November 2014 - PSS...

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November 2014

28 Driving down energy bills in schools with lighting controls and LED technology

Portakabin Provides Complete Interim Junior School Building For a Leading School

Hamworthy condensing boilers and water heaters take pride of place at Hopewood Park hospital

Mapei contributes to outstanding green spec at The Crystal

October 2014

Cover Story:

Driving down energy bills in schools with lighting controls and LED technology

See Page 28

Highlights5Plans for Facilities Show 2015 Building Momentum

11Supreme Energy Efficiency for County Hall

12The Importance of Internal Cleanliness of Ventilation Systems

17In the line of fire

18Case study: Merseyside Property Partnership

2415 simple carbon reducing tips

�PubLiC SECtor EStatES ManagEMEnt • novEMbEr 2014

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PubLiC SECtor EStatES ManagEMEnt

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News

4 PubLiC SECtor EStatES ManagEMEnt • novEMbEr 2014

News

5PubLiC SECtor EStatES ManagEMEnt • novEMbEr 2014

The UK’s largest facilities management event, Facilities Show, is fast gathering momentum for the 2015 edition with exciting new plans and world-leading companies on the show floor.

Taking place at London ExCeL, Jun 16-18, the annual gathering of facilities management has already confirmed some stunning big names to exhibit: PHS Group, Broag Ltd; Crown Oil, FSI (FM Solutions), Mitie Group, Fireco, Euroworkspace, FM180, Topdesk UK and Miko Coffee.

New features for 2015 include a new Intelligent Buildings Zone and Theatre, in partnership with CIBSE. Through the use of smart technology and infrastructure systems, FMs can enable their buildings to perform significantly better in environmental, social and economic terms. This zone and theatre will cover Energy Management, HVAC, Lighting & Electrical, Information Networks, Assistive Technologies, BIM, Building Controls, Metering & Monitoring and Security systems.

Another new addition is the Careers Zone – in partnership with BIFM. For those in the industry looking at CPD, formal training, management skills or career opportunities, the BIFM Careers Zone is being designed to provide advice, support, and practical help. BIFM will be hosting and coordinating a series of advice clinics, workshops and seminars, together with training partners, careers experts, skills coaches and specialist recruiters.

Fergus Bird, Group Event Manager, UBM Live, said: “At Facilities Show, we pride ourselves on delivering knowledge, innovation and solutions. We continue to move with the times and offer an event that the industry demands. Our results clearly demonstrate this.”

Facilities Show celebrated its 15th year in style in 2014 with a 16%

increase in stand space coming to a total of 5,164m2 of exhibitors. More than 310 exhibitors welcomed over 10,000 attendees from 35 countries, which included some stunning demographics:

51% of visitors were senior management or above81% came to learn about supplier products & services69% of attendees came to identify new suppliers36% of attendees held a budget of over £1m31% came from large companies with over 1000 companies88% of attendees said they are likely to do business with one of 2014 exhibitors

Due to outstanding support, many of the traditional features will be returning in 2015. The Keynote Theatre, which saw a massive 99% increase in attendees compared to 2013, will be hosting its usual mix of excellent seminars, debates and case studies. Topics of note for 2015 range from TFM outsourcing, FM of the future, change management, the challenges of specialist buildings and everything in between. Another key feature is the Interiors Zone that will be home to market leading exhibitors and an advice centre covering space planning, furniture, ergonomics, interiors landscaping and much more.

A number of features offer excellent introductory services including Meet the Buyer, which offers facilitated meetings with procurement teams from some of the world’s largest outsource providers. Also, the Innovation Trail gives exhibitors the opportunity to highlight their new products and services to the exhibition visitors. Facilities Show Bar is also a great place to meet some industry peers, new and old alike.

For more information, please visit the website: http://ubm.io/1xqPrXM

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PlaNs fOr facilities shOw 2015 BuildiNg MOMeNtuM

New York, November, 2014. According to a new global survey of 260 heads of sustainability conducted by independent analyst firm, Verdantix, sustainability leaders have increasing

executive committee influence, decision-making authority and budgetary contributions across 21 key initiatives spanning assurance, consulting, energy management, natural capital, reporting, supply chain and other sustainability activities. 92% of responding firms have a sustainability leader who reports into the CEO or another member of the executive committee.

“We found that while few sustainability leaders point to large budget increases, our results reveal sustainability spending across entire organizations is typically up to ten times bigger than the sustainability team’s budget with over two-thirds expecting corporate-wide spending growth” stated Yaowen Ma, Verdantix Analyst and author of the report.

The Verdantix report, “Global Survey 2014: Sustainability Budgets And Priorities” is based on interviews with senior sustainability decision-makers and budget-holders from 260 firms with revenues between $250 million and over $20 billion. The Heads of Sustainability were from 13 territories: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Mexico, the Middle East, Russia, South Africa, the UK, and the USA. Respondents’ firms spanned 21 industries covering business and financial services, consumer

services, energy and basic resources, manufacturing, and retail and consumer products.

Highlights from the report include: CEOs Increasingly Recognize Sustainability Impacts Financial Performance: 28% of CEOs consider sustainability as factors that already impact quarterly and annual financial performance (21% in 2012)CSOs’ Budgets For Sustainability Vary Dramatically: 65% of CSOs own budgets of up to $2.5 million. 26% have budgets between $2.5 million and $15 million. 5% have over $15 million. 4% have no budget at all.Firms Favour Spending On Employees: 28% of sustainability budgets are invested on employees and 21% is spent on consulting services. 10% of budgets are spent on assurance providers.Improving EH&S, Energy And Sustainability Reporting Are Top Priorities: Over 90% of respondents cite improvements in health and safety, energy and environmental management as “very important” or “important”.CSOs Overwhelmingly Publish Sustainability Reports But Only Half Are Third-Party Assured: 8 out of 10 firms already publish sustainability reports but only 39% of firms pay for external assurance of their entire sustainability or integrated report.

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verdantix Says Sustainability Leaders at High-revenue Firms Have growing influence

Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced today that its collaboration with

Peterborough City Council to create a framework for cutting energy use while updating municipal facilities has won the 2014 award for Best Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Initiative from the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE).

The Council’s energy efficiency framework, part of the “Blue Sky Peterborough” programme, allows public authorities, social landlords and educational establishments to take advantage of energy performance contracts (EnPCs) — a fast and cost-effective procurement route for projects that help cut utility consumption and costs.

“We have successfully set up a fully functioning, simple to use, EU compliant framework where, from inception, works can be on site and completed within a six-month period,”

says John Harrison, executive director of resources at Peterborough City Council.

“This recognition from our peers reinforces our own belief that we have developed a workable, proven and successful method of reducing costs whilst enhancing the effectiveness of our property portfolio, thereby helping to protect our frontline services. Importantly, this facility is also available to other public sector organisations across the country, all of whom face similar challenges”

Honeywell was appointed the framework delivery partner in June 2013 and, following the award of the first EnPC in early 2014 to retrofit eight properties, has already helped the Council to deliver over £1.1million in savings. These are being primarily achieved through an array of measures - including upgrades to or replacement of building control systems, an air handling unit, lighting systems and pool filtration systems - that trim energy use or reduce maintenance expenses.

“We’re delighted that Peterborough City Council’s vision in creating this framework has secured this award from APSE,” said James Napier, general manager – energy for Honeywell. “With more contract awards anticipated in the future, this framework will help the Council to further cut its energy bill and to reduce its carbon tax.”

With several new phases of work currently being finalised, the Council believes the framework will be a major contributor to its medium-term financial strategy and is targeting over £5 million of related savings for the financial year ending March 2019.

eNergy-saviNg PrOgraMMe iN PeterBOrOugh receives assOciatiON fOr PuBlic service excelleNce award“Best Renewable Energy &Energy Efficiency Initiative” Recognition For Peterborough City Council Highlights Proven Method for Reducing Energy Costs and Improving Facilities

eNergys eNcOurages acadeMies tO take uP the eNergy efficieNcy challeNge with New salix fuNdiNg POt

The new round of interest-free Salix loans for academies and sixth form colleges represents an important opportunity to cut carbon and unlock energy savings – but only if quick action is taken.

Applications close on 19 December 2014, which means that academies and sixth form colleges have a limited time to tap into a new round of government-backed loans for energy-saving upgrades. New POt Of MONey availaBle

Salix Finance provides interest-free loans to the public sector for the installation of measures to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions. This new pot of money from Salix is part of the Condition Improvement Fund, and it is aimed exclusively at sixth form colleges, academies, and schools with academy

orders signed on or before 1 November 2014. Projects eligible for Salix financing include lighting upgrades, boiler and heating systems replacements, and renewal of roofs, windows, cladding and curtain walling. However, any planned project needs to meet strict Salix criteria for payback and carbon-saving. In this round of funding, the target payback period should be 4-8 years, although viable projects with longer payback periods may be part-loan part-grant funded.

tiMe fOr quick actiONKevin Cox, Managing Director

of Energys Group, comments: “Salix has already funded 12,080 projects across the public sector, resulting in financial savings of more than £1,100million and saving 6,224,242 tonnes of CO2. Thanks to this new pot of money,

academies and sixth form colleges now have the chance to unlock their potential for energy saving and carbon reduction – without the usual financial risk.” He adds: “However, you’ll need to act quickly – Salix advises funding applications should be made by 11 December, with the pot closing for submissions on 19 December. With tight deadlines and long forms involved in Salix applications, it may be prudent to consider using an experienced partner to take the hassle out of the process.”

Other fuNdiNg rOutes

The Condition Improvement Fund is aimed exclusively at academies and sixth form colleges, but there are other pots of Salix funding also available for local authorities, maintained schools, further education

colleges and other types of public sector organisations.

For those struggling to meet the Salix criteria, there are alternative funding routes available, too. The rapid payback periods represented by energy-saving technologies mean that lease arrangements make it possible for an installation to be carried out at no capital expenditure, with monthly payments that are lower than the resulting savings on energy bills.

Kevin Cox advises: “Academies, schools and other public sector organisations are losing money on inflated energy bills for every day they leave in place old-style, inefficient lighting and unregulated boilers. Taking advantage of funding pots like Salix makes financial sense, and projects to improve energy efficiency can have a real impact on reducing the public sector’s carbon footprint, too.”

(www.honeywell.com)

News News

6 PubLiC SECtor EStatES ManagEMEnt • novEMbEr 2014 �PubLiC SECtor EStatES ManagEMEnt • novEMbEr 2014

BSI, the business standards company, today launches PAS 7000, a universally applicable supply chain information standard for suppliers and buyers at organizations of all sizes around the

globe. PAS 7000 Supply Chain Risk Management- Supplier prequalification helps answer three key questions relating to any organization’s supply chain partners: Who are they? Where are they? Can they be relied upon? The standard draws on the collective expertise of 240 professionals drawn from global industry associations and organizations, and it addresses product, process and behavioural criteria for supplier prequalification.

PAS 7000 has been created in response to industry demand, with three quarters of executives considering supply chain risk management important or very important*. As supply chains increasingly span continents, and brands become ever more exposed due to the demand for increased transparency, the challenges for procurement teams to assess the suitability of suppliers increases. 63% of EMEA companies have experienced disruption to their value chain due to unpredictable events beyond their control in the last 12 months, at an average cost of £449,525 per incident per company.

PAS 7000 provides companies with a uniform set of common information requirements that reduces duplication of effort in completing tender forms and aids procurement in bringing consistency to the supplier base. It establishes a model of governance, risk and compliance information for buyers to pre qualify suppliers and confirm their intention and ability, to adhere to key compliance requirements. This in turn helps organizations make an informed decision about whether or not to engage with a potential supply chain partner.

Howard Kerr, Chief Executive at BSI said: “Today’s consumers and employees demand integrity from the organizations they deal with. Acting with integrity requires confidence in all those involved in delivering a service, anything else risks brand reputation. The benefit of this new standard is that it helps brands to align their supply chain with their corporate values by adopting an internationally defined framework of good practice for supplier pre-qualification.”

Benefits of PAS 7000:It is structured and presented to be equally accessible for both suppliers and buyersIt is based on international consensus developed by procurement and supply chain professionals drawn from across the EU, US and APACIncludes a wide range of potentially relevant topic modules such as capacity and capabilities, environmental management, employment policies, business continuity, traceability and data protection to name a fewThe modular approach to the information required permits the building of respective modules into a customized matrix supported by a common set of application principles or rulesProvides a degree of flexibility for tailoring the information to particular organizational needs whilst at the same time retaining a robust, repeatable approachHelps mitigate risks and reputational damage

Kerr adds: “This new information model approach involves a concept shift, away from that of ‘providing questions that are to be asked by buyers in order to solicit answers from suppliers’ to one where there is ‘a generally accepted information model that is provided by suppliers and that is acquired and used by buyers, as required’. It is a fundamental change that will hopefully increase transparency and trust in the supply chain, as well as saving time and effort for both suppliers and buyers in the future.”

For further information and to download the standard free of charge visit: www.bsigroup.com/PAS7000

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PaS �000 brings transparency and cost savings to the procurement of supply chains

Research released today suggests that UK businesses could be losing out on savings of nearly £1 billion*, as a result of their failure to adopt a more effective approach to facilities

management (FM).Conducted by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS),

the research found that around 26% of organisations in the UK are still not taking a strategic approach when it comes to FM – a business discipline that involves the co-ordination of space, people, resources and property within an organisation. It suggests that those organisations using FM in a strategic capacity could be saving themselves as much as £120,000 on average.

