Sheffield is now one of the best-connected areas in the UK

People in the Castlebeck, Manor and Richmond areas of Sheffield can now access some of the fastest internet services available thanks to the full fibre network CityFibre is delivering as part of a £115m investment in the city. CityFibre has now completed its full fibre network rollout in these areas and homes have been designated ‘ready for service.’ This means residents can now choose to connect to CityFibre internet services as and when they go live in their area. In Sheffield, Gigabit services are currently available from Pure Broadband. Across the UK, CityFibre is working with launch partner Vodafone to deliver next generation broadband services, as well as TalkTalk, with others expected to join the network soon. The completion of Castlebeck, Manor and Richmond marks another milestone in CityFibre’s £115m project, which aims to future-proof Sheffield by ensuring its digital infrastructure is able to support residents, businesses’ and services in their growing data consumption in an increasingly online world. Work is also close to completion in Park Hill and Tinsley. Once the full rollout has been completed, almost every home and business will have access to full fibre broadband. Speaking of this latest milestone, Natalie Ward, CityFibre’s City Manager for Sheffield says: “We’re delighted to be giving people in Sheffield all the benefits our network has to offer, and we would like to thank the residents in the area who have been extremely patient with us. “We’ve made strong progress so far and before too long we’ll be able to give everyone in the area the opportunity to connect to our network, unlocking unbeatable homeworking, entertainment and a reliable service. Sheffield has long been recognised as a leading industrial city and the digital and creative sector has grown faster here than elsewhere in the UK.”

Acrospire donate solar panels for vandalised East Lothian tourist attraction

If you have ever driven on the A1 into Dunbar, East Lothian, you will have spotted The DunBear, a five-metre-high steel sculpture of a brown bear. Popular with tourists and locals alike, it was built in 2019 in tribute to the late John Muir, the Dunbar-born naturalist and conservationist who played a key role in establishing national parks in the USA, including Yosemite and Sequoia. Designed by renowned Scottish sculptor, Andy Scott, also responsible for The Kelpies, the DunBear was erected in 2019 by Hallhill Developments, who now use the prominent sculpture to commemorate key dates by illuminating the art form in different colours, for example, green - in celebration of the recent COP26 Summit. It forms the centrepiece of DunBear Park, a proposed 54-acre low carbon community, with further plans to build new homes, retail outlets, and leisure facilities. Unfortunately, the major East Lothian tourist attraction has been subjected to repeated acts of mindless vandalism, spoiling people's enjoyment of the sculpture. The solar panels used to illuminate the bear have been vandalised on several occasions, the most recent just last month. [gallery columns="2" ids="30122,30123"] On hearing of the vandalism and being aware of the considerable enjoyment the DunBear brought to both visitors and locals alike, Kevin Grigg, Sales Director at Acrospire, immediately offered his expertise, replacing the damaged solar panels free of charge to see the scheme illuminated once again. The Mono-Crystalline solar panels (made from high-quality silicon) will provide 32W of power, which is enough energy for 5 nights (60 hours @ 5W) autonomy with each full charge. Ken Ross from Hallhill developments comments: “We cannot thank Acrospire enough for its very generous supply of six replacement solar panels. The vandalism we have experienced is deeply sad to see - especially at a time when we had planned to illuminate it in yellow and blue in support and solidarity of the people of Ukraine.”

Innovative suspension system grips construction industry

A prefabricated suspension system solution (that brings great versatility for the housing of cabling and pipes) has become an important tool in driving efficiency and increasing flexibility in installations. Fast Trak is becoming a system of choice in the construction sector because of the speed and ease it brings to commercial projects. Further innovations have been made to the vertical track and horizontal bracket system to increase flexibility and efficiencies during the installation process. “Our system continues to support the modern-day construction sector and its drive to use products that are efficient, safe for both installers and ongoing maintenance teams, and have a straightforward installation process,” says Mark Kimberley, Head of Construction Projects at Gripple. “It helps M&E contractors and installers to deliver this element of the project to agreed timescales and budgets, indeed because of the ease and accessibility of the system many projects have been able to continue even when staffing challenges have been present. Also, its tool free adjustments can be made with ease, allowing contractors to complete installations in a faster time when compared with more traditional threaded rod methods of suspension.” The new bracket innovation can be used in any orientation. Allowing use of standard channel products and accessories as well as its unique quarter turn accessories to increase flexibility. There is a suspension point guide, providing faster and safer alignment of brackets as well as a pioneering four-way latch which can be used in any orientation, it negates the need for tools and provides a much faster and simpler installation and quick adjustment. The advancements made to the track include a ladder style, this allows brackets to be installed in increments of 10mm meaning specified heights can be kept with minimal effort, also enabling the tiering of brackets to increase the number of services per run. The new manufacturing technologies developed mean that the ladder track is now curved and can be snapped or bent providing a neat and tidy finish with minimal to zero waste all while delivering increased track rigidity and load ratings. “Fast Trak has proven to be a straightforward yet ingenious solution for suspending electrical, pipework, ductwork and mechanical services in an efficient, safe and reliable way that can be tailored to ensure all necessary building legislation is complied with in the UK, Europe and the US,” comments Mark. “The fact that it continues to deliver efficiencies in so many ways make it a hugely attractive product for contractors who are keen to manage costs and resources effectively and deliver an M&E system that is truly fit for modern construction projects.”

