BGES Group wins award for hotel heat decarbonisation project

BGES Group has scooped a coveted Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) award for a complex BMS retrofit at the Oxfordshire Golf Hotel and Spa. BGES Group won Technical Innovation of the Year for the project, which integrates the controls of three legacy heating and cooling systems and a new closed loop water source heat pump system. As part of a drive to decarbonise hotel energy use, water from the golf course lake is used as the main heat source. The system was designed and retrofitted by Geyser Thermal Energy, and sees pipework take water from the lake to the heat pump in the main plantroom. The resort’s old oil-fired boilers and chiller have been replaced with a low-energy heat pump system, linked to a 250kW solar array installed onsite. Smart optimisation The upgraded BMS, which was designed and installed by BGES Group, provides intelligent monitoring and control of plant. The precise control & visibility provided by the BMS is contributing towards a vast reduction in energy input demand for the club’s heating/cooling and hot water: from 1,410kW to below 100kW. Prior to the upgrade, there were 3 different independent heating and cooling systems with a non-working BMS. BGES Group upgraded the controls on the existing BMS plant and designed a new panel to control the new heat pumps; tying them in with existing boiler plant to maximise the efficiency of the heat pumps. The user-friendly front end of the BMS helps resort staff to understand how the system works, and it is crucial to understanding what the loads are in the pool, spa and air conditioning. Monitoring and control is key to the project’s success as it will allow for ongoing tweaking to drive further output and efficiency improvements. Recognition of excellence The BCIA Awards – held on 9th September 2021 – brought together manufacturers, installers and customers in a celebration of the best projects and technologies in the sector. As well as the Technical Innovation award win, BGES Group made the final shortlist in the Best Service and Maintenance Provider category for their work at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. Two BGES Group team members – Paul Brown and Lewis Stevenson – were finalists in the Engineer of the Year and Young Engineer of the Year categories, respectively. Gareth Barber, Managing Director of BGES Group comments: “We are thrilled to have been recognised by such a respected industry body as the BCIA with our award win. This project is a perfect example of the work we are doing to drive energy efficiency and support heat decarbonisation in buildings. “I’m also very proud that Paul Brown and Lewis Stevenson have been recognised for their individual achievements, as well as the team behind the outstanding work we are doing at Sheffield Children’s. “We always strive for excellence and these accolades are testament to the hard work, dedication, and significant talents of our team.”

Hudson launches website to push young people towards apprenticeships

Hudson Contract has launched a new website to encourage young people and employers alike to consider apprenticeships. The site aims to provide clear and simple answers to the questions most commonly asked about apprenticeships. Importantly, it helps companies to understand what funding is available and how they can get it. There are various sources of funding at the moment including government grants, extra COVID-19 support schemes (hurry up – these only last until the end of this month), levy transfers and the CITB quango. The site offers practical tips to young people looking for apprenticeships and highlights the benefits of pursuing this path into the construction industry, such as the ability to earn while they learn on the job alongside highly skilled tradespeople. David Jackson, Founder and Chairman of Hudson Contract and a former apprentice draughtsman, says: “If you choose a career in construction, the world can open up for you. From bricklaying to joinery and electrical to plastering, these are skills the world needs and once you’ve gained them, you’ve got them for life. “Our clients tell us the landscape for apprenticeships can be difficult to navigate because of the bureaucracy that is involved. In response, we have created an easy-to-use website for young people and employers to take the first step towards starting apprenticeships.” Hudson has gained an in-depth understanding of the issues involved through its role as a leading supplier of business services to the construction industry and its pioneering sponsorship scheme, which has backed 170 apprentices over the last decade. David adds: “I know from my own experience that apprenticeships are the best way to get your first foot on the construction career ladder and whether you’re a 16-year-old school leaver or looking to retrain, we are here to guide you through the process and get your construction career started.” Hudson will be promoting the website nationwide through its client base of 2,500 construction SMEs and the media, colleges and other stakeholders, including the Cross-Industry Construction Apprenticeship Task Force (CCATF). Martyn Price, chairman of CCATF, says: “We applaud this effort from Hudson Contract, a member of our organisation, to increase meaningful apprenticeships in the construction industry. Now more than ever we must ensure young people have access to structured training."

