Best Path To Net Zero Is Retrofitting Existing Buildings

Retrofitting existing buildings is the best route to support the path to Net Zero, says a new report from the Government’s Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission and supported by building controls manufacturer, Priva. Priva believes that the report, published January 2020, which is largely focused on domestic buildings - offers much in the way of sensible thinking for both commercial buildings and those owned and operated by the public sector. Currently, in many cases it is cheaper - for tax reasons - to knock a building down and rebuild it rather than retrofit it, even though the former may be more environmentally intensive. The report says ‘the greenest building is the one that is already built’ - and highlights that as the built environment sector is currently responsible for up to 40% of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions, more needs to be done to encourage greener practices. The report states: ‘It is desirable to make better use of existing buildings in city centres given not only the colossal challenges facing traditional urban-based business but critically the need to better use finite natural resources. We want to dispel the perception that renovation represents poor value for money in comparison with demolition and reconstruction.’ Priva says it’s essential that there is a major shift in thinking and policy towards the re-use, refurbishment and retrofit of existing building stock: “We can make so much more of the buildings we already have,”Gavin Holvey, UK & Ireland Sales Manager. “With the addition - or upgrade of - building control systems and other energy efficiency measures, we can help to bring older buildings in-line with the performance of modern structures. Building from scratch is carbon intensive - we must therefore think smarter about approaches to the re-use and greening of our building stock.” Priva’s suite of control technologies makes it possible to upgrade existing buildings with legacy BMS systems by reusing existing cabling and sensors/field devices. This can be achieved with ease.  Previously, in older buildings, burdened with outdated controls technology that it was uneconomical to fully replace, owners and occupiers had no choice but to ‘make do’. However, the ability to retrofit old systems with new controls makes a positive contribution to sustainability - such as energy outcomes and operational efficiencies.  “All in all, the retrofit approach offers a commercial ‘win-win’ for UK plc. I believe it gives it a much more sustainable approach to managing the long-term impact of the built environment.”

Centurion Fire & Security Among First To Roll Out World’s Most Advanced Fire System

Centurion Fire & Security Ltd will be one of the first companies to test and roll-out the world’s most advanced fire system technology.   Just six UK organisations have been hand-picked to help bring the C-Tec CAST fire system to market. Designed to pre-empt changes in industry-standards, the addressable 'distributed intelligence' alarm system has been developed as part of a multimillion-pound investment by Lancashire-based C-Tec. The major deal is announced as the firm approaches a milestone year, in which revenues are expected to grow by 25%. Centurion will begin to roll-out the technology across its UK-wide fire projects, providing valuable user feedback to the manufacturer. The company has also signed a deal with another Lancashire-based manufacturer; Texecom alarm systems. “We have worked with C-Tec for many years, and their technology is second-to-none,” says David Armstrong, founder of Centurion. “So, we are delighted to have been chosen as a partner for the world-leading CAST technology, which we feel will revolutionise the way that our fire services can respond to incidents. “The fact that C-Tec and Texecom are both British manufacturers is also a major factor for us. We are partnering with companies which support the British economy and jobs, alongside positioning the UK as a leader within the global security market.” Centurion has recently secured a number of major contracts, which will contribute to 2020 being the most profitable 12-month period in its 45-year history. Newly-completed projects include a £1.5million CCTV contract for a hazardous environment within the nuclear industry, as well as a £90,000 fire alarm system for Jaguar Land Rover in Huddersfield and a £120,000 fire alarm project for the Morrisons refrigeration centre in Wakefield. The 50-strong team is currently undertaking a number of UK-wide schemes, including a £80,000 fire alarm project for Reading FC training ground. It is also installing a £50,000 fire detection and aspiration system for a brand-new Maserati showroom in Solihull, West Midlands. With further various projects for national brands in the pipeline, Centurion has appointed three new apprentices to support its growing engineering team. At the end of their apprenticeships, they will be highly trained in all four security disciplines. “After more than 45 years of consolidating our reputation for quality and customer service, we have become recognised as one of the UK’s most renowned security and fire system suppliers,” adds Armstrong. “Much of our success has derived from the fact that our team are engineering-focused, with 90% of our staff having an engineering background. In fact, 30% of our current workforce started their careers as apprentices with us, and we are delighted that our three new recruits are joining us at such a pivotal time in our business.” Centurion runs regular CPD workshops for the fire, CCTV, intruder and access disciplines, which are provided free to consulting partners.