As a result of its findings, the RICS suggests that a reluctance to invest in, and embed a dedicated FM programme within an organisation – an approach it calls ‘Strategic FM’ (SFM) – means that many businesses and public sector organisations could be missing out on huge cost saving opportunities.

The research conducted with 707 small, medium and large organisations from across the public (203) and private sectors (504), also shows the positive impact SFM has on those organisations that already adopt the approach. Half of those interviewed who use SFM said that it has saved their organisation money – with many of those in the private sector reporting the positive impact it has had on their profitability (39%) and turnover (48%).

What’s more, of those questioned who use SFM, three in five (59%) said that their organisation had seen an increase in overall productivity, with 49% saying that the attractiveness of their organisation to clients or customers had been boosted by it. In addition, around a fifth (21%) said that employee absence in their organisation had decreased as a result of SFM.

Of those questioned specifically in the Government sector, the tangible benefits of a more strategic approach to FM were even higher with 70% of those respondents that use SFM saying that they had seen an overall increase in productivity, with a further 71% stating that they had also seen an increase in employee engagement.

Johnny Dunford, Global Commercial Property Director at RICS, said: “It’s clear from our research that recognising FM as a strategic discipline has the ability to bring about tangible business benefits for organisations of all shapes, sizes and sectors. With nearly £1

billion being wasted by those organisations without SFM in place, our research clearly demonstrates that more needs to be done to get leaders in the private and public sectors on board with the new approach. By recognising FM as an important strategic discipline, businesses could reap the huge business benefits it promotes.

“To support professionals in developing SFM in their own organisation, RICS has developed a valuable suite of information, resources and services which includes our recently launched SFM Guidance booklet and accompanying Case Studies booklet. What’s more, the RICS is helping to professionalise the FM sector through its Chartered Facilities Management Surveyor (MRICS) and Associate (AssocRICS) qualifications.”

To accompany their findings and to support professionals in implementing SFM in their own organisation, the RICS has developed a series of top tips.

Ensure that you are fully aware of your organisation’s overall mission statement and business objectives with a view to developing an SFM approach that supports in their delivery.Put measures in place to capture accurate data which will enhance strategic decision making when it comes to FM – data on operating costs, repair costs, utilisation levels and environmental performance are key.Ensure that FM is represented at a strategic level when organisational policies and frameworks are being developed – this will ensure that the right facilities can be provided in the right locations at the right cost and quality, supporting organisations in meeting key objectives.Use internal communications networks to get a view of the operational requirements of your organisation and build relationships with key operational managers who can help you deliver an effective FM strategy.Access the abundance of resources, information and qualifications that are out there – all geared towards the professionalising of FM and enhancing of its vital importance as a strategic discipline.

For further information the RICS’ products and services relating to Strategic FM, visit www.rics.org/uk/tag/facilities-management/

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lack Of facilities MaNageMeNt cOuld cOst uk BusiNess Nearly £1 BilliONRICS research highlights the business cost of ineffective facilities management

uk’s first cOMMercial scale greeN hydrOgeN refuelliNg facility OPeNs iN swiNdON

A consortium of leading businesses including BOC and Honda joined

the Swindon, Mayor, Cllr Teresa Page, and other dignitaries at a ceremony to mark the official launch of the UK’s first

commercial scale solar powered hydrogen production and refuelling facility and saw a demonstration of ‘green’ hydrogen production and low carbon hydrogen transport in action. Designed and commissioned by the consortium the new state-of-the-art facility is located at the Honda of the UK Manufacturing site on the outskirts of Swindon.

The event was a celebration of several significant ‘firsts’: In a UK first, this enhanced facility will produce commercial volumes of truly ‘green’ hydrogen produced from solar power, by electrolysis, at the point of use. In addition, the

station will employ BOC’s filling technology to serve a range of uses including the world’s first hybrid vans running on sustainable biodiesel and hydrogen, the UK’s first hydrogen powered fork-lift trucks - and even a hydrogen-powered Education Centre on the site.

The new facility has been integrated into the existing hydrogen refuelling station, which opened in September 2011. It is hoped that this facility will be a benchmark for other refuelling stations to follow as well as reinforce the UK’s attractiveness as a location for major car manufacturers to roll out fuel cell vehicles and

encourage the growth of a national refuelling infrastructure.

The Consortium, which comprises BOC, Honda, Commercial Group, Swindon Borough Council, Fuel Cell Systems, Briggs Equipment and Revolve, worked together to secure funding from the Technology Strategy Board (now the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK) and to design and commission the facility, highlighting the UK’s leadership in environmental technologies using hydrogen, a low carbon energy source that offers energy security, employment opportunities and economic growth.

Jason Smith, Director at Honda of the UK Manufacturing, said: “This project is absolutely aligned with Honda Motor’s Environmental Vision: Striving to realise the joy of freedom of mobility and a sustainable society where people can enjoy life. Through this project we, as a consortium, have made great advances in proving the commercial viability of truly ‘green’ hydrogen for a wide range of applications. We at Honda here in Swindon feel extremely privileged to be a part of this consortium and to host the facility on our site.”

Nathan Palmer, BOC Director of Bulk and Packaged Gases,

commented: “This investment is proof of BOC’s long-term strategy, as a Member of the Linde Group, to deliver economically viable and sustainable technology solutions for our customers and society. We are extremely proud to be part of this ground-breaking programme and I would like to thank our partners in the consortium and the Technology Strategy Board (Innovate UK) for their assistance in making this happen.”

Nick Rolf, BOC’s Innovation Manager – Hydrogen systems, commented: “This enhancement to our refuelling station clearly positions this facility as the best

in class in the UK. No other facility in the UK has the capacity to refuel vehicles with ‘green‘ high purity hydrogen on a commercial scale and this now cements Swindon’s position as the key location for fuel cell vehicle introduction.

Karen Sperrey, Operations Director at Fuel Cell Systems said “Using a PEM Fuel Cell to provide both power and heat to a building is a notable first in this power range. The project benefitted from our previous experiences of using hydrogen produced on site for infrastructure power”.

Simon Graham, Environmental Strategist at Commercial Group,

said: “For the UK to meet our air quality and carbon targets, it is essential that we find new ways to deliver the goods and services that the economy depends on. Using hydrogen produced from sunlight to power vehicles has the potential to help solve both environmental challenges. Commercial is proud to be part of this consortium that is demonstrating that this solution is no dream but a reality”

Honda and BOC are both members of the HyFive project which aims to create clusters of refuelling station networks in three parts of Europe. The BOC facility is Swindon is an inclusive part of this network.

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News

8 PubLiC SECtor EStatES ManagEMEnt • novEMbEr 2014 9PubLiC SECtor EStatES ManagEMEnt • novEMbEr 2014

News

Portakabin Hire, the UK’s leading interim modular

building specialist, has designed and supplied a complete school for short-term use at Highgate Junior School in north London. The building is in use for two years whilst a new facility is under construction.

Established in 1565 by Royal Charter, Highgate is an independent co -educational day school for pupils aged 3 to 18. The school was founded in the 16th century and its brand new Junior School building will be finished in December 2015 – the school’s 450th anniversary year.

During the construction of the new Junior School building, teaching facilities of a high standard were needed to accommodate Junior School pupils and staff.

Portakabin designed the modular building to meet the school’s precise requirements. It was configured as a single and double storey facility arranged around a landscaped courtyard that provides an additional outdoor space.

Facilities include reception, 16 general classrooms, two science laboratories, music and practice rooms, library, learning support room, IT suite, staff room, school office, cloakrooms, and toilets with disabled access. The building was fully equipped by Portakabin with fire and intruder alarm systems, emergency lighting, data communications, two stair pods, and air conditioning to the IT suite and library.

Commenting on the project, Mark James, Principal at Highgate Junior School, said, “We visited a number of buildings at the outset and were impressed with the quality of Portakabin buildings.”

“Since completion of the scheme, we have received universally positive feedback from parents, pupils and staff – everyone is delighted with the facility. It is bright and well designed, and allows us to zone the year groups together. We particularly like the wide corridors and stairwells, and how spacious and airy the classrooms feel. It also has an attractive, welcoming entrance. We are very happy with the building which is working well.”

Robert Snook, Director and General Manager of Portakabin Hire, said, “The school’s aim for this project was to achieve an interim facility which had the attention to detail and quality of finish that is as close to a permanent building as possible. We are pleased to report that the scheme was delivered on time, is performing well, and that we have received such positive feedback from the school.”

Externally, the building was finished in light dove grey with contrasting blue windows. Portakabin also installed a canopy over the central walkway linking the general classrooms block to the specialist classrooms block as well as a canopy over the main entrance timber decking.

Portakabin provided a complete package of services to Highgate which included assisting in the design process, Building Regulations compliance, ground works and fitting out.

Delivery of the 65 steel-framed building modules had to be timed to minimise any disruption to local residents and to the day-to-day running of the school. This involved detailed planning and time restrictions for the arrival of the modules on site.

Education facilities for short-term use are provided by Portakabin Hire and designed and constructed to permanent standards and in line with the latest Department for Education guidelines for teaching and learning.

The buildings incorporate design best practice and generously sized, light, modern classrooms. The accommodation can be configured as learning clusters, standalone teaching blocks and even single classroom buildings to meet a school’s precise requirements.

For further information about modular school buildings for short-term use, visit www.portanews.co.uk, email [email protected] or call 0845 401 0010.

POrtakaBiN PrOvides cOMPlete iNteriM JuNiOr schOOl BuildiNg fOr a leadiNg schOOl

The UK’s largest and most complex modular building project to be built in the health sector has been handed over and opened on time despite a challenging programme.

The new Women and Children’s Centre at North Middlesex University Hospital was constructed by principal contractor Kier Construction using a Yorkon off-site solution from the Portakabin Group.

The £17.9m contract, which was procured under the ProCure21+ framework, involved the off-site manufacture of the building at the Portakabin Group’s production centre in York.

The centre was built to accommodate the increase in maternity patients and around 2,000 additional births in North Middlesex. It forms part of a major reorganisation of hospital services in the boroughs of Barnet, Enfield and Haringey. The architects and project managers were AHP Architects & Surveyors.

The Yorkon off-site approach radically reduced disruption to patient care and the build programme to ensure the new facilities became operational in line with the Trust’s clinical strategy and prior to seasonal winter pressures.

Catherine Barns, Senior Project Manager at North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust, said, “Given the extremely challenging timescale for this project, we needed to look at more innovative methods of procurement and construction. By using an off-site approach we were able to deliver a fantastic building of this scale, on time and in an unreal timescale, which was a tremendous achievement for the Trust, Kier and Portakabin.”

“The partnership between the users, Kier and Portakabin worked very well, and in particular the flexibility shown by Portakabin in the face of changing healthcare requirements. Other health professionals from both the UK and internationally who have visited the building since its completion have been very impressed by our new facilities; staff love its functionality and efficiency, and patients have likened it to a hotel!”

“The project really pushed the boundaries of off-site construction but you would never know it was a modular building constructed in a factory. It is a real credit to the whole team.”

Simon Ambler, Director of the Portakabin Group said, “This is our fourth project with Kier and our largest ever contract for a single building. Its complexities demonstrate just what is now achievable with an advanced off-site solution, in a short timescale, and on an extremely busy hospital site.”

The building accommodates a consultant-led delivery unit with additional high dependency beds, two obstetrics theatres, a neonatal unit, triage centre, women’s outpatient department, and a midwife-led birthing unit with four birthing pool rooms. A roof top plant room is located on the second floor.

The external appearance of the scheme reflects the design of the adjacent facilities and features rendered façades, ribbon glazing around the perimeter of the first floor, a large atrium entrance spanning two storeys with light wells providing further natural daylight inside. There is also full height glazing to the stair towers on each of the two wings and large projecting window bays provide a visual contrast to the rendered finish across the building envelope.

The project is targeted to achieve a BREEAM ‘excellent’ rating and has a number of sustainability features including a biodiverse green roof with a variety of meadow flowers to part of the first floor, photovoltaic panels above the plant room, and an energy efficient combined heat and power system.

152 steel-framed Yorkon modules up to 18m long and weighing up to 18.5 tonnes were craned into position in just 28 days. A 500-tonne crane was used for this operation which took place within the hospital grounds and in close proximity to existing facilities that remained in use throughout. The units were installed partially completed with window frames, first fix electrics, HVAC ducting, plumbing, and a high performance concrete floor.

The Portakabin Group has an extensive track record in the healthcare sector, having completed a wide variety of bespoke building projects using Yorkon off-site solutions, including ward extensions, self-contained theatre blocks, emergency care units, haemodialysis centres, offices, community clinics, and complete hospitals, delivering all the advantages of off-site construction.

For further information about Yorkon off-site building solutions for hospitals and clinics, call 0845 2000 123, email [email protected] or visit www.yorkon.co.uk.

uk’s Biggest healthcare PrOJect tO Be Built Off site – ‘a faNtastic BuildiNg delivered iN aN uNreal tiMescale’

News

10 PubLiC SECtor EStatES ManagEMEnt• novEMbEr 2014

refurBishMeNt


A Report has been launched today at EMEX which summaries the key findings of a comprehensive Review that has been carried out with key stakeholders into the

Procurement of boilers and their installation, service and maintenance in Social Housing.

The Review was organised by the Association of Gas Safety Managers (AGSM) with a meeting held in July 2014 at the House of Lords under the Chairmanship of Lord Redesdale, CEO of the Energy Managers Association. Stakeholders who attended the Review included Housing Organisations (primarily gas and asset managers and directors) Procurement Frameworks, Boiler Manufacturers, Contractors, Merchants, Members of the AGSM and CORGI Technical Services.

