Recolight Welcomes Electrical Waste Collections

Defra has now confirmed that from the end of 2020, most retailers will be required to provide in-store WEEE takeback. The new requirement will apply to all retailers and wholesalers with annual sales of electrical items above £100,000. Online retailers without physical retail premises, and retailers with sales below the cut off, can avoid the need to provide in-store WEEE takeback, by joining the Distributor Takeback Scheme. Commenting on the news, Recolight CEO, Nigel Harvey, says, “For several years, the UK’s recycling rates for waste electricals and lamps have stalled. It is well established that to increase rates, consumers must have access to convenient drop off points. But until now, an opt-out meant that virtually all retailers could avoid their legal obligation to provide instore collection. The removal of that opt out at the end of this year should do much to increase WEEE and lamp collections.” He adds, “The legal obligation to collect only applies where a customer buys a similar product to that being returned. However, the challenge of enforcing this strictly probably means many will simply offer the service to all customers. “This change means that, from next year, any retailer selling lamps will be required to provide a waste lamp takeback service. That is good news. And although the requirement will also apply to electrical wholesalers, most of them already offer Recolight’s waste lamp takeback service.” Announcing the decision, the Government’s spokesperson notes, "This decision has been taken in the context of new approaches being required to meet the more ambitious and challenging collection targets in 2020 and beyond.”

Hello Wembley! Univolt Goes Large

Contractor, Roc Electrical, recently specified Univolt's maxi-trunking as part of the firms M&E works on the latest phase of Quintain’s Wembley Park development, ‘EO5’. Forming part of the development’s 85-acre project which sees the transformation of an abandoned industrial area into a public facing mixed use space, EO5 includes the construction of three tower blocks ranging between 10 and 21 storeys high, and encompassing 458 apartments. Roc Electrical will be delivering much of the mechanical and electrical installation, using in excess of 500 lengths of Univolt's 150 x 100 maxi trunking. The products will be installed in all apartments supporting the feed to the consumer unit and data cabinet via the riser cupboards. Unique features at the development includes a ‘Mad Hatter’s tea party’, dog garden, urban croquet and a sky lounge with the longest sofa in the UK. The sky lounge, which wraps around a courtyard on the 16th floor is accessible by a slide, and there are also rentable rooftop caravans with a hot tub. Steve Davis, National Business Development Manager at Dietzel-Univolt comments:  “This is a massive project that once completed will become the largest single site of Build to Rent homes in the UK, it also marks an incredibly important regeneration scheme that will ultimately transform the area. We’re incredibly pleased to have been specified as part of the scheme, recognising our products meet the standards expected of a high spec development in terms of both aesthetics and performance.” Located within close proximity of Wembley Stadium, the development also benefits from features including basement bicycle and car parking, coach parking at ground level and two levels of accessible stadium parking as well as 7,755 square metres of outdoor amenities. Works are planned for completion in spring 2021.

Contractors Energised at TechTalk Events

With eight shows still to go, NICEIC and Elecsa’s latest TechTalk series has already been attended by a record number of electricians. Over 1,700 contractors have registered to attend the 15 regional shows happening across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The NICEIC and Elecsa team are now gearing themselves up for the second phase of the series, which will see them visit the final eight locations of the series. Darren Staniforth, Group Senior Technical Presenter for NICEIC and Elecsa, says, “We’ve had a great response to the series so far. This is solely down to the willingness of our contractors, who want to expand their knowledge and progress in this forever changing industry. Our TechTalks are a great opportunity for our contractors to talk to us directly and discuss the latest developments in the industry and find out first-hand issues they want us to look at”. More than 200 contractors attended each event in Wadebridge, Norfolk, Leeds and Chelmsford with other locations also proving popular. This year’s TechTalk series are now CPD accredited, meaning attendees can use information from the day as part of their ongoing professional development. Topics on the agenda include: BS 5839 part 6; OLEV registration and EV update; EICR coding, in line with the 18th Edition of the Wiring Regulations; a technical Q&A; and much more. Tickets cost just £25 and can be booked online at www.shop.niceic.com/events or by calling 0333 015 6626. Each event starts at 8am and finishes at 1pm. Every delegate that attends gets a breakfast roll and refreshments throughout the day, a complete set of 18th Edition electrical pocket guides, and a personalised CPD certificate. For more information, or to enquire about exhibiting at TechTalks, you can email events@certsure.com. The remaining dates and locations are as follows: January 22 - Swansea (Liberty Stadium) January 23 - Bristol (Ashton Gate Stadium) January 24 - Cheltenham (Cheltenham Racecourse) February 12 - Fontwell (Fontwell Park Racecourse) February 13 - Maidstone (Kent Event Centre) February 26 - Wolverhampton (Wolverhampton Racecourse) February 27 - Leicester (Leicester Racecourse) March - Llandudno (Venue Cymru)

