Acrospire unveils 'Solar Honesty' initiative

Acrospire has announced the launch of 'Solar Honesty', an initiative that aims to educate specifiers on the broader considerations surrounding solar lighting solutions by empowering informed decisions that align with environmental and budgetary goals. While solar lighting offers a 'greener' alternative to fossil fuels, Acrospire recognises its implementation is only successful in specific scenarios. Tim Barker, Managing Director of Acrospire, emphasises the importance of approaching solar lighting with a critical perspective. ''With this initiative, we want to educate, not put off specifiers," he explains. "We encourage them to ask questions and challenge simplistic narratives surrounding solar lighting. ''Achieving true sustainability in solar lighting requires 'solar honesty', or a critical perspective that considers the lighting solution's entire lifecycle.'' Specifiers must consider the four core pillars of 'Solar Honesty': Battery Type, Photovoltaic Panel Type, Recyclability and Lighting Performance Requirements (levels and hours of operation) to understand the differences between solar and mains. This is where the manufacturers' approach comes into play. Tim explains, "We work with each client on a project-by-project basis and advise when or even if solar is suitable for their project. Solar will never make sense if a cash-strapp local authority has already invested in mains-powered luminaires and the supporting infrastructure. The upfront investment costs for solar are always going to be higher, and as a responsible manufacturer it is our duty to help specifiers on their journey to solar, even if that stops after the initial inquiry." Acrospire says its commitment to 'Solar Honesty' extends beyond rhetoric. The company says it has been at the forefront of solar-powered street lighting installations in the UK for the last six years, delivering clean and energy-efficient solutions to local authorities, housing developers and facilities managers. However, the journey to true sustainability continues after installation. Acrospire says it is dedicated to responsible waste management, actively encouraging the recycling of solar batteries and panels used in its projects. It aims to minimise environmental impact through partnerships with specialised recycling facilities while recovering valuable resources. Plans are underway to introduce a return-to-base recycling service, mirroring the success of its battery take-back scheme. It's important that specifiers know what they are buying, and they should be able to discuss all these topics with their chosen manufacturer to ensure their solar investment lives up to the claims. To read more on Acrospire, click here.

SPARKS Female Skills Competition 2024 finalists announced

The finalists for this year’s SPARKS Female Skills Competition have been revealed. This year, six students will go forward to the Grand Final on 18 April, which will take place at Stephenson College in Coalville. The regional heats took place during February and March, with Level 2 and 3 electrical students showcasing their skills in three regional locations across England. After careful marking, often with scores separated by very narrow margins, SPARKS presents the following regional winners and finalists for this year’s competition: Charlotte Bobbett, Yeovil College Anne Greaves, Leicester College Mia Goodhall, St Helen’s College Sarah Little, Activate Learning Kaci Riley, Loughborough College Chelsie Miller, St.Helen’s College Zoe Tanner, Managing Director at SPARKS, says, “The calibre of skill each competitor demonstrated has been incredible! They should all be immensely proud of themselves for taking part. The positive outcomes from the competition have been remarkable. Last year's winner and runner-up went on to enter and win their regional heats in this year’s SPARKS Learner of the Year competition. This is a clear indication that initiatives like this can act as a stepping stone, empowering women to participate more confidently in mixed-gender competitions and the industry as a whole.” To read more on SPARKS, click here.