Each year, many thousands of organisations in Social Housing across the UK spend millions of pounds going through the Procurement process for the installation, service and maintenance of boilers. Most have fairly standard requirements to supply heat in the most efficient, cost effective, sustainable manner.

But the Review found that many of the current processes are:-bureaucratic (largely due to current EU Regulations)expensivea waste of public moneyno longer fit for purposeunsustainablelacking in innovation and collaboration leading to fragmented economies.

They are leading to an increase in the supply chain costs and are showing a lack of industry knowledge and Gas Manager input.

The key recommendations for Stage II of the Review concluded that there need to be:

Benchmarking and standardisation need to more widely used and brought up to dateStreamlined procurement processes – it is time to cut the red tape and think out of the box!Review of legislation to enable the sector to cut waste and drive long term efficienciesChanges to current legislation for Landlords to carry out annual gas safety checksTenant engagement and accountability in line with the Right to Manage philosophyLifecycle costings initiatives for boilers moving from the race to-the-bottom on price, to addressing the lifetime costs and value for money

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Built in energy efficiency providing affordable warmth as a standard requirementIndustry collaboration with an integrated approach at all levels and stages of the supply chain including contractor training accreditationGreater reliability of modern boilers and a review of parts and labour warranties

Claire Heyes, CEO of the AGSM said: “The Report being published today highlights that there are some serious issues in the way boiler procurement is currently being carried out. All stakeholders in the supply chain have highlighted issues and the public money being wasted on the processes is shocking. Money is being wasted by housing organisations and suppliers spending thousands of man hours in the development, submission and assessment of lengthy pre-qualification questionnaires and invitations to tender. Procurement Frameworks don’t always encourage the best value for money over the lifetime of a boiler. None of this benefits the tenant at a time of welfare reforms and rising fuel prices.”

“With millions of tenants living in fuel poverty, energy efficiency and sustainability need to become a standard requirement. There is a need for a wide level of industry collaboration.”

“We have identified the issues and can see some paths forward in the process to make changes. But it’s clear that this is a very complex issue involving many stakeholders. The launch of the Report into the Boiler Procurement Review is the first stage in the process of change. We have the engagement and support of all areas of the sector and will welcome input from all interested parties as we move into the second stage of the process.”

Lord Redesdale, CEO of the Energy Managers Association, chaired the July meeting of stakeholders at the House of Lords. He commented: “The first stage of the Review into the Procurement process shows that there could potentially be billions of pounds of public money being wasted. The launch of today’s Report is a key step in drawing attention to the issues, the bureaucracy and the waste of public money. We would welcome the participation of all stakeholders in the discussions about how we can implement the recommendations in the Report.”

www.agsm.uk.com

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8.

9.

lauNch Of rePOrt iNtO BOiler PrOcureMeNt review iN sOcial hOusiNg ideNtifies key chaNges Needed tO save POteNtially BilliONs Of POuNds Of PuBlic MONey- Improved streamlining of the procurement processes, wider benchmarking & standardisation, lifecycle costings rather than cheapest wins, increased tenant engagement, industry collaboration and review of legislation

The recent £22m remodelling and refurbishment of the 1930’s civic building and 1970’s office extension for Wiltshire’s County Hall in Trowbridge was

undertaken to consolidate the majority of Wiltshire Council’s 95 offices into four hubs, reducing floor area by 50%, saving £5m in revenue per annum, creating 40% reduction in carbon emissions and providing new flexible ways of working.

A major requirement of this development was to reduce the energy consumption by 40%. It is also just one of a few refurbishment projects within the UK on target for a BREEAM “excellent” rating, achieved by a complete building services overhaul together with improvements to the glazing and thermal upgrading of the walls and roof.

The traditional single glazed sash windows were retained as an important architectural feature of the 1930’s building and secondary glazing was chosen as a way of dealing with both the heat loss through the glass and discomfort caused by drafts. Selectaglaze, the UK’s leading designer of secondary glazing systems, worked closely with main contractor Kier Western and Bristol-based architects Stride Treglown to develop appropriate designs. These needed to be engineered to meet the thermal requirements but also had to be as unobtrusive as possible. The solution for most windows was a matching balanced sash design that permits access to the existing window. Each frame is purpose made with

high performance seals to reduce drafts and glazed with a low emissivity glass that markedly improves the thermal efficiency. Some of the windows were very large, up to 3.5M high and 1.6M wide, and a heavy duty frame from the Series 90 range was required to support the glass sizes. Smaller windows were treated with a slimmer frame from the Series 20 range.

The need to be unobtrusive was particularly important in the timber panelled Council Chamber, which has some of the largest windows. A single monumental hinged casement design was chosen as it permits an uninterrupted view through the windows. This was a big challenge as each casement weighs about 100Kg. The Series 50 range was specified with a bronze anodised finish to complement the panelling. It is fitted with very neat colour matched flush hinges and a concealed multi-point locking system that ensures a good seal and enhanced security.

More than 270 bespoke frames were fully fabricated off-site, allowing rapid installation to all four floors in phases to suit the contractors programme. The result is a more energy efficient and comfortable environment that is also much quieter.

Well-designed secondary glazing can play an important role in improving the environment of buildings of all styles but as a reversible adaptation it is particularly suited to listed and traditional buildings. Secondary glazing can achieve very significant noise insulation of 45dB or more, reduce the U-value of a window to around 1.8 and enhance security though the use of strengthened glass and locks. Systems are available that are accredited to Secured by Design.

Founded in 1966, Royal Warrant holder Selectaglaze has considerable experience of working within Listed and sensitive buildings. Products are fully tested and assessed for performance and twice yearly quality audits are conducted through the company’s ISO 9001 accreditation with LPCB. An extensive range of literature and guidance notes covering acoustics, thermal performance and added security is offered together with a technical advisory service and a RIBA approved CPD Seminar.

For further information, please contact the Marketing Department on 01727 837271; e-mail: [email protected] or visit the company’s comprehensive website at:www.selectaglaze.co.uk

suPreMe eNergy efficieNcy fOr cOuNty hall

cleaNiNg & hygieNe

1�PubLiC SECtor EStatES ManagEMEnt • novEMbEr 2014

encompass former publication DW/TM2 – Internal cleanliness of new ductwork installations. From this TR/19 was born and subsequent issues have also included the new British and European standard the BS EN 15780 Cleanliness of Ventilation Systems in 2011.

what has chaNged iN tr/19?

Alongside changes to guidance on how ductwork and ventilation systems should be cleaned, more significant changes have come in the recommended frequency of cleaning and a revised cleaning regime. Previously the guide specified frequencies based on usage or hours of cooking so for example ‘Moderate use , 6 – 12 hours per day’ would be advised to clean every

6 months as standard, now the usage and cleaning regime is more detailed.

Table 1 shows how the revised section of TR/19 on cleaning of ventilation and ductwork has been tightened up. Usage has now been broken down into 4 separate categories and the type of cooking is considered more with the introduction of examples of production of grease laden aerosols.

For example ‘Medium grease production’ that is produced over 14 hours of daily cooking should now be cleaned every four months. Based on the previous edition of TR/19 this may have been perceived as 6 monthly based on moderate use or 3 monthly based on more than 12 hours of cooking each day.

Similarly, low grease production kitchens that are used 16+ hours a day should now be deep cleaned every 6 months, rather than every 12 months.

A better understanding of both the level of grease production and the daily usage, gives commercial kitchen operators a more specific cleaning regime guide, that helps to define the appropriate level of control for this risk and also ensures that commercial cleaning organisations and building insurance firms know what level of cover and documentation should be produced.

cOMPliaNce with tr/19 – what shOuld Be PrOduced?

A full ducting report is critical to evidence compliance with this best practice.

The report should include a full description of the system cleaned, both pre and post clean measurements and pre and post clean photographic records. There should also be details of any additional work carried out (access panels etc), COSHH data on any chemicals used and details of any uncleaned/inaccessible areas. Then at the end of the report a certificate is awarded, confirming the work has been carried out, with any recommendations for future cleaning requirements.

MakiNg sure yOu’re cOvered

With the updates in TR19 regarding cleaning of commercial kitchen extraction systems, many businesses may not be aware that their buildings insurance policies will require more detailed evidence of potentially higher frequency cleaning regimes. Policies contain conditions and warranties that often refer to the TR/19 standard from the ‘Guide of Good Practice’, advised by the B&ES. Minimum cleaning frequency is now stipulated and if not adhered to, the insurance policy can be classed as invalid.

Fire Safety Legislation from The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRFSO) also ensures legal compliance is now the responsibility of both companies and individuals. The ‘responsible person’ in each company must assess all fire hazards and take actions to reduce and/or eliminate them. Failure to comply can result in prosecution.

DeepClean Hygiene Solutions Limited specialise in thoroughly cleaning grease extraction systems in commercial kitchens and are based in Bromsgrove, Worcester.

For further information visit http://www.deepclean-hygiene.co.uk or email [email protected]


cleaNiNg & hygieNe

why is grease extractiON fOr cOMMercial kitcheN veNtilatiON systeMs sO iMPOrtaNt?

Recent figures published by the Fire and Rescue Services, states ‘70% of fires in commercial kitchens originate in dirty or contaminated ventilation systems due to fat and grease build up.’ This has put pressure on regulatory bodies and in-turn insurance companies, to tighten cleaning schedules to ensure that kitchens are a safe place to work and also to safeguard the businesses and the public.

Grease build-up and fatty deposits are extremely flammable and can ignite easily, even in the most safety conscious commercial kitchen. The level of grease build-up is dictated by volume and type

of cooking. However, internal cleaning of ventilation systems must be carried out by all commercial kitchens, regardless of size.

There have been a number of high profile kitchen fires recently, originating from dirty grease extraction systems, where damage has been significant and in each case investigations have been conducted that included looking into the recent history of risk assessment and cleaning maintenance.

what is the ‘guide tO gOOd Practice tr/19’?

The Building and Engineering Services (B&ES) Association first published TR/17 in 1998 in order to give guidance on good practice and to establish standards for testing, cleaning and verification of the internal cleanliness of ventilation systems. Since then the guide has been reworked to

the iMPOrtaNce Of iNterNal cleaNliNess Of veNtilatiON systeMsDeepClean Hygiene Solutions Limited analyse ‘The Guide to Good Practice TR/19’ and the revised practice for cleaning of internal ventilation systems.

taBle 1

Revised TR/19 cleaning requirements for ventilation and ducting de-greasing.


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washrOOM

As students and teachers return to school for the start of the new academic year, David Meacock, Technical Director at washroom management

specialists Cistermiser, explores school washroom control systems which not only save water and energy, but also reduce costs, minimise health risks and minimise the risk of flooding in unoccupied buildings.

What happens to a school washroom sitting disused for the six weeks of the summer that the school is empty? If proper systems are in place to effectively control water and energy supplies, the answer is nothing. But imagine a dripping tap or one left running, a malfunctioning flush control valve, or a light or ventilation fan accidentally left switched on by the site manager – six weeks is a long time for things to go unchecked.

There are also the health implications of leaving unstirred water in tanks, cisterns or basins for any length of time. According to The Met Office the UK has just experienced the eighth hottest July since 1910, with temperatures reaching 30C in some parts of the country. The concern here, of course, is that of unused water warming up and becoming a breeding ground for bacteria.

On top of this there are financial implications. Poor water management has both environmental and financial implications. The average domestic volumetric cost of water is around £2.33 per m3, which can mean a hefty bill for the

owners or leaseholders of buildings where effective management systems are lacking.

Thankfully there are solutions to these concerns. Holistic systems, which control every aspect of the washroom from lights and ventilation to urinal / WC flushing, offer the peace of mind that when a washroom is not in use, energy will not be wasted. Such systems offer the opportunity to shut down the washroom facilities in areas or floors of a building that are not in use. Where washrooms are in use, the highest standards in hygiene can be achieved through the addition of ‘no-touch’ features of taps and flushing devices that use infrared sensors to ensure contact between user and washroom is minimised. These systems also ensure that water is not wasted through defective outlets, such as leaking taps or failed flush valves, or through acts of deliberate vandalism.

They may sound complex systems to install and maintain, but in reality they are easy-to-install (either retrospectively into an existing washroom or specified within a new facility), low cost, low maintenance, and highly-effective pieces of kit.

Visitors to the washroom are detected by infrared sensors which automatically switch on the lights and ventilation as well as the water supply. What’s more, these systems can be smart. For example, there are systems with an ambient light sensor which turns on the lights only when natural light levels are too low, again to lower energy usage. If no one has been to the washroom for a period of time (usually 12 hours), a valve will automatically open for 30 minutes to fill the cistern and rinse the urinals and pipework, to help keep the washroom hygienic and clean.

For schools, where washrooms can be left unused for weeks and months at a time, this offers the perfect solution.

When discussing educational establishments, it is also only right to mention the part such systems can play in boosting the BREEAM rating of the building.

In terms of school buildings, there is currently a BREEAM requirement in the procurement frameworks managed by the Education Funding Agency - the Department for Education’s delivery agency for funding and compliance.

Currently all secondary schools procured through the Building Schools for the Future programme are required to achieve a BREEAM (or equivalent) ‘Very Good’ rating.

This is applicable to all major new build projects valued over £2 million and all refurbishment projects that are valued at over £2 million and affect more than 10 per cent of the floor area of the school.

Furthermore, the Skills Funding Agency, which administers grants for post 19 learning facilities, now expects a BREEAM rating of ‘Excellent’ for new builds and ‘Very Good’ for refurbishments.

Washroom control systems such as those discussed earlier can help to score in the BREEAM categories that relate to water, energy, heating and ventilation and can boost a new build or refurbishment’s score considerably.