Watch Gira’s New KNX Smart Home Video

Gira has released a new video highlighting the benefits of a KNX Smart Home by Gira, smart building technology that is convenient, secure and economically future-proof. Mark Booth, Managing Director, Gira UK says: “Everyone seems to know the term ‘smart home’, yet the mainstream is still grappling with the true meaning of this ever-expanding market. There are technically two options for intelligent build specification - isolated and system solutions – however, as the name suggests, isolated solutions are independent mini-systems, which can very quickly reach their limits. “In light of this, Gira wanted to introduce a new and highly informative video that anyone can access online (via YouTube) to offer a clear understanding of the virtues of KNX building technology versus conventional, purely electromechanical solutions.” The progression of KNX system technology throughout the home has made linking devices much less complicated, so that a variety of devices can share one single, simple network and work together as required. Therefore you can offer more ways to control and influence lighting protocols depending on the type of smart living experience the end user aspires to. “Autonomous technology is definitely a sign of the future, with the ability to anticipate individual behaviours and scenarios without instruction and ultimately, user control. Smart technology is more than just functionality, it has become a lifestyle choice and one that many end users are exploring as solutions become more advanced,” adds Booth. Fittingly, Gira is a founding member of the European Installation Bus Association (EIBA), later known as the EIB and now the KNX Association. From the very beginning, Gira has been involved in the development of intelligent building products and systems - almost 30 years ago.  Now recognised as the worldwide standard for all applications in smart home design and building control, KNX governs lighting and shutter control to various security systems, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, monitoring, alarming, water control, energy management, smart metering as well as household appliances, audio/video and more. The new video detailing a KNX Smart Home by Gira is now available on YouTube and is a great resource for luxury specifiers, architects, designers and installers who want to demonstrate how with the help of Gira, they can enhance all aspects of their customers project. With KNX, all isolated devices or systems are able to talk to each other and can be controlled through just one central system over multiple control centres. KNX can be installed in to new or existing developments, be it a new build or retrofit project, residential or commercial. With wired, wireless, IP and power line communication mediums it is possible to use the system within any building type. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WInEVdXfrwo[/embed]

