HellermannTyton introduces a new connection solution for solar panels

HellermannTyton, a cable management specialist, is introducing a brand-new solution for its UK-based solar customers. The new solar connectors are designed to connect solar panels in series or parallel, as well as to junction boxes and other electrical components. The solar connectors range is made up of standard cable connectors, branch connectors, and panel connectors – the latter designed for direct installation to electrical enclosures and panels with a specifically styled connection on the end. With simplicity at their core, the connectors take seconds to connect or disconnect, making installation, wiring changes and maintenance easy to undertake. Key safety features also include a secure locking mechanism which can only be released using the specially designed tool to prevent the connectors from easily disconnecting when the cables are pulled or under pressure. The specially designed ratchet feature on the connector end caps prevents them from loosening over time. The HT-SCT Solar Photovoltaic Tool is also available to crimp the solar pin connectors, as this installation tool ensures a high-pressure quality connection. Nathan Bennett, Product Manager for Electrical Installation and Enclosures at HellermannTyton, comments, “We are delighted to introduce such a valuable product to the market, one which we see as being an effective way of introducing more of the solar industry to our high-quality fastening products. He continues, ''As experts in optimal PV cable management, we are on a mission to help our solar customers advance their projects. Our brand-new solar connectors range is designed to accommodate the high DC voltage present in residential solar power systems. Also with polarity protection, reverse polarity is virtually impossible as there as male and female versions. This reduces the risk of system damage from wiring mistakes.” Unlike some other lower-quality alternatives on the market, unable to perform well in harsh environments or cause issues during installation, solar connectors from HellermannTyton boast an IP68 rating and high UV protection to withstand years of harsh weather conditions using high-quality materials. This range of products guarantees long-term reliability.

ARMD reveals how thieves are breaking into trade vehicles

UK businesses reported £3.5 billion worth of stolen equipment last year as more than a third of van drivers fell victim to thefts, according to Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. The manufacturer found that almost 50% of van drivers keep approximately £2,150 worth of tools in their vans overnight, resulting in UK tradespeople risking up to £5 billion in lost equipment. With tool theft still at record-breaking levels, ARMD, the anti-tool theft specialist, believes traditional van alarms may not be up to the job of keeping vehicles and the tools inside them safe. “The methods used by thieves to gain access to vans have evolved over time, becoming more sophisticated and challenging to prevent. Understanding these methods is crucial for tradespeople to safeguard their tools and livelihood,” explains Steve Holland, co-founder of ARMD. Given these varied and sophisticated methods of theft, it’s clear why traditional van alarms might not be sufficient. Vehicle alarm sirens are largely ignored by both passers-by and the thieves themselves. They are also usually only triggered if the thief breaks into the cab when the vast majority of the time the tools are in the back of the van. ''In contrast, a system like ARMD Guard offers a more comprehensive solution. It employs advanced technology to detect unusual activities or movements in the back of the van, potentially alerting the owner before the theft occurs. If they manage to unplug the device it triggers a phone call to the owner and if they try and take the whole van its built-in GPS tracks it.” To demonstrate the scale of the problem, ARMD assesses how thieves gain entry to commercial vehicles and their precious contents: Peel ’n’ steal: Using sheer brute force, thieves physically peel back the side doors of the van. This technique involves applying force to the door or window to bend or break it open. It's a quick method that can also be surprisingly quiet, making it less likely to attract attention. Keyless entry hacks: The advent of keyless entry systems was seen as a step forward in vehicle security. However, thieves have found ways to exploit these systems using electronic devices. These devices can intercept the signal from the key fob and replicate it to unlock the van without any physical key. This method is particularly concerning because it leaves no signs of forced entry, making it difficult for victims to prove the theft to insurance companies. Tampering with locks: Another common method is manipulating or breaking locks. Thieves may use various tools to pick locks or resort to drilling them out. Breaking windows: Thieves may also break the windows to gain access. This method is noisy and conspicuous, so it's often used as a last resort or in areas where the thief feels confident they will not be disturbed. Cutting through the van: In some cases, especially with high-value targets, thieves might cut through the van’s body to access the cargo area. This method requires tools like saws or angle grinders. The ARMD GUARD Smart Van Alarm goes further than traditional van alarms. It’s a plug-and-play sensor making for easy installation. In the event of a break-in, the alarm immediately notifies the owner via a phone call, allowing them to take immediate action by contacting the police. Additionally, it incorporates GPS tracking, so if the van is stolen it can help the owner locate and recover the vehicle.