For more information call 0118 969 1611, email [email protected], or visit www.cistermiser.co.uk

flexiBle schOOl washrOOMs eNaBle the Next geNeratiON tO save eNergy whilst MaiNtaiNiNg hygieNe staNdards

All large public and commercial buildings, including some iconic landmarks (Harrods, the House of Commons, The Old Bailey) and multi-residential properties

will have cold water storage tanks to feed hot water systems (such as baths, washrooms etc), WCs, basins and sinks.

The tanks are an established way to ensure an uninterrupted source of water to the property should the mains supply be potentially insufficient to keep up with usage, or where water pressure isn’t high enough to meet demand. Cold water enters the building via a rising main and is stored in the tank before being fed to taps or calorifiers to be heated.

The tank must be large enough to hold enough water for 24 hours’ use in the event of a mains failure – a requirement laid down by every water company in the UK – which can be calculated using the CIBSE Guide G (2004) Public Health Engineering. This gives data relating to cold water storage requirements for various buildings based on size, occupancy and use. However, for many buildings, occupancy and use varies across the year which means that building owners find that their tanks hold a lot more than they need, running the risk of the stored water stagnating and favouring legionella growth.

As rare as legionella may sound, in 2010 more than 350 outbreaks were officially identified with 10 of these cases resulting in fatalities.

The greatest potential for stagnant water probably lies with buildings that have periodic occupancy or seasonal highs, such as hospitals, sports stadia, university halls of residence etc., particularly where water is stored at high ambient temperatures in the summer months. It is in these situations that controlling the ebb and flow of the water supply, thus avoiding situations where water can be left to become contaminated, is necessary but can be very challenging.

Choosing the right tank technology is key to ensuring both the smooth operation of the water flow, eliminate the risk of flooding and avoiding stagnant water.

Keraflo delayed action Aylesbury cold water float valves do just that, providing a methodology for altering the level of water within the tank to match capacity with the

building usage. If, for instance, a university hall of residence is partially closed for refurbishment, Aylesbury float valves can drop the level of water in the tank to match the new lower demand across the piece. This feature is particularly useful anywhere there is seasonal use but also the need to store vast quantities of water for peak usage, such as in stadia.

The benefits of such valves are that they enable virtually unlimited opening and closing levels, they can assist with improving the water quality where buildings are partially commissioned or occupancy varies, and they are specifically designed to meet WRAS guidance on air gaps to protect the public water supply from local contaminants.

However, one of the great advance in tank technology in recent years designed to combat the threat of bacterial infection has been the development of the Tanktronic electronic tank management systems. Tanktronic systems monitor continually water levels and temperature and can automatically manage and control tank filling. They can be fitted with an alarm which can be set to alert building management to high or low water levels as well as changes in water temperature, all of which can be monitored remotely and programmed to a building’s unique needs.

weMBley stadiuMFor players and dedicated football fans

alike, Wembley Stadium has long been revered. Its hallowed turf has provided a flawless playing surface for some of the biggest games in the sport.

And yet, few probably consider the planning, effort and resources that together go into maintaining the turf and meeting the every need of crowds within its 90,000 seat arena, not least ensuring an adequate supply of water.

Water is an obvious and vital part of every match day and supply to the stadium is provided by two sectional GRP water tanks located in the basement – each is 14m x 6m x 4m with a capacity to store 336 meters3 of water. One tank supplies water for all the services which include catering, players’ showers, basin taps, WCs etc. The other supplies water to the pitch which is watered automatically four times a day – a total, according to Wembley’s website, of

10,000,000 litres of water per year! Both tanks are divided into two, which

provides easy maintenance and cleaning access while ensuring uninterrupted supply.

The water supply into each tank is managed by a 4” KP Keraflo fully variable delayed-action float valves (twin-headed valves). The valves allow the stadium’s management team to seamlessly control each tank’s storage capability, ensuring maximum capacity for major events and minimal capacity out of season.

The design of the KP valve also means that the ‘twin tanks’ do not suffer from tank stagnation or the ever-present danger of Legionnaire’s Disease which can be as a result of an imbalance in refreshing the water stored within either side of the tank. Both sides of the tanks fill at the same rate ensuring regular replacement and refreshment of the stored water.

For more information call 0118 921 9920, email [email protected] or visit www.keraflo.co.uk.

MaNagiNg cOld water taNk caPacity caN reduce PuBlic health risks aNd PrOtect a BuildiNg frOM flOOdiNgBy Neil Weston, Technical Sales Manager at leading float valve manufacturer Keraflo


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With over 500,000 users of NHSmail, the number is set to grow exponentially as the HSCIC is driving a refresh of the email

system within the NHS. Following the approval of the ISB 1596 Secure Email standard in March, NHS trusts and organisations are being encouraged to migrate to NHSmail or update their current email system in accordance with the new standards.

why NhsMail?NHSmail is used throughout the

organisation by GPs, healthcare workers and other staff. Regardless of whether users deal directly with patients or perform administration or procurement tasks, NHSmail delivers significant benefits to them. As the only dedicated email system with Government OFFICIAL SENSITIVE accreditation and to be fully approved by the

Department of Health for the purpose of sharing patient identifiable data and other sensitive information, the system is secure, reliable and national. It is run and maintained by the NHS and as a result is a cost-effective option that places little strain on local IT departments.

the BeNefitsOrganisations looking to trim costs

can save money on running duplicate local email systems that NHSmail can replace, and at the same time free up their expert IT staff resource to manage more complex IT projects. Due to the secure nature of NHSmail, it can also be used to replace more expensive paper or telephone-based communication processes, saving money that can be better used for patient care.

As a result, it provides an attractive option for those trusts within the NHS not yet making use of its dedicated email system.

Additional benefits include accessibility – users can access information 24-hours a day from any number of devices. Alongside this reliability, the NHSmail directory contains the contact details of more than one million NHS and business partner staff. All users can quickly retrieve this information, and are able to share calendars and folders with other users. As NHSmail is a nationwide service, if organisations restructure or merge, costly email migrations can be avoided and users can continue to communicate without any disruption.

MailBOx size – a challeNgeHowever, the one challenge of

migrating to NHSmail lies in the limit to the size of mailbox. At the moment, most email boxes have a 400MB limit which means that in order to meet compliance requirements and keep data, this information needs to be archived. As a result, the retention, searchability and accessibility of this data is crucial.

One method of archiving is the PST – Personal Storage Folder. This is part of Outlook, which NHSmail is based on, but provides a number of issues regarding their proper use. Users may unintentionally save these PSTs on their desktop or network folders which still may cause a storage issue and undermines the security of the solution. Backups are costly when using PSTs as a large amount of space is needed when this is performed regularly. In addition, folders that are larger than 2GB are prone to corruption which could result in the loss of data.

the iMPOrtaNce Of archiviNg

Alternate archiving solutions are available – ones that provide complete ease of use, accessibility and allow users to search for mail items quickly and simply. Ideally, the archiving solution should mirror the Personal Folder Structure of the user’s mailbox. In this way navigating between the two solutions is easy and emails can be identified, marked for archiving and then found when needed. PSTs should not be used – to save space and improve on the reliability issue, neither should methods such as stubbing or shortcutting.

In addition, the search facility should include the ability to use keywords, dates, sender or recipient names and subject lines as the criteria when looking for a specific email. This ensures that the email can be found based on little information, a useful feature when users are searching for Freedom of Information (FOI) requests where time is a factor.

Ultimately NHS trusts and organisations rely on technology systems such as NHSmail to help them deliver better patient care. With the number of users increasing steadily as a result of the refresh initiative, security and usability remain the top priorities. It is here that archiving can play a significant role in helping deliver an efficient user experience while still ensuring that NHSmail remain 100 per cent secure.

NhsMail – a MOve tO a secure, availaBle eMail systeMMike Freeman, Sales Director, Techne-Comm Ltd

Brett Ennals, managing director of recruitment consultancy Fire & Security Jobs discusses the current state of play in the fire and security industry. FSJ is the

UK’s leading recruitment consultancy dedicated solely to fire and security recruitment.

Ensuring the property you manage is secure and safe is a top priority for facilities managers. Protecting employees and all other company assets is a daily responsibility for the facilities management department that is supported by every security camera and smoke alarm installed on the premises. In order to be satisfied the systems work properly it’s critical to work with highly qualified fire and security engineers.

Fire and security engineers are responsible for the installation, service and maintenance of fire and security systems including CCTV access control and network systems. The engineers are trained to know what fire safety regulations must be met and make sure that health and safety regulations are adhered to in various locations in and around a property. The engineers must have strong, proven problem solving analytical skills and abilities and be effective at managing their time because the service provided is 24/7.

In recent times, you may have found it is more difficult to source a qualified fire and security engineer and the reason why is because the sector is facing a skills shortage. This is as a result of the craft and trade skills industry being side-lined in the face of emerging trends to opt for a university education. As a consequence, apprenticeship opportunities have declined with the UK only producing 24,000 level three apprentice engineers against a demand of 70,000 per annum. This has had a knock-on affect on recruiting fire and security engineers but it is a challenge the sector is tackling with a number of approaches. Firstly, like in any other industry, you hold onto what you have. Many fire and security companies are implementing effective staff retention programmes to ensure their good people feel appreciated and stay in their jobs. When staff feel valued, they are less likely to seek alternative employment.

Regular appraisals with open and honest discussions about realistic development and progression help identify career options for the employee whilst also identifying training needs. Allowing people to gain external qualifications can benefit both the employee and the company but also be a good way of tying employees in to the company on a

short term basis. It’s also worth noting the experience existing personnel have garnered over the years is invaluable and it can be used to train new raw talent.

Making your company a place where people want to come to work is hugely important. Although in our industry employees tend to work on clients premises we can still ensure their welfare is protected and support them through any potential issues. This ultimately gives them a sense of belonging and pride and they will represent the company they are working for well.

Secondly, fire and security companies are starting to think ‘outside the box’ when it comes to recruiting and training people from other disciplines. I have seen ex- military officials excelling in the industry due to their varied skills in the battlefield. Electricians are also entering the industry and applying their expertise to maintaining alarm systems.

Finally, fire and security companies are starting to introduce extensive training programmes to help new recruits learn their trade. Employee support strategies make individuals feel valued, trusted and able to perform the role that you are asking them to do. This includes giving people the tools, training, knowledge and equipment to get the job done. When people feel they have what they need to perform, job satisfaction increases dramatically. Giving them the trust and autonomy to make certain decisions and not having the fear that they will be criticised for those decisions will grow their self belief and also respect for the faith you are giving them.

Facilities managers are tasked with a great many responsibilities. Fully functioning fire and security systems can make life easier for busy facilities managers. It is worth knowing that the engineers maintaining the systems are highly qualified and the industry is committed to keeping them that way.

For more information on the services provided by our recruitment consultancy please visit our website http://www.fireandsecurityjobs.com/

iN the liNe Of fire

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case study: Merseyside PrOPerty PartNershiP M

erseyside has a population of over 1.25 million, spanning five separate local authorities (Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton

and St Helens). The health system, as a whole, has a population with high levels of deprivation and poor physical and mental health. The three major causes of ill health and death are cardiovascular disease, cancer and respiratory disease. The prevalence of these diseases is above both national and regional averages.

NHS England (Merseyside) was officially launched on 1 April 2013 and incorporates six Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) – Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, South Sefton, Southport and Formby and St Helens.

NHS Property Services Ltd, Community Health Partnerships, Liverpool and Sefton Health Partnership and Renova Developments are working together in partnership to provide strategic estate and facilities services within the area covered by NHS Merseyside. This is called the Merseyside Property Partnership (MPP).

NHS Property Services is wholly owned by the Secretary of State and was formed on 1 April 2013 to manage the estate that was previously held by Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities. The company owns and manages the estate on behalf of NHS England and CCGs. This covers 4,000 properties, from GP surgeries and health centres to administrative buildings, with a total asset value of over £3bn. The portfolio covers some 11.5% of the total NHS estate.

NHS Property Services’ role includes strategic estate management and facilities management. It acts both as landlord and provider of support services, such as cleaning and catering. It also buys new NHS facilities and disposes of those that commissioners declare surplus to NHS requirements.

Because it has grown over a long period of time through local procurement processes, the NHS Property Services estate is subject to huge variations nationally. Similarly, working practices, including FM arrangements and contract management, are subject to large differences nationally. This means that the initial aim of NHS Property Services has been to streamline and consolidate contracts and ways of working to produce one set methodology. This is designed to stop replication and, by taking advantage of the

company’s size and buying power, deliver some true savings to the NHS.

Dennis Markey, Chief Operating Officer at NHS Property Services, explained: “Previously, each PCT [Primary Care Trust] had their own way and their own belief in terms of how FM should be delivered. By the creation of NHS Property Services, we can define a standard way of doing things, from delivery of services to contract management, and this brings massive opportunities and estimated savings annually in excess of £100m.”

Alongside this, he adds, and to ensure efficiencies continue to accrue, it is important that the estates function and commissioning functions are aligned in the medium term in order to improve utilisation and prioritise FM spend on parts of the estate with longevity, rather than take a ‘scatter gun’ approach to filling a building and investing in maintenance works. He says: “By doing this, there will be no wastage of capital and redundant and surplus estate can be sold, generating further revenue savings.”

NHS Property Services’ nationwide focus during the company’s first year has been stability and getting to grips with the huge variations across the estate it inherited. It is now moving into a more dynamic second year where the focus has evolved into streamlining the corporate structure and activities in order to determine a set way of working that limits replication and delivers true savings that enhance the NHS estate and its facilities for the benefit of patients, commissioners, tenants and staff.

