Architects’ workload predictions return to positive territory in August following dip in July Workload index remains lower than in first half of 2016 Only private housing sector expected to see workload growth In August, the RIBA Future Trends workload index rose after suffering in the first month following the UK referendum on membership of the EU. Despite rising into positive territory in August, with a balance figure of +8, the index remains significantly lower than in the first half of the year. Practices based in London were the least optimistic, predicting a decrease in architectural workloads (balance figure –6). Practices in the North of England, East Anglia and the Midlands were notably more positive. Large practices (51+ staff) were more anxious about sustaining workloads over the next three months, with a balance figure of –17; small (1–10 staff) and medium-sized (11–50 staff) practices were more optimistic. The private housing sector remained the strongest of the sector forecasts, with a balance figure of +7. The forecasts for the commercial, community and public sector stayed in negative territory. The RIBA Future Trends staffing index increased slightly, standing at +7 in August (up from +4 in July). Small and medium-sized practices expected staffing levels to increase in the medium-term; large practices were more cautious, returning a balance figure of zero. RIBA Executive Director Members, Adrian Dobson, said: “Commentary from participating practices is still being driven by Brexit-related uncertainty. A small number of practices have again reported projects cancelled or postponed as a direct or indirect result of the referendum outcome. It is likely that the workload index will remain volatile as the full implications of the UK’s changing relationship with the EU emerge.” ENDS Notes: 1. For further press information contact Callum Reilly in the RIBA press office: callum.reilly@riba.org 020 7307 3757 2. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a global professional membership body that serves its members and society in order to deliver better buildings and places, stronger communities and a sustainable environment. www.architecture.com @RIBA 3. Completed by a mix of small, medium and large firms based on a geographically representative sample, the RIBA Future Trends Survey was launched in January 2009 to monitor business and employment trends affecting the architects’ profession. 4. The Future Trends Survey is carried out by the RIBA in partnership with the Fees Bureau. Results of the survey, including a full graphical analysis, are published each month at: http://www.architecture.com/RIBA/Professionalsupport/FutureTrendsSurvey.aspx 5. To participate in the RIBA Future Trends Survey, please contact the RIBA Practice Department on 020 7307 3749 or email practice@riba.org. The survey takes approximately five minutes to complete each month, and all returns are independently processed in strict confidence 6. The definition for the workload balance figure is the difference between those expecting more work and those expecting less. A negative figure means more respondents expect less work than those expecting more work. This figure is used to represent the RIBA Future Trends Workload Index, which for August 2016 was +8 7. The definition for the staffing balance figure is the difference between those expecting to employ more permanent staff in the next three months and those expecting to employ fewer. A negative figure means more respondents expect to employ fewer permanent staff. This figure is used to represent the RIBA Future Trends Staffing Index, which for August 2016 was +7 Posted on Thursday 22nd September 2016 Source link

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) uses the MISHAP01 (Model for the estimation of Individual and Societal risk from HAzards of Pipelines) model to calculate the risks associated with Major Accident Hazard (MAH) pipelines in Great Britain. The risks calculated are used to determine the distances to land-use planning (LUP) zones around the MAH pipeline. MISHAP was originally developed in the 1990s using Visual Basic 6 (VB6). An updated version, MISHAP01, was released in 2001. A Microsoft Excel® application, called PipelineRiskAT was also developed to allow multiple MISHAP01 runs to be carried out concurrently. HSE asked the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) to rewrite the model, using Microsoft Excel®, to bring the code up-to-date and to allow easy implementation of improvements to the model. The initial specification of the code rewrite was to replicate the results obtained from MISHAP01. HSE also asked that the functionality of MISHAP01 and PipelineRiskAT be consolidated into a single software tool. The revised model is called MISHAP12. HSL have tested the new code using a representative set of 584 pipelines. The tests show that there is only a minimal impact on the final LUP zones generated compared to those generated using the older models. This report and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Its contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect HSE policy. Assistance in the use of Adobe Acrobat PDF files is available on our FAQs page. Source link

