‘Ask NICEIC’ on the road

NICEIC has announced the details of the first leg of its UK tour. Kicking off in June, the route will see the brand's custom-built tour bus visit 11 locations across England, Wales, and Scotland. On board will be NICEIC's top technical experts, who will be on hand to answer questions on topics such as Amendment 2, coding, EV charging and much more. Plus, for those looking to join NICIEC, the team can provide details of the application and assessment process. Designed with contractors in mind, all 11 stops are located at Rexel branches and will run from 08:00-11.30am so participants can drop-in when it suits them. Breakfast will be provided, and that's not all - prizes and exclusive discounts will be up for grabs too. “We are really excited to be back on the road,” says NICEIC’s Marketing and Events Manager Sarah Hunter. “This tour is all about bringing NICEIC directly to contractors in a way which is convenient and accessible to them. “The events will be informal and relaxed, providing an opportunity for our current and future customers to meet the team and ask any questions they may have. "And, of course, no event is complete without food and prizes, both of which we have covered." Details of the planned route: 9 June 2023 - REXEL Maidstone, ME20 7XB 13 June2023 - REXEL Fareham, PO14 1TP 14 June 2023 - REXEL Plymouth Phoenix, PL6 7PY 15 June 2023 - REXEL Swansea, SA1 5JR 16 June 2023 - REXEL Oxford Cowley, OX4 6NH 20 June 2023 - REXEL Glasgow Devon Place, G41 1RB 21 June 2023 - REXEL Stockton, Stockton-On-Tees, TS182QZ 22 June 2023 - REXEL Leeds, LS12 6DN 05 July 2023 - REXEL Derby, DE24 8JP 06 July 2023 - REXEL Norwich Sweet Briar, NR3 2BT 07 July 2023 - REXEL Barking, IG11 0AS

New promotions support growth for Seaward Electronic

Seaward Electronic has announced several senior appointments as it invests further in a skilled workforce and business support functions. Kyle Fitzgerald has been promoted to the position of IT manager at the Peterlee firm, while instrumentation calibration services brand Calibrationhouse is boosted by promotions for Andrew Simpson and Tom Worthy, who become manager and lab manager respectively. Chad Murray steps up to the role of Seaward Electronic’s Quality Lead while other appointments see Brett Spence become a junior production engineer, Natasha Kirkup a junior buyer, Toni Wells a management accountant and Jade Fitzgerald an assistant accountant. The news comes as the company has maintained a resilient performance on the back of strong demand for its products and services and continued investment to support growth. Chris Callan, CEO at Seaward Electronic, says the promotions are well deserved with all contributing significantly to the business. He adds, “Our commitment to developing a highly skilled workforce is the linchpin of providing top quality products and services to customers right across the world. We look forward to both continuing to grow their careers at Seaward and contributing significantly to our future success. “We have a strategy for growth - and developing our expertise and capability is a key part of this strategy. We offer exciting projects and technologies and it has been fantastic to welcome new members of the team to strengthen our ability to introduce new products into our global markets.”