Prior to the formation of MPP, Liverpool and Sefton Health Partnership and Renova Developments worked in partnership with the PCTs, contributing to the Strategic Service Delivery Plan for the area, which included the development of 31 new primary care and community health centres, which they managed and ran.

John Garrett, LAT Coordinator (Merseyside) and Senior Management Team, describes the benefits of providing a good quality estate to the local community.

“In Liverpool, for example, we developed an ‘out of hospital’ strategy – so where, historically a range of services had been provided within an acute, i.e. hospital setting, it was decided that these could be moved into a primary care setting.”

Taking the example of diabetes care; up until the last couple of years diabetes sufferers would have to undergo regular hospital appointments for check-ups relating to their condition. This was due to historical reasons, rather than any need for them to attend an acute care facility. It was decided it would make more strategic sense to move their care out into the community, and make the facilities more accessible to patients.

“However,” explains Garrett, “the problem was that there wasn’t necessarily always the appropriate accommodation. There might be an old GP surgery that may have been in a converted house, or an old clinic that had been there for the last 30 years that was no longer fit for purpose.

“So we developed a neighbourhood model, which for example in Liverpool

meant delivering a key building in 18 neighbourhoods that could deliver the core primary care services. Some of that was done quite easily by upgrading and converting existing buildings, but in a number of instances it required the provision of a new facility that had the flexibility to deliver a much wider range of services closer to home for that population.”

fOrMatiON Of MPPMerseyside Property Partnership is a

collaboration between Liverpool and Sefton Health Partnerships and Renova Developments, and was formed to work with NHS Property Services and Community Health Partnerships. It offers estate management services in the Merseyside area by utilising the combined local team of Liverpool and Sefton Health Partnership, Renova Developments and NHS Property Services.

The basis of the arrangement is to work in partnership to manage and invest in the NHS estates staff, and increase the capacity of the existing arrangements to deliver efficiencies and savings for NHS Property Services.

MPP allows both Liverpool and Sefton Health Partnership and Renova Developments to work in partnership with the local CCGs to help facilitate the rationalisation of the current estate and invest in new estate within a shorter timescale.

The arrangement also supports the corporate mission that Merseyside Property Partnership maintains a position as partner of choice for the NHS in matters relating to the estate in Merseyside.

The joint venture approach has three objectives:

To provide a very high level of service to all tenants on a day-to-day basis. To reduce the cost of the estate to the local health economy while increasing the average quality of the premises from which services are delivered (Quality and Productivity).To provide insights and ideas that could form the basis of a new way of working to be rolled out throughout England (Quality, Innovation and Productivity).

challeNges fOr MPPAs outlined above, the FM function

nationally was disparate and ad hoc. Some of the challenges this presented within the

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Merseyside area included: A large number of non-standardised hard and soft FM contracts; historically these were procured by the PCTs but were no longer in line with the geographical boundaries of the new NHS Property Services local areas and regions. The FM strategy and function was not uniform; whilst many areas had opted to outsource the service, there were still a large number of in-house staff performing the function. Where contracts have been outsourced, there were many contracts with the same providers up and down the country with an enormous variation in price and service specs. There was evidence that no real thought and regard had been given to the appropriateness of service specs; for example, under-utilised buildings with unused areas were being cleaned twice a day. Rates and utilities were not harmonised into the relevant areas and regions.

Alongside this was the recognition that sustained and radical action was required to close the gap between the poor health and high mortality rates that characterise Merseyside, one of England’s most deprived areas.

The LIFT companies, Liverpool and Sefton Health Partnership, and Renova Developments, became the tool for the

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development of these plans and drove their delivery.

According to Becky Caffrey, General Manager at Renova, one of the key benefits of the Merseyside Property Partnerships is the way the joined-up approach can benefit patients. She explains that where previously PCTs worked on their own, with each community operating their own services, under the new partnership they “were able to take a strategic look across the whole area of six CCGs, and found that Liverpool was the most advanced in ensuring that patients have only a 15 minute walk to be able to get to a GP.

“So we applied this matrix across the other districts of Merseyside, meaning that now, all patients, regardless of where they live, have the same kind of access within 15 minutes of their GP.”

It was also recognised that surplus capacity existed across the estate – with many services continuing to be provided from poor quality premises that no longer provided a sustainable contribution.

As a result, a database has been created of all the available estate within Merseyside; what it does now and where services are currently located. This includes data on what condition the building is in and how many patients are seen on average. From this data, MPP has produced a strategy that recommends the longer term clinical commissioning and estates plans for each CCG.

surgery session. That helps us determine whether there are enough GP rooms to be able to accommodate all of the patients who need to see the GP. Then we include some data on the number of over 65s, as we must assume demand would be higher for services for patients over 65.”

In line with Simon Stevens’ belief that the NHS must respond to the pace of digital and medical advancements, the partnership is also investing in new technologies. For example, in a walk-in centre that offers x-ray facilities, a digital image can be linked back to an acute centre (i.e. a hospital) where a consultant or senior medic can confirm a diagnosis. This means that treatment for a broken bone could commence immediately, without the patient having to attend a busy A&E.

Says Caffrey: “The buildings that we supply are being future proofed in terms of

technology, and we are trying to encourage that through the design of the buildings which are increasingly accommodating improved digital and IT systems.”

lessONs learNtEstates and FM have always been rather

neglected as they’re often viewed as ‘Cinderella services’ peripheral to the delivery of clinical services. What the work that MPP has done has shown the commissioners of clinical services that service redesign, aimed at improving health outcomes, the patient experience and reducing costs, is completely dependent on the infrastructure through which these services are delivered and how they are managed, both strategically and on a daily basis. FM and asset management are also extremely interlinked.

The leaders of the CCGs now understand this simple fact and are pleased to have a trusted partner that can take care of infrastructure issues, leaving them to concentrate on clinical issues. This is a massive and very important turnaround in attitude towards the estates and facilities function.

In addition to this, an undoubted benefit of the MPP has been in the pooling of its expertise and resources between the four organisations; representing the public sector, private sector, and in the case of the LIFT companies, a combined public/ private organisation.

Says Garrett: “We’ve got a range of staff who are working for the private sector, others who are working for the LIFT company, and those who are working for NHS Property Services, so they are public sector staff; and I would challenge you to tell me who works for who. We work

together and we work in partnership.”To enhance that partnership working,

MPP is undergoing organisational development and culture change under the banner of ‘Improving Organisational Effectiveness’. This is fostering integrated working across the four organisations, in particular allowing NHS Property Services staff to develop and introduce a commercial and financially sustainable insight and more customer focused drive to everyday working and decision-making processes.

Says Markey: “If we get this right we are providing FM services from neither the public sector nor the private sector. We’re providing a third way; which is a commercialised vehicle that isn’t seeking to make a profit for shareholders and directors but savings that feed directly to the NHS. And that transposes into more money for the health service.”

The coming together of the Mersey Property Partnership demonstrates the contribution a strategic facilities management programme can make to an area.

As a result of the partnership, patients living in highly deprived communities across Merseyside – which is characterised by low income, high unemployment and long term illnesses9 – now have access to first class facilities offering high quality, integrated health and social care services within a 15 minute journey from their homes – delivered through a combination of new buildings, the refurbishment of existing facilities, and a focus on the delivery of consolidated and efficient services. Working in partnership, the different functions complement and assist one another, working towards a shared goal – a better patient experience.

rics.org/facilitiesmanagement

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Explains Caffrey: “Opportunities might include where it’s possible to rationalise some estates because there are just a few sessions going on, or it’s an old building but there is a LIFT building up the road that isn’t fully utilised, so we find inside opportunities like that.”

This pooling of data is resulting in better management of the estate with improved utilisation and contract management; driving real value that contributes to wider savings while aligning to clinical commissioning plans.

The review of property requirements has released some £2m in capital receipts and £250,000 of recurrent expenditure by unblocking the disposals process of currently vacant and surplus estate.

The rationalisation and increased utilisation of the remaining NHS Property Services estate is the next focus, and a proposal has been submitted to NHS Property Services by Merseyside Property Partnership to commence the service across all of their estates.

Another important area of review for Merseyside Property Partnership was to coordinate and lead the re-procurement of services, including:

hard FM services; soft FM services; energy; rent – by giving notice when able and renegotiating terms; and insurance – (recognising that some assets are ‘self-insured’).

Priority has been given to the procurement of hard and soft FM services. As NHS MPP is now the largest NHS landlord in the Merseyside area it has the buying power to achieve a more competitively priced service.

Explains Dennis Markey: “[The partnership] means in practice that rather than having individual FM contracts for each

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individual building or selection of buildings in a series of relatively small geographic areas, we can integrate both the soft services and the hard services.”

In practice this means that operating across the six different PCTs, instead of each one having different suppliers and SLAs, services are rationalised and brought into one contract for the whole of Merseyside – which can result in greater efficiency and cost savings.

The re-procurement projects are now being implemented in a phased process to reduce annual recurrent expenditure in these areas from £15m to £12m, equivalent to 20% savings.

future PlaNsA decision was taken by the Board

to embark on a strategic estate planning exercise in order to better understand commissioning intentions and the existing estate of the whole health system. The Strategic Estates Plans were developed for each of the six CCGs on Merseyside, along with a framework to assess requirements for GP and primary care premises across the area. The Strategic Estates Plans are now moving into implementation phase.

This will enable the team to design estates solutions that respond to these requirements; the utilisation of core buildings will be improved (reducing void costs) and sites and buildings can be disposed of (providing capital receipts and delivering reduced running costs).

For example, in Widnes the commissioners (CCG) identified the need for more diagnostic facilities in the community to reduce the number of people attending A&E unnecessarily.

One of the existing LIFT buildings, Widnes Health Care Resource Centre, in the town centre has been fitted with x-ray and ultrasound equipment and an urgent care

centre created on the ground floor. Where previously the top floor contained expensive and under-utilised office space, it is now being renovated into clinical accommodation.

Says Caffrey: “Once it’s fully utilised we will be able to get rid of three buildings in the locality that aren’t in great condition and move all the services into the best condition building, the LIFT building. That’s a big project that has come out of this strategic work.”

A programme to expand the Centre Management services across the estate is also under consideration. This will also support the implementation of strategic estates plans for NHS England and each CCG by improving utilisation and estates capacity with more conveniently located and higher quality cost efficient estate. A further £3-4m of savings are targeted to be achieved over the next three years in this area.

To help meet this target the MPP is working with the CCGs to formulate a locality plan. Taking the St Helens area as an example, data will be compiled on the demographics of the area, the patients who use the facilities, and what services are available to them. With this data, explains Garrett, the MPP can develop a locality plan that helps it draw up a strategy for the St Helens health care economy.

Taking this long-term strategic approach will also help improve the level of health care services in the future. Caffrey explains the data can chart population increase or population growth, which enables the MPP to check current capacity and the impact population growth could have on future health services.

“We did some modelling around how many times people go to the GP for example,” says Caffrey, “and how many patients one GP could see in a typical

Liverpool and Sefton Health Partnership and Renova Developments are two neighbouring LIFT companies covering the NHS Merseyside area. These companies were procured over ten years ago to act as the strategic estates partners to the then PCTs in the area.

The public private partnership is 60% owned by the private sector (GB Consortium at LSHP and Fulcrum Group at Renova Developments) and 40% by Community Health Partnership, the sister company of NHS Property Services.

Community Health Partnerships is the 40% shareholder in Liverpool and Sefton Health Partnership and Renova Developments and also the head tenant in the LIFT estate, which represents 70% of all medical estate or 50% of total estate in the area. CHP’s aim is to work with NHS and other public sector partners to support a strategic approach to the planning and use of the primary healthcare and community estate to drive efficiencies and savings.

FIND OUT HOW YOUR ORGANISATION CAN BENEFIT, CALL OUR ENGINEERING TEAM:

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If you are supplied by MV/HV voltage from the grid (11kV) the Wilson e2 is the most cost effective Voltage management solution available today.

We’re happy to recommend the Wilson e2 transformer as part of an integrated

approach to energy savings.Tesco Technical Standards Manager

Installing Wilson e2 transformers at Whipps Cross hospital is an effortless way of driving down operating costs

and lower emissions.Director of Estates & Facilities,

Whipps Cross University Hospital - NHS Trust

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Against the uncertainty of a major business problem there is born an opportunity, the risk of blackouts has the potential to create business opportunities. Demand both for UPS solutions and diesel powered backup generators is likely to rise. These need to be managed, using reliable and appropriate software to ensure that they “kick in” and operate effectively. Companies will be under more pressure to control their energy usage, which should heighten interest in Building Energy Management Software.

Suppliers of CHP solutions can offer the potential to escape the effects of power outages, and cutting their energy bills, while also reducing their carbon footprint. If the demands are not high enough to warrant a private CHP system, a group of companies can come together to use their own district energy system, supplying both heat and power, and even potentially cooling (even in the UK an outage could strike during a hot summer).

A further benefit is that heat networks can be used to store energy, in the form of heat that can be used hours, or even months after it is produced.

It will probably only take one major outage for the current concern to become a widespread panic. Every company should be looking at its contingency plan now and making sure that it can keep on smiling through the darkness.

Colin Pearson is a Head of the Building Performance Investigation team in the Sustainable Construction at BSRIA, he also lecturers on a number of the BSRIA courses including the new “Introduction to Power Quality” course.

For more information please contact Colin at [email protected].

