John Cullen Lighting celebrates 40th anniversary

Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, John Cullen Lighting continues to be at the forefront of the ongoing lighting transformation that has revolutionised the lighting industry. Recognised throughout the world for lighting design excellence with award-winning schemes and discreet architectural luminaires, John Cullen Lighting is known for its ability to enhance the enjoyment of spaces through the power of light. Whether working on a town or country residence, garden, hotel or superyacht, contemporary or traditional, the goal is always to integrate with the vision of each client and ensure their imagination is exceeded. Creative Director Sally Storey is a leading name in lighting who has a passion for the effects and impact of light on space and design, as did the company founder, lighting designer John Cullen. As Sally explains, “John Cullen’s philosophy is to create the finest quality of light from the most discreet luminaires; in achieving this, the light source should always be concealed.” Nature has provided the company’s vision. Inspired by natural light, Sally and her experienced team have developed bespoke schemes that have highlighted the drama that light can create, paying close attention to the quality of light, the discreetness of the fittings and their effects, cleverly illuminating colour, shape, form and shadow according to each individual space and requirement. As Sally Storey notes “Lighting is the most versatile interior design tool that can entirely change the way a room looks and feels at the touch of a button. No other interior element can have such a strong impact. Architectural lighting should be as discreet as possible, to look effortless and make any space wonderful to be in.” Sally and her team’s extensive knowledge and understanding of light and technology have, over time, helped alter perceptions of how lighting can be used. Today, good lighting is seen as an art form. As an innovator, Sally has transformed the perception of this sector so that lighting is now considered a key element of any project alongside architects, interior and landscape designers. John Cullen Lighting is credited with creating a lighting narrative that in turn has elevated and enhanced the UK lighting industry. Innovation continues to be a driving force. John Cullen Lighting’s own research and development department is adept at adapting to each technological advance and application, creating its own British designed world-class high-quality luminaries capable of incredible effects. Included in its toolbox are some of the most iconic designs such as the classic Polespring downlight that has evolved and improved over the years in response and benefit from the newest technology. It remains the most discreet and elegant downlight on the market. As a trusted authority in the lighting arena, John Cullen Lighting continues to be inspired by the drama of natural light. John Cullen lighting is looking forward to embracing the newest development in lighting, such as smart technology, and ensuring that its clients continue to benefit from the power of excellent lighting in the enjoyment of their spaces, both inside and out.

Industry leader David Lewis becomes ECA President

The new President of ECA, the UK’s leading engineering services trade association, is business owner and electrical engineer, David Lewis. David joined his father's electrical contracting business in 1981 as an apprentice, while studying at Walsall College. In 1992, after several years as a fully qualified electrician on the tools, David and his father Brian Lewis set up Chancery Contracts Ltd, in the last 29 years, the family-run business has grown considerably and now employs more than 30 electricians, improvers and apprentices, and prides itself on the development of the team and delivering outstanding service to their customers. David takes over the ECA Presidency from Gary Worrall. During the last 12 months Mr Worrall played a critical role in guiding the ECA as it supported its Members through a difficult period, including economic uncertainty around Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic. David Lewis comments: “As someone whose career and business has always revolved around promoting excellence in electrical and engineering services, I’m delighted to be taking over this prestigious role, representing the ECA as an industry advocate and leader. “More than ever, our industry faces significant challenges, but I am determined to support all of the businesses that are members of the ECA and also the wider industry to maximise every opportunity to enable every member to grow their business and be aware of all new initiatives though clear communication and ongoing support.” ECA Presidential team The full ECA Presidential team for 2021/22 is as follows: • President – David Lewis (Chancery Contracts Ltd) • Senior Vice President – Steve Murray (WT Jenkins) • Immediate Past President – Gary Worrall (Lorne Stewart) ECA CEO Steve Bratt adds: “We are delighted to announce David Lewis as our new ECA President. The entire ECA team looks forward to working with David to further develop what the ECA delivers for its Members, and in support of the wider engineering services sector. “I would also like to welcome long-standing ECA advocate Steve Murray to the role of Senior Vice President, and to thank Gary Worrall for his valuable contributions to ECA’s national and regional activity during the past year, and for his support for the ECA team.”