Electrical industry fails to tackle smoking

Experts call on HR teams and encourage workers in the sector to consider smoking cessation to improve health, as the occupation smoking inequality gap widens by 5% in five years. More than one in five employees in routine manual and service occupations in England smoke, according to data from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID). That’s three times higher than other industries. Figures reveal the employee smoking inequality gap has grown by 5% over half a decade. Routine and manual professionals are falling behind national trends for smoking cessation. Smoking prevalence in manual roles means these employees are 65% more likely to smoke, when compared to the average smoking rate in England. The data insights, collated by Vape Club, highlight the need for equal smoking cessation support for all in society. The government has set a target of reducing the number of smokers to 5% of adults in England by 2030. To achieve this, encouraging manual workers to use smoking cessation methods will be key. Last month, the UK government launched a 'swap to stop' scheme, in which one in five of all smokers in England will be provided with a free vape starter kit to help them quit. A recent trial by the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the NHS Stop Smoking Service found a vape starter kit helped 42% of participants to quit within a month. A further 15% had quit after 12 weeks. Which areas are workers in routine and manual industries impacted most by high smoking rates? In Manchester, Islington and Merton - the three worst-affected areas - people working in routine and manual roles are around three times more likely to smoke than the average person in England. In all 20 areas with the highest smoking rates in such roles, the probability of these employees smoking is at least twice as high as the national average. There are just eight areas in England where routine and manual employees are less likely to smoke than the average person. In Sefton, the rate of smoking among these workers is around 8%. Dan Marchant, Managing Director of Vape Club, says, “We know that people quitting smoking need all the help they can get - it’s far from easy. And we know just how effective smoking cessation tools like vapes can be. It’s vital that everyone has the same access to support and nobody in society is left behind. “Falling rates of smoking are rightly celebrated, but we can’t ignore the kind of inequality this data shows. HR departments in routine and manual sectors have to step up and address the issue, offering people greater support to quit smoking. “Any success they might have won’t just benefit individuals. After all, ex-smokers are usually healthier people, physically and mentally, than smokers. That means fewer days off and greater focus on their roles, so the business wins as well.” Bethany Smith, HR Advisor at boiler suppliers and installers Heatable, says, “HR teams could help encourage smoking cessation by adopting a smoke-free policy in the workplace, this means smoking on-site, the parking area and doorways is prohibited. This simple step is very impactful and by making smoking that little bit more inconvenient, it can be a constant reminder to break the habit. “We have also found that moral support has also been helpful and although this is likely more difficult to achieve in larger companies, we have found that casual conversations and offering support to smoking members of staff has had an impact. “Supporting employees in adopting a healthy lifestyle shows that you care about their health and wellbeing, which itself improves morale and overall productivity. A healthy workforce performs far better and is also less likely to be absent due to illness and stress. Ultimately, this is an extremely easy and efficient way for the company to save money and time.”

Conrad Energy powering towards net zero with BNP Paribas

Conrad Energy and BNP Paribas have signed a 15-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the renewable energy from Conrad Energy’s newest solar farm in Herefordshire. The site at Larport is expected to deliver over 40,000MWh of renewable electricity, annually saving around 9,432t of carbon dioxide every year. Solar power is a plentiful renewable CO2-free power source that supports the UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. With Larport Solar Farm, Conrad Energy and BNP Paribas are in complete alignment with their commitment to this goal. “We have been excited at Conrad Energy about the potential for the Larport Solar Farm since 2019. To secure this kind of agreement with a partner as dedicated to the transition to net zero as BNP Paribas supports our belief that upcoming milestones for periods of zero carbon electricity are achievable,” says Steven Hardman, Conrad Energy’s CEO. “We are excited to be working in partnership with Conrad Energy to deliver this corporate PPA. The energy from Larport is a key step in decarbonising our UK operations, with this agreement in place we have taken a significant step on our path to net zero banking,” says Emmanuelle Bury, UK Country Head, BNP Paribas.

New Ansell Lighting floodlight delivers versatility and control

An extensive range of customisation options make Ansell Lighting’s new Kamar floodlight a great choice for any application. With a sleek and modern die-cast design offering beam angles ranging from 8° to 60°, the floodlight is suitable for commercial, hospitality, retail and industrial settings and is also ideal for adding dramatic architectural impact to buildings such as church exteriors. Multiple control functions including DALI as standard, DMX, and Casambi (on 35W and 100W versions) enable the Kamar to offer complete controllability. A huge variety of CCT options can be selected - 2000K, 2200K, 2700K, 3000K, 4000K, 5000K, TW and RGWB - to create the optimum in visibility or mood, and accessories such as a low glare hood and honeycomb film provide the solution where applications require glare optimisation and upward lighting. Mark Abbott, Managing Director at Ansell Lighting says, “The Kamar floodlight delivers the ultimate in choice, control and style and is suitable for even the most complex projects. “It can withstand temperatures ranging from minus 30°C to 50°C and its durability is further assured with IP66 and IK09 ratings. This, coupled with a 54,000 hour lifespan, means we can offer the floodlight with a reassuring five year guarantee.” The Kamar is available in two sizes: 330mm x 219.5mm x 100mm and 452mm x 450mm x 160mm.