Unqualified electricians must be regulated before there's a tragedy

People’s lives are being put at risk from electrical work carried out by unqualified or incompetent “electricians” the Managing Director of SELECT has told national radio. Speaking on the popular Thomas Nagy Electrical Show on Fix Radio, Alan Wilson said: rogue tradespeople “pose dangers not only to themselves and people they might be working beside, but more importantly to the end user”. Lack of regulation currently means anyone can claim to be an electrician and carry out electrical work in Scotland – a situation which SELECT says puts people at risk of injury and death and has led to its ongoing campaign for the title ‘electrician’ to be protected. Alan says: “To call yourself an electrician – to have the word ‘electrician’ on your business card, in an advert in the local paper or on your van – you should have to go through a proper apprenticeship and keep your qualifications up to date, Sadly, this isn’t always the case. “I would rather be on the front foot and be criticised for trying to prevent something happening than explain to somebody’s children or widow, ‘I’m sorry your loved one died. We were thinking of regulating the industry, but we just didn’t get around to it’.” During his guest spot on the UK radio station for tradespeople on 2 September, Alan also said that unqualified individuals practising as electricians was not a good look for an industry trying to attract new recruits. He explains: “If you’ve done your four or five years’ of training and you then become a qualified electrician, and yet somebody down the road just puts the title ‘electrician’ on their van and has no qualifications and no training whatsoever, how galling must that be for a newly qualified person?” He also pointed out that are currently around 117 protected titles, all protected by law and whose professionals must be registered to use them. “Nurses, doctors, teachers and even night club bouncers are protected,” Alan explained. “If you want to shoe a horse, you have to be regulated – it’s a protected title. You can’t call yourself a farrier unless you are a member of the scheme and have been through training. “You can’t go off to your local stables and say, ‘Give me a shot of that – I’ll put that shoe on that horse.’ But yet you can come along and wire my house.” SELECT is seeking the introduction of protection of title for the profession of electrician alongside partner bodies, including The Scottish Joint Industry Board, Unite the Union and the Scottish Electrical Charitable Training Trust. More than 70 politicians, trade unions, professional bodies, electrical contractors and other organisations are also backing the call through SELECT’s Wall of Support and its #BackTheBrick campaign. They include Electrical Safety First, The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the Scottish Association of Landlords and the Energy Saving Trust. As a result of SELECT’s lobbying, the Scottish Government has set up an Electricians Working Group to explore the challenge of ensuring the safety of electrical installations, with two consultations taking place on the topic in November 2020 and February this year. Alan says: “Regulation of the industry is really important and protection of title is what’s needed in the sector across the UK, not just in Scotland. A voluntary approach doesn’t work, I’m afraid. You need statutory regulation. It’s back to the carrot and stick approach. You need real penalties. “Grenfell is a really sad example of where people have identified endemic problems in the sector –cheapest cost practices etc, things that have gone on for many, many years. But it takes a tragedy to expose them to the public and to politicians.” Alan previously appeared on the show on 26 August to discuss cash retentions, telling listeners that the practice damages reinvestment and “disproportionately penalises small businesses”.