SPARKS Female Skills Competition regional winner announced

Angharad Greaves, a student at Leicester College, has won the Midlands heat of the SPARKS Female Skills Competition. Leicester College hosted the regional heats of both the SPARKS and HIP Female Skills Competition 2024, nationwide contests that look for the best up-and-coming talent amongst women studying Level 2 and 3 electrical installation, plumbing and heating courses. Students from colleges across the Midlands came to Leicester College’s Freemen’s Park Campus on Tuesday 5 March 2024 to compete in either HIP, for plumbing and heating students, or SPARKS, for electrical installation students, in a live practical installation. After a close race, Angharad Greaves from Leicester College was named the winner of the SPARKS competition, with Kaci Riley from Loughborough College coming in as the runner-up. Sophie Maguire from City College Norwich and Daisy Turner from Barking and Dagenham College were named the HIP competition winner and runner-up, respectively. The winners received a gift voucher from e-on for merchandise. They will now go on to compete in the grand final at Stephenson College in Coalville on 18 April 2024 to determine the ultimate HIP and SPARKS champions. Angharad Greaves, studying on the Level 3 Electrical Installation course at Leicester College, says, “I was very surprised but thrilled to win. The quality of the competitors’ work was so high, so it was a bit surreal hearing my name being called. “I’ve always had an interest in electrics but didn’t think I’d be where I am today. Courses like this one at Leicester College didn’t feel as accessible when I was 18, so I never thought it was an option. But I’m proud of myself for enrolling on the course and pursuing my dreams. “I'm so grateful to Leicester College’s electrical team for putting me forward for the competition and for their support in getting me through it. I'm sure no matter the result at the final, it'll be another brilliant day, so I'm looking forward to it.” Verity Hancock, Principal at Leicester College, says, “We were so pleased to host the Midlands heat of the national HIP and SPARKS Female Skills Competitions this year. Our own electrical, plumbing and heating courses are very popular with all students with an increasing number of women studying. “It’s been encouraging to see so many talented students competing and we’re delighted that our student, Angharad, came out on top. Competitions like these not only boost confidence but give women more opportunities to get industry experience to help them succeed in their careers.” To read more on SPARKS, click here.

Homes and businesses to benefit from £35 million power boost

Thousands of homes and businesses in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire are set to benefit from a £35 million investment in the electricity network.    UK Power Networks’ major project at Little Barford, which began in 2018 and has now gone ‘live’, involved upgrading the capacity and reliability of power supplies for 190,000 properties across Cambridge, Bedford and St Neots.    In one of the biggest infrastructure investments in the region for many years, the project involved the installation of new cable circuits, re-routing of overhead power lines and the installation of new towers.    All equipment on the Little Barford site was dismantled and replaced with a new kit installed under cover. Ten-metre high concrete frames were taken down, with one left standing for an extra few months while house martins nested on it.    Working alongside its Alliance partners Kier, Wood and Morrison Energy Services, UK Power Networks installed new 132,000V underground cables that stretched 2.5km between Little Barford and Eaton Socon. Engineering teams used directional drills to channel underneath main roads, a river and a golf course with minimum impact on the local environment.    The work will future-proof local power supplies as well as enable more low carbon electricity generation to feed into the grid. As more people connect renewable energy, heat pumps and electric vehicles to local electricity networks, UK Power Networks plays a critical role in helping to enable the UK’s transition to a net zero economy.   Arinze Udenwa, Project Manager for UK Power Networks, says, "The improvement works at Little Barford have replaced old equipment with modern kit that will increase network reliability for years to come.”   To read more on UK Power Networks, click here.

