it grows, staff will change from passive engineers to active energy managers. Paul Braithwaite talks to chief executive officer Stuart Lawrie about his plans for the burgeoning business and how he intends to change people's perceptions.

8 May 2010

Burning Issue: How efficient is efficient?

Robert Harness, special projects manager, ebm-papst UK, discusses the desire to cut emissions but warns that some energy efficient products are more efficient than others.

8 May 2010

Legal Matters: Fit notes can enhance performance and save millions

April 6 saw the introduction of the Statement of Fitness for Work or fit note which replaces the sick note and it predicted to save UK plc around £240 million, insists Fergal Dowling, head of employment law at national law firm Irwin Mitchell.

8 May 2010

Ant Wilson: Don't forget the scout's motto... Be prepared!

Ant Wilson, director of sustainability at AECOM, suggests the future is not entirely predictable and we should be ready to prepare for new trends in finance, business and the climate.

8 May 2010

Water Heating: A versatile commodity

Who needs hot water? In a word - everyone, from the showers and taps we run at home and work, to the more demanding markets of food processing and farming. So it would seem that water heaters are not as niche as some would suggest.

8 Apr 2010

Heat Pumps: A boost for commercial HW

Heat pumps are well known for their effectiveness when used with low grade space heating applications. However, air source heat pumps also present great potential as a low carbon solution in assisting the production of hot water in commercial buildings. Jonathan Tedstone, LZC product manager for Andrews Water Heaters and Potterton Commercial, looks at the opportunities and benefits.

8 Apr 2010

Building Services IT: Controlled collaboration

Efficient project management can have a real impact on the profitability of a job. Colin Barnes of Collabor8online explains how low cost online collaboration and project management tools can make all the difference.

8 Apr 2010

Heat Pumps: VRF heating takes ac industry straight into the boiler room

The development of VRF heating-only systems by Mitsubishi Electric opens up the boiler room to the air conditioning industry and presents a serious challenger to gas, oil and even biomass boilers as the future of commercial heating. Philip Ord, product marketing manager, explains why this is an opportunity few air conditioning companies can afford to miss.

8 Apr 2010

Heat Pumps: Performance and carbon saving

This case study, provided by Neil Hudson of S&P Coils, is based on the use of heat pumps as the heat source and banks of radiant panels as the heat emitters to provide comfortable classroom conditions in schools designed to meet building bulletins 87 and 101.

8 Apr 2010

Heat Pumps: How 1 + 1 = Code level 3

Clyde Brown, managing director of water heating specialist Elson, discusses how the Code for Sustainable Homes, level three and above can be met with an air source heat pump and thermal store.

8 Apr 2010

Heat Pumps: Householders step up for incentives

Cameron Holroyd, commercial director of Kingspan Hot Water Systems, discusses how to get the most out of air source heat pumps.

8 Apr 2010

Burning Issue: Why SEER, not EER, is the future

Andrew Keogh, engineering manager with Carrier Air Conditioning, discusses how one simple S could help companies save thousands of pounds when it comes to installing air con.

8 Apr 2010

Top of the Class: Windowmaster helps cut emissions at South Cheshire College

WindowMaster is to supply and install an automated window control system for the new £57 million South Cheshire College.

8 Apr 2010

Top of the Class: Salix offers schools funding for energy efficiency

Alastair Keir, chief executive at Salix Finance, looks at how schools can reduce their environmental footprint by minimising energy use and the benefits that can be realised by those that do.

8 Apr 2010

Top of the Class: Natural ventilation in class is up in the air

Growing pressure on school budgets means more are looking towards natural ventilation as a way to meet indoor air quality targets without driving up energy costs. However, ventilation experts warn that the desire for low energy solutions may compromise classroom conditions and so impair learning.

8 Apr 2010

Top of the Class: Learning with biomass

Biomass offers a very effective heating solution for many schools but it's important to address the key practical issues that go with it. Andy Owens, biomass technical sales manager with Hoval, explains.

8 Apr 2010

Top of the Class: Education - Something missing in school buildings

Mike Malina, director of Energy Solutions Associates, and an energy auditor, urges schools to forget the green bling and concentrate on getting the basics right first.

8 Apr 2010

Top of the Class: It's a testing time for CO₂ in schools

Monitoring carbon dioxide levels to adjust and control heating and air conditioning ventilation rate depending on the occupancy level of a building is a tried-and-tested method of minimising a building's energy use. Chris Dearden, managing director of Medem UK, explains.

8 Apr 2010

[title]

Underfloor Cooling: Cool alternative to air con!

Company Profile: And there is more good news from him!

Contractor Profile: Changing passive to active is Four Seasons Group goal

Burning Issue: How efficient is efficient?

Legal Matters: Fit notes can enhance performance and save millions

Ant Wilson: Don't forget the scout's motto... Be prepared!

Water Heating: A versatile commodity

Heat Pumps: A boost for commercial HW

Building Services IT: Controlled collaboration

Heat Pumps: VRF heating takes ac industry straight into the boiler room

Heat Pumps: Performance and carbon saving

Heat Pumps: How 1 + 1 = Code level 3

Heat Pumps: Householders step up for incentives

Burning Issue: Why SEER, not EER, is the future

Top of the Class: Windowmaster helps cut emissions at South Cheshire College

Top of the Class: Salix offers schools funding for energy efficiency

Top of the Class: Natural ventilation in class is up in the air

Top of the Class: Learning with biomass

Top of the Class: Education - Something missing in school buildings

Top of the Class: It's a testing time for CO₂ in schools

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