Mode Provides a Healthy Solution for Grand Designs Project

Living with a suppressed immune system following a bone marrow transplant and treatment for leukaemia, Toby Leeming, who recently appeared on Channel 4 programme Grand Designs, was determined to fulfil his long-held ambition to build his dream family home. This would require some careful consideration, particularly when it came to choosing materials and fittings that wouldn’t compromise his health, and Scolmore’s Mode antimicrobial wiring accessories provided a fitting solution for the electrical installation for his ambitious build. In 2012, Toby Leeming was a musician in an up and coming band that had just released its first album. A year later, just as he had embarked on a tour of the US with his band, he became critically ill and was diagnosed with leukaemia. With more than a year of life-saving treatment to follow, during which time he was confined to hospital, he had a lot of time to think and dream about the ideal home he would like to build. Six years later and free of leukaemia thanks to a bone marrow transplant, he and his wife and young daughter moved from London to a cottage in rural Suffolk - a much healthier environment for Toby who has a suppressed immune system and therefore prone to infections. The dream to build a home for his young family continued to drive him, and following the purchase of 4.5 acres of land just 200 yards from their cottage, the dream started to become a reality. The house was designed to incorporate features beneficial to Toby’s ongoing well-being and health. With some 370 square metres of accommodation to contend with, a huge quantity of wiring accessories was needed for the electrical installation. After much research, Scolmore’s Mode wiring accessories were personally chosen by Toby specifically for their antimicrobial benefits, and switches and sockets have been installed throughout the six-bedroom, single-storey courtyard house. Toby comments, “I had been considering other options to work with the interior décor, such as copper accessories. However, as well as being very expensive, they didn’t provide the much-needed protection health-wise that Scolmore’s Mode accessories offered. As well as meeting those vital health requirements, they are very smooth, stylish looking products that look really good everywhere we have had them installed. We are grateful for all the advice and support we had from Scolmore to ensure we selected all the right products for the different functions that were required.” More than 80 x 13A sockets, 22 x 5A sockets, plus a quantity of one, two, three and four gang switches, dimmers, new media sockets, shaving sockets, oven switches and extractor fan overrides from the Mode range have been installed. For a couple of feature walls, Toby opted for black switches from the Definity range to provide a striking contrast. The Mode range of contemporary, white wiring accessories remains Scolmore’s best-selling wiring accessories collection to date. The range was conceived and developed as a high quality, flexible and modern solution for virtually any domestic wiring requirement. The modular design allows installers unprecedented flexibility in creating dedicated wiring solutions. All of Scolmore’s white moulded and Mode Part M wiring accessories are manufactured using urea formaldehyde, which has similar inherent properties to antimicrobial additives that inhibit the growth of infectious diseases. All products independently tested achieved a 99.9% kill off rate across all four types of the strains of bacteria – MRSA, E-Coli, salmonella and klebsiella pneumonia. Scolmore has continued to invest in this range since it was originally launched, introducing products in visually contrasting versions to meet with Part M regulations. In 2016, the company added the award-winning Mode locating plug socket to the range. It was designed to assist people with impaired vision or poor hand to eye coordination to more easily insert a plug into a socket. Other innovations for the range include the addition of USB sockets – now available in one- and two-gang, and single and twin USB options. In 2018, a three-pin safety shutter socket, which exceeds the required safety standards, was launched. For Toby’s ambitious build project, sourcing the right electrical accessories was a minor hurdle when considering the main challenge that the couple faced with the project. At the heart of the plot of land was a huge, ancient oak tree, and the idea was to design a building that would wrap around the tree which would provide much needed shade and protection for Toby; whose condition has also left him susceptible to skin cancer. The challenge was to balance high architecture and health with a comfortable family home. An architect worked up Toby’s sketches for a nature healing home into a full scheme. Covering some 370 square metres, it spreads across four separate, steel-framed buildings placed in a horseshoe around the oak tree. To build around and near it with traditional foundations would compact the soil, damage the roots and threaten its survival. So the couple employed a main contractor who developed a lightweight construction method. It used small concrete pad stones to support the steel buildings which effectively float above the ground, thus leaving the roots of the oak tree uncompromised. The four, interlinked barn-like structures are externally black clad to emulate the local Suffolk black barns that are famous in the area. The first block houses a work shop, a music studio for Toby and a utility room. Next door is the main living building – housing a boot room and double height kitchen/diner with high level windows to allow lots of indirect light in. Down the hall, sliding partitions reveal a core block of small rooms - a play room for his daughter, an office for his wife, as well as a snug. At the end is a large sitting room with views over the countryside to the west. A glazed link leads to a building for the sleeping quarters, made up of four bedrooms and including a suite for Toby and Libby. Finally, there is a self-catering annexe for visiting family or for potential use as an income-providing B&B. The end result is a stunning and unique six-bedroom home which, with a little help from Scolmore’s Mode accessories, is providing peace of mind to Toby and his family, being specially adapted to his needs following his recovery.