Knightsbridge to Continue Charity Drive in 2020

Knightsbridge has kickstarted the new decade with a £7,714 donation to Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity, making a contribution from the sales of LED outdoor lighting products in December. Shelter's vision is to give people the help they need and to campaign relentlessly to achieve a safe, secure and affordable home for everyone. Knightsbridge CEO Catherine Connolly has expressed the company’s ambitions to continue to support homeless charities in 2020. She comments, "In addition to delivering exceptional lighting and wiring accessory products to our electrical community, we also choose a charity to work with each year. In 2020, our focus remains on homeless charities and our goal this year is to raise an additional £4,677 for Shelter. This represents £1 for each person registered as street homeless on a single night in November 2018. "Shelter’s vision is to give people the help they need and to campaign relentlessly to achieve a safe, secure, and affordable home for everyone. The homeless situation in England is getting worse and has risen steadily since 2010 – there are now 280,000 people recorded as homeless in England, of which more than 125,000 are children. In 2019 alone, over 40,000 households received advice from Shelter’s helpline and 4.3 million people visited Shelter’s online advice pages." The amount of money raised by Knightsbridge could help pay for legal advice for almost 100 families; advice that could help them keep their homes. To support this campaign, Connolly will be running the 2020 London Marathon to raise money for Shelter. If you’d like to support her and make a donation, please visit her sponsorship page: uk.virginmoneygiving.com/CatherineConnolly4. Other recent charity work from Knightsbridge includes regular donations to The Trussell Trust, Dunstable Food Bank - the company has so far sent enough food to feed over 1,000 people living in poverty. Knightsbridge was also proud to partner with local charity KidsOut over the Christmas period, sending out 80 Christmas presents to children living in refuges.

Schneider Electric Aims For 100% Electric Car Fleet By 2030

Schneider Electric has announced its membership with The Climate Group’s EV100 initiative to launch a Green Fleet policy, which aims to replace 100% of its car fleet with electric vehicles by 2030.  The announcement coincides with the launch of the 2020 Progress and Insights Annual Report which is released today, which shows demand for electric vehicles is on the up and that organisations are progressing fast towards their goals where models are available.  According to IPCC’s special report, global CO2 emissions need to be cut by 45% by 2030 to limit climate change to 1.5°C globally. Electric mobility is key to achieving this future, coupled with decarbonisation, decentralisation and digitisation of energy.   However, adoption of electric mobility is slower than needed. With this commitment Schneider Electric wishes to demonstrate that a rapid shift is achievable, while securing driver comfort and costs. By 2030, Schneider Electric will convert 14,000 company cars in over 50 countries to EV. Schneider Electric will also install EV charging infrastructure in its major offices and factories by 2030, with flagship sites showcasing innovative EcoStruxure e-mobility architecture with microgrid technologies, asset management and new energy management systems.  In 2019, Schneider Electric accelerated its climate strategy, with notably the objective to achieve carbon neutrality in its own ecosystem by 2025 and net-zero emissions by 2030 as part of its validated 1.5°C SBT (science-based climate target). By Joining EV100 initiative, led by The Climate Group and bringing together influential businesses, Schneider Electric has committed to accelerate climate action. Transitioning to an electric fleet will enable the Group to bring down direct CO2 emissions from company cars to zero by 2030. “At Schneider Electric, we committed to net zero operational carbon emissions by 2030, in line with a 1.5°C science-based climate trajectory. Joining the EV100 initiative is a key step to deliver this ambition. Such a transformation allows us to embark thousands of our employees, customers, start-ups, together into a variety of innovations. We believe electricity is the future of mobility and we want to demonstrate that a rapid scale-up of EVs can be reached in 10 years. Schneider EcoStruxure’s unique end-to-end approach to eMobility infrastructure delivers comprehensive, seamless, scalable and cybersecure EV charging marketplace solutions for fleets and public places,” says Leonid Mukhamedov, Executive Vice-President, Global Strategy at Schneider Electric. Schneider Electric is a triple joiner of the Climate Group’s EP100, RE100 and EV100 initiatives, which are complementary transformations to cut emissions from operations to zero by 2030, in line with a 1.5°C climate trajectory. In 2017 Schneider Electric partnered with: EP100 initiative: to double energy productivity by 2030, against a 2005 baseline, setting an ambitious target to double the economic output from every unit of energy consumed;  RE100 initiative: to use 100% renewable electricity by 2030 with an intermediary objective of 80% by 2020. Progress are reported in the Schneider Sustainability Impact (SSI).  “Global companies have an important role to play in accelerating the energy transition. By joining EP100 and RE100 and putting smart energy use at the heart of its business strategy, Schneider Electric is already leading by example,” adds Helen Clarkson, CEO of The Climate Group. “We are excited that Schneider Electric are now also joining EV100, making them one of hopefully many more companies to make all three commitments, demonstrating that cleaner, smarter energy and transport go hand in hand”.  In Schneider Electric, several countries such as Norway have already taken the plunge and started to offer their employees to use electric vehicles for their professional needs. This transformation, that will be conducted in over 50 countries in the coming 10 years, will obviously change the habits for many new employees. “Schneider Electric efforts to reduce our impact on the planet is also part of our employees’ DNA. I see a high involvement and willingness for our employees to contribute to a more sustainable future,” says Henrik Holck-Clausen, Human Resources Vice President in Norway.  In addition to transitioning our own vehicle fleet to electric, Schneider Electric also helps companies transition to electric fleets by investing and partnering with start-ups such as eIQ Mobility who is focused on fleet electrification consulting services and software, and DST that offers electric fleet logistics as a service and has over 16,000 electric vehicles. Schneider Electric is an investor and partner of Volta, whose innovative business model enables free EV charging for real estate owners and drivers in exchange for advertising.