Eelpower appoints Smith Brothers to power up Suffolk battery storage site

Smith Brothers Contracting has been appointed to provide ICP and EPC works at a new battery storage site for SUSI Partners and Eelpower’s joint venture in Halesworth, Suffolk. Smith Brothers will deliver a turnkey solution- from initial design and EPC works to final testing and commissioning. Once completed, the 132kV development will provide over 50MW of flexibility and balancing services to UK Power Networks. Acting as the independent connection provider, the contestable connection will see the team deliver a complete solution, from initial design and EPC works to testing and connection. Construction will take place later this year and, once complete, the development will be connected to UK Power Networks via 250m of 132kV cabling. Further to undertaking the contestable works as the ICP, Smith Brothers Contracting is responsible for all engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) works, including balancing the plant for the battery storage site. Smith Brothers will receive, install, and commission the 28 battery storage units – as well as constructing the supporting infrastructure for each, including AC and DC cabling across the whole site with project-specific SCADA panels for the customer to be able to remotely control the whole site. “We’ve worked with Eelpower before and delivered successfully on similar schemes” explains Smith Brothers contracts manager Alan Hoyle. “The project is a vital investment into the region’s long-term energy future, and Smith Brothers will ensure that the work is completed on schedule and within budget.” The delivery isn’t without challenges though “given the relatively small footprint of the site means that construction work and site access need to be well-managed,” continues Alan. Mark Simon, Eelpower CEO, adds “Halesworth will be the first English 50MW that the SUSI Partners and Eelpower JV will energise.  Smith Brothers have proved to be the sort of excellent and responsive partner on which we, and the nation’s electricity system, relies to deliver the energy transition. We look forward to working with them more in future.”

New enclosure solution from nVent available from Foremost Electronics

Foremost Electronics has announced the availability of the IP-Pro Alu EMC enclosure from nVent, ideal for housing standard or proprietary small form factor electronic PCBs. This pre-certified rugged enclosure is ideal for use in harsh environments, providing protection for sensitive electronics against water, dust and electromagnetic interference (EMI) and can be tailored to meet the demands of a customer’s specific applications, accelerating design and development time and reducing costs. Applications include railway and transportation, aerospace and defence, industrial IoT, instrumentation and test and measurement. IP-Pro Alu EMC is an ideal enclosure solution for systems which may have to be located close to the operation site and need to be protected. Combined with an optimal heat dissipation concept, the reliable operation of boards (even with high processing power) can be assured. This is very important for applications such as predictive maintenance, where large amounts of data must be collected, aggregated and analysed, as in signalling and automation applications for railway and IoT applications. The Schroff IP-Pro Alu EMC is an EMC-shielded aluminium die-cast enclosure available in 15 different sizes from H90 x W122 x D122mm to H180 x W600 x D310mm, featuring an aesthetic design and outdoor powder coating in silver grey (RAL 7001) as standard. Depending on size, it offers protection up to IP67 according to EN 60529, shock and vibration resistance according to EN 61373 Cat. 2 and AREMA Class I, IK 09 protection from external mechanical impacts according to IEC 62262 and a working temperature range from –40 to +90°C. IP-Pro Alu EMC can be factory modified to suit many requirements. These include: Shock and vibration resistant integration of an eNUC board to withstand shocks up to 30g in accordance with the railway standard EN 61373 Cat. 2. Conduction cooling solution to operate the system with a heat dissipation of 15W, up to an ambient temperature of 50°C. IP-protected I/O interfaces for power, RJ 45, HDMI and USB. Hinged top with captive screws, to ensure ease of access. Bespoke printing on case. Emma Kempster, Key Account Manager, of Foremost Electronics, comments “The new nVent SCHROFF IP-Pro Alu EMC enclosure offers an off-the-shelf and simple to customise enclosure for mounting electronic data collection and control systems in harsh environments. It offers customers time and cost savings as well as improving system reliability.”

