York becomes LEW's 14th branch

York has become the home of LEW Electrical Distributors 14th branch. This will become its 7th branch in Yorkshire, and in turn making LEW the leading independent Electrical Wholesaler in the County of Yorkshire. Located on Alexandra Court, off James Street, LEW York has now been open to the public and trade from March 1st. Headed up by Phill Middleton and assisted by Andy Green, LEW York has a wealth of experience and expertise in the wider York area. This new branch has already created new jobs, in the warehouse and on the sales counter so this is a really exciting time. This new branch is 'well complemented by other Yorkshire branches nearby such as Leeds, Hull and Wakefield' according to LEW. “The whole team is really excited by the opening of our York branch. We are looking forward to establishing and growing our award winning service in the area. Key relationships have already been developed with suppliers and customers in the area, so we are confident, along with the LEW difference that we offer, that this new branch will become a key branch in the LEW portfolio.” says Josh Johnson, Group Manager. LEW has ensured that everything is in-line with current government COVID-19 legislation, from dispensers and screens up at the sales counters. It is running weekly and monthly raffles where you can potentially win Echo Dots, Love to Shop Vouchers, a Soundbar and a 40in Smart TV. When government restrictions allow, they will also host a Trade Show where you will have the opportunity to meet key suppliers along with the LEW York team.

ESP strengthens technical and customer service support

ESP, has made a number of new appointments within the technical and customer service departments, to meet demand for its vital support services as the company continues to expand. Lauren Clarke joins the customer service team as an advisor and will be putting her previous experience in customer facing roles to good use as she handles enquiries from ESP’s customers, the external sales team as well as the general public. Lauren’s responsibilities will also include processing orders, preparing quotes and tracking deliveries. Ryan Skelding has taken up the position as an advisor in the expanding technical team. He will be providing valuable support across ESP’s growing product portfolio, advising on installation, configuration and maintenance for CCTV systems, access control, fire protection, emergency lighting, as well as the Sangamo range of timers and heating controls.

Swans safer thanks to overhead bird diverters

Swans will be safer when they fly in to feed in a Cambridgeshire fenland field, thanks to bird diverters that have been installed on overhead power cables. Around 80 diverters have just been installed by UK Power Networks along 500 metres of power cable after several swans collided with the power line. Whooper swans fly in low each night to feed in a field at Thorney Dyke, near Peterborough, before they roost overnight. The fluorescent safety deterrents were added to overhead cables by linesmen who are trained to work safely on live power lines, without turning off electricity supplies in the area. UK Power Networks lead field engineer for the area, Stuart Clark, said the problem occurred after the swans decided a recently-harvested sugar beet field was the best place to feast each evening. It was brought to their attention by Graham Porter who runs The Waterfowl Sanctuary in Godmanchester and is currently looking after a young injured swan. Graham says there are around 1,000 swans in the area. [embed]http://youtu.be/qLSQx5j0IeM[/embed] Stuart says: “When Graham brought the problem to our attention I went out to see what was happening. The birds fly low to feed and they cannot always see the cable against the backdrop of a field. If they hit a cable it can injure them and cause a power interruption. “This is why we fit bird diverters to help steer the swans away from the power lines and keep them safe. We are helping prevent the birds being injured and also helping to ensure reliable power supplies to our customers.” Graham Porter comments: “I am delighted with the compassionate response from UK Power Networks and their willingness to improve the situation for the benefit of people and swans.” Sustainability is a key focus for the company, which partners with wildlife trusts and is delivering a Green Action Plan to help reduce carbon emissions. It recently became the first network operator in the country to be awarded the Carbon Trust Standard.

C-TEC to host London Build Online panel discussion on residential fire alarm solutions

Leading life-safety systems manufacturer, C-TEC, is heading up a live London Build Online panel discussion. Featuring a host of top industry experts, innovators and influencers, 'Raising the grade: the evolution of fire protection in residential dwellings - how new fire detection and alarm system technology can better protect people and property'will take place on Thursday 18 March at 1.30pm and focus on the following key topics:- How new fire detection and alarm system technology can be utilised to make people safer post-Grenfell How property can be better protected, reducing the societal loss of people’s homes and the need for re-housing and care following a fire Why interfacing local ‘Grade C’ monitored fire alarm systems to a landlord system with Cloud-based connectivity benefits building occupants, landlords, firefighters and other stakeholders Why it is vital to consider all of a dwelling’s occupants, current and future, to ensure systems are inclusive and meet the demands of the Equality Act The panel will also review ‘real-life’ applications where new technology is being used in residential buildings to great effect and question why, despite its proven success, there appears to be a reluctance by some to use it. Says Andy Scott, C-TEC’s Projects Director: “We are delighted to be hosting a London Build Online panel discussion as it’s a fantastic opportunity to examine the issues raised by Grenfell and explore how new technology can be used to protect people and property in the future. As the panel will be taking live questions from the audience throughout, I’m confident it will be a super-interactive, stimulating and engaging session, and certainly of interest to anyone involved in managing fire risk in residential buildings.” Click on the link below to register for free: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/629039811438508814?source=Ctec