Yokogawa launches extreme precision Optical Spectrum Analyser

Yokogawa has launched a new optical spectrum analyser (OSA) designed to offer the extreme high precision demanded by researchers developing the next generation of optical communication components. With the exponential growth in the Internet of Things, as well as cloud computing services, video broadcasting and conferencing, and the rise in access to mobile broadband, demand for data capacity will expand hugely over the next few years. High capacity optical backhaul networks will be needed to serve this growing traffic density. Dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) is an optical multiplexing technology used to increase bandwidth over the existing fiber network. As data hungry applications push the performance requirements of DWDM systems, telecommunication channels become ever more closely spaced, making it more difficult to separate the individual channels in the wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) analysis on an OSA. The Yokogawa AQ6380 OSA offers unequalled optical performance to allow engineers and scientists to develop and improve the speed, bandwidth and quality of the next generation of communication networks, while its ease of use ensures it can be operated quickly and efficiently. “The AQ6380 is demonstrably the world’s best grating based OSA, outperforming its nearest competing solution on wavelength accuracy, resolution, dynamic range, and actual measurement speed,” says Terry Marrinan, Yokogawa Test & Measurement’s Vice President, Marketing. “The new product also offers a highly capable alternative to other measurement technologies, comparing favourably on wavelength range and actual dynamic range, and offering superior measurement speed and application adaptability, as well as a highly competitive price.” The AQ6380 has excellent optical wavelength resolution down to 5 picometers (pm), allowing optical signals in close proximity to be clearly separated and accurately measured. With the AQ6380, waveforms that were previously not even visible in a typical OSA, such as modulation side peaks in the laser spectrum, can now be accurately visualized. It also offers a wavelength range of 1200 to 1650 nm, allowing one unit to meet diverse wavelength measurement needs. With the ability to alter the wavelength resolution from 5 pm to 2 nm, a wide range of applications can be supported, from narrowband peak/notch measurements to wideband spectral measurements. A major challenge for optical researchers has been maintaining the accuracy of their instruments, with ambient temperature change, vibrations, and shock all potentially affecting the measurement accuracy of optical spectrum analysers. To maintain consistently high accuracy, the AQ6380 features on board calibration based on a built-in light source. Wavelength calibration is automatically performed at set intervals by switching the optical path with an internal optical switch. Another important parameter in optical waveform analysis is close-in dynamic range, defined as the difference in power level measured from the peak of the signal to the noise at a specific distance from the peak wavelength. The AQ6380 features a newly designed monochromator with sharper spectral characteristics than previously available, achieving a close-in dynamic range of up to 65 dB. The result is that signals in close proximity can be clearly separated and accurately measured. The new monochromator also offers very high stray light suppression, an important criterion in optical measurement. For example, in situations such as laser SMSR measurement, where several optical spectra with different levels are measured at the same time, the stray light may interfere with the measurement. The AQ6380 offers a best-in-class stray light suppression value of 80 dB. Fast measurement speed is another major benefit, with the AQ6380 capturing data points in only 0.23 seconds compared to 5.4 seconds for the existing model (AQ6370D) in certain conditions. The new AQ6380 is also designed for ease and efficiency of use, ensuring the measurement scheme can be set up rapidly and data can be acquired easily. The high-resolution, responsive 10.4-inch touchscreen LCD makes the device as easy and intuitive to operate as a tablet. When it comes to analyzing results, the AQ6380 has built-in analysis functions to characterize optical spectrum from a variety of optical systems and devices, such as WDM system, DFB-LD, EDFA, and filters. Analysis functions include: DFB-LD; FP-LD; LED; Spectral width (peak/notch); SMSR; Optical power; WDM (OSNR); EDFA (Gain and NF); Filter (peak/bottom) and WDM filter (peak/bottom). The AQ6380 also features an application menu “APP mode”, which makes measurement set-up much easier. Pushing the APP button brings up an overview of the pre-installed testing apps – WDM, DFB-LD, FP-LD and LED testing. A guide through wizard leads the user through an easy set up process for specific measurements and analysis. New or additional testing applications will be made available for download from the Yokogawa website and can be added to the AQ6380 by future firmware updates.

The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity has released its Impact Report

The Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity has just released its 2020 Impact Report which demonstrates the vital support they provided in 2020. Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and three national lock downs, the charity was able to provide a lifeline to 2264 families in crisis and delivered £1.287M of charitable giving. For the first time ever, the report also details the social value created by the charity which equates to £7.48 for every £1 of charitable spend. It was of little surprise to see increased demands on the charity’s 24/7 Construction Industry Helpline resources and the number of complex cases needing multiple interventions increased by 70%. These cases were managed by case workers who have expertise in pulling together all the available resources to provide all round support. 40% of calls handled by the charity’s caseworkers mentioned struggles with mental health issues and 4% of callers mentioned an attempted suicide. 21% of cases were for issues directly related to COVID-19 and the charity responded quickly to urgent requests for financial support with household bills, emergency food deliveries and helping with debt. Despite these challenges, the charity’s case workers leveraged an amazing £564,000 by working with 3rd party sources before releasing charitable grants, meaning more support, to a higher quality and at a lower cost per case. The report also details major developments in the charity’s education and training programme. In response to the restrictions on face to face training, all courses were augmented so that they could be delivered online and free of charge, with over 1500 people attending courses ranging from coping with stress through to resilience and mindfulness. The ongoing success of a major national project funded by the CITB delivered a further 41 Mental Health First Aid Instructors into the industry. One of the highlights of the year was the launch of a dedicated free helpline number for the construction community in the Republic of Ireland and working with the Construction Industry Federation is ensuring that construction colleagues in Ireland can access the same support as their counterparts in the UK. Bill Hill, CEO of the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity says, “Our hard work continues and as well as detailing our achievements so far, our impact report also outlines our accelerated plans for expanding the charitable services we offer. We must ensure we continue to pro-actively support the industry’s mental wellbeing and make our services easy to access and freely available to everyone and I am proud to say that we have been able to provide life changing support to our construction community. But our work is only possible due to the fantastic support we receive and I would like to thank every single person and company that has helped us, especially during these difficult and uncertain times. You have helped us take another step towards our mission to ensure that no construction worker or their family is alone in a crisis.”