Aico expand PV system in push for net zero target

As part of their zero carbon pledge, Aico have increased the number of solar panels on the roof of their headquarters in Oswestry and are installing more electric vehicle charging points. In 2021, Aico made a commitment to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. Following this, they joined the Zero Carbon Shropshire 2030 pledge and now work with other local businesses in the Shropshire Climate Action Partnership to work toward decarbonisation, large-scale restoration of biodiversity and the creation of more sustainable businesses. Aico are also one of only 300 companies globally to be a member of the pledge and are also a Construct Zero company, helping drive change by helping to share innovative solutions and set transparent goals and clear actions that everyone can help to achieve. Aico have now increased their solar panel system from 32 to over 200 units to a 160kw system, which will enable them to reduce their carbon emissions significantly. Aico have also began a project to increase their number of electric vehicle charging bays from four to 10 to accommodate for more colleagues and visitors who own emission-free vehicles. Lee Duffy, Aico’s Operations and Learning & Development Manager has overseen the project and is delighted with the progress adding “We have made a commitment to be net zero by 2030. The measures we are taking are just the start of our journey towards this goal. It’s critical we all act, as a market leader we have a responsibility to make the community we call home cleaner and more sustainable.”

Number of UK construction workers jumps at fastest rate in 13 years

Dominick Sandford, Managing Director at IronmongeryDirect and ElectricalDirect, says: “New data has revealed that the number of people employed in the UK construction industry jumped by 21,000 at the end of last year, which is the largest increase since 2009. This is brilliant news for the sector. “In December, the workforce rose to 455,000 employees, which represented a rise of 5% from September, and the most significant increase since June 2009. “This trend looks set to continue, as there are still 50,000 vacancies for jobs in the industry (December to February 2022), which is the most since records began in 2001. “Furthermore, workers are also benefiting from record levels of income, with the average weekly earnings in construction reaching £691. This is up £3 from the previous data, and the highest on record. “Earnings in the electricity, gas and water supply sector also rose, from £749 in December to £753 in January. This is up £3 from the same period last year. “In terms of hours worked, the average weekly figure dropped slightly, from 35.3 (October to December) to 35.2 (November to January). However, this is still considerably higher than in 2021, when it stood at 32.2 hours. “Furthermore, for women in the construction industry, the typical number of hours worked actually rose. Between November and January, the average was 29.3 for female workers - up slightly from 29 between October to December. “This all suggests that UK construction is set for a positive spring and summer, and with the cost of living and inflation rate soaring, this will be welcome news for many.”

SolarEdge puts renewable energy on the curriculum for 11 schools

Global smart energy technology provider, SolarEdge, has announced that its DC-optimised solar solution has been chosen to supply clean, renewable energy for 11 schools in Coventry and South Gloucestershire. Funded by grants from the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, the rooftop PV systems are forecast to produce combined annual energy savings of more than £194,000 and reduce carbon emissions by 298 tonnes. The installations were completed in separate projects by Ineco Energy, as part of wide-sweeping initiatives by Coventry and South Gloucestershire Councils to improve the energy efficiency of their public buildings. Ineco Energy chose a SolarEdge DC-optimised system to meet the councils’ requirements for maximum energy generation, enhanced safety and – crucially – to ensure the lowest possible operation and maintenance (O&M) costs over the lifetime of the systems. “There are several reasons why we always recommend SolarEdge – from its ability to maximise energy generation to its suite of inbuilt safety features. However, it was SolarEdge’s real-time monitoring platform and long warranties that sealed the deal as far as both councils were concerned,” comments Angus Rose, Director at Ineco Energy. “The majority of solar installations on schools are grant funded, which means individual schools may or may not have money for maintenance. The visibility provided by the SolarEdge monitoring platform will play a crucial role in helping to keep these costs to a minimum. Added to this, the long warranties offered on both SolarEdge inverters and power optimisers provide further peace of mind by ensuring these installs will perform at optimum capacity for far longer than traditional string inverter systems,” Angus adds. In a SolarEdge system, power optimisers are attached to solar modules to track the performance of each module – or pair of modules – in real time, and to allow each to work at its own maximum power point. In the event of a problem, an automatic alert is sent to the maintenance team, identifying the exact unit at fault. This means problems can be remedied rapidly, saving both time and money. Further, it ensures that any energy production losses resulting from system underperformance are kept to a minimum. “This is in stark contrast to traditional string inverter systems, where problems can go unchecked for weeks or even months,” says Angus. With just a six-week window during the summer holidays to complete all 11 installs, Ineco opted to use SolarEdge’s Three Phase Inverters with Synergy technology at several of the schools. Synergy is a modular system that splits the functionality of traditional large-scale inverters into three smaller, lightweight units, enabling rapid and cost-effective installation. The Synergy series also provides an easy way to manage export limitations in line with G100 regulations, enabling Ineco to overcome local grid constraints. In addition, Synergy inverters can be oversized by up to 150%. This increases energy production from solar arrays without having to add additional inverters, helping to reduce costs. It will also ensure the PV systems are large enough to cope with what Rose believes will be an inevitable increase in demand for electricity due to the electrification of heat and transport. “Typical of many councils around the UK, Coventry Council is already looking at ways it can further improve the energy efficiency of its school buildings. For example, by introducing heat pumps and even EV charging facilities on site. However, while this will reduce gas consumption, it will increase the demand for electricity. By using SolarEdge’s Synergy inverters, we have effectively ‘future-proofed’ the solar installations at the Coventry and South Gloucestershire schools by ensuring they have the capacity to grow in line with changing energy demand,” explains Angus. In addition to working with Coventry and South Gloucestershire councils to improve the energy efficiency of their school buildings, Ineco Energy will use the SolarEdge platform to teach the students about the importance of protecting the environment. It has designed a sustainability ‘toolkit’ which will be supplied to teachers and school environmental clubs free of charge.