Armorduct launches the UK’s first adjustable couplers for cable management systems

Armorduct is launching the UK’s first adjustable coupler for its modular cable management systems. It provides installers the flexibility to quickly adapt when faced with unforeseen difficulties on site. The coupler provides up to 100mm of adjustment for Armorduct’s cable tray, trunking and basket systems in all sizes and is available in pre-galvanised Magnelis and stainless steel. James Wood, National Business Development Manager at Amorduct, comments on the adjustable couplers, “The whole point of having a modular system developed for an installation is to make installation simple and fast. But sometimes you will find that in reality, you need to have a system that is flexible enough to adapt. It might be because there is an obstruction or perhaps a building is not quite square, which can throw your measurements out by a few centimetres. If you then have to cut lengths of trunking or basket to size and then treat the cut ends to maintain its protection, you are defeating the whole purpose of having a modular fit-and-forget system.'' He continues, “Our adjustable couplers give the installer that bit of flexibility to overcome such problems. This simple solution will save a lot of time on site.” Armorduct designs and manufactures standard and bespoke cable management and containment systems for various needs. The company has an in-house design team that provides CAD drawings and produces samples, plus a dedicated production line of modular systems.

New qualifications mapping service for overseas domestic electricians

Electricians with qualifications from overseas wishing to complete the Domestic Electrician Experienced Worker Assessment can soon get their skills and knowledge mapped against UK standards, due to the collaboration between TESP and international qualifications recognition body Ecctis. The mapping process reviews the electrical qualifications of applicants from outside of the UK to verify which technical knowledge from their home country is transferrable and aligned to the knowledge units of the Domestic Electrician apprenticeship standard. It provides the applicant with an official ‘Industry Skills Statement’ used to embark on the Experienced Worker Assessment, filling in any knowledge or training gaps before their practical competence is assessed on UK-based projects. The electrotechnical industry already has a long-standing relationship with Ecctis for mapping overseas electricians against the Installation & Maintenance Electrician apprenticeship standard. From 2 January 2024, after recent development work by TESP and Ecctis, those with purely domestic experience can get their qualifications mapped in preparation for the Domestic Electrician EWA. “The partnership with Ecctis provides a fully robust way to help electricians with non-UK qualifications prove the technical knowledge they have that is recognised by our standards. Armed with this information they can concentrate on taking the top-up training needed to fill the gaps,” says Ruth Devine, Chair of TESP. “Once completed, they can progress through the Experienced Worker Assessment to ultimately gain an ECS card to verify their competence.” In addition to the new domestic electrician mapping, January will also see the launch of the revised electrotechnical mapping against the Installation & Maintenance standard after revisions of the apprenticeship in September 2023. This will ensure electricians from outside of the UK are assessed against fully up-to-date knowledge criteria expected from current apprentices and experienced workers.

New appointments for ESP as business growth continues

ESP has welcomed two Regional Sales Managers to the team. Mike Feist, formerly Area Sales Manager with Scolmore, takes up the position of Regional Sales Manager for ESP’s South region, whilst Chris Cotton has been promoted from Areas Sales Manager to the position of Regional Sales Manager for the North region.   Mike joins the ESP sales team with a wealth of experience, having spent over 30 years in the industry. He takes up his new role following 12 years with Scolmore, five years with a leading wholesaler and nine years with a major manufacturer.      Chris has over 13 years of experience working in the electrical industry. During this time, he occupied many roles, including Operations Manager, three years in external sales and over seven years working for ESP as an Area Sales Manager covering the North East and Cumbria.   In their new roles, Mike and Chris are responsible for developing and implementing effective sales strategies for the company. Each will lead a team of five area sales managers in their specific regions, helping them achieve sales targets across the product categories that currently sit under the ESP umbrella – CCTV, access control, fire protection, emergency lighting and EVAC, as well as the Sangamo range of Heating Controls and Time Switches.      ESP continues to invest in its teams, infrastructure, and product development programme and within the last year has announced some significant new product launches. The 24/7 IP Colour CCTV range and Beacon range of EVAC products were released in 2022, followed by the launch earlier this year of the new Aperta IP PoE (Power over Ethernet) collection of door entry solutions. 