Survey: 1 in 5 tradies have sustainability concerns

As the nation continues towards its net zero pledge, sustainability concerns will impact every person in the UK, both in their personal and professional lives. However, jargon can make it unclear what new pledges and changes mean, especially for those whose livelihoods will be directly affected. Experts at job management software provider BigChange surveyed professionals across the trades to understand how many remain unsure of the impact of recent sustainability changes for their businesses while helping clarify some confusion on what businesses should be doing to prepare. The state of sustainability in the trades  Recent research revealed one in five tradespeople are concerned about what recent sustainability initiatives will mean for their role and how they implement those changes. Despite this, one in eight believe these initiatives will have a large impact on their business. When asked which areas of the business they believe will be impacted the most, tools used came out on top (39%), while transport (23%) and materials (20%) closely followed. In particular, building surveyors (68%), maintenance service providers (53%) and heating and gas engineers (40%) are the most concerned about the impact on the tools they use. For builders (39%), bricklayers (59%) and heating and gas engineers (60%), however, the concern lies in the potential changes to the products and materials used to complete their work. Daniel Briggs, Director of Digital Marketing at BigChange, says, “Learning new skills so you and your team are up to date on how to install and maintain the latest green technologies is essential. Making the changes and investing in training now will ensure you are well-equipped when the time comes. “The Further Homes and Building Standard initiative set out by the government, for example, means all homes built after 2025 will be required to comply with the new standard in order for new homes to be 'zero carbon ready'. “Following this, gas boilers will be phased out in the UK as of 2025 with an aim of gas boiler installations expected to be phased out completely by 2035, so gas engineers are needing to adapt to install alternatives such as heat pumps.” Daniel advises, “Start making switches now for minimal impact when the time comes. For example, switching to a digital system will reduce the need for paperwork - which will also benefit your business with automated processes and workflow efficiency - allowing more time for upskilling. “Make an effort to reduce your plastic and chemical usage by making simple but practical swaps on small items you use day to day. You could stop using single-use plastic sheets and opt for a reusable option, for example, or switch white spirit for cleaner alternatives.” “Similarly, if you’re thinking about upgrading your fleet to electrical vehicles to reduce your business’s carbon footprint, why not consider the change now? Many tradespeople are eligible for grants to support this, such as the Green Homes Grant.” He explains, “While it can seem overwhelming, it’s essential business owners stay up to date with the latest news regarding their industry and sustainability. Look to bookmark useful resources and set up handy reminders with tools such as Google Alerts, using industry-specific terms to help with this. “The Glossary of Sustainability is a great tool for cutting through any sustainability jargon that may be difficult to understand.”

Thorn Lighting’s new portfolio for building surrounds

Thorn Lighting says its new outdoor portfolio offers a comprehensive choice of luminaires to bring building exteriors and surrounds to life, complementing the architecture and providing definition and identity whilst approaching the application with dark sky sensitivity in mind. The portfolio combines two distinctive design languages for a product range that provides the flexibility to create complete lighting schemes with visual consistency throughout.    Furthermore, its new surface-mounted, in-ground, recessed, linear, flood, bollard and pole luminaires go hand in hand with its existing urban and architectural range.   Axyl  The new Axyl range, with a distinctive square-edged visual identity, consists of Etch, Geo, Gild, Glow, Greet (with wall-mounted and bollard variations), Opera, Stride and Trim. Each with their unique qualities, they can expertly light the building surround, creating the right effect for the right area. Axyl Etch, for example, features an optic specifically developed to provide optimum light distribution for impactful accent lighting of window reveal applications. Meanwhile, the wall-mounted Axyl Stride, with its slimline design to create the effect of a recessed wall fitting, possesses good asymmetric light distribution and complete glare control, ensuring a dark sky-sensitive and safe lighting installation.   Cesar  Similar to Axyl, the new Cesar range, with its sleek, stylish curved aesthetic, is made up of a variety of products. Amp (ceiling and wall-mounted), Jazz, Opera (walk-over and drive-over), Stride, Stroll (bollard and pole) and Strut all solve a particular challenge when it comes to lighting building surrounds. Well-suited to car parks, pedestrian areas and gardens, Cesar Strut, for example, is a pole luminaire featuring omni-directional light distribution, which offers maximum inter-distance between each luminaire position and a soft-lit effect. Moving towards the building, projects can then benefit from the likes of Cesar Jazz. Thanks to high-performance COB LEDs and multiple beam angles working in harmony together, the Cesar Jazz allows the user to be creative with light, generating impact and drawing interest to any building or space.   Eliot Horsman, Thorn’s Head of Application for Urban and Architectural, says, “Turning 95 in 2023, Thorn has a long history in lighting generally, but is well-respected as a provider of functional outdoor lighting for projects covering roads, streets, sports and urban environments. However, with the addition of Axyl and Cesar, plus an inherited range of products from the former acdc brand, Thorn is now well-equipped to provide a full suite of solutions for building surrounds.”   To read more on Thorn Lighting, click here.