OVIA – New Emergency Lighting Range Added

It is just three months since Ovia Ltd was officially launched as an independent lighting company and the first phase of lighting products – more than 400 individual lines – hit the marketplace. Now, the company is ready to take the wraps of an additional new range of products with the launch of the Ovia Emergency Lighting collection. Ovia’s aim is to bring to market a vastly extended range of high quality products that are very competitively priced. The new emergency lighting collection joins the domestic, commercial, industrial, utility, amenity and floodlighting products already available. This brings to the professional contractor market one of the most extensive ranges of lighting products from under one roof. A total of 60 individual products make up this new collection, providing an unparalleled variety of products for the end user, and they fall broadly under the following categories – bulkheads, exit boxes, downlights, twin spots, surface/suspended exit signs and self-test and non-self-test emergency lighting.  There is also a range of accessories which includes battery replacements, wall brackets, adhesive legends and flush mounting kits. As well as being highly competitive, the range has been designed to offer speedy and low cost installation, as well as low cost maintenance. The complete range of Ovia emergency lighting products and batteries are supplied with a four year warranty. Through the Ovia Lighting Design Service, customers can have free access to emergency lighting designs for their commercial projects. Mike Collins, Ovia Sales Director, comments, “We are thrilled to have been able to add this comprehensive emergency lighting range to the Ovia collection in such a short time. There are lots of great features and benefits for the end user by way of the variety of products and extended warranties. “We are particularly excited about the new Inceptor Hulke fitting and think this will be a stand-out product with installers. It’s an emergency LED maintained bulkhead which features a hinged lid, which will facilitate quicker and easier installation; which will, in turn, mean an overall reduction in the time taken to fit the product.” OVIA Ltd will benefit from the full backing and support of the Scolmore Group and offer the same commitment to only supply through the wholesale channel which is set up to supply and service the professional electrical contract market. Wholesaler partners are guaranteed a range of high-quality, value-for-money products backed up by excellent local stocks and an outstanding delivery service. For further information, contact OVIA on 01827 300640, sales@oviauk.com or visit www.oviauk.com. https://youtu.be/hEClVuPHiGw