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energy-manager-magazine

eNergy


The UK power supply network is complex with a range of large and small power stations fed by different fuels at varying prices. Some are new and efficient, others old and inefficient. Some are clean and others produce sulphurous emissions. This makes the job of predicting

the power network capacity very difficult, but Ofgem produces an annual update to its assessment of the most likely peak demand and the most likely available capacity. Ofgem’s Winter Outlook 2014-15 report was published today (28 October 2014). It says the likely margin of supply over demand is now just 4.1% or 2.3 GW. This is based on average winter conditions so an extreme cold spell could push the supply network to its limits and possibly lead to outages. Loss of a large power station such as Didcot B at a critical time could also lead to outages. Of course there are reserves, some old polluting power stations can be brought back into service and maintenance work can be postponed to increase supply for short periods. Ofgem has also secured an extra 1.1 GW of so-called Balancing Services, planned demand reduction and standby generation that brings the margin back to 6.1%. So the situation is more precarious than any winter since 2006 but Ofgem are still saying power outages are ‘unlikely’.

BSRIA published an article with advice to business electricity users last February which looks at reviewing the risks and control measures applicable to their facilities.

“a hurricaNe ON the way”“Earlier on today, apparently a woman phoned the BBC and said

she heard there was a hurricane on the way…well, if you’re watching don’t worry, there isn’t”. An infamous quote from BBC weatherman Michael Fish which has entered into British Folklore, as that night a hurricane did arrive leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

In a recent e-mail to Andrew Eastwell, CEO of BSRIA, a Government official said “the chances of involuntary power outages are low since risks to security of electricity supply are being managed by Government”, if Michael Fish taught us anything it is that confidence, however well-intentioned can be misplaced.

It’s been almost 40 years since Britain last experienced serious and sustained power outages, and the “3 day week” entered national mythology. Since then the British business model has changed almost beyond recognition, but electrical power has become even more central to the way we do things, making it hard to believe that there would be a return to the bad old days.

Which is why news that the UK’s national safety margin for electricity supply has fallen to a nail-biting 2% has rightly created shock waves in the business world, especially as businesses are likely to bear the brunt of any outages.

Whilst the majority of power failures would last only a few hours, there is the potential for some to be of a longer duration with the consequence of shutting down production at companies and critical infrastructure such as telecommunication networks, financial services. How many businesses have considered the impact of this on the different areas of their business from production capacity, cash flow,

protection of information and even security as increasingly commercial premises operate sophisticated security systems.

An area which can often be overlooked is the impact on your business of a supplier suffering from power outage, if your supplier is unable to provide components or services the consequence to your business is the same as if you directly suffered the power outage.

real cOstAnalysis from the US have shown that there is a real cost in

power outages where even a relatively short outage of 30 mins can lead to a loss in excess of $15,000 for medium and large organisations. A large organisation may operate from multiple sites reducing the overall impact on their business, the impact maybe disproportionately higher for SME’s, as these organisations are unlikely to have skilled resource to undertake a risk assessment and develop a contingency plan.

While many organisations may feel that the power outages are beyond their control, there are a number of activities that businesses can do to mitigate this risk, most of which should be considered good practice anyway.

The most fundamental activity is to identify which services are so critical to their core operations that even a short outage could be dangerous, or risk causing catastrophic damage to finances or reputation. These may not be the obvious ones and may not even be on your premises. For example, if you trade mainly through your website and it is hosted on a third party server, can you cope if it’s down, even for a short time?

Having prioritised the key services you can undertake a risk analysis identifying the strategy to manage the risk, this can include reduction, avoidance, transfer or retaining the risk. Once you have an understanding of the potential risk and the consequence of the risk should it become a reality, a strategy can be developed including analysing the return on the investment for the implementation of the strategy to the potential loss caused by the power outage.

Consideration should be given to the need for full scale backup generators that will keep your operations going for several hours? Is a UPS essential to ensure that your key services aren’t knocked out even for seconds or minutes? Is CHP (Combined Heat and Power) a viable option for your company, in which case you could gain security and potentially even export electricity to the grid?

Any contingency plan should include the human element. Would the staff know what to do if disaster strikes? Is working from home a practical option and do they have the facilities they need for this?

wheN the lights gO Out

eNergy


Businesses should not worry about government’s new energy regulations. If they act swiftly and wisely, energy analyses can save them plenty of money, argues Graham James, VP of CACI’s Business Intelligence group.

As the government implements its Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS), many companies are anxious about how it will affect them. The instinctive reaction from the business world to new regulations is often one of exasperation. But in this case it should not be.

A major part of the scheme is new energy audit requirements, which in practice means that companies will have to measure and report their energy use in a whole new way. Government demands thorough reports and evaluations of how energy use can be managed more efficiently. The effort put into this, however, can end up being repaid generously.

CACI’s calculations for its energy management programme indicate that businesses can save between 5 and 15 percent of their energy bill through energy monitoring and targeting – if they know how to analyse the new information and act on it. Being sustainability leaders is also a good way of attracting investors. What may seem like an added burden can therefore end up becoming a profitable opportunity.

esOs iN PractiseOne of the direct consequences of the scheme is that businesses

will be required to install so-called ‘smart meters’: replacements for existing gas and electricity meters, which will report data directly to energy suppliers. This will give energy companies more information than before and make bills more accurate. It will also form part of a whole new ‘smart grid’, providing energy companies with added data about the whole energy lifecycle.

A great advance for energy companies, then, but so what for those businesses with a high energy spend? Government claims the meters will help trigger energy efficiency improvements in equipment and buildings. And they can – if businesses take the time to act on the new information. It is estimated that UK businesses are collectively missing out on a cost-saving opportunity of up to £1.6 billion through investment in energy efficiency. This is on top of a potential increase in worker productivity of 14% from investment in environmental systems such as better temperature and ventilation control.

Reporting the opportunities for increasing efficiency will be mandatory under the new scheme, while acting on the opportunities will be voluntary. Not acting on the opportunities will be expensive. For the government, increasing efficiency will mean reducing the nation’s overall carbon emissions, getting them in line with international obligations. For businesses, it will mean money saved – plain and simple.

hOw tO saveSo what can companies do to convert the ESOS’s potential threat

to profitability into a business opportunity? A few important steps, modelled after CACI’s energy analytics programme, will help achieve this.

First, businesses need to analyse two sets of data for energy monitoring and targeting schemes to be successful – driving factors and consumption. Driving factors data needs to be analysed in conjunction with consumption data to help determine how much energy should have been used. Driving factors are recurrent and measureable, and their variation explains deviations in energy consumption; they include weather, production throughput and hours of darkness.

Second, businesses need analytical capabilities to transform the new inflow of data into meaningful information. This will let them identify the exact areas where efficiency can be improved. Good analytical software will let companies integrate data from a number of sources and formats – such as building management systems, meters and local excel spreadsheets – and model different scenarios for energy use. They can then, for instance, work out if moving an energy-intensive production process to a different time will have a beneficial effect on energy consumption. Such features are invaluable in making strategic decisions.

Third, sharing energy data with all departments of a company and establishing key performance indicators, operational targets and benchmarks will help everyone make better choices. Involving the whole organisation and collaborating across workgroups will allow everybody to work smarter than before. Businesses should have user friendly interactive dashboards that allow employees to visualise energy consumption data in a straightforward manner. This will enable them to analyse, interpret and report their usage efficiently. It will help avoid wasting time and labour resources unnecessarily in meeting the new government demands, and provide businesses with the initial analyses they need to make their savings.

Results are measured on the bottom line – and that is exactly where a thorough energy analysis programme will display its merits.

staNdiNg Out frOM the crOwdIn terms of enforcing compliance, the ESOS has been described

as ‘firm, but flexible’. There is, for instance, no prescribed methodology for preparing figures on greenhouse gas emissions; and if it is impossible for a company to collect all the information required for a report, they may be given the option to excuse any omissions. Several other details of the scheme are also open for interpretation.

This gives businesses a choice: they can decide to de-prioritise energy reporting and limp by on minimum requirements, or they can take the opportunity to do more than complying and stand out as industry leaders. Corporate investors are increasingly considering environmental data and risks as part of their calculations for companies’ performances – and will only do more of this in the future. Staying one step ahead of investors rather than one step behind is usually a sound business strategy.

Not only can energy analyses save companies money on their energy bills, then; it can also help them improve processes, maintain reliability and increase energy efficiency through maximising the use of existing assets without compromising product quality or output. To achieve this, they will need an energy management solution like CACI’s energy analytics programme to integrate energy management with business operations.

less eNergy, MOre POwerCutting back on energy usage can save companies significant

sums of money, giving them higher profits to re-invest in business opportunities. It can also help them differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive business world, where investors are analysing ever more aspects of a company’s performance.

The ESOS, which initially may seem like a chore, will facilitate energy savings by providing businesses with new information on which to base their strategic decisions. All they need to do is to have a system that lets them utilise the new data. It will be up to the individual companies to decide on whether to seize this opportunity or not.

Visit http://www.caci.co.uk/energy-management-solutions for more information.

takiNg the Bills By the hOrNs: New energy scheme is a business opportunity

eNergy


Following the release of the Synthesis report by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), highlighting the need to reduce Carbon usage, BSRIA provides some useful tips on how to help reduce Carbon within your organisation.

Non-domestic buildings in the UK are responsible for about a fifth of the country’s total carbon emissions. As the majority of existing buildings will still be in use by 2050, improving energy performance of existing buildings is important to help the country to meet their emission reduction targets.

Energy can be saved by better control and management of the systems with large energy consumption associated with them to eliminate the waste. In non-domestic buildings, the installed Heating, Ventilation and Cooling system (HVAC) is normally the highest energy consumer with lighting the second biggest load and a major source of internal heat. Small power loads are not only a considerable energy consumer but it contributes significantly to internal heat gains too.

To enhance energy performance of buildings in operation, operators and occupants have vital roles to play. Below is a list of simple low/no cost energy efficiency measures that the operators can implement in their buildings. Some of these measures require occupants’ cooperation and can even lead to desired behaviour change.

eNergy caN Be saved By:Conducting regular energy audits to determine where and how energy is used in the building Measuring HVAC weather-dependent energy consumption, using degree days, regularly (e.g. quarterly) to ensure the system is correctly adjusted based on the outdoor temperatureIncreasing operating efficiency of chillers, boilers and cooling equipment via proactive service and planned maintenanceCalibrating thermostats and sensors and increase the operating set-points to allow a larger temperature difference that reflects the outside conditions (e.g. raising the set-point in the summer to 24 degrees and reducing it in the winter to 19 degrees) Reminding occupants, via emails, posters, etc., to dress appropriately to the time of yearModification of controls to prevent heating and cooling systems from operating simultaneously Implementing setback plans to reduce or eliminate HVAC use during unoccupied hoursEnsure radiators (if any) are working to their full capacity (e.g. no blockages internally or externally) so that portable heaters can be removed Ensuring that heating/cooling doesn’t escape the building via windows left open, and checking for drafts through leaky windows and doors

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Using energy efficient lamps (e.g. T-8 ,compact fluorescents (CFLs) or LEDs) that not only can help cut lighting operational costs but also enhance lighting qualityEnsuring the workstation allocation is aligned with the artificial lighting requirements of the work to remove the need for extra task lamps;Improve lighting control by labelling manual light switches (if any) to remind and encourage occupants to turn lights off when they are not in use, installing occupancy sensors especially in rooms that are frequently unoccupied, check whether the daylight sensors (if any) are working correctly , reminding occupants to adjust the window blinds (if any), when there is no glare issue, to make the most of daylight and also by checking the default time delay for the lights with PIRs sensors (if any) to ensure it is not too long for different areasMeasuring light levels in different zones regularly (e.g. very month) to ensure not too high wattage lighting is in useUsing energy efficient (ENERGY STAR® rated) equipment throughout the buildingRaising occupants’ energy awareness and encouraging/ reminding them to switch off their appliances when they are not in use

[email protected]

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15 siMPle carBON reduciNg tiPsBy Ian Orme - Team Leader with the Sustainable Construction Group at BSRIA

Figure 1: Factors influencing energy consumption in buildings

eNergy - lightiNg


Many schools are starting to realise the value of installing LED lighting – both in creating a better environment for learning and in generating substantial energy savings. Earlsmann has recently helped the Marist Schools in Sunninghill, Berkshire,

to replace fluorescent lighting in classrooms and corridors with LEDs. The new bright, high-quality lighting is helping the school to nurture the next generation of talent while also generating savings of up to 85% on its energy bills.

rePlaciNg fluOresceNt tuBes tO create eveN, clear light iN classrOOMs aNd cOrridOrs

The Marist Schools recognised that the existing fluorescent tube fittings in classrooms and corridors were becoming increasingly inefficient to run. Light levels were patchy and various types of tubes were being used, from warm white to cool white, giving uneven illumination. Procurement of replacement tubes was time

consuming and expensive, as tubes needed to be replaced often and had to be sourced from several different suppliers. The Schools needed a new lighting solution that created a well-lit, pleasant environment where students could thrive – and which provided significant energy savings.

high-PerfOrMiNg leds suPPOrt high educatiONal achieveMeNt

Earlsmann carried out a survey to understand the Schools’ requirements and design the right solution. Turin LED lighting panels were selected based on a combination of price and performance. The Turin offers a colour rendering index of 80 and excellent uniformity of light, with minimal glare. The clear, bright lighting reduces the risk of eye strain and so is ideal for academic or office environments. The flat lighting panels are fitted with dimming functionality and sensors that reduce lighting levels to 10% when areas are not in active use. This pre-set feature helps to maximise energy savings while maintaining ambient lighting that creates a feeling of safety and security.

earlsMaNN: a ONe-stOP shOP fOr yOur led lightiNg Needs

Earlsmann provided the Marist Schools with a complete LED lighting solution. This included the 600mm LED panels with dimming drivers, sensors, emergency packs, surface kits and suspended ceiling kits. The first phase of lighting installation took place during the 2014 summer holidays. Following this work, Rachel Frier, the Schools’ bursar, provided positive feedback on the impact of the new lighting, saying “The motion sensor lighting has made a real difference to what was quite a dark corridor, and the classrooms are brighter without glare so the teachers and students are pleased”.

five-year warraNty fOr tOtal Peace Of MiNd

Earlsmann is a UK manufacturer and supplier of LED lighting units and has its factory in the UK, ensuring a high-quality, reliable product underpinned by a full five-year warranty. The company provides a comprehensive range of lighting solutions to suit every interior and exterior application.