Toolstation announces new distribution centre, creating 250 jobs

Toolstation has held a groundbreaking ceremony to announce it will open a new distribution centre in Northamptonshire to support the brand’s ongoing growth plans. The new facility will support the creation of around 250 jobs in the coming years. The site is set to open for operations in Q4 2022 and is based at Prologis Park, Pineham. The DC totals approx. 500,000 sq. ft. and will allow Toolstation to serve more customers through its 500+ branches and digitally. The move supports the brand’s ongoing branch network expansion, with 60 new branches opening each year, together with the rapid growth of online and digital orders seen over the past 18 months. James Mackenzie, Managing Director of Toolstation, says: “The opening of this new warehousing facility will support our growth plans and enable Toolstation to continue to add to our 500-strong branch network and to help us meet the needs of our customers – both digital and in branch – more effectively.” James Straw, Capital Deployment and leasing associate at Prologis UK comments: “It’s great to see Toolstation secure the last space on Prologis Park Pineham which is a prime logistics location that will allow Toolstation’s current growth trajectory to continue.” The Northamptonshire site will complement Toolstation’s existing distribution centre network. In March, Toolstation announced its results for the year ending 31 December 2020 and Toolstation’s strong performance continued with like-for-like growth of 22.2%.

Fluke renews 'Buy a Fluke, get a free Fluke' offer this Autumn

Fluke has launched the Autumn seasonal promotion, encouraging customers to claim a free product when they purchase a Fluke tool between 1 September and 15 December 2021. A broad range of industrial and electrical tools, network testers and calibration equipment for residential and commercial use is available, enabling installation, maintenance, troubleshooting and repair engineers to work efficiently and safely. Customers who purchase Fluke tools through authorised Fluke distributors can use their original invoice to claim their free product through Fluke’s website. New choices for free Fluke products The ‘Buy a Fluke, get a free Fluke’ offer is divided into six levels depending on the value of the qualifying purchase. The minimum purchase for customers to claim a free product is £100. A qualifying purchase includes Fluke’s electrical and industrial test tools, Fluke Networks and Fluke Calibration products. Customers can then choose a second product from a selection of free tools available, including clamp meters, digital multimeters, advanced testers, and accessories such as equipment cases. How does it work? For each of the six qualifying purchase levels, there is a fixed range of products to claim, based on the value of the original purchase through an authorized Fluke distributor. For example, after spending between £100 and £549.99 on a qualifying purchase, a customer can claim a free product from Level One such as a unique Fluke TPAK Magnetic Hangclip, a soft carrying case to protect the newly purchased instrument, a Fluke 2AC VoltAlert Non-contact Voltage Detector or a Fluke Networks Protool kit IS40. At the highest level, Fluke customers have the option to claim a free advanced measurement tool such as the Troubleshooting kit DMM (containing an 87V TRMS Industrial Multimeter, a 325 True RMS Clamp Meter, a T6-1000 Voltage Tester, and a T150 Two-pole Tester), a 1-year Gold Support Services for DSX-5000, an 8845A Digital Precision Multimeter or select telephoto or wide-angle lenses for thermal cameras. Nicolas Bravo de Medina, Marketing Director EMEA at Fluke says: “We received an excellent response to our ‘Buy a Fluke, get a free Fluke’ promotion in the Spring and have decided to renew the scheme for our European customers. Thousands of Fluke customers have already claimed their free products and we hope many more will register to claim a free Fluke tool. Our industrial and electrical tools, calibration equipment and network testers are designed for reliability and ease of use to ensure our customers are safe in their work and achieve great results.”