80% of students say Ideal Industries connectors are easier to install

A survey, commissioned by Ideal Industries, targeting students studying Electrical Installation at Warrington & Vale Royal College has confirmed that more than 80% of students find the company’s In-Sure cable connectors faster and easier to install than conventional terminal strips. The survey was carried out in partnership with Warrington & Vale Royal College as part of Ideal Industries’ knowledge sharing relationship with the electrical department. The college’s electrical students and apprentices regularly use Ideal Industries In-sure Push-In and Lever Connectors for cable terminations, as well as using conventional terminal strips, so were able to provide honest and informed feedback comparing the two methods. Ideal Industries In-Sure Push-In and Lever Connectors proved to be both the fastest and easiest cable termination method according to the survey, with 83.3% agreeing they are faster to install and highlighting this as their key advantage. Meanwhile, 69.4% of the students who responded to the survey think that Ideal Industries In-Sure Connectors are easier to use than terminal strips. Dave Love, senior curriculum manager for Apprenticeships & STEM at Warrington & Vale Royal College says: “It’s important that we teach students all the cable termination methods that they might be expected to use on-site but it’s clear that push-in and lever connectors are their preferred method because of how much faster and easier they make the terminations. “Interestingly, 38.9% of the students that took part in the survey also mentioned that using the In-Sure connectors will help them to adapt to different sites, which is great because part of our remit is to ensure our students are able to flex to the requirements of different jobs.” The electrical students who responded to the survey also highlighted the ability to re-use connectors as a major benefit, with 27.8% of students agreeing that the ability to rectify mistakes is a key advantage of Ideal Industries In-Sure Connectors. Brett Smyth, General Manager EMEA of Ideal Industries, adds: “A major reason for working with Warrington & Vale Royal College is to support them with products that will give their students a head start in using the latest installation techniques on-site. As part of that commitment, it’s important for us to measure how well we’re doing with offering solutions that are faster and easier to install. “This survey would suggest that we’re getting it right with our In-Sure Connectors and we’d like to thank all those who took part.”

NAPIT supports SPARKS Learner of the Year 2021

The SPARKS Learner of the Year 2021 search has begun and NAPIT is supporting with its technical expertise. Members of NAPIT’s Technical Team will be head judges for the competition and have assisted in the creation of the assessments for the learners, as well as donating prizes to all contestants and finalists. The competition is hosted by SPARKS Magazine, which is the only magazine for student and apprentice electricians. All participants will be given free NAPIT student membership and the finalists will receive digital copies of NAPIT’s EICR Codebreakers and On-site Solutions publications. The winner of the competition will receive all of the above, plus the very latest publication from NAPIT, the Guide to Initial Verification and Periodic Inspection and Testing of Electrical Installations. The competition is split in to three rounds and carried out in COVID-19 secure environments, with many elements carried out virtually: Round One: All regional competitors will complete an online written test to compete against each other to secure their place in Round Two. Round Two: The top two scorers from each region will complete a series of practical scenario-based exercises and will take part in a professional discussion video call. The video call will be with a member of the SPARKS team, a NAPIT judge and representatives from sponsors of the competition. The Final: The winner of each regional heat will complete a live practical test in May. Each finalist will compete in their own college with a technical expert from NAPIT judging their work for a chance to be crowned ‘SPARKS Learner of the Year 2021’. NAPIT’s Chief Technical Officer, Frank Bertie says, “We are very much looking forward to this year’s competition, last year we saw a lot of potential and new talent. This year it will be good to raise the bar even further and see what students have to offer. It’s a great way for learners to test their skills and work with products they may not use on a daily basis.”