Playing It Smart With Scolmore

Scolmore recently provided a range of products including the new Click Smart Switch Supply to Permanent Conversion Pack, as well as USB sockets, light switches and pendants from the Click Mode wiring accessories range to a Scottish home upgrade project. The Scottish government is leading the way when it comes to fire safety, with wide ranging proposals calling for consistent, high levels of smoke, heat and CO alarm provision to be applied to all types of housing.   The minimum safety standards currently in place for private rented properties (and under Building Regulations) will be extended to all other tenures including social housing and even existing owner-occupied homes. Effectively, this means the ‘Category LD2’ level of protection including smoke alarms in principal living rooms and heat alarms in kitchens, in addition to smoke alarms in circulation area on each storey. In addition a CO alarm will need to be fitted where there is a carbon-fuelled heating appliance (such as boilers, fires, heaters and stoves) or a flue passes through the room. With these minimum standards now extended to all Scottish homes, and compliance required within two years (by February 2021), work is underway to plan the necessary upgrades and source the right products at the right price to meet this new legislation. Responsible for over 5,000 properties across Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife, and also responsible for managing a further 600 rental properties through Lowther Homes, its sister organisation, Dunedin Canmore Housing Association has a five year investment plan in place to improve, repair and upgrade its tenants’ homes.    As part of this upgrade, they will be installing over 300 kitchens and 200 bathrooms per year and undertaking LD2 smoke detection upgrades to 100% of its properties over a 12 month period.   The rolling programme to upgrade the properties will see the installation of Click Smart conversion kits where required to save major intrusive works. This will allow speedy and damage-free installation of smoke detectors to the new LD2 standard within dwellings. The conversion kits provide a retrofit smart solution to allow independent control of the lighting circuit, whilst still supplying a smoke detector with constant power.  It eliminates the need for time-consuming and costly channelling and potential lifting of floorboards for access and then the necessary effort to restore everything back to normal.   Part of the Click Smart intelligent wiring accessories range, the Switch Supply to Permanent Conversion Pack is supplied in a boxed unit which contains all the components required - 1 x RFSAI-61B Switching Receiver, 1 x RFIM – 40B Battery Transmitter, 1 x CMA401 Unfurnished MiniGrid Plate, and 1 x MD004W 10x Retractive Module.   David Baptie, Investment Manager with Dunedin Canmore, comments: “Using the conversion kits is allowing us to significantly improve the installation times and the efficiency of the installation teams, which in turn means improved cost savings for the project. The fact that they can be fitted with little or no mess or damage within dwellings adds to the overall appeal and time saving factors. We can limit any disruption to our customers’ lives to an absolute minimum.” A key factor in the selection of the Mode range is the fact that it offers a 20-year no quibble warranty that provides Dunedin Canmore with confidence in the products that are being specified and installed.   “The range is offering a highly cost-efficient replacement solution for the upgrade work we are undertaking and offers a lot of great features,” continues Baptie. “The new twin USB socket features two USB charging ports which are both capable of delivering 5V 2.1A simultaneously - this allows for optimum charging of two devices at the same time and will be very popular with our customers. The products all carry the BSI Kitemark and have antimicrobial properties.  All the switches are modular, which means it is easy to create dedicated or bespoke wiring solutions.”   The upgrade work being undertaken by Dunedin Canmore is part of a £19.3 million spend by the company between now and 2023, to repair, improve and upgrade its tenants’ properties.

C.K Cable Routing Solutions to the Rescue

All tradesmen are familiar with cable routing and know the risks of splinters with some cable rods. That has become a painful reality for professionals who have experienced injury when using cable rods by other brands. Recently, C.K has come to the rescue of tradesmen who have sustained bad injuries when using cheaper cable rod sets, made worse by the loss of valuable work time. Top features and benefits with C.K cable routing C.K’s innovative range of quality cable routing products offer unrivalled features and benefits to ensure the needs of professional tradesmen are more than met, including vital safe and efficient working conditions. Take a look at what’s on offer: Working with professional tradesmen helps C.K find solutions to end user needs, and has enabled the company to develop the most advanced cable routing collection. For example, the C.K MightyRods Pro range is specifically designed to combat the issues of painful splintering and snapping, thanks to an innovative SplinterShield coating - Europe’s first splinter-proof material - that fully protects the rods and allows for longer cable runs. Flexibility is also key to successful cable routing and, with that in mind, C.K introduced its super-flexible Spira-Flex rod, perfect for accessing tight corners, bends and other obstacles. The SpiraFlex draw tapes offer fantastic benefits when it comes to hassle-free cable routing. The super flexible and extremely tough 4mm Ø SpiraFlex draw tape offers a major improvement on standard nylon and steel draw tapes, which are often prone to twisting and kinking. The C.K Gloworm Cable Router adds another dimension to the range and is perfect for running cables around tight corners, through insulation filled walls, underneath flooring and across ceilings. Gloworm’s clever, glow in the dark phosphorescent polymer construction aids routing in low light conditions and easier navigation towards exit points. When charged under natural light, Gloworm provides an effective glow for up to 30 minutes. For the best cable routing solutions, visit www.carlkammerling.com or call 01758 704704.

Industry Reacts to Road to Zero 2035 Deadline

Boris Johnson has brought forward his plans to ban the sale of new petrol, diesel and hybrid car sales in the UK to 2035. Electrical training company, Redford Charles (based in Kent), has responded with optimism given that people will only be able to buy electric or hydrogen cars and vans once the ban comes into effect. There are an estimated 30,000 public charging points at 11,000 locations in the UK, with more added every day. Scottish Power has forecast that to reach the 2050 target of the UK going carbon neutral, 25.3 million charging points would be needed, which equates to around 4,000 charging points every day. Graham Wretham, Managing Director at Redford Charles, comments, “The 2035 target is ambitious, but we believe our industry is up for the challenge. Boris Johnson's announcement represents another electrical training opportunity for our industry. With increased demand for electrical charging points comes increased need for qualified, reliable and knowledgeable electricians. “We offer a range of training opportunities, and this includes 2919 Electric Vehicle (a two-day City & Guilds course). The industry is going to have to stay one step ahead of the dramatic changes over the coming 10 to 15 years to ensure that the Government's Road to Zero commitments are met.”