UK construction employment rises for first time in two years

Over the last few months, there have been small signs of recovery for the construction industry, but the latest ONS data is the strongest indication yet that the sector is truly getting back on its feet. The number of employed construction workers rose by 15,000 between January and March to 2.155 million and this is the first time the industry has seen an increase since the equivalent period two years ago in 2019. This was mainly driven by a staggering 9% increase in the number of women employed in UK construction, with the number rising to 309,000. Accordingly, the number of unemployed construction workers fell by 10,000 over the quarter to 62,000, which is the lowest figure since May-July 2020. This is still higher than pre-COVID levels, but things are certainly going in the right direction. For those who are working, job security and stability seem to be improving too. Redundancies fell by over 20% to just 7,000 – the lowest amount since April-June last year – and the average number of hours worked each week increased by two to 34.3. While still down year-on-year, this is the highest average in four months. This uplift has led to an increase in earnings. Average weekly income for construction workers grew by £34 to £676 in March, which is the single biggest monthly increase in two years, since March 2019. It would be naive to say that the industry is back to normal, with many of the figures yet to return to the levels we saw before the pandemic, but the data shows that in many areas, things are looking up for UK construction, and long may that continue. By Marco Verdonkschot, Managing Director of IronmongeryDirect

Beaverswood's new EV charge point solutions for added protection

New electric vehicle (EV) charging point solutions from visual communications specialist Beaverswood provide improved levels of protection of installations in industrial, commercial and retail centre car parks across the UK. There are approximately 33,000 electric vehicle charge points across the UK in over 12,000 locations. The Department for Transport has also allocated £10m to local councils to fund the installation of an additional 7,200 commercial charging stations in the next 12 months. The Beaverswood range features high performance and robust products suitable for the all- round protection of existing and new EV charge point installations in vehicle park areas, which includes impact resistant bollards, wheel stops and Armco barriers. For light and medium duty applications, such as private office or public car parks, impact protection posts are available in 600mm, 800mm or 1000mm height options. These bollards are strong and robust and feature different colour options to suit individual requirements, offering added safety and visibility for vehicle drivers when they are either reversing towards or pulling up to a charge point. In heavy-duty applications, where there is a higher risk of impact damage, heavy-duty bollards should be utilised. These bollards, which are available in 1000mm, 1300mm or 1600mm height options, are highly reflective and feature shock absorbing rubber buffers to deflect the force of impact away from critical areas, offering the requisite protective benefits for industrial use. Vehicle traffic routing Armco safety barriers can also be installed in industrial areas to protect either individual or multiple charge points, providing a further level of protection against vehicle impact damage. The barriers come with hardwearing and weather resistant polyethylene corner and end sections to further protect electric vehicle (EV) charge points from collision damage. A selection of highly visible and hardwearing vehicle wheel stops, which are quick and easy to install and moulded from recycled truck tyres, are also available as part of this new range. These can be specified to suit all applications, with solutions available to accommodate everything from domestic vehicles to commercial vans and HGVs. As with the bollards, various colours of wheel stops are available to match the client’s requirements. An eye-catching surface stencil is also available as part of the range to help drivers quickly and easily identify EV charging vehicle spaces in busy car parks. Suitable for external areas, the kit includes a robust stencil marker, two cans of high visibility, durable marker paint (yellow or red) and a handheld applicator.