Strategic partnership set to revolutionise the EV charging experience in the UK

ev.energy, a platform providing smart electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions, has announced its partnership with Jumptech, a comprehensive platform dedicated to streamlining the installation process of EV charge points. The collaboration, scheduled to commence in January 2024, is set to accelerate the deployment of intelligent, compliant hardware throughout the UK, making a significant leap forward in the transition to EVs. By alleviating stress on the energy grid and delivering cost savings for end-users, the alliance is poised to redefine the landscape of EV charging. The collaboration reflects a shared vision of nurturing a sustainable and efficient EV charging ecosystem. The partnership will focus on several key dimensions: Educational initiatives for installers and end-users: The alliance will illuminate the benefits of smart EV chargers by empowering installers and end-users with the knowledge and tools to maximise efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Expansion of compliant charging infrastructure: Central to this partnership is the widespread adoption of Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP). Compliant hardware ensures future-proofing, interoperability, and the development of a robust charging network. Streamlining installation and commissioning processes: The collaboration aims to enhance efficiency for electricians and EV charge point installers. Doing so meets the growing demand for home installations and expedites the commissioning of charge points through Jumptech’s platform. Promoting renewable energy integration: The partnership is committed to advancing the adoption of solar-compatible EV chargers, reducing dependency on non-renewable energy sources and contributing to the UK’s broader sustainability objectives. Charlie Bodycote, CEO of Jumptech, says, “We’re on a mission to simplify EV charging, and our partnership with ev.energy takes us another step forward. Together, we’ll get more chargers to use renewable energy on cheaper tariffs and more miles can be driven on wind and solar power.” Aaron Sweet, Head of Home Charging at ev.energy, adds, “Smart charging stands as a cornerstone in the evolution of a sustainable EV infrastructure. Our partnership with Jumptech is a monumental stride towards democratising access to intelligent, grid-compatible charging solutions. By harnessing our collective strengths, we are poised to redefine the EV charging experience, making it more accessible, efficient, and integral to a renewable energy future.”

International lighting brand launches in the UK

Performance iN Lighting, a lighting manufacturer across Europe and the USA, has formally launched into the UK market. Performance iN Lighting’s (part of the Gewiss Group) headquarters are in Verona, Italy, with operations across more than 100 countries worldwide. Paul Dawson, Managing Director of Gewiss UK, says, “We’re hugely excited to be bringing Performance iN Lighting’s range of indoor and outdoor lighting products to the UK for the very first time. With our already strong international presence and a solid reputation for high quality engineering, introducing our range to the UK industry was a natural next step. The whole team brings together passion, experience, and exceptional technical expertise to produce a range that truly showcases its Italian heritage. In fact, with Italy being to lighting what Germany is to the automotive sector, it’s not surprising that our products are all engineered with quality, performance, and elegance at their core.” Performance iN Lighting’s suite of products utilises the latest generation in LED sources and quality craftsmanship. It is available in a range of sizes and specifications to suit all requirements, with choices of optics to offer optimum flexibility in lighting effects. Designed to enhance both public and private spaces, the range includes wall-mounted ‘chameleon-like’ luminaires that seamlessly integrate into any environment, high-powered floodlighting for large sports arenas alongside pole-mounted street, and hi/low-bay industrial lighting. Paul continues, “Whether you’re a specifier looking for a product that offers the ultimate in style, sophistication and sleekness or a contractor looking for a product that is simple to install, maintain, and repair, the Performance iN Lighting range does have it all. And, with manufacturing sites in Italy, Germany, Belgium, and the States, every one of our products is designed, engineered, and tested in our facilities – providing all of our valued customers with total peace of mind.”

JTL director retires after 32 years of service

Caroline Turner, Director of Policy and Relations at JTL, an apprenticeship provider in England and Wales, has announced that she will be retiring at the end of the year after 32 successful years.    Caroline joined JTL in 1991, a year after its establishment. During her tenure, she has overseen JTL’s evolution from a nascent training organisation to the largest provider of electrical and plumbing apprenticeships in England and Wales.     In her various roles over the last three decades, she has helped steer the company to achieve numerous significant milestones and seen thousands of young people complete their qualifications, many of whom have gone on to employ apprentices of their own. One of the many highlights of her career was leading a cohort of adult learners to improve conditions at an orphanage in Romania.   Chris Claydon, Chief Executive of JTL, says, “Throughout her time at JTL, Caroline has provided the guidance, support and leadership that has been integral to the development and growth of JTL since 1991. Her retirement marks the close of a remarkable career and she will be sadly missed by the JTL family. We wish Caroline all the best in her next chapter and are grateful for her valued contributions to JTL over the years.”   Sir John Low, Chair of JTL, adds, “On behalf of the board, I thank Caroline for her years of exemplary service which have helped shape JTL into the leading apprenticeship provider that it is. Looking ahead, we have a new strategy which builds on the foundations Caroline has helped to develop, allowing us to work with the industry to meet the skills gaps and address the needs of the low carbon economy.”