Charity receives £11,679 cheque from BCIA Past-President

Graeme Rees, Immediate Past-President of the Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA), has presented a cheque for £11,679 to the Teenage Cancer Trust. The Teenage Cancer Trust was Graeme’s nominated charity during his two-year term as BCIA President. Teenage Cancer Trust offers unique care and support, designed for and with teenagers and young adults affected by cancer. The charity funds specialised nurses, youth workers and hospital units in the NHS, so young people have dedicated staff and facilities to support them throughout treatment. As a charity close to his own heart, Graeme was committed to raising money and awareness of Teenage Cancer Trust’s work and an impressive £5,000 was raised in just one night at the 2023 BCIA Awards. The BCIA also set up a five-million-step challenge to attract sponsorship and donations, with a number of BCIA members getting involved and committing to the cause. The challenge was inspired by Teenage Cancer Trust’s Walk With Us 15,000-step challenge, which is driven by the number of steps per day the average nurse works in their role of supporting young people and their families affected by cancer. Graeme’s tenure as BCIA President ended on 1 March as Stacey Lucas took on the role, with Jen Vickers taking the position of Vice-President. Graeme says, “One of my wishes when I became BCIA President was to see if we could do more to support our nominated charity and I am delighted at how our members responded and engaged so passionately with the challenge. I am very proud to sign off my term with this contribution and I would like to thank everybody who has done their bit to support this hugely important organisation.” Helen Farquharson, Senior Relationship Manager at Teenage Cancer Trust, says, “We are so grateful to Graeme for choosing Teenage Cancer Trust as his charity and to all at the BCIA for their fantastic support in 2022 and 2023. Members have really gone above and beyond with their efforts, with an incredible response at the Awards and the five-million-step challenge. “Every day, seven young people aged 13-24 hear the words ‘you have cancer’. They will each need specialised nursing care and support to get them through it. The money raised will help our teams support young people with cancer through treatment, helping them cope with anxiety and isolation, and connecting them to a network of other young people to chat to.” To read more on the BCIA, click here.

Aztec Solar designs and installs a PV panel system

Aztec Solar has designed and installed a huge photovoltaic system of over 3000 PV modules and 10 inverters for a new £230 million logistics hub located in the West Midlands. It will save almost 550t of carbon dioxide emissions per year which is the same as planting almost 21,500 trees.   The company designed the system to meet the hub’s kWh peak of 1260kWp within the available roof space. The power will generate electricity for the operation’s internal and office spaces.   The demand for electricity from the new unit means that it will need its own substation. The company wants to provide most of this from renewable self-generation.   With a roof space of 36,000m2 on the larger of the two buildings, Aztec Solar designed the PV system to provide maximum output while avoiding skylights and providing safe passage for future operations and maintenance and in case of an emergency.   David Ludlow, Construction Manager for Aztec Solar, says, “This was a complex installation where, unfortunately, the main contractor went bankrupt, and we had to work through variations to the original quotation to complete the job.   “Due to the speed of the installation, we also had to work alongside a number of other contractors at the same time, including behind the soffit manufacturer, which meant that there was no scaffold edge protection since they removed it as they worked. This meant that our team had to use mansafe harnesses and inertia reels. We also imported and stored the PV panels on-site ourselves and craned them up onto the roof space in just one week to minimise disruption.”   Aztec Solar specified 10 Solis three-phase inverters, which provide high-precision intelligent string monitoring to reduce future fault location time. For safety, the system is integrated into the main fire alarm systems with a manual stop button for firefighter safety in case of an emergency.   The new logistics hub is due to open in the summer.   To read more on Aztec Solar, click here.