‘Virtual power station’ created by UK Power Networks

A ‘virtual power station’ equivalent to the electricity generation of a gas-fired power station, is being created by UK Power Networks. New contracts for energy capacity worth £30 million are being awarded to 17 innovators in the energy, tech and car sector including Octopus Energy, Electric Miles and Ohme, making it the UK’s largest-ever ‘Flexibility’ tender. The far-sighted move is creating new opportunities for batteries and renewable energy with 77% of the capacity coming from low carbon sources. Creative technologies from smart cable chargers to digital apps that manage your EV charger will harness distributed energy resources including electric vehicle batteries and demand side response. Together they will create a virtual power station to help manage increased demand for electricity at peak times at lower cost, as customers shift towards low carbon energy technology. More than two thirds of the new capacity (248 Megawatts) will come from using electric vehicles’ batteries and smart charging when they are hooked up to the power networks. Flexibility providers who have been awarded contracts by UK Power Networks will now recruit up to 25,000 EV owners to support the network in this young and growing market. UK Power Networks, already the largest company to sign agreements for using the power of EVs in the UK, is laying the groundwork now for 2030 when the company estimates that up to 4.5 million new electric vehicles will be connected to the network. Even if just 10% of them participated in the flexibility market it would create an additional 1.3GW of capacity – the equivalent of a nuclear power station. Sul Alli, director of strategy and customer services at UK Power Networks, says: “Britain is leading the world at harnessing the power of all these electric vehicle batteries that are going to be connected and using them for public good. Three years ago this market didn’t exist and now it’s offering as much capacity as a gas-fired power station. We’re working with some of the most exciting start-ups out there, and we’re proving it in the real world. There’s a long way to go and no silver bullet, but the way we’re using technology and data is going to be a big part of the answer to meeting the challenge of reaching Net Zero.” James Eddison, CTO and co-founder of Octopus Energy, says: “Octopus Energy is committed to make the transition to a green energy system as fast and affordable as possible. To do that, we need to harness the power of consumer energy demand, but so far the potential of household flexibility remains largely untapped. This tender shows that we’re entering a new era in energy in which we are smart about the way we utilise the infrastructure in place and the devices connected to it." Another participant in UK Power Networks latest round of flexibility contracts is Ohme, a UK-based company with the ambition to become the world’s most trusted smart charging platform. The combination of Ohme’s intelligent EV chargers, its mobile app and underlying platform delivers the capability to enable any connected EV to provide flexibility to the network. This means batteries can soak up energy at peak times, without compromising drivers’ desired charging schedule, which they can set with ease through the Ohme app. Ohme’s ability to communicate directly with drivers, coupled with its technology to turn up and turn down electricity demand at the micro-level, lays the foundations for managing this new world of grid balancing services.

myenergi named official sponsor of the EV Café

myenergi has announced an electrifying new partnership with the EV Café. As part of the agreement, myenergi will take the official charging systems category sponsor position for 2021/2022. Founded during the COVID-19 pandemic, the EV Café is an online panel discussion created to promote electric vehicles, share experiences on zero emissions mobility and connect the EV sector with industry experts. Aired every month, the broadcast brings together thousands of evangelists to discuss the global transition to electrification. A regular guest on the Café and a true enabler of zero emissions mobility worldwide, myenergi is renowned for designing the zappi EV charger. The first device on the market capable of utilising 100% renewable energy, myenergi is committed to minimising reliance on natural resources and decarbonising the future of transport. Jordan Brompton, co-founder and CMO of myenergi, comments: “As businesses begin the transition towards electrification, it’s more important than ever to discuss best practice, learn from the experiences of others and ask questions to support your journey. The EV Café brings together the world’s leading experts in a collaborative environment to share insight and drive change. “Our partnership with the EV Café will help us to spread the message of eco-smart EV charging and the benefits it can deliver for businesses and their employees. We’re really looking forward to kicking things off and joining the EV Café as charging systems category sponsor for the next year!” John Curtis, head of sustainable marketing at the EV Café, adds: “myenergi has always been a big supporter of the EV Café, so we’re excited to welcome the team on board as our first official sponsor. As a simple initiative started at the beginning of lockdown to bring the industry together virtually, the project has since become a thriving community reaching thousands of individuals worldwide. “With myenergi on board, we can continue to spread the message of low emission transport, championing the industry with insight from our experts.”