Energy study brings Port of London Authority one step closer to net zero

UK Power Networks is supporting the Port of London Authority’s (PLA) sustainability ambitions by successfully completing an energy feasibility study to identify opportunities to integrate low-carbon generation technologies across its sites and floating structures. The PLA is aiming for a 60% reduction in carbon emissions by 2025 and to achieve net zero by 2040. To realise these targets, the port requires an understanding of its existing electricity network and renewable generation opportunities available. The project has assessed the suitability for renewable energy installation, including solar and wind, at 23 of the ports’ sites and provides insight into future demand within the electricity network as the port expands. The introduction of renewable energy technologies will enable the future decarbonisation of the vessels and provide low-carbon energy sources that will help the port meet their Net Zero aspirations, eliminate emissions and increase the resilience of the port’s electricity network. The PLA will now be able to make informed decisions about future expansion and sustainability initiatives with visibility of their existing electricity network and viability of specific renewable technologies. Kieran Coughlan, Head of Strategic Advisory Services at UK Power Networks Services says: “We’re thrilled to be able to help the PLA develop their future decarbonisation journey through the assessment of options for integrating renewable technologies. “This feasibility study will enable the port to make key sustainability and expansion decisions that support their operations.” Michael Atkins, senior planner at the PLA, adds: “As a result of this study, we are now able to identify various options for the delivery of low carbon generation technologies across a number of our sites, which will help to meet our aim to achieve Net Zero by 2040 and help to increase energy resilience and reduce emissions across the PLAs estate and operations.”

SECTT delivers £54,000 package of financial assistance to its college partners 

The Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust (SECTT) has come to the aid of facilities hit with spiralling materials costs by providing £54,000 of additional financial assistance. The substantial funding to the electrical departments at 21 Approved Centres – which range from Stornoway and Thurso in the north to Dumfries in the south – was delivered after costs rose by approximately 30% in just a few months. SECTT says the extra money recognises the huge contribution that the 20 colleges and one private centre make to training as well as the vital importance of apprenticeships to the future of the electrical industry in Scotland. Anne Galbraith, CEO of SECTT, says: “The past two years have been extremely difficult for all the centres, which were closed for face-to-face learning for long periods. Working with SECTT, they responded magnificently with online learning, which certainly filled a gap until they were able to reopen. “However, now we are back to in-person learning again, the rising cost of materials that are essential for training courses has proved a challenge for all our colleges, so we were more than happy to assist. “Electrical apprentices require considerable practical training, so the centres were made a priority, with the money approved by the SECTT Board of Trustees at a recent meeting and allocated proportionately to the number of classes starting in the 2021 recruitment year.” Scott Foley, Regional Officer at Unite the Union, and Chair of the SECTT Trustees, adds: “SECTT is pleased to be able to make this financial contribution to our college partners as we have been a consistent advocate of the practical encouragement of young people and of the value of meaningful training. “SECTT has achieved major success in recent years, not least in establishing a new perception of the next generation of electricians by emphasising their skill, dedication and professionalism as well as the competence, confidence and maturity required to achieve their qualified status. “This has been reflected in the 770 apprentices and adult trainees who enrolled on the electrical apprenticeship in 2021 – the highest figure for 12 years – and recruitment remains buoyant.”