Commissioning is a neglected art, but the growing legislative responsibilities on building owners means it is about to come into its own, says MIKE MALINA.

A commissioning device that is ideally suited to the large differential pressures associated with differential-pressure control valves (DPCVs) is Comdronic’s AC5.

A motorised balancing valve from Crane Fluid Systems is designed for circuits where the combined functions of actuated regulation and flow measurement are required.

SAV commissioning modules for air-conditioning systems using fan-coil units are used on 19 floors of the Swiss Re building in London. They were specified by consulting engineers Hilson Moran Partnership.

Installation time savings of up to 25% are said to be possible using Oventrop’s Cocon 4 control valves on fan-coil units. These multi-function control valves were specially developed for fan-coil units and chilled beams.

In his long career in the building-services industry, the new president of CIBSE has seen many changes — not necessarily beneficial to the industry but nevertheless pointing the way to improvement.

Sector skills councils have been set up to champion their industry’s skills agenda, as Keith Marshall of Summitskills explains.

Its special position in the industry makes the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers well placed to stimulate interest in a building-services career.

The future is a hydrogen economy, and good old CHP could lead the way to a new way of producing and distributing power around the UK.

While a domestic air-conditioning market is starting to emerge in the UK, it is developments in the commercial sector that are most interesting. FRANCESCO NAMBOKA has the details.

Anyone who has ever experienced unwanted noise problems with air-conditioning system based on fan-coil units and inadequate thermal performance and air distribution will welcome a new initiative by Trox UK.

Ammonia has been used successfully as a refrigerant for over 150 years, but its use has traditionally been confined to large industrial refrigeration systems. DAVID EDE explores today’s opportunities for environmentally friendly ammonia to become the refrigerant of choice for air-conditioning chillers.

Modern technology enables major improvements to be achieved in the design and operating efficiency of cooling and humidification equipment. ALAN CHURCH and LINDSEY HENDERSON spell out the benefits.

Air-conditioning units that only cool the air are only addressing part of the equation. Air filtration to remove and neutralise bacteria is just as important, as STUART MADDOCK explains.

Denco has restyled its T and E ranges of close-control air-conditioning units. The modern graphite cabinets have curved fascias and strong front grilles embossed with Denco’s dolphin logo. These units will not look out of place in areas where they are on public display.

The delivery of a further 170 Titan 4-pipe horizontal chassis-type fan-coil units to the Swiss Re building in London brings the number of Ability fan-coil units supplied to the building to over 800. The latest units are being installed by Hills Electrical of Dartford in concealed ceilings on floors 28 to 34.

A stylish chilled-water cassette made by Aermec in Italy is available in five capacities from 1.5 to 8.3 kW and fits standard ceiling panel layouts. There are units for 2- and 4-pipe applications.

Ascon International’s H2O HydroTech mini chiller minimises the amount of refrigerant needed for an air-conditioning system by delivering chilled water to fan-coil units. Savings on installation can be achieved since standard plumbing fittings and tools are used, as opposed to specialist refrigeration equipment.

Weatherite has supplied rooftop air-handling plant and associated air-conditioning systems as part of a major contract for the refurbished Sainsbury’s store at Newhaven. The £10 million development involved a 3-month, fast-track 2-phase project to create nearly 1000 m2 of extra shopping space at the store.

Actionair’s Enviropac Series EHW 230 fan-coil units are said to use 40% less energy than conventional fan-coil units and generate only a third of the fan-motor heat gain. Chiller loading is also considerably reduced.

Samsung is entering the second phase of its development plans for the air-conditioning markets in the UK and Europe. Steve Rees, general manager for air conditioning with Samsung Electronics UK, explains, ‘Since 2003, the company has been developing its sales channels and products, using cutting-edge filtration and cleaning technology.’

One of China’s leading air-conditioning manufacturers, Haier, has established a network of four distributors in the UK. The latest is Hushon of Portsmouth, which joins BSS, Kooltech and NRW, to handle Haier’s portfolio of air-conditioning units from 0.2 kW up to 3.9 kW.