OB1- the number one sealant and adhesive now available from Unicrimp

Unicrimp has acquired the rights to exclusively distribute the original, multi-surface sealant and adhesive brand, OB1 through the UK electrical wholesale channel. OB1 is a market-leading, high-spec hybrid construction sealant and adhesive that has a tried and tested formulation which has been used by the trade for over 15 years. What makes OB1 stand out is its versatility, flexibility and its 24-hour full curing time. It provides an alternative to mastics, wood and PU adhesives, silicones, acrylics and butyl rubber sealants. This one product is capable of bonding and sealing an extensive range of materials including aluminium, wood and MDF, plastic, metal, steel, mirror, lead, concrete, glass, tile, polycarbon, PVC and felt. OB1 also works in damp conditions and even under water. It contains no solvents so it will never crack or shrink, can be applied on wet surfaces, painted or moulded and it has a very high bond strength with resistance to fungal and bacterial growth. OB1’s uses are wide ranging for both external and internal projects. It offers superior bond strength for kitchen work tops and, with its food safe formula – OB1 conforms to ISEGA Standards – it is perfect for use in kitchens and food preparation areas. It will bond and seal marble, granite and quartz worktops and is guaranteed not to attack or stain surfaces. For bathrooms, it features zero VOC’s, so it offers exceptional mould resistant sealing. It will bond skirting and architraves, as well as mirrors without the need for any additional fixings. Its weather-resistant properties make it perfect for outdoor repairs including leaking gutters and slates and it will perform flawlessly even when applied under water. Bonds aluminium and wood Depending on their moisture, softwoods and hardwoods expand and contract constantly, and some more than others. Aluminium expands and contacts in accordance with temperature. OB1 will maintain its robust bond when cured from -40⁰C to +120⁰C and is therefore able to cope in harsh external weather conditions and in a refrigerated environment. Its bond has the ability to elongate up to 350%. Bonds plastic to metal and steel The original solvent-free hybrid polymer formula used in OB1 allows flexible adhesion that can move with the expansion and contraction of metal and steel without etching or burning the surfaces. Marine pool sealant The original formula makes OB1 the ideal sealant for under water applications and is even resistant to salt water. Its hybrid polymer formulation can be applied under water and retains its initial bond. It also acts as a structural underwater bond in closed-face applications in swimming pools, such as floor and wall tiles, without the need to drain the pool. OB1 multi-surface construction sealant and adhesive is available in a 290ml tube, in a range of colours – white, clear, black, anthracite, grey, silver, brown, terracotta and beige. Also available in the OB1 range is a multi-surface cleaner (aerosol 500ml) and a multi-layer paint and varnish remover (aerosol 500ml). [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QUZjF8j9tE[/embed]