New standards for smart appliances lay foundations for low carbon energy

The UK has great potential to develop a marketplace for energy smart appliances, and this will be critical to meeting the UK’s net zero target. Innovation in the manufacturing of smart appliances and controls has already delivered huge steps forward. BEAMA has announced and supports the publication of two new standards, PAS 1878:2021 Energy smart appliances – Functionality and system architecture – Specification and PAS 1879:2021 Energy Smart Appliances – Demand side response operation – code of practice. These standards set the basis for how full integration and interoperability of energy smart appliances can support a market for flexible energy services. They complement and develop further the European standards that BEAMA and its members have contributed to in recent years. The compatibility with international standards in development places the UK at the forefront of this work and will enable an internationally competitive market for energy smart appliances in the UK. BEAMA says it will continue to work with its members to inform further development of UK and international regulation, working closely with UK Government on the appropriate implementation of supporting policy and regulation. PAS 1878 sets out requirements for an appliance to be classified as an Energy Smart Appliance (ESA) and outlines the functional requirements and system architecture of an ESA to enable Demand Side Response. BEIS may look at the possibility for future certification requirements, and BEAMA will continue to work closely with UK Government and its membership to ensure appropriate market wide application and suitability. Currently this PAS is voluntary, and BEAMA encourages its membership to take it into consideration as the basis for the design and architecture of manufactured ESAs. Dr Howard Porter, BEAMA CEO and chairman of the Strategic Advisory Group overseeing the development of these standards, states, "These specifications will play a significant role in the future of flexibility markets in the UK energy system. The specifications, developed over the last two years, have taken on board expert views from across industry, consumer groups, Government and BSI and now form the basis for considering interoperable solutions for consumers and businesses. "BEAMA members across the wide scope of energy smart appliances we cover will find these specifications useful, in particular as the UK Government are planning regulations that will adopt all or part of these PASs. "Understanding these PASs is vital for the integration of heat pumps and electric vehicle charge points in buildings and energy networks and to realise the value of smart metering infrastructure.’

Six in ten tradespeople have encountered suspected stolen tool sellers

Six in ten (60%) tradespeople say that they have been approached by or seen someone they suspected were selling stolen second-hand tools, according to new research by Direct Line business insurance. Suspicious sellers Almost one in three (29%) tradespeople became aware of the suspicious seller through word of mouth, while just over a quarter encountered them on a website, social media or app selling second-hand goods. Shockingly, almost one in five (18%) said the person selling the tools was a friend. The overwhelming majority (91%) immediately refused to buy the tools offered to them by the suspicious seller. Just under one quarter (24%) notified a trade authority, while 23% informed the police. But a very small minority of tradespeople could be contributing to the cycle of tool theft. One in ten still bought the tools despite their suspicions and over one quarter (26%) considered purchasing them but didn’t go through with it. These findings hammer home the scale of tool theft across the country, which can have costly consequences for tradespeople, disrupting livelihoods and hitting them hard in the pocket. The top ten regions for tradespeople encountering suspicious sellers were as follows: Table One: Percentage of tradespeople who were approached by or saw a suspicious tools seller by region. City   Percentage of tradespeople who were approached by or saw someone they suspected were selling stolen second-hand tools   Bristol 88% Manchester 84% Sheffield 82% Nottingham 81% Leeds 75% Belfast 74% Brighton 72% Cardiff 71% London 70% Edinburgh 63%   Source: Direct Line business insurance, 2021 Tradesperson concern The study also revealed increasing concern among tradespeople about the scale and frequency of tool theft. This is influencing their purchasing decisions and heightening stress levels. In the event their tools were lost, damaged or stolen, one quarter of tradespeople would buy second-hand tools online as replacements. The highest number of this group (39%) would do so because tool theft is so common that they would not risk buying brand new tools unless absolutely necessary. Nearly half (46%) worry frequently about the problem, and more than eight in ten (81%) describe themselves as alert when it comes to protecting their equipment against theft. Despite this level of awareness and concern, one in ten do not have insurance cover in place. Consumer attitude towards second-hand tools The second-hand tool market, where equipment is available more cheaply and is generally much quicker to source, is helping to drive tool theft across the country. Nearly a third of UK consumers (30%) have bought tools second-hand, with 16% doing so on multiple occasions, showing the strength of the market. Nearly half of these buyers (44%) have acquired tools from a car boot sale, 34% have got them from a friend and almost a third (30%) have bought them through an official website selling second-hand goods. A major problem is that many consumers aren’t able to spot the signs of a suspicious seller. Only 30% believe they could identify stolen tools on the market. There is also a general lack of awareness and concern. More than three in ten (35%) were not worried about the prospect of buying stolen tools. This reinforces the need for more education and the importance of tradespeople ensuring their equipment is properly protected. Direct Line Tools Essentials service comes with Tools and Business Equipment insurance and helps to tradespeople replace their essential tools within 24 hours, with an upfront faster payment of up to £1,500, subject to a few checks. This product addresses tradespeople’s concerns that insurance claims processes can be too slow, with 27% stating that this is why they turn to second-hand tools.