Advanced Ergonomic Technologies has added a slimline fan tile unit to its Flexible Space Concept, which comprises Hiross underfloor air conditioning, raised access flooring and demountable partitioning systems. Its shallow depth enables underfloor comfort cooling to be used on refurbishment projects where ceiling-based air conditioning is impractical because of restricted floor-to-ceiling heights.

Conditioned air for the £32 million NHS Birmingham Treatment Centre is distributed by ductwork based on 6000 m2 of Kingspan’s KoolDuct system. It was installed by Crown House Engineering, whose Gary Hague explains, ‘The fact that KoolDuct is pre-insulated and does not require additional lagging made it ideal because of the confined ceiling void, which had to carry all services, as well as the ducting. In addition, the ease and speed of installation was a significant advantage on a project where there was a number of other trades on site.’

Daikin Airconditioning UK has formally launched its D1 partnering programme for air-conditioning installers at a conference that included an address by 4-times Olympic gold-medal winner Sir Matthew Pinsent.

Ability Projects’ Trojan range of 4-pipe horizontal-chassis fan-coil units is available in eight sizes. Cooling capacities are from 1 to 10 kW, with heating from 1 to 15 kW. Noise levels can be as low as NR25, according to model size, fan speed and project requirements.

Because visual and noise restrictions did not permit condensing units on the outside of the Mayfair branch of Halifax Bank of Scotland in London, Air Movement Design devised an air-conditioning system for this refurbishment project based on Mitsubishi Electric’s WR2 water-cooled VRF system.

Because it suited the application better than a number of split systems, air-conditioning installer SIAS designed a system based on Toshiba VRF equipment for an extension to the headquarters of Marshalls Construction in West Yorkshire.

Airedale’s low-profile Mistral range of close-control air-conditioning equipment now incorporates advanced micro-processor controls.

When Simply Italian extended and refurbished its restaurant at Sovereign Harbour in Eastbourne to 130 seats, Aspen Air Conditioning was called in by shop fitter Booker & Best to provide the air conditioning. The refurbishment project was tightly organised into a 2-month, low-season closure.

There was a time when those knowledgeable and experienced in the art of building-services engineering at all stages of the supply chain could work together for their mutual benefit and the benefit of the client. CIBSE’s new president, Donald Leeper, has 40 years’ experience in the industry and recalls in his presidential address how in the 1960s consultants routinely worked with key manufacturers to improve design solutions and aid product development. It was integrity of the same level as the professional quantity surveyor that made such co-operation possible.

Schneider Electric is to acquire the operations of Invensys Advanced Building Systems in Europe and the Middle East, subject to regulatory approvals.

GSH, which provides a comprehensive range of bespoke facilities-management solutions, has floated on the Alternative Investment Market to support its continued growth strategy in the expanding outsourced FM market. It is believed that the enhanced commercial reputation and general market visibility that a listing brings will have a tangible commercial benefit for the group.

Airedale Air Conditioning’s new managing director Sam Skobel has declared that the company ‘represents a significant growth opportunity and will be the cornerstone for Modine’s [the US company that has acquired Airedale] future world-wide air-conditioning products’.

ABB reports increasing to 30% its market share of drives for HVAC applications in the UK. The company has been in this market for only three years.

Faber Maunsell has improved its position as one of the best companies in the UK to work for, with a placing of 33rd in the ‘Financial Times 50 best UK workplaces 2005’. This is the third year running that this firm of consulting engineers has been included, having been placed 41st for the past two years.

Following a period of seven years which has seen the UK market for underfloor eating grow 10-fold to about £70 million a year, the Underfloor Heating Manufacturers’ Association perceives its biggest challenge as seeing underfloor heating integrated and accepted into the volume housing market.

The finalised seminar programmes for the Energy 2005 Exhibition in September include energy assessment and reporting presented by John Field of Target Energy Services and energy management and changing regulations by Hywel Davies, research manager with CIBSE. A presentation on sustainable water services will be shared by Edward Clarke of Arup Associations and Norman Hurst of IBH Associates. Attendance at these sessions qualifies for CPD points.