EnOcean celebrates 20 years in energy harvesting technology

EnOcean is celebrating 20 years of leadership in energy harvesting technology. The company launched its first battery-free, wireless switch based on a kinetic energy harvesting module in 2001. Since then, EnOcean has constantly expanded its portfolio of kinetically powered modules. First introduced 20 years ago, the PTM (Push Button Transceiver) modules have established themselves as the international industry standard and are at the heart of every self-powered radio-based switch. The modules combine innovation, know-how and pioneering spirit and thus support EnOcean's role as market leader in this field. Pioneer of energy harvesting In spring 2001, EnOcean launched wireless switches that gain their energy from the press of a button at electrical engineering trade fairs in Germany. These switches quickly took on a pioneering role worldwide. Equipped with piezo-based energy converters, a module concept was developed that can be integrated into global switch designs. Just as an RJ45 plug grew from being a telephone socket to a worldwide standard for LAN cabling and today practically forms the backbone for the internet, the first fully functional modules based on a piezo element have established themselves over time as the worldwide PTM radio module standard with an electrodynamic energy converter. Thanks to EnOcean’s pioneering work over 20 years, several million wireless switches have now been installed, delivering a wireless telegram at the press of a switch – no batteries or cables are required. EnOcean modules with the original PTM form factor today are the industry standard. Already at the original design stage and with every innovation, EnOcean is guided by the needs of switch manufacturers from all over the world and incorporates their know-how into the further development of the modules. "I’m proud that EnOcean absolutely lives up to its status as pioneer and innovator of energy harvesting. Over 20 years our spirit of innovation has proved its worth and remains undimmed today. We see that through our activities the market is growing and energy harvesting is taking on an increasingly important role. With the PTM module we have set a standard that is second to none," says Andreas Schneider, CEO EnOcean. The conscious decision to offer a flexible module paved the way for worldwide acceptance among switch manufacturers, installers and end users. Keeping the switch insert separate and placing the rockers on top provides maximum flexibility for switch designs and applications. Advanced features such as a Near Field Communication (NFC) interface allow installers to perform on-demand installation directly on site, quickly and securely. But the company has not only developed further in terms of product technology. After starting with manual production, the modules are now manufactured on fully automated production lines with consistently high quality. The company continuously improves the products and incorporates feedback from its customers and users into innovative products such as solar-powered IoT wireless sensor modules in the identical original PTM form factor. The switch modules from EnOcean not only support the radio standard of the same name managed by the EnOcean Alliance (ISO / IEC 14543-3-10 / 11) in the frequencies 868 MHz, 902 MHz and 928 MHz, but also Bluetooth and Zigbee in the frequency of 2.4 GHz. The EnOcean wireless standard is ideally suited for building automation, smart homes and IoT applications due to its high reliability and a radio range of up to 30 metres. By supporting three leading standards, the company presents a constantly growing portfolio with self-powered radio modules for every use case. A reliable partner EnOcean has a global presence and has been able to constantly expand its cooperation with international switch manufacturers. Starting with Peha/Honeywell as the first switch partner, EnOcean now works with over 50 switch manufacturers such as Busch-Jaeger, Eltako, Feller, GIRA, Jung, Niko, NodOn, Vimar and many more. The company has thus proven itself to be a reliable partner for the industry. Thanks to the constantly growing partner network, EnOcean is able to meet the most diverse requirements in design, form and colour around the globe. Growing module portfolio The PTM product family is constantly being expanded and adapted to the needs of customers. In addition to the possibility of encrypting the radio signals, NFC for configuring the module on site via the EnOcean NFC app is being successively introduced for all product variants. Through partnerships with Aruba and Cisco, the pushbuttons can be used as control elements for light, shutter and ventilation control, and can easily be integrated into IoT cloud solutions with intelligent data pre-processing without major infrastructure investments. And to round off the portfolio for standard applications such as the familiar two-way circuit for lighting, EnOcean is working on a module that takes up the concept of the first demonstrator from 2001 again: throwing the rocker turns on the light, without batteries and without cables.

Schaffner appoints new Distribution Sales Manager for EMEA

Schaffner has appointed Jamie Furness as their new Distribution Sales Manager for the EMEA region. Based in the UK Jamie Furness is familiar with the Schaffner product range having previously represented Schaffner while working at Farnell, and with tenure at Avnet, TTI and Future he knows the distribution channel very well. He also has experience managing distributors both across EMEA and globally from his time working with manufacturers TE Connectivity and, more recently, Anderson Power Products. Graduating from Salford University with a BEng (Hons), he has more recently completed an MBA from Leeds University. After 6 years in the Royal Navy, Jamie has now acquired over 20 years of experience in the electronic component industry. He will be based in the new UK office for Schaffner, recently relocated from Wokingham to nearby Binfield. Paul Dixon, Sales Director EMEA at Schaffner, comments: “Jamie has a deep understanding of the component business and joins Schaffner with a wealth of experience covering both products and distributors. He has a passion for customer focus, and his industry knowledge and people skills make him the ideal candidate to lead our channel strategy in EMEA. I am delighted to welcome him to Schaffner and wish him every success in his new position.” The Schaffner Group is a global leader in solutions that ensure the efficient and reliable operation of power electronic systems by shaping electrical power with a portfolio that includes EMC filters, power magnetic components, power quality filters and related services. Schaffner components are deployed in electronic motor controls, in wind power and photovoltaic systems, rail technology applications, machine tools and robots, electrical infrastructure, and in power supplies for electronic devices. Headquartered in Switzerland, Schaffner serves its customers globally through its engineering and manufacturing centres in Asia, Europe and North America.