Wattif partnership announcement

Rolec EV has entered into a partnership with Wattif EV, offering both of their customer bases a sophisticated hardware solution paired with accessible funding options. Earlier this year, Wattif EV secured €50 million from a leading Pan-European investment fund to underpin its strategy to become one of Europe’s leading destination charging providers. This new collaboration between Wattif EV and Rolec EV enables greater accessibility for landowners to install EV charging infrastructure on their property and provides Wattif EV with a more diverse range of charge point hardware to further expand its offering. Wattif EV’s flexible net revenue sharing model provides businesses, local authorities and land-owners with a fully scalable and cost-effective solution for the adoption of EV charging infrastructure and aims to make the uptake of zero-emission travel simple and low risk. When partnered with Rolec EV’s comprehensive range of hardware solutions, Wattif EV has the capacity to provide its service to businesses of varied size and structure to widen their offering and further improve the success of the government’s net zero initiatives over the coming years. Wattif EV will be making two funding options available to Rolec EV customers: Turnkey solution: a fully funded complete turnkey solution, including hardware, charge point installation, maintenance and software. Meaning no risk of investment for the business. Joint venture: Wattif EV will share the upfront capital cost. Wattif EV will take responsibility for installation, maintenance and operation but as equal partners, net revenue will be shared equally with the customer. Together, Rolec EV and Wattif EV are championing accessibility within the electric transport sector via Wattif EV’s funding solution, driving the sustainable travel movement through a combined philosophy of quality and affordability. Frankie Mellon, Sales Director at Rolec EV, says, “We are delighted to announce that Rolec EV’s hardware has been approved to support the rollout of Wattif EV’s network throughout the UK and Ireland. “As approved charge point supplier for Wattif EV, Rolec EV will provide a comprehensive range of funded charging solutions to be integrated with Wattif’s software, allowing Wattif EV to provide a fully turnkey solution to customers. “Our collaboration with Wattif EV means that Rolec EV will now be able to provide a variety of funding options to our customer base, with a focus on making the adoption of electric vehicle infrastructure more accessible to the wider market.” Steve Rees, Wattif Managing Director for the UK & Ireland, adds, "Rolec's smart EV charging hardware, combined with Wattif's turnkey solution and funding options, is the perfect solution to enable everyone to install and operate EV charging in their car park. “Improvements to charging infrastructure and access to charge points play a key role in EV adoption, the elimination of range anxiety and the achievement of legislative targets for 2030. Wattif EV UK is keen to address the EV charging demands across all sectors. Together as Rolec's approved funding provider, I know we have a very convincing proposition for both new and existing installations to be managed on smart charging networks. “This partnership for Wattif EV provides Rolec clients and installers with turnkey funding models to help them on their route to net zero and transition to electric vehicle adoption.”

Gripple celebrates one billionth fastener

Gripple is celebrating another milestone - producing its one billionth fastener. A celebration event was held at Riverside, Sheffield, one of Gripple’s six manufacturing facilities in South Yorkshire to mark the milestone, which included current staff and retired employees who had been involved with the manufacture of the first generation of Gripple fasteners. With 85% of Gripple’s fasteners going to export markets, its products have been used in a wide range of agricultural and construction applications, since production started at the original factory in Sheffield 35 years ago. This now includes such varied applications as viticulture, fruit growing, agricultural wire fencing, garden trellising, green housing, utility scale solar, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, lighting and acoustic applications, to name but a few. Kevin St Clair, UK Managing Director for Gripple, says, “Our one billionth Gripple fastener is a truly remarkable achievement. Our fasteners are used in such a diverse range of applications and it is testament to their high-quality design and our reliable quality production that they are renowned throughout the world - many of the original Gripple fasteners are still in use today.” Kevin adds, “When I joined Gripple in 2002, we were based on just one site and manufactured around 15 wire joiner variants at a rate of 20,000,000 per year. Here we are 20 years later with six sites, and in 2022 we manufactured 70,000,000 units across 100 variants. I am very excited about what the next 20 years will mean for Gripple as we are constantly innovating to solve fastening and tensioning issues for people in different industries across the world.” Over the past 35 years, production at Gripple has advanced dramatically from hand assembly in the early days producing 800 per shift to becoming semi-automated to make 3,000 per shift to many variants now being fully automated and manufacturing 25,000 per shift. Gripple’s own automation division is currently developing an 80 fasteners-per-minute machine, which will further speed up production and the checking process. From originally carrying out manual checks within the business, Gripple has advanced to 100% automatic visual checks carried out by state-of-the-art camera technology, ensuring the very highest quality standards.