Johnson Controls partners with DigiCert to bring trust to smart building solutions

Johnson Controls has announced that it has partnered with DigiCert to provide customers the most advanced secure, trusted connectivity for smart building technology. The partnership enables the Johnson Controls OpenBlue digital solutions suite to utilize the DigiCert ONE PKI platform. “This strategic partnership allows Johnson Controls to offer our customers increased peace of mind by mitigating the risk of costly operational interruptions due to cybersecurity attacks while providing resilient, trusted smart building solutions that use the most advanced PKI technology from DigiCert, the clear leader in its field,” says Mike Ellis, executive vice president and chief customer & digital officer at Johnson Controls. “Our domain expertise in healthy, secure and smart buildings, combined with DigiCert’s trusted digital identity and automated certificate management capabilities, will further enhance our OpenBlue suite and offer a clear advantage for smart building operations.” Johnson Controls-DigiCert PKI solution elevates operations within the Operational Technology (OT) and Internet of Things (IoT) space to ensure that hardware, software and communication remains trusted throughout the lifecycle of the smart building. This approach brings modern PKI security as well as advanced expertise in managing digital certificates to provide device authentication and identity, data encryption and integrity for each component of the ecosystem. “Johnson Controls is taking an important leadership stance in providing building owners confidence that their devices are safely and securely connected to the network using robust PKI solutions,” says Mike Nelson, vice president of IoT security at DigiCert. “DigiCert ONE singularly offers container-based, cloud-native technology for fully automated certificate management with flexible deployment and secure and simple integration with the OpenBlue ecosystem. DigiCert ONE’s IoT Device Manager provides complete IoT device lifecycle management that, together with OpenBlue, will ensure secure digital transformation of smart buildings.” DigiCert's vigilance in addressing the current and future landscape of digital identities and cryptography combined with Johnson Controls unmatched experience across all building systems will allow for OpenBlue to provide and maintain trusted smart building solutions within an ever-changing cybersecurity landscape. Johnson Controls also recently announced its partnership with Pelion, to accelerate innovation in connectivity, security and intelligence at the edge for Johnson Controls OpenBlue technology. Pelion’s device and edge management capabilities will be used with DigiCert services to ensure digital identities maintain the most stringent level of trust in OpenBlue solutions.

Ideal Industries appoints Adam Garside agency

Ideal Industries has stepped up its engagement with independent electrical wholesalers and buying groups with the appointment of Adam Garside Agency as a sales agent. An experienced sales professional in the electrical sector with an 18-year track record of working with electrical wholesalers, Adam will be responsible for developing sales across the entire Ideal Industries range with independent wholesalers and buying groups throughout the UK. Leveraging his contacts and understanding of the market, he will build on Ideal Industries’ existing independent wholesaler relationships, reiterating the manufacturer's commitment to the wholesale channel. Brett Smyth, general manager of Ideal Industries EMEA explains: “We have already developed excellent relationships with a wide range of independent wholesalers who value our ability to offer them short lead times and quality products at competitive prices. “Over the past year, with the help of Adam Garside Agencies, Ideal has secured supplier agreements with The IBA Buying Group Ltd and AIEW (Associated Independent Electrical Wholesalers), and we are now actively seeking to build on these relationships with both buyer group agreements and sales to independents.” Adam has been instrumental in promoting the full range of Ideal Industries products to independent electrical wholesalers and buying groups, including the best selling In-sure Box, Splice-Line, Push In and Lever Connectors for cable terminations, and the FT45 Feed Thru modular plug system for data terminations. Adam adds: “I have worked with the electrical wholesale industry for two decades and my brief from Ideal Industries is to establish new relationships, while building on those with independent wholesalers who may already be familiar with the Ideal Industries range. There is such variety and quality within the company’s product portfolio and I am looking forward to sharing it with my contacts.”