Find out more about Earlsmann’s commercial lighting products at www.earlsmann.co.uk, call 08456 434 740 or email [email protected].

New led lightiNg scOres tOP Marks at Berkshire schOOl

eNergy

The ‘Pride Project’ for NHS Northumberland Tyne and Wear was set up to improve mental health and dementia care inpatient facilities for people living in Sunderland and South Tyneside.

The £60 million capital project consisted of a new 122 bed hospital on the former Ryhope hospital site and a new 24-bed dementia care unit on the Monkwearmouth Hospital site in Sunderland.

The new facilities needed an efficient and reliable heating and hot water system that would meet the strict energy standards required for new buildings and supply heating and hot water for the patients 24/7.

With energy efficiency being a key driver to product selection the Project Manager at Crown House Technologies, chose to specify Hamworthy Heating’s condensing water heater, the Dorchester DR-FC Evo, and Fleet condensing wall hung boilers. The products offer gross seasonal efficiencies up to 98% and 97% respectively.

The Project Manager commented, “I selected Hamworthy’s condensing water heater for this project as it has exceptional efficiencies and comprehensive controls that enhance the energy saving condensing performance. From past experience I know it is a product I can really depend on. This coupled with the wall hung condensing boiler all sourced from one supplier helps to simplify the solution, particularly as the mechanical and electrical equipment is just one part of a much larger project.”

The new hospital, named Hopewood Park, comprises six, 18-bed, wards and a 14-bed psychiatric intensive care unit, plus offices, a café, treatment suites and a faith centre. With the hospital split into wards each has their own dedicated plant room with the same equipment and layout. A Fleet wall hung boiler and two Dorchester DR-FC Evo water heaters, with varying outputs depending on the heat demand and hot water usage, are installed in each plant room. Altogether six boilers and twelve water heaters are installed at Hopewood Park and one boiler with two water heaters installed at Monkwearmouth Hospital.

The Project Manager concluded, “All deadlines were met on the project. The hospital has been up and running for six months and we are all pleased with the outcome of the project.”

Both products exceed the minimum efficiency required for new buildings outlined in the Building Regulations Part L 2013 and the Energy Related Products directive which will take effect from September next year.

For advice on making the right choice for your heating and hot water systems, talk to Hamworthy; telephone 0845 450 2865, email [email protected], or visit www.hamworthy-heating.com

haMwOrthy cONdeNsiNg BOilers aNd water heaters take Pride Of Place at hOPewOOd Park hOsPital


eNergy - BiOMass


Biomass heating is becoming an increasingly popular choice for organisations to work towards a low-carbon future, as it qualifies under the Government’s renewable heat incentive (RHI).

However, according to industry experts, the latest increase in the RHI tariff from one pence per kilowatt of heat produced (p/kWh) to two p/kWh for commercial biomass boilers exceeding 1 MW is expected to lead to a rise in the demand for prefabricated biomass energy centres.

Peter Lester, product manager at Econergy, a British Gas company, said: “The new higher RHI tariff, introduced in May 2014 offers a significant financial incentive, and the implications can already be seen, with plans underway for larger-scale projects - both retrofit and new-build - throughout the UK.”

Highly suitable for schools, commercial properties and rural estates, these heat systems are also being used in large district heating schemes and affordable housing projects where keeping down the cost of fuel and reducing carbon emissions has become a top priority.

Econergy is currently installing new low-carbon biomass communal heating schemes for Solihull Community Housing (SCH), in West Midlands, in its 1960s high-rise social housing stock, under the British Gas ECO programme.

The project will use multiple ‘Ecoblox’ – Econergy’s pre-fabricated biomass fuelled energy centres – to replace tenants’ electric heating in a total of 1,156 flats and is expected to save approximately 100,000 tonnes of carbon over their lifetime.

Ecoblox ‘plug and play’ solutions are purpose-built, stand-alone structures that house a high-quality, wood chip or pellet fuelled Austrian-manufactured biomass boiler from Fröling, complete with premium mechanical and electrical components as well as the fuel store, controls, plumbing and electrics, chimney, lighting and ventilation.

These systems will efficiently and consistently match the levels of heat provided by gas or oil-fuelled systems, while offering significant savings, both in the installation process and in heating costs.

Off-site construction allows for fast and simple site installations, as prefabricated elements can be broken down for transport and rapidly assembled in position on site.

The centre can be positioned away from the main building, which can be an advantage from both a practical and aesthetic perspective. At all sites, wood chips are received using Econergy’s fast auger (loading) systems which can take ground-level deliveries from a variety of standard tipping vehicles with minimum noise and dust.

Peter Lester added: “The benefits of using Ecoblox is that there is very little disruption during the installation phase, with no loss of heat for tenants during the works, or tenants having to move out. The new systems will greatly reduce the cost of heat, typically by up to 40 per cent, and the new smart meters and pay-as-you-go heat billing systems will help tenants manage their heating costs more efficiently.”

For further information of Ecoblox and other Econergy, a British Gas company products please contact Adam West 0870 0545 554 or visit www.econergy.ltd.uk/ecoblox

New higher rate Of rhi eNcOurages use Of BiOMass eNergy ceNtres

hOw dO we chOOse what tO Put iN?Knowing what to ask is key when choosing an LED lighting

installer. Going for a tried and tested installer with a history of successful school installations is a good place to start. In addition, ask to see the LM80 data for the LEDs being used in their fittings (this is a standardised testing regime used to show the reliability and quality of the LED devices). As a basic guide, look for LEDs that have a L70 at miniumum of 50,000 hours and that have a colour temperature of 5,000k (this is a daylight temperature coloured light that has been shown to improve concentration levels in students by suppressing the production of melatonin). Make sure that the colour rendering index (CRI) is greater than 80 – this is a measure of the quality of the light produced which enables colours to correctly rendered. Also ask suppliers about their standard warranties – a minimum of 5 years is recommended but enquire whether the supplier will provide a warranty to match the funding duration.

Lighting design needs to be fit for purpose, so prospective suppliers should be asking what the space will be used for and whether there are any specific user requirements, such as using ‘teaching mode’ on the controls to dim lighting near the white boards. They should also ask what the school’s motivation for having LED lighting is (better lighting, saving money, increasing student focus and productivity or increasing head room in the power supply to support a building extension), so that they can present a lighting scheme that doesn’t just work, but works for that school’s specific requirements.

Sam Elms, Chief Executive of The Business Academy, Bexley comments: “Installing LED lighting was the logical next step in our efforts to develop a greener and healthier learning environment for our students. We discussed the additional features that a lighting control system would offer us. The fact that we were able to proceed with the programme without the need to find any capital was a significant incentive.” Paying the bank back out of the energy savings it achieves from its reduced lighting bill, the academy is not only insulated from electricity price rises on its lighting bill over the coming years, but it is also able to reap significant savings on the school’s lighting maintenance costs.

If you haven’t already, why not begin to explore the potential of investing in a highly sustainable, money saving lighting solution that combines the best in LED and light control technology and gives your students a stimulating learning space?

www.lutron.com/europe

eNergy - lightiNg


Universities have been amongst the biggest early adopters of LED lighting but now schools of all shapes and sizes can make the most of this energy saving technology. Sam Woodward, Customer Education Leader, Europe and Africa at Lutron, leading provider

of lighting controls, discusses how combining LEDs with controls can drive down energy bills in schools.

is led lightiNg wOrth it?Traditionally schools have been lit by inefficient T12 and T8

fluorescent fittings and over the years they have been slowly replaced by slightly more efficient T8’s and recently with a more efficient T5 fitting. However, with the major energy savings that LED’s are demonstrating, every school can now benefit from making the switch to the latest and ever improving LED technology.

According to Joseph Stewart, Lighting Development Manager of the LASER energy buying group: “We measure the energy before and after LED lighting is installed and by replacing older lighting with this highly efficient light source, a minimum of 70-80% of lighting energy consumption savings can be made. This equates to a reduction of between 20-40% energy consumption of the whole building. Adding lighting controls to this can only make the savings even greater.” A case in point is The Business Academy, Bexley, which recently made the switch to LED lighting, combined with Lutron lighting controls and now saves £25,000 per year on electricity bills and 125 tons of CO2 per year.

Sam Woodward at Lutron comments: “To maximise energy efficiency on a project we take a three-pronged approach: a more efficient light source, from LEDs, combined with best-in-class driver efficiency and then also deploying automatic controls to ensure that fixtures are not lit when they do not need to be. This triple-technology approach maximises energy-saving to reduce payback times.”

hOw dO we get fuNdiNg? Payback times on finance packages, such as SALIX, have

traditionally been too short to allow smaller schools to qualify for finance. SALIX has taken this into account and schools can now apply for an eight year payback scheme, enabling LED lighting to be funded in even the smallest schools.

In addition, lighting controls can now be added to schools and colleges through staged applications. Terry John, Technical Specifications Manager, at 8point3 Limited, a leading supplier of LED lighting for schools, comments: “We have delivered a wide range of LED installations including many within the education sector which have been funded through Salix. Each project was designed to deliver improvements to the lighting schemes whilst significantly reducing energy consumption - typically 70% when replacing T8 lighting. When paired with daylight control and occupancy sensors we are able to make additional energy savings and introduce additonal control and functionality to classrooms.”

For those schools that don’t achieve the requirements for SALIX funding, there are specific LED suppliers, such as 8point3, who have alternative funding routes. 8point3 provided the funding for Bexley Business Academy recently via a panel of EU banks, as at the time, SALIX did not fund academies.

driviNg dOwN eNergy Bills iN schOOls with lightiNg cONtrOls aNd led techNOlOgy

TypES of SavINgS ThaT caN bE achIEvED by SwITchINg To LED LIghTINg

School lighting energy load (pre-LED) = 68,794WSchool lighting energy load (Post-LED) = 18,621W4 year payback on the cost of the LED upgradeAnnual savings for the school of £18,348If combined with lighting controls, the savings can be even greater

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traiNiNg

�1PubLiC SECtor EStatES ManagEMEnt • novEMbEr 2014

The global economy is heading towards a perfect storm – business is now facing a perfect storm of pressure on all fronts. By 2020 the world economy

could be facing a supply deficit driven by global mega-trends, including; population growth, increasing demand for natural resources, soaring costs of energy - together with the impacts of climate change and ecosystem degradation. All are combining to pose significant challenges to the long-term success of business and the global economy.

The transition to a sustainable economy presents significant opportunities that business needs to grasp - and yet, according to a recent IEMA survey only 13% of companies are fully confident that they have the skills to successfully compete in the sustainable economy. With the evidence building that a sustainable economy can deliver significant opportunities for business – recent IEMA research has shown that businesses both small and large can save money through more efficient use of resources from £5,000 to over £1m per year; CBI research has also indicated that over one-third of UK economic growth was from green business.

“In the new business world, environment and sustainability can no longer be a bolt on, it needs to be part of businesses’ DNA. IEMA is launching its campaign “Preparing for the Perfecting Storm – Skills for a Sustainable Economy” to shine a light on this issue and catalyse action to address the skills deficit. Businesses need to urgently turn what is a growing and prevailing list of challenges into opportunities. The most effective way of grasping this opportunity is by ensuring that all businesses have access to a new set of skills – environment and sustainability – to ensure that UK plc and businesses globally can transition and survive in this new economy,” said Tim Balcon, CEO, IEMA.

ieMa BusiNess skills research – key fiNdiNgs

IEMA’s research into more than 900 businesses shows that many lack the basic skills to capitalise on the opportunities that a sustainable economy can offer and to guarantee their survival:

Skills to compete - Only 13% of companies are fully confident that they have the skills to successfully compete in a sustainable economy.Leadership gap - Only 25% of leaders, and 20% of senior managers, are fully capable of addressing the sustainability agenda.Funding gap - In 72% of organisations, investment in environment and sustainability skills is less than for other disciplines with 63% of organisations spending less than £100 per head on environment and sustainability training each year.Strategic challenge - 65% haven’t carried out a strategic evaluation of skills needed to successfully compete in a sustainable economy. Recruitment gap - Over half (53%) of organisations are unable to recruit environment and sustainability professionals with the right skills.

ieMa’s BusiNess caMPaigN – PartNers

There are businesses out there that are recognising the challenges and grasping them. IEMA’s campaign has brought together a growing number of businesses, organizations and individuals to raise awareness of this issue including BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, EDF Energy, EY and Saint-Gobain to collaborate and catalyse action on this issue.