Domus Ventilation's CPD course covers changes to the new build sector

Domus Ventilation has announced the arrival of its newly updated and revised Continuing Professional Development (CPD) accredited course on “Residential Ventilation Principles and Building Regulations”.   The CIBSE accredited course from Domus Ventilation focuses on the importance of ventilation in the residential new build industry, and lays clear the considerable changes to 'Ventilation of the Building' Regulations. The aim of the short course is to clearly explain why ventilation is so important, not only for the health of the occupant but also for the fabric of the building. Topics covered include why ventilation is necessary, with an increased emphasis on pollutants and indoor air quality; the types of ventilation available, along with supporting ductwork and installation practices; and the pertinent regulations / directives.  New Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR) guidelines and best practice also features within the course.    As well as featuring changes to Part F - Ventilation of the Building Regulations, the revised CPD course looks at Part B - Fire Safety for the first time.  It addresses the changing requirements, which differ across the nations, when it comes to the use of combustible material in cavities.    Building on the popularity of the previous CPD course, this latest version has been written by Domus Ventilation Product Manager Paul Williams. Paul’s 25 years’ experience in the residential ventilation sector has provided him with the breadth of experience and in-depth knowledge to make this CPD course highly sort after. “Considerable changes are being made to Part F Building Regulations, including increased ventilation rates and all that entails” comments Paul. “It’s essential installers, specifiers and housebuilders fully understand these and appreciate what is at stake here. Effective ventilation isn’t purely about home owners’ comfort, but has proven to have a direct impact on their health.  Participants of this course will come away with an understanding of what now needs to be considered when specifying a ventilation system at the appropriate project stage.”   The Domus Ventilation “Residential Ventilation Principles and Building Regulations” CPD course runs between 45-60 minutes, and can be conducted on a customer’s premises or at one of Domus Ventilation’s two training centres.   

'Supporting the UK in every capacity' with the EIC

Within the UK 850,000 people live with dementia and by 2025 it is predicted 1 million people will be living with dementia within the UK. The older you are the more likely you are to develop dementia. The risk of developing dementia when over 65 years old is 1 in 14 while over 80 it increases to 1 in 6 people. There are lots of different types of dementia including Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s Disease and Vascular dementia. Christine approached the charity when her mother, aged 83, began to display signs of dementia. Christine had worked for a major wholesaler for over a decade when she was forced to retire early at the age of 62 to care for her mother Marie. Marie has been living with Christine for more than three years, but her health had begun to decline. Marie’s behaviour had become erratic and her personality was changing day-to-day. She was verbally and physically abusive to Christine and she suffered several falls within their home. Christine contacted the Electrical Industries Charity who using their Employee and Family Programme signposted her to local social services for practical support. Social services recommended and facilitated a move into permanent residential care for Marie which alleviated some of the stress from Christine. While living within residential care Marie’s behaviour remained challenging and she would often insult care staff. Marie began to refuse to eat, drink and take medication. Marie would physically challenge staff who came to care for her. Meanwhile, Christine was still struggling to get a formal diagnosis for her mother and was pushed from pillar to post within the health system. Marie was asked to leave the home and she had to move back in with Christine. Struggling with the stress of her mother’s behaviour at home and mounting frustration with the lack of diagnosis Christine’s mental state began to deteriorate. Christine contacted the Electrical Industries Charity again for emotional support. The Electrical Industries Charity provided some virtual talking therapy which took place over video chat so Christine could still manage her mother’s care. The charity can provide support to any former or current employee of the electrical and energy sector using the four branches of the charity Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). Utilising the EAP, The Electrical Industries Charity also funded a private consultation with a senior consultant geriatrician. The geriatrician diagnosed Marie with an acute form of fronto-temporal dementia which explained Marie’s change in personality and ever-changing behaviour. Equipped with a formal diagnosis and better understanding of Marie’s needs Christine was able to find a more suitable residential home and Marie’s needs, although increasing, are well catered to. The Electrical Industries Charity also supported with legal advice and helped Christine to put Enduring Power of Attorney in place if Marie’s mental state continues to decline. Christine is now in a much better frame of mind and is comfortable knowing her mother is being supported as best as possible in a specialist home. The Electrical Industries Charity were able to support Christine in achieving the peace of mind she needed to safeguard her and her mother’s wellbeing. Christine has now found new freedom to pursue a part-time role within the industry and is moving in with a long-term partner. The Electrical Industries Charity can help you gain peace of mind in trying times. If you need assistance please contact the Electrical Industries Charity welfare team on 0800 652 1618 or support@electricalcharity.org. You can also help to support the Electrical Industries Charity Employee Assistance Programme by playing UK powerLottery.