'Always-On' VPN Exceeds Expectations for Railway Society

ANSecurity has announced a successful ‘always-on VPN’ security solution for The Stafford Railway Building Society that is helping to meet security, continuity and remote working requirements for the award-winning, local financial services provider. Originally championed by a small group of railway workers, The Stafford Railway Building Society was established in 1877 and is still going strong with a focus on straightforward, good value products backed by a plain-speaking, friendly service. Although proud of its tradition, the Society is firmly committed to embracing the changes and challenges of today’s society.  In late 2017, the Society migrated its Core IT system to Mutual Vision, a private cloud-based application. This provides the Society with improved capability to further develop both a more efficient, automated member-facing process and significant scope for the automation of internal functionality. During 2018, the Society concentrated on embedding the new core system and utilising the additional features it had to offer. The first significant enhancement being the introduction of SRBS Mortgage Hub to give Mortgage Brokers a digital connection to the Society. The IT team also began a dual-use project to implement more remote working with the aim of increasing flexibility for staff while also strengthening its business continuity planning so that it can work remotely in the event of any site impacting issues at its head office. “Continuity planning and security are two major requirements for us,” explains Heather Hamilton, Head of IT for Stafford Railway Building Society, “Although we have disaster recovery arrangements, it would be difficult to operate our service in the event of a major outage. In terms of security, any type of remote access needs to have the highest levels of security to meet our regulatory requirements as well as industry best practice.” “Lastly, we wanted to make the process simple for our staff to use and the IT department to manage - what we wanted was a solution that could solve all three challenges in an elegant way.” Hamilton contacted ANSecurity for advice following a recommendation from an IT contractor that had carried out an earlier project at the Society. “ANSecurity did an assessment and created a solution that would ensure that all of our access, both internally and from remote workers would be validated by an always-on VPN along with digital certificates embedded on each device,” furthers Hamilton. Following a successful proof of concept, the full roll-out of the Pulse Secure VPN took place over a two-day period, including staff training.   “The solution allowed us to turn off the secondary Wi-Fi network and now everything runs over a single network and is automatically validated before the user can access any applications,” she explains. “The login is really easy to use for the staff, as all the additional checks are all happening in the background. This, strangely, has been one of those things that we deployed, and we've actually had positive feedback where we've had staff come to us and say... ‘oh that always-on VPN is really good,” Hamilton adds. The Society is now rolling out remote working to staff in stages and the initial feedback has been very positive. “It’s not just for home working,” she points out, “we have also had positive feedback from our executives who can now quickly and securely access our key apps without any issues while away from their desks in meetings on or off site.” The solution has delivered a clear return on investment, reduced the number of calls to its IT helpdesk and proven extremely reliable. “ANSecurity has been with us every step of the way during this project,” Hamilton enthuses. “They have been both professional and helpful and delivered a solution that easily exceeded our expectations.”

Vimpex Makes A Smart Acquisition

Effective immediately, Vimpex Limited has acquired the legal rights and ownership of Sigma Fire and Security and its brands, Smart+Guard and Smart+Cage from Evac+Chair International. "This important acquisition marks a pivotal moment for Vimpex, and an exciting point in our growth as a UK manufacturer,” says Vimpex Managing Director, James Jones. "Evac+Chair International has been a highly-trusted and valued partner of Vimpex for some time, and we believe that through our specialist sector expertise, wide reach and established brand presence in the marketplace, Vimpex is in a strong position to drive forward the future growth of Sigma Fire and Security.  "The addition of the Smart+Guard range is yet another important strategic step in the Vimpex mission to become the world’s leading independent manufacturer and distributor of fire alarm sounders and associated evacuation and alarm system equipment and accessories, and is firmly aligned with company aspirations for new market penetration and protection of our supply chain, and to further shape alarm technology."  Vimpex will now be distributing all products previously distributed by Sigma including GFS security products and Resettable Call Points. Any existing contracts will not be affected and will be transferred to Vimpex, with Vimpex continuing to sell and develop Sigma Fire and Security’s product portfolio. Vimpex Ltd. is an expert in voice sounder and audible/visual evacuation technology, and a specialist supplier of Fire Alarm and Evacuation System Components, Rescue and Public Safety Equipment as well as their own Water Leak Detection System.