Fergus’ guide to preparing for the new financial year

Fergus is encouraging the trade to prepare for the new financial year this coming April. As the financial and tax period approaches, tradespeople should look to enhance efficiency and ensure their businesses are set for success across 2024/5. "The transition into a new financial year is a crucial time for trade businesses to reflect, adjust and plan. It’s an opportunity to refocus, improve financial health and position your business for growth," says James Chillman, UK Country Manager. To help the trade, Fergus has put together a seven-step guide to preparing for the new financial year: Review and refresh your business plan The end of the financial year is an ideal time to review your business plan. Reflect on the past year’s achievements, challenges and the lessons learned - tradespeople will be amazed at how this will help focus and identify areas for growth and set realistic, measurable goals for the upcoming year. Consider how market trends, new regulations and technological advancements can impact the business and adjust the business plan accordingly. Financial health check A thorough review of financials is essential. Analyse profit and loss statements, balance sheets and cash flow statements to understand your financial position. Identify any areas where costs can be reduced and where investment is needed. This is also the perfect time to chase up outstanding invoices and tidy up accounts. Embrace technology Leveraging technology is key to staying competitive. Fergus' job management software is designed to simplify and automate many of the administrative tasks that tradespeople face daily. From scheduling and dispatching to invoicing and payments, Fergus says it provides a comprehensive solution that saves time, reduces errors and improves cash flow. Skills and compliance update Ensure you and your team’s certifications are up to date and plan any necessary training for the new financial year. Staying compliant with industry regulations is not just about legal compliance; it’s about providing quality service that protects your reputation and clients’. Plan for tax Organising finances for tax purposes doesn’t have to be daunting. Utilise Fergus to streamline the process of bringing financial records up to date and ensuring they are accurate so it is easy to manage finances and prepare for tax season. Consider seeking advice from a tax professional to make sure you’re taking advantage of any available deductions and credits. Invest in marketing A new financial year is a great time to review and adjust marketing strategies. Digital marketing, including SEO and social media, can be particularly effective for reaching new clients and building brand awareness. Consider how Fergus’ software can showcase professionalism to potential clients with seamless job booking and communication. Get set up for scalability As you plan for growth, it's important to ensure business operations can scale accordingly. Fergus’ software is designed to grow with the business, offering features that accommodate an expanding client base and workforce. To read more on Fergus, click here.

blip partners with BoB to provide insurance to tradespeople

blip, a small business insurance provider, has announced Band of Builders (BoB) as its charity partner, offering affordable insurance and support to its network of tradespeople from less than £10 a month. blip is built on community, providing affordable, tailored and easy-to-understand insurance with a model where members share in the profits collectively. BoB, a registered charity helping members of the UK construction industry and their families battling illness or injury, was an obvious choice for a partner. blip and BoB share a common mission for the new partnership, which is removing the stress and worry in times of crisis for tradespeople and offering peace of mind when starting or running a business. The partnership will see blip support BoB through charitable sponsorship and by providing blip members the opportunity to donate the value of up to 10% of their premium to BoB through its profit-share model. Gary Ross, Founder and CEO of blip, says, “We are delighted to be partnering with BoB to deliver life-changing support to tradespeople going through tough times. They put real people first and that’s exactly what we do at blip. “Growing up with family working in the trades, I know firsthand the toll it can take mentally and physically - blip and BoB are working to alleviate this pressure. We are supporting the people who keep our communities running by ensuring they have the protection they need and a community around them.” Gavin Crane, CEO of BoB, says, “Teaming up with blip, who share our passion for giving back, marks a significant step forward in enhancing the well-being of our community. In the construction industry, when life poses challenges, decision-making can be difficult for small business owners. blip's business toolkits provide practical templates and guidance, easing stress and enabling businesses to grow. This collaboration is a positive step in tackling the challenges faced by tradespeople, offering actionable support for our community members.” To read more on BoB, click here.