Providers of professional services in the built environment that find themselves involved in reverse auctioning situations are being encouraged to inform the Association for Consultancy & Engineering immediately.

AxAir Climate has signed an exclusive agreement to continue sales of Hitachi’s screw-compressor water chillers in the UK. The agreement, signed at Hitachi’s factory near Barcelona, also confirms that AxAir Climate will continue to build on its success in distributing Utopia, Summit and Monozone split system and Set Free VRF equipment.

Consulting-engineering practices Faber Maunsell and Bullen have been merged by US parent organisation AECOM.

Daikin has set up an office in Moscow, moving from a sales system based on outside distributors to one incorporating its own marketing initiatives. The office is under the management of Daikin Europe NV and has a staff of nine, including two from Japan and seven local employees.

BSRIA’s largest high-temperature fan test to date was for a 2.5 t fan from F.lli Ferrari. It was tested at 400°C for 2 h to meet the F400 category of BS EN:12101-3, leading to CE marking. The fan had a 1.4 m-diameter impeller and 110 kW motor.

The training course in controls for HVAC services developed by the Building Controls Industry Association now has continuing professional development accreditation via the IEE and CIBSE. The course is administered by the Electrical Contractors;’ Association and was developed to provide controls training for industry engineers. It is also attracting a growing number of contractors and other industry-related professionals.

Daikin’s water-cooled VRVII heat-pump/heat-recovery air-conditioning equipment is now listed on the Energy Technologies List, so that it qualifies for Enhanced Capital Allowances.

Plans for distributor Wolseley UK to building its national distribution centre at Spa Park in Leamington Spa have been approved.

Visitor attendance at RAC 05 exhibition at the beginning of March was up by more than 35% on the event two years ago. The audited figure was 7505 visitors, compared with 5467 to RAC 03.

Contractor Briggs & Forrester has won an RoSPA Occupational Health & Safety Award for the third consecutive year. The Gold Award was presented at the National Exhibition Centre.

Baxi Group has acquired Roca Heating, the market leader in residential heating equipment in Spain and Portugal, in a €200 million.

What is thought to be the largest solar photo-voltaic installation in the UK has a capacity of 105 kW. The project was master-minded by BP Solar and has a capacity of 105 kW to help serve the needs of up to 46 businesses occupying the Optima Innovation Centre at Elliot Park in Nuneaton. The building is owned by Warwickshire County Council, and the solar system is expected to reduced carbon-dioxide emissions by 48 t a year.

Carbon-dioxide savings of around 30% are expected following the conversion of hot-water and central-heating boilers throughout Land Rover’s design and engineering headquarters from oil to natural gas. Following a survey by a Nu-Way engineer, 16 gas burners were specified and installed by Northern Industrial Services of Leeds.

Underfloor heating installed beneath wooden floors in a block of 12 apartments near the centre of Henley-on-Thames is providing discreet and draught-free heating.

Old and leaking calorifiers on a 55°C hot-water circuit at a large army base have been replaced by packaged plate heat exchangers. Separate systems now supply domestic hot water and heating.

The danger of scalding from hot water in baths in the communal homes of Dane Housing of Congleton in Cheshire has been eliminated by fitting Honeywell fail-safe thermostatic mixing valves. The TM200VP valves are approved to the TMV3 standard and ensure a safe hot-water temperature by mixing hot and cold supplies to a preset temperature. They also shut off the hot water automatically if the cold supply fails.

Mainsborne signalling for the lighting-control system in the new headquarters of Marks & Spencer in London has simplified installation in what is a conventionally wired building. Simmtronic installed the complete lighting-control system, having already fulfilled the lighting-controls contract on the shell and core.

A 3-year payback is expected to be delivered by energy savings of nearly 70% being achieved in the running of the Laundry at HMP Wormwood Scrubs following a major audit of the air-handling units and the installation of higher-performance main supply and extract fans.