Pension Awareness Day: advice on how to prepare for retirement

Preparing for retirement can be challenging, and it can be difficult to know where to start. In fact, recent research by IronmongeryDirect found that one in eight (13%) tradespeople approaching retirement age (55-64s) don’t have any financial preparations for retirement. So, what do you need to know about saving for retirement? IronmongeryDirect has partnered with Fabian Taylor, senior associate and chartered financial planner in Nelsons’ wealth management team, and George Stainton, senior wealth manager at Hoxton Capital Management, to reveal helpful tips for tradespeople on how to prepare for retirement. It’s never too late to start While it’s recommended to begin planning for retirement as soon as possible, IronmongeryDirect’s research found that more than one in ten (13%) tradespeople approaching retirement age don’t have a financial plan in place. Thankfully, it’s never too late to make a start. Fabian says: “Contributions to a pension attract tax relief from the Government. So, for every £80 you contribute, tax relief of £20 is added, making the total contribution £100. “As a general rule of thumb, you should try to save half the age at which you started as a percentage of your salary. For example, if you start saving at age 20, then you should contribute ten percent, but if you start at age 30, you should aim to save 15%.” Saving early makes things easier  While it’s true that you can start saving at any point during your career, it’s sensible to begin putting aside money for retirement as early as possible. Many young people have the advantage of being able to use workplace pension schemes, but for those who opt out, are ineligible, or are planning on saving additional funds, starting early has major benefits. George comments: “If younger people are not contributing to a pension scheme, then they should make sure they have some sort of structured savings in place. Getting into the habit of saving for retirement earlier in your career will make life much more comfortable as you get closer to retirement. Let us look at a simple calculation to prove this. “If someone needs to have a retirement pot of £500,000 at the age of 55, they will need to save £441 per month if they start at the age of 25 and see a 7% return on their investment each year. If they start saving at 35, this figure increases to £1,016 per month and dramatically increases to £2,783 per month if they start at 45 years old.” Take advantage of workplace schemes For tradespeople who work on an employed basis, they should look to enrol in their workplace pension scheme, if they have not already. This means that they will be saving throughout their career, with additional top-ups from their employer, and while tradies should still aim to set up a private pension, a workplace scheme provides a safety net in the meantime. Fabian adds: “If you are 22-years-old or older, earning over £10,000 and employed by a company, you will be automatically enrolled into your company’s workplace scheme. Through this, a minimum of 8% of your earnings, split between yourself and your employer, between £6,240 and £50,000, will be invested into your pension. If it is affordable, you should consider increasing contributions. If you opt out of this workplace pension, you are missing out on money from your employer.” George says: “Thankfully, with the help of auto-enrolment, younger people are better equipped than ever to start saving for their retirement early. As the majority of the young working population will be contributing to some kind of workplace pension, they are able to benefit from the effect of long-term saving and compounded growth.” Remember to plan ahead and save if you’re self-employed Those working on a self-employed basis, unfortunately, do not have the same auto-enrolment to a workplace pension scheme that employed people do, so therefore it’s important that you make your own preparations and plan ahead for your retirement. Fabian explains: “Draw up a budget to see what you can afford to contribute each month, and do some research into the best place for you to put it that allows for investment growth and tax relief. Even if it is a small amount, every little helps.” “Assuming a growth rate of five percent, if you were to contribute £50 per month to a pension at age 25, the pension could be worth £76,301 by age 65. However, if you don’t start saving until age 35, the pension could be worth £41,612 by age 65. The longer you wait to save in a pension, the more you may have to pay in later in life to save enough to meet your needs in retirement.” Regardless of your age, it’s always best to prepare for retirement in advance. By ensuring that you’re making the most of workplace pensions where available, as well as saving privately, you can place yourself in the best position to enjoy retirement in comfort.

Power company works with British sugar to put electrical safety first

Two of Suffolk’s largest employers worked together to drive home the potentially life-saving message of safety around electricity. UK Power Networks, which distributes electricity across the East of England, joined forces with British Sugar to warn of the dangers of contact with overhead power lines. Logistics and harvesting contractors who work in partnership with British Sugar on the Beet Delivery Service, and independently for farmers, were the target audience of the safety session held in Lakenheath. Among the points covered on the day were awareness of risks around the power network and the importance of safe working including requesting overhead power line plans ahead of harvesting and loading crops onto vehicles, as well as what to do if an accident does happen. Touching high voltage cables can be fatal or cause serious injuries if people or an object they are in contact with get too close to a line and a flashover occurs. Ros Forbes, a safety advisor at UK Power Networks who led the session, says: “We want to prompt collaborative working and positive conversations about safety which, ultimately, will help save lives. “It was a hugely positive day where we took the time to remind people who work with British Sugar of the need to have electrical safety front of mind with extra care always needed around overhead power lines. “Our advice is always to be vigilant, to look up and around to see what electrical equipment is near you if driving or using agricultural machinery. British Sugar take safety very seriously and gave us tremendous backing and support to deliver our message.” Clare Beaumont, Beet Delivery Service Manager at British Sugar, comments: “Nothing is more important than the safety of our colleagues and partners across the British beet sugar industry. “Working in collaboration with UK Power Networks is a proven way of ensuring the right messaging about electrical safety can be shared and understood. “The day was a real success, with a lot of positive feedback from those present, and it is an exercise we plan to repeat in future years.”