The UK sees the best year for the installation of renewable energy and heating

The latest data from MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme), the standards organisation for homegrown renewable energy and heating technology across the UK, shows that homeowners in the UK are switching to renewables and installing low carbon energy and heating technologies in record numbers. So far, in 2023, a total of 220,500 MCS-certified installations have been registered, surpassing the end-of-year figures for 2022, which was already the most successful year for small-scale renewable installations since records began in 2008. There was substantial growth of solar PV installations in 2023, with the total number of installations in 2022 - itself the most successful year for rooftop solar since the closure of the Feed-In Tariff (FiT) - being surpassed in the first nine months of 2023. So far this year, there have been 183,022 certified solar PV installations across the UK, exceeding the 138,000 in 2022 by a third. Solar PV installations have continued to grow since the FiT closed in 2019, demonstrating how the technology saves consumers money on their energy bills whilst providing them carbon savings and energy independence without subsidy. As more homeowners explore options that better utilise their homegrown energy, battery storage has become the third most popular tech type to be installed amongst the MCS-certified contractor base. At the end of 2022, 50 certified contractors installed the technology, and there are now over 850. Installations have seen similar growth with certified batteries, 4,400 of the 4,700 being installed in 2023 and almost 800 in November alone. MCS data also shows the significant rise in popularity of the heat pump in 2023, with more than 35,000 installations registered between air source and ground/water source technologies, making it a record year for UK heat pump installations. In total, this figure brought the UK over 200,000 certified heat pump installations since 2008. Heat pumps show sustained growth in the UK, each of the six previous years surpassing the one before. Heat pump uptake remained high in the second year of the government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS), which launched in May 2022, encouraging households across England and Wales to access a grant to replace their boiler with an environmentally friendly heating system. In October this year, the grant value for heat pumps was increased to £7,500, opening the possibility of owning a heat pump to thousands of homeowners. Since the increase of the grant value, average weekly applications for BUS vouchers soared from 331 to 1,172, reflecting the impact of supportive government policy on deploying important low carbon technology. To date, more than 17,500 BUS vouchers have been issued with a value of over £90 million; under the scheme, the government aims to support increasing heat pump deployment in line with ambitions to install 600,000 heat pumps annually by 2028. In October, MCS certified its 4,000th contractor, reflecting the demand for more skilled, competent installers in delivering low carbon energy and heating technology for UK consumers. So far, more than 1,800 new contractors have become certified in 2023, a 70% growth in the contractor base since the end of 2022. At the end of 2022, MCS had fewer than 2,000 solar PV contractors, but today it has increased to over 3,300. This growth mirrors the rapid rise in certified solar PV installations across the UK and the growing demand for homeowners to generate homegrown electricity. By doing so, homeowners can reduce energy bills, claim energy independence, and decrease their carbon footprint. MCS says it hopes to mirror this sustained growth in the number of businesses and trained individuals installing low carbon heating technology. Earlier this year, it launched the UK’s first Low Carbon Heating Technician apprenticeship. The apprenticeship received praise from a group of independent experts assembled by the Department for Education, who selected it as one of six apprenticeships to display the King’s Coronation Emblem in recognition of its sustainability goals and efforts to create a dedicated pipeline of talent into the green workforce.

Ansell Lighting unveils a uniquely versatile linear luminaire

Functionality and versatility are the hallmarks of Ansell Lighting’s new ZLED Linear Opti-X high and low bay light. Dual switches enable the output to be changed between 100W, 150W and 200W, and the beam to be angled between four options - 35° x 85°, 95° x 115°, 65° x 110° and 50° x 100°. This means if there are any changes to the racking layout or the use of the area being lit, the lighting can be adjusted simply by altering the beam or wattage, without having to make any modifications to the fitting itself. The ZLED Linear Opti-X is Octo compatible, 0/1-10V dimmable as standard, and has an optional energy-saving motion sensor, making it ideal for all industrial applications, including warehouses, sorting areas and production facilities. Mark Abbott, Managing Director at Ansell Lighting, says, “Because the ZLED Linear Opti-X can meet multiple lighting needs via an extremely simple adjustment, it is perfect for settings such as rented warehouses, where diverse users have individual lighting needs requiring different rack heights, beam angles and lighting outputs. “Being able to adjust the lighting to meet diverse lighting needs, without replacing the entire fitting, also makes it a highly sustainable option which supports the circular economy. It is unique on the market as an energy and cost-efficient all-in-one solution.” The IP65-rated ZLED Linear Opti-X, delivering 140lm/w, has a robust die-cast aluminium construction, providing enhanced thermal protection which optimises the LED lifespan. It comes with a five-year warranty. Alongside this, a 1.5m suspension kit is standard, and surface mounting is possible with an AZPLLED/LC accessory.