Commissioning sets, strainers, balancing valves and isolating valves supplied by Oventrop are helping to control comfort conditions in a block of small business units at Aviation Park West, an 80 ha business park next to Bournemouth International Airport.

Energy-efficient space heating with rapid warm up from cold is provided in the Enginuity interactive design and technology by a continuous radiant-tube system. The new centre is part of the Ironbridge Gorge Museum, birthplace of the industrial revolution.

A decorative trunking system for concealing small power, data wiring, appliance cables and pipework has been introduced by D-Line.

The Milborne 500 range of wall-hung modular condensing boilers from Hamworthy Heating has modulating outputs from 15 to 50 kW and 15 to 100 kW. Emissions are less than 20 ppm (18 to 36 mg/kWh).

Stokvis has redesigned its plate heat exchangers to operate with the low flow and return temperatures from condensing boilers. The C series of packaged plate heat exchangers is available in three ranges, a total of some 50 units, with outputs up to 742 kW.

Rapid removal of wastewater from areas of buildings below sewer level can be achieved using the Synconta 801 pumping and lifting station from ABS Pumps. It has a tank of over 750 l and can operate with a wide variety of wastewater and sewage pumps.

Mita has added a non-metallic, 4-way shuttle box to its range of latest-technology data-cabling products. This box does not require earthing, reducing cabling and installation time.

The Dimplex AC range of over-door heaters includes models that can be installed out of sight near doorways or in ceilings. Available as a complete kit with ceiling grille and wall-mounted remote control, the 3 kW AC3CN heater can provide warm or unheated air, with half- and full-speed settings.

Marstair has introduced a range of R410A heat-pump air-conditioning systems that complements and diversifies its standard range. The range comprises attractive split systems with aesthetically pleasing and compact indoor unit and matching outdoor heat-pump units.

An electronic actuator to control warm-water underfloor heating by modulating the flow of water has been introduced by Even-Heat.

Bitzer has added to its range of air-cooled condensers with the LD Series of units with models having two fans for lower-capacity ranges. They can be used with R134a, R404A, R507A and R22.

The Menvier DF6100 single-loop analogue addressable fire system is aimed at small to medium-sized installations. Features include sophisticated functionality, simplicity of operation, a wide range of compatible ancillary devices — and competitive price.

Jasun Filtration has developed a grease filter with a stainless-steel frame to match extraction canopies in commercial kitchens and food-preparation establishments. Available in brushed and mirror image options, these filters are available in sizes to fit most extraction canopies and flame guards.

A range of 11 direct-drive fans for HVAC applications from ebm-papst UK has dual-inlet, forward-curved centrifugal impellers and is supplied with pre-wired capacitor and outlet flange.

Nordair has re-engineered its RM220 roof-mounted, gas-fired warm-air heaters to be lighter, quieter and easier to access for routine maintenance.

Hushon (UK) has been appointed a full stocking distributor for Haier’s range of air-conditioning products. Haier is the largest Chinese manufacture of air-conditioning systems, and the new product range compliments Hushon’s ranges of Hitecsa package and split-system air-conditioning equipment and Danvent air-handling system to provide one of the most complete product offerings on the market.

Actionair has introduced proportional torque control (PTC) for its fire and smoke dampers. The new modes will release dampers in 20 s, and powered reset takes just a minute.

ABB has increased the power rating of its component drives with 1.5 and 2.2 kW versions. There are now five models covering 180 W to 2.2 kW.

The Comtesse air curtain from JS Air Curtains features a stylish oval design and built-in lighting system. They are available with water heating, electric heating or as an air-only unit.

A chimney-automation system from Exhausto for multiple boilers connected to a single header and chimney system consists of a powerful chimney fan, control system and sensor. The fan speed of the CAS 8002 system is modulated so that a pre-set under pressure is maintained in the complete flue system. The sensor monitors the chimney draught and supervises the fail-safe function

Fast-actuators from JS Actuators can change position in 1.5 s, with the entire range offering speeds of 1.5, 3.5 and 20 s. They are made by Neptronic of the USA.