The government has proposed scrapping the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) for anaerobic digestion installations of between 500kW and 5000kW from January 2017, saying many are now economically viable without the subsidy. According to the government “market intelligence and anecdotal evidence” suggests an increasing number of these installations are taking the form of combined heat and power (CHP) projects, which are also able to take advantage of Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). There has also been an uptick in the number of installations being accredited for the both the FiT and the RHI. The government said analysis had shown that a typical project of this kind could expect to generate a return on investment of more than nine per cent a year even without the support of the FiT. Accordingly it plans to cut the FiT for projects of this size from 7.81p/kWh to zero. It has also proposed cutting the tariff for smaller anaerobic digestion projects, reducing it from 8.21p/kWh to 5.98p/kWh for installations of zero to 250kW, and from 7.58p/kWh to 5.52p/kWh for installations of 250kW to 500kW.  It said this would be a continuation of the “current price trajectory”. However, it said it planned to tweak the default degression going forward, to take account of changes to both the cost of the technology and the expected energy bill savings from using it. The government has been battling to keep the cost of the FiT in check after the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasted in July that the cost of low-carbon subsidies was on course to exceed the budget contained within the Levy Control Framework by £1.5 billion by 2020/21. In February it reduced the FiT rates for a number of technologies, with solar photovoltaics taking the biggest cut. It also placed a £100 million limit on additional spending under the scheme up to March 2019, introducing quarterly deployment caps to ensure the limit is kept to. The FiT for micro-combined heat and power (mCHP) is expected to remain at its current level. Despite only 501 installations being in place by the end of 2015, the government has proposed bringing the cost of the tariffs within the £100 million limit and introducing an annual deployment cap of 1.6MW as a “precaution” against an overspend. It said the caps would be annual and not quarterly because of the “low level of deployment to date” and “the seasonality of deployment”. A consultation is now underway into the proposed changes. Chief executive of the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association Charlotte Morton said: “This consultation does nothing to address Decc’s fundamental lack of ambition for AD and community scale renewables. “Removing support for new plants above 500kW is completely unjustified and will kill off projects which could otherwise have delivered Decc’s objectives while representing good value for money. “We will be working with our members to put together a strong response to this consultation, and making the wider case for supporting anaerobic digestion to cut carbon, deliver energy security and recycle critical nutrients.” Source link

Hybrid solutions becoming more popular, shows poll Published:  08 April, 2016 The demand for hybrid heating solutions is on the rise, as two thirds (66%) of heating professionals seek a way to respond to the heating and hot water needs of increasingly vast and varied property portfolios, according to an industry poll. Commissioned by Baxi Heating’s commercial brands – Andrews Water Heaters, Potterton Commercial, SenerTec and Remeha – the poll highlights a strong commitment to investing in hybrid systems, which are seen as a good medium-term approach to decarbonisation. More than a third (37%) of respondents said they were considering a hybrid system, while just under a third (29%) said they had already taken the plunge. Hybrid systems bring together a number of heating and hot water solutions in order to get the best out of different technologies, with the overall aim of reducing carbon emissions while providing a reliable source of heating and hot water. Respondents, which included heating engineers, specifiers and end users, identified that hybrids offer more flexible system integration and lower risks, although they also recognised that some technologies were not yet cost competitive. When asked what manufacturers could do to encourage the take up of multi-technology systems, nearly two thirds (62%) said that cost was key, whether that be in terms of the upfront investment or that evidenced via a whole life approach. Almost a quarter (23%) said that there was a need for better marketing from technology providers to raise awareness of the benefits, while less than a fifth (15%) thought that providers should focus on control strategies as a way to promote greater uptake.  The survey was part of an industry report designed to uncover changing attitudes towards the decarbonisation of heat and the underlying heat strategies implemented by building owners. Andrew Keating, marketing director UK and Ireland for Baxi Heating, said: “The findings in our poll demonstrate a huge appetite for hybrid systems, which are really taking centre stage in the decarbonisation debate. “It’s a trend that makes a great deal of sense, given that multi-technology solutions offer improved reliability through built-in redundancy, maximise overall seasonal efficiency, and are a practical, affordable route to upgrading existing heating systems in order to lower the overall carbon footprint. “Overall our report highlights a significant opportunity for forward-thinking manufacturers in the shape of ongoing investment into the research and development of low carbon technologies, and working alongside government in helping to design legislation that can support the future of our industry.” The report is available to download from www.andrewswaterheaters.co.uk. Source link