18th Edition of the Wiring Regulations Goes Green

As the first set of wiring regulations to focus on energy efficiency, Bureau Veritas is calling on the industry to embrace appendix 17 of the 18th Edition of the Wiring Regulations – with the guidance helping to usher in a new ‘greener era’ that will be critical to meeting the UK’s environmental targets. Earlier this year, the UK became the first nation to enshrine into law the net zero target, committing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by “at least” 100 per cent below 1990 levels in 2050. And to meet these obligations, drastic action will be needed in the way buildings use energy, says electrical safety expert Bureau Veritas – encouraging businesses to adopt key energy efficiency measures raised in the 18th edition. This includes appendix 17 of the IET Wiring Regulations, which came into force on January 2019. Appendix 17 offers expert guidance on the lessening environmental impact of electrical installations, through measures such as replacing traditional standard filament, halogen and fluorescent lights with super-efficient LEDs and using smart controls is one of the easiest ways to cut energy costs. Also as noted in appendix 17 on-site renewable energy sources and other local production sources such as solar PV and wind energy production don’t themselves increase the efficiency ‘use’ of the electrical energy however they do reduce the overall public electricity network losses which can be considered indirect energy efficiency measure. According to Bureau Veritas, appendix 17 is set to rise in prominence in the coming years, playing a fundamental part of the next major amendment to BS 7671, expected in 2022. Michael Kenyon, Technical Manager at Bureau Veritas, says: “Given the escalating calls to take action on sustainability and drastically reduce our energy consumption, it’s no surprise that appendix 17 is lighting the way for a new greener era for improving energy efficiency in buildings. “Although at present, many of the suggested changes are just recommendations rather than mandatory requirements, we’d encourage businesses to take heed now and ensure that each and every installation is completed as safety and sustainably as possible. Not only will this help organisations to stay ahead of regulatory compliance - we expect many of the appendix 17 guidance to become mandatory in the next major update – but it will also cut operating costs while going a long way in helping our society meet the UK’s net zero pledge.” One such measure that can be adopted to improve energy efficiency is power factor correction, which can achieve significantly reduced consumption and CO2 emissions, along with lower electricity bills. However, the focus on energy efficiency is also likely to widen its scope to address other challenges such as unclean distorted electrical supplies, states Bureau Veritas. Kenyon adds: “It’s likely that as appendix 17 develops into part 8 in the next significant amendment, there could be greater guidance on where electronic equipment creates an unclean distorted electrical supply (harmonic distortion) and can damage equipment by creating heat/overload. “As an industry, we still have a huge job to do in terms of not just meeting carbon reduction commitments but ensuring a sustainable infrastructure; which Part 8 will hopefully help to more adequately address. Indeed, it may mean more change for a number of sectors to get to grips with but it is an important step forward not only in tackling climate change but also in creating new opportunities for electrical contractors.” Bureau Veritas offers a range of testing and certification services to support customers in managing compliance around electrical safety in general for new and existing installations or for specific areas, such as electric vehicle charging points.

Quartzelec Provides Outstanding Service To NHS Foundation

When North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s Hollins Park site, located in Warrington, experienced a problem with a changeover switch that would not return to mains from a generator, they called upon their maintenance partner Quartzelec to diagnose and resolve the issue. Hollins Park has had an Operational Maintenance & Emergency Response (OMER) service agreement with Quartzelec since 2008 and prior to that a similar arrangement was in place for a number of years with Cegelec, a heritage Quartzelec company. The recently renewed three-year OMER contract covers multiple HV assets, however, on responding to the call-out, the Quartzelec team identified the issue was related to an LV changeover switch – slightly out of scope. Not wanting to leave the customer with an ongoing problem and increasing delay by having to identify and call out alternative engineers, the Quartzelec team had the knowledge, experience and necessary safety certification to undertake the required work. Following a brief consultation with the on-site team and with the Burtonwood Group, the generator controls company regarding the control wiring, the necessary repair to close the base switches was implemented and the system was once again operational. “We were delighted with the professionalism and the quality of customer service provided by Quartzelec’s engineers attending who, along with Paul Foster, Quartzelec’s HV business manager, diagnosed and fixed the problem although it was outside of scope,” says Peter Holland, Estates and Facilities Management for North West Boroughs Healthcare. “When this particular changeover switch unexpectedly and completely failed, preventing the restart of the generator, we were left in need of urgent external support. The Trust runs regular on load generator tests and undertakes regular generator and switchgear servicing but finding this fault proved problematic.  Initial thinking suggested it was a high voltage issue so Quartzelec were contacted and they attended without delay; working with Burtonwood Generator & Switchgear Services to resolve the issue. Quartzelec found the problem was with the ‘out-of-scope’ changeover switch and the team went the extra mile to fix the problem without hesitation, providing excellent customer service beyond what was expected.” Quartzelec holds a number of OMER contracts with NHS Trusts, located across the UK, as well as operating similar full facilities management service contracts for HMRC offices, other Governmental departments along with a growing list of commercial organisations.  Quartzelec is also registered as a Government procurement partner. “Whilst this was not a ‘typical’ HV callout, it was well within our capability,” states Bryn Morris, Business Unit Director, Quartzelec Wrexham. “We already provide a substantial number of UK customers with combined HV and LV services and are always looking to increase this provision without compromising our consistently high and often recognised levels of customer service.”