“Environmental and sustainability skills are fundamental to ensuring that the global economy, and every business in the world, can survive. Governments, businesses, industries and professions worldwide need to

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work together to set in place a new skills framework that will equip organisations to survive and thrive in the face of these inescapable challenges,” said Tim Balcon, CEO, IEMA.

ieMa’s skills fraMewOrkIEMA’s skills framework includes the

following key actions:Skills for leaders to integrate sustainability into long-term decision makingEnhance skills and capability for environment and sustainability professionals so they can integrate sustainability throughout their organisations and value chains, building in foresight and horizon scanning and creating the business caseIncreased environment and sustainability knowledge and understanding for all workersEnvironment and sustainability must be integrated into the national curriculum, ensuring that young people entering work are able to play their part at the start of their careersSkills gaps at all levels need to be filled, from apprenticeships to those in leadership and managerial rolesInvesting in these news skills will enable businesses and economies to prepare for the perfect storm and turn these challenges into opportunities to survive and prosper.

To find out more, visit www.iema.net

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urgeNt actiON Needed tO fill eNvirONMeNt aNd sustaiNaBility skills gaP - Only 13% of companies are fully confident that they have the skills to successfully compete in a sustainable economy- Launch of IEMA’s Skills for a Sustainable Economy – Preparing for the Perfect Storm Campaign

Pre-fabricated biomass energy centre

For further details contact Adam West on 0870 0545 554 www.econergy.ltd.uk/ecoblox* terms and conditions apply

• High quality Austrian manufactured Froling boilers, range of output sizes available

• 5 years warranty on boilers*• High quality premium mechanical and electrical

components• Boilercare service packages (national coverage) • Plug and Play solutions• RHI compliant

ECOBLOX Pre-fabricated 198kW packaged plant room

Renewable Heat from British GasPeace of mind from a lifetime partner

in partnership with

A Company

British Gas New Heating Ltd, t/a EconergyT: 0870 0545 554 E: [email protected], The Exchange, Colworth Science Park, Sharnbrook, Bedfordshire MK44 1LQ

Econergy AdV3_Layout 1 09/07/2014 15:01 Page 1

waste aNd recycliNg

��PubLiC SECtor EStatES ManagEMEnt • novEMbEr 2014

If you ask someone to name different types of hazardous waste, the chances are they will talk about chemicals, oils and a range of more industrial-focused products.

What most people won’t realise is that in a business or office environment, everyday items such as cleaning chemicals, batteries, aerosols and even toner cartridges fall into the hazardous waste category.

And whereas at home we are allowed to put empty aerosols or cleaning items into our waste bins, at work the regulations are very different.

Chris Edwards, Technical Manager at Grundon Waste Management, says: “Many day-to-day items fall into the hazardous waste category and all too often organisations are unwittingly breaking environmental regulations by not disposing of them in the correct way.

“No matter how big or small your office or place of work, this legislation is important and organisations can face serious fines for non-compliance if they don’t take action to address them.”

Recognising that in the average office the amount of waste classified as hazardous is relatively small, Grundon has a simple and cost effective solution.

The Haz-Box is a specially-designed 55-litre lidded plastic box which can be used to store mixed hazardous wastes safely, prior to a pre-organised collection at a time that is convenient for you.

Typical items suitable for the Haz-Box will include glues, aerosols, batteries, paints, photochemicals, maintenance waste such as oils, resins, adhesives and greases; as well as contaminated rags, wipes, PPE and absorbents.

Larger items, such as computer screens, fridges, drummed oils and fluorescent tubes can also be collected at the same time, at an additional cost.

Suitable for any work-related environment, its size and easy manoeuvrability means the Haz-Box can fit neatly under a desk or inside a cupboard and provides an ideal, simple and compliant way to dispose of small quantities of everyday hazardous wastes that shouldn’t be placed into the normal bins.

Once collected, the Haz-Box contents are transported to Grundon’s dedicated Hazardous Waste Transfer Station at Ewelme, in Oxfordshire, where they are inspected, categorised and segregated, prior to being treated, recovered and recycled.

In the case of aerosols, paint tins and oil filters, Grundon has the most technologically advanced machinery in the United Kingdom to separate and collect all the packaging, products and propellants.

Nothing is wasted during the process of recycling and recovering materials from the waste aerosols. The liquid products (such as hairspray, paint or deodorant) will be separated for recovery or recycling, while all the metal packaging is recycled and the propellants are captured, compressed and used to fuel in-house operations and/or generate electricity.

Edwards continued: “No matter what type of business you work in, most of us will be familiar with the idea of recycling waste paper, plastic and cardboard. What we’re saying is that you also need to take responsibility for other items too.

“Continuing to throw items such as aerosols and cleaning chemicals into the bin is no longer acceptable, especially when there is a viable alternative which both reduces the amount of items sent to landfill and ensures regulatory compliance.

“It’s up to all of us today to work sensibly to help protect the environment and installing a Haz-Box is a very simple win. For little outlay and no inconvenience, it offers an easy solution and helps boost an organisation’s environmental credentials too.”

Grundon is fully committed to delivering its services responsibly and sustainably, and earlier this year the company set new standards by becoming the first of the major waste industry players to go CarbonNeutral® across its entire road-going vehicle fleet.

It means that every time a Grundon vehicle collects waste from a customer site or one of its staff visits customers in a company car, it will not only be a CarbonNeutral® journey, but will also avoid adding to a customer’s own carbon footprint.

The company also works hard to support customers in minimising the financial and environmental impact of all their waste, helping them to achieve best practice throughout the recycling process, with the management of hazardous waste being just one part of an important agenda.

Other services include the collection and recycling of materials such as paper, cardboard and plastics; as well as general waste which is then diverted away from landfill and into the company’s impres-sive Energy from Waste facilities, where it is used to generate electricity for export to the National Grid. To find out more about the Haz-Box please call the Grundon Technical Department on 01491 834 340 or email [email protected]. Alternatively, for further information on Grundon’s wide range of other waste management solutions, visit www.grundon.com.

BOx clever with hazardOus waste

traiNiNg

�2 PubLiC SECtor EStatES ManagEMEnt • novEMbEr 2014

Sontay, the market leader in field control devices, has launched a dedicated training initiative called the Sontay Academy. Over its 40 years in business, Sontay and its

staff have gained a vast amount of knowledge in products, applications and technical issues and feel they are in the ideal position to pass this information on to the industry through training.

Sontay has always worked hard to offer a premium service in the HVAC and climate control industry. The company has been training customers and clients for many years now with great success. The Sontay Academy is a new programme set up to build on the foundation Sontay already has in educating people within the industry.

“As an innovator in the market, Sontay is an accredited CPD trainer in the UK through CIBSE and in the Republic of Ireland by Engineers Ireland,” comments Sandy Damm, Managing Director at Sontay. “To show our commitment to the building services industry, we offer training which contributes to CPD activity requirement. The course presentations can be given at your required location or at our training facility in Edenbridge, Kent. We are able to offer training in many HVAC subjects including wireless technology, metering and M-Bus communication.”

These training courses can improve understanding on the application of sensing and control products for optimum energy saving and control as well as occupancy comfort.

Courses are available in the following topics:

An Introduction to Field ControlsWireless Sensing SystemsMeteringEnergy Saving through ControlPower MonitoringTemperature & RH SensingInput/Output ModulesPressureAir Quality & Gas DetectionValve Sizing and Application

Sontay also offers tailor made courses for individuals and companies which can be set up through local account managers.

Sontay products and control solutions are designed to help improve building management system performance, reduce energy and maintenance costs and increase occupant comfort levels.

For further information on the Sontay product range, contact [email protected]

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sONtay lauNches aN acadeMy

An online course is being offered to energy managers with an interest in improving their organisation’s energy performance and implementing

an energy management system. The training takes participants through the energy management cycle using ISO 50001 as a basis, and also offers opportunities to network and interact with peers.

The course is free to join, and is structured into nine chapters that work through managerial roles, energy review and planning, implementation of a management system and verification of performance improvement.

Around 400 participants from around

Europe are currently working through the course, which offers a forum for interaction where questions can be posed to experts as well as peers being confronted with the same issues.

For more details, and to register, visit www.leonardo-academy.org/course and select Energy Management Foundation Training.

aBOut leONardO eNergyThe Leonardo Energy initiative (LE)

unites professionals from all over the world dedicated to electrical power and sustainable energy. It is managed by the European Copper Institute in close cooperation with its partners.

LE was established from growing understanding that copper is essential in achieving sustainability. Its high electrical conductivity is a favourable attribute for the construction of renewable energy systems and the manufacturing of energy efficient motors, transformers, and cables.

The principal aim of LE is to accelerate the transition to a sustainable energy economy. It provides free education, training, and the comprehensive exchange of expertise. It is also active in various standardisation committees and provides regulatory advice.

www.leonardo-energy.org

leONardO eNergy Offers eNergy MaNageMeNt fOuNdatiON traiNiNg

EnergyManagerMagazine

Promoting energy efficiency across the Public Sector

Launching February

2015

www.pssmagazine.com/energy-manager-magazine

Energy Manager Magazine will provide ideas and solutions to all those working throughout the Public Sector, who are striving to reduce their

organisations carbon footprint & become more energy efficient.

EACH ISSUE WILL CONTAIN:

Latest News Case Studies

Product Information Legislation Training

and much more...

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PrOduct shOwcase

A Mapei subfloor and tile installation system has been specified at The Crystal – Siemens’ iconic Sustainability Centre, located in East

London’s Royal Docks. Designed by

Wilkinson Eyre Architects and Pringle Brandon Perkins+Will, the glass-clad structure is one of the world’s greenest buildings, achieving Outstanding BREEAM and Platinum LEED accreditation. Mapei systems contributed to the eco

specification and included Mapei Topcem screed and low VOC adhesives and grout - Keraquick, Keraflex and Ultracolor Plus. Corinthian Ceramics installed Domus porcelain and stone wall and floor tiles using Mapei products, for main contractor ISG.

The crystal-shaped venue, into which Siemens invested £30 million, is home to the world’s largest exhibition focused on urban sustainability - and is a world class centre for dialogue, discovery and learning. Features include a 270-seat auditorium, which brings together political decision makers, experts and the general public, to develop concepts for the future of cities and their infrastructures.

Mapei’s system was specified throughout a floor and wall surface area exceeding 3,500 m2. It included high performance, fast-drying screed – Mapei Topcem - which reduces installation time to 24 hours for ceramic and two days for stone tiling. Following subfloor preparation, fast setting flexible S1 adhesive – Mapei Keraquick – was used to install Domus Evo tiles in the reception areas and Domus Architect surfaces in washrooms. In the Centre’s canteen, Mapei Keraflex Maxi S1 low-dust adhesive was specified for bonding Domus Soho. All wall and floor tiles, throughout the centre, were fixed with Mapei Ultracolor Plus; a fast setting and drying flexible grout, featuring anti-efflorescence, water-repellent and anti-mould properties.

For more information on the project and Mapei product systems, please visit www.mapei.co.uk, email [email protected] or tel. +44 (0)121 508 6970.

MaPei cONtriButes tO OutstaNdiNg greeN sPec at the crystal

Sustainability Live incorporating NEMEX and ENERGY RECOVERY has been the hub of energy and sustainability solutions for the UK business community since its inception in 2007. Sustainability Live 2015 gives business visitors everything they need to deliver the bottom-line benefits of an energy efficient and sustainable business

NEW for 2015:• We have joined forces with our sister media partner edie.net – the market-leading energy and sustainability information resource• You love our content – so we are adding more – through the launch of the Sustainability Live Conference• Increased exhibitor offering – we will be adding new companies, new products and services to provide an all-encompassing sustainability platform• NEW Energy Trails directly linked to the content will lead workshop and seminar delegates directly to exhibitors• Innovation Pavilion – featuring the latest research, innovations and products that will change the future business of sustainabilityEnsure your company takes the opportunity to get in front of the influential, decision-making audience that the new improved Sustainability Live 2015 will bring.

To book your stand or for more information, please contact the sales team:

Paul FitzgeraldT: +44 (0) 151 3841589E: [email protected]

Belinda MoloneyT: +44 (0)1342 332094E: [email protected]

sustainabilitylive.com

BOOK YOUR STANDTODAY

Incorporating

@suslive

C O N F E R E N C E & E X H I B I T I O N

Co-located with Organised by:

INCORPORATING

21-23 APRIL 2015 NEC BIRMINGHAM UK

Lead supporters:

HAZ-BOXHAZ-BOX IS A COST EFFECTIVE SOLUTION ENABLING YOU TO MANAGE YOUR SMALL QUANTITIES OF HAZARDOUS WASTE IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH LEGISLATION, WHILST MAXIMISING RESOURCE RECOVERY.

We will supply you with 55 litre lidded plastic boxes for the storage of your mixed hazardous waste. Following a pre-determined collection schedule, your Haz-Box will be emptied and the waste segregated on-site within our collection vehicle. The items will then be taken to our facility in South Oxfordshire for recovery and wherever possible recycling of the materials.

Please note that individual items placed into the Haz-Box must not exceed 5 kilograms/litres. Larger items such as computer

an additional charge.

For more information please call the Grundon Technical Department on 01491 834 340 or email [email protected]

• Aerosols• Batteries• Toners• Adhesives• Cleaning Chemicals• Small Electrical Items

ACCEPTED WASTEThe following items can be placed in the Haz-Box, although care must be taken to avoid the mixing incompatible substances:

• Oil Filters• Acid Descalers• Caustic Soda• Photochemicals• Oil Tins• Resins

• Thinners• Solvents• Paints• Contaminated rags,

wipes and absorbents

THE NATIONWIDE, SMALL VOLUME HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION SERVICE

By Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen

Waste Management Grundon Waste Management Ltd

Colnbrook

By Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen

Waste Management Grundon Waste Management Ltd

Colnbrook

Recycling Foodwaste

Residual(non-recyclable)

wastewaste

HealthcareHazardouswaste

WEEE Eventwaste

TOTAL WASTE MANAGEMENT FROM GRUNDON

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