Stelrad enters electric radiator marketplace

Stelrad has launched a range of electric radiators - its Electric Series. It’s the first time the Stelrad brand has ventured into the electric marketplace, and says it brings with it the quality and brand values associated with its radiator products since it began manufacturing in 1936. Stelrad is setting its sights on the electric market with a highly competitive range of both steel and aluminium electric radiators. The new Electric Series range will be available through merchants from September 2023. The range will include a dozen or so different models with a number of sizes of each model available, with standard radiators for any room along with a selection of towel rails specifically targeted at bathrooms and en-suites. Chris Harvey, Stelrad’s Head of Marketing for the UK and Ireland, says, “The new range offers a selection of radiators and towel rails with Stelrad’s unbeatable quality and design to suit every area in the home and to match or contrast with décor in every room. The selection includes radiators that are dry, dry stone and fluid-filled, offering a full choice of options within the technology. As you would expect, the new range offers a variety of energy saving and comfort enhancing features with fitted and Wi-Fi enabled controls. Some of the new radiators will be ‘three-in-one’ options, featuring a fan heater at the base of the radiator and manual controls that allow you to use the towel rail and the fan heater individually or together if you wish. Colours will be white for all radiators with the option of anthracite grey and chrome for some of the models. “Amongst the features you’ll find on these new radiators you will discover the ‘open window’ function that enables the appliance to automatically detect when a window is opened near the towel warmer and to switch to ‘anti-freeze’ mode to prevent unnecessary heating and to avoid wasting energy. Similarly, it can detect when the window is closed and restore the operating conditions set previously. The appliance comes on automatically at ambient temperatures below 7°. And when the ‘child safety’ function is activated, the surface of the appliance is cooler than in normal operation in the currently active mode to avoid the risk of burns caused by brief accidental contact. These are just a few of the features - these are intelligent radiators that are designed to provide heating in the most flexible and energy effective - and as a result - cost effective way.” Chris continues, “We pride ourselves in being a one stop shop for all things radiators and the arrival of the electric series builds on that claim still further. Full details of the new range will be unveiled in the next couple of months and be available to order from September.”