How Riello UPS Invests In People

Riello UPS has been recognised for the work it does to support its staff by a flagship people management programme. The Wrexham-based business has achieved Investors in People ‘We invest in people’ standard accreditation after successfully passing an assessment covering topics such as leadership, trust and company values. As part of the assessment process, several members of the Riello UPS team met with representatives from Investors in People to discuss job satisfaction, work-life balance and the opportunity to develop new skills. The rigorous evaluation praised Riello UPS for its strong commitment to developing high-performing teams and providing opportunities for learning and training, along with how the company structures staff roles and delivers continuous improvement. Obtaining the standard accreditation means Riello UPS has the right principles and practices in place. The power protection specialist will now work with Investors in People over a three-year programme and build on these strong foundations to ensure a culture of continuous improvement and putting people first is embedded throughout the entire business. Leo Craig, Managing Director of Riello UPS comments: “We’re extremely proud to earn Investors in People status. It’s a fantastic achievement for our staff and demonstrates the importance of teamwork and supporting each other. Now we’re all looking forward to working with Investors in People in the months and years to come to build on this success, identifying the areas where we can improve and empowering our staff to do even more.” Paul Devoy, CEO of Investors in People, adds: “We’d like to congratulate Riello UPS. Being accredited with ‘We invest in people’ is a remarkable effort for any organisation and places Riello UPS in fine company with a host of organisations that understand the value of people.” The Investors in People scheme was launched in 1991 as a government-backed project to make work better and help businesses ensure staff are at the centre of their growth and development. Over the past three decades it has supported more than 11 million workers in organisations based in 75 countries.

New Thermal Imaging Camera from Fluke

Fluke has announced the introduction of the new TiS20+ entry-level thermal imaging camera, the ideal troubleshooting tool for electricians, first line industrial maintenance and HVACR technicians. The new Fluke TiS20+ features IR-Fusion technology, which blends visible and infrared images to help to exactly pinpoint the location of a problem. More information about the TiS20+ can be found at www.fluke.co.uk. The Fluke TiS20+ handheld thermal camera puts the power of thermal imaging at the user’s fingertips. It is designed to make the job quicker and easier. In thermography, context matters. Fluke IR-Fusion makes the job easier by using a thermal image overlaid on a visual light image to give the full picture of where the issue is before it becomes a problem. By simply sliding a finger across the screen, the level of infrared is adjusted. Whether finding an uneven load on switchgear or inspecting a ventilation system, the Fluke TiS20+ helps detect issues quickly. The Fluke TiS20+ Thermal Imaging Camera features a 3.5 inch touchscreen, offering 120 x 90 infrared resolution for use in a temperature range of -20°C to +150°C. It is designed to withstand a two metre drop and is water and dust resistant to IP54. It also has the longest ever battery life in a Fluke thermal camera. The TiS20+ can work without a break, with a battery life of over five hours of continuous use. Sleep mode saves the battery life in between inspection points: simply pressing the power button one time gets the camera back up and running. The TiS20+ is compatible with Fluke Connect, which allows users to record and share thermal images in real time via their smartphones or tablets and automatically upload them to the cloud. Fluke Connect desktop software enables creation of professional reports in minutes while efficiently capturing full radiometric data to support the maintenance program. Fluke Connect Asset Tagging can help eliminate hours at the computer organising captured thermal images. By scanning a QR code on each asset alongside the capture of thermal images, they are automatically sorted by asset. Thus, time can be spent analysing images and creating reports instead of sorting files one at a time. For more information about all Fluke products, visit the Fluke website at www.fluke.co.uk.

Fife Council Upgrades All Properties With Aico Alarms

Fife Council has engaged in a rolling programme to upgrade all of its 32,000 properties with Aico 3000 Series Alarms. Fife Council has been installing alarms to the LD2 category of protection for many years, so changes in Scottish legislation, introduced early in 2019, which raises the minimum level of fire safety, did not affect the Council. Jim Macdonald, Fife Council Compliance Manager, explains: “We have been installing alarms to LD2 for a number of years as the safety of our tenants is paramount.  We take into account social and health issues when conducting risk assessments. We still have a number of smokers who continue to smoke in their bedrooms despite the health and safety warnings we are all familiar with.  In these instances we go beyond LD2 by putting alarms in bedrooms; LD2 Plus, if you like! “You can’t put a cost on someone’s life, but you can put a cost on the potential damage and the resulting costs and that cost can be over £1 million. That’s a direct cost to the Council.  If we can avoid just one fire by fitting the best level of protection possible, we have actually saved money and, more importantly, protected lives. Using the 3000 Series alarms provides us with the best possible protection and helps us future proof our fire alarm systems.” Fife Council is fitting Aico’s latest 3000 Series throughout its properties, including the Ei3024 Multi-Sensor and the Ei3028 Heat/Carbon Monoxide alarm. The Ei3024 features Optical and Heat Sensors which constantly monitor and analyse smoke and heat levels providing the best response to all fire types and reduced false alarms.  The Ei3028 has been designed for use in kitchens and garages and provides protection from both fire and Carbon Monoxide in one compact unit, whilst being highly resilient to false alarms. All alarms are interconnected using Aico SmartLINK wireless technology which minimises disruption in properties by removing the need for unsightly cabling between alarms and also provides greater system flexibility to match the needs of different tenants.   Fife Council recognised the benefits of this technology and used when it was first introduced under the RadioLINK brand over 15 years ago. In addition, Fife Council is making full use of Aico’s extensive range of alarm accessories, including the Ei450 Alarm Control Switch which enables remote test, locate and silence facilities across all alarms on a system from one device; relays; and the Ei414 which is an easy to use interface between Aico alarms third party systems such as telecare/warden call devices and sprinkler systems. Fife Council has installed Aico alarms for 15 years due to the product quality and reliability.  But for Jim Macdonald it goes further than that: “The product is excellent and highly reliable but what’s more, Aico is willing to listen to what we want and work with us to develop solutions”.   A prime example of this was the Ei414 - a product developed directly as a result of working with Fife Council to find a reliable, simple method to integrate Aico alarms with a warden call system.  The product has proven highly popular throughout the social housing sector and has been further developed to interconnect to panel based fire alarm systems. Fife Council has also benefitted from Aico’s Expert Installer training, which has been provided free of charge and delivered to a wide range of relevant people, including Direct Labour Organisations (DLO) and external contractors, sheltered housing officers, call centre staff and even tenant association groups.  “The training is very good” states Macdonald “and makes us feel like we are in a safe pair of hands.” Expert Installer provides customers with the information they need to install and manage domestic Fire and Carbon Monoxide Alarm systems.  The training is modular, allowing customers to choose the appropriate topics. Many of the modules are CPD accredited, allowing up to 5 hours 15 minutes to be earned of CPD time. The upgrade to the Aico 3000 Series alarms started in Fife Council’s sheltered housing and is now being rolled out to all housing stock, including new build properties.