Octopus Energy and Masdar sign agreement to manage UK battery storage

Octopus Energy has announced that it has signed a framework agreement with Masdar to license Octopus’ technology platform Kraken. Masdar will use Kraken to flexibly manage its battery storage portfolio in the UK. In the presence of HE Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, Chairman of Masdar, and COP28 President-Designate, the agreement was signed between Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, and Greg Jackson, Founder and CEO of Octopus Energy Group, at the UAE Climate Tech Forum. The move will enable Masdar to optimise and expand its energy trading capabilities in the UK, helping to accelerate the rollout of renewables across the country and supporting the country in achieving its net zero targets. By using Kraken, Masdar will be able to control the performance of its batteries in real-time, optimising them for maximum returns. It will also enable them to store and discharge electrons in the greenest possible way. Masdar chose the deep-tech platform for its demonstrated benefits of low cost, maximum efficiency and its ability to enable a smarter energy system. Kraken allows for extended analytics, data and real time monitoring for a whole range of distributed energy resources (DERs), including battery storage. It is currently contracted to manage over 5GW across 38,000 green energy assets in 10 countries. The platform is targeting management of 100,000 devices and 6GW of energy capacity by the end of 2023. Masdar and Octopus Energy will also assess joint participation possibilities in renewable energy and explore collaborative opportunities in renewable generation. Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, says, “Masdar and Octopus Energy share a common commitment to pioneering innovative clean energy solutions that disrupt and transform the energy market, and as we expand our presence in the UK energy sector, through our £1 billion investment in battery storage, Kraken will provide us with the flexibility we need to scale our business rapidly. Kraken’s experience and expertise in battery storage asset management will help us to maximise the value of our investments and support the UK’s ambitious energy transition goals.” Greg Jackson, Founder and CEO of Octopus Energy Group, comments, “Masdar has established itself as one of the leading investors in renewable technologies around the world. As they step into batteries in a big way - the acquisition of Arlington and this £1 billion announcement - we are delighted to partner with them. Working together with their infrastructure expertise and Kraken's world-leading technology, we can make a real difference - driving cleaner, cheaper and more secure energy at scale.”

Seaward’s Apollo delivers improved electrical safety testing

Investment in advanced portable appliance testing technology is enabling a manufacturer of custom-made personal computers to improve its safety testing protocols during production cycles. PC Specialist designs and manufactures a range of high-spec PCs and laptops, primarily for the consumer gaming market, at its manufacturing centre in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. There, upwards of 5,000 bespoke systems designed and produced monthly for the rapidly growing global gaming market as well as supplying several major UK electrical and electronic goods retailers. The company is using an Apollo 600+ from Seaward as part of a quality control programme to ensure that in-house electrical power connection leads and monitors are safe to use and perform to optimum output levels. Manufacturing operations can see hundreds of test monitors running concurrently during peak production periods with over 180 power lead safety checked and tested daily using the portable Apollo 600+. This involves completing a series of continuity tests, 500V insulation tests and cable insulation resistance tests following visual inspections of each lead to ensure compliance with IEC 60502 regulations. The Apollo 600+ carries out all of the electrical safety tests required under the current edition of the IET Code of Practice, with the instrument automatically sequencing through the required tests, which can include earth continuity, insulation resistance, protective conductor current, touch current, IEC lead polarity and RCD trip times. This lightweight, versatile and compact tester, together with a Seaward Elite test and tag printer, is carried from one production cell to another at PC Specialist to undertake each safety check. After a test is complete, a bar code label is printed off and attached to the lead to confirm that is safe to use, complying with health and safety requirements. The incorporation of a large internal memory supports data handling needs, allowing the user to upload test records and transfer them directly to a central database on his PC as and when required. The use of these features is completed with the production of test labels, certificates and reports to demonstrate full compliance with in-house safety management and quality protocols. This approach has led to PC Specialist establishing improved practices and standards across its manufacturing operations during product build phases, delivering a fully automatic and integrated electrical safety testing regime for every unit that leaves the factory gate. The tester is also used to check the in-service safety of dozens of other electrically powered items across the company’s factory site as part of an ongoing asset management and maintenance programme. These include appliances such as fridge freezers, staff laptops, kettles, dishwashers, microwaves, power tools, washroom hand dryers and desk lights. Maintenance engineers Craig Lindley and Graham Williams, who are responsible for electrical safety testing, say, “We are 100% committed to safety - it’s of paramount importance to us. We therefore take our compliance responsibilities extremely seriously, which is why we have invested in a high performance, extremely capable portable appliance tester as part of our general quality control and safety commitments. “Quick and extremely easy to use, the Apollo is a great tester and capable of meeting the demands of a busy production line and rigorous testing regime. We really appreciate its portability and capacity to integrate testing swiftly and seamlessly with asset identification and record keeping. This enables us to undertake our responsibilities efficiently and contribute effectively to the overall running of the factory. It ultimately provides peace-of-mind, knowing that we are meeting our compliance requirements.”