BCAS (the British Compressed Air Society) is urging businesses to adopt ISO 11011 to cut the cost of running their compressed air systems, even if they don’t have to comply with ESOS (Energy Saving Opportunities Scheme).   Vanda Jones, executive director of BCAS said;  “Most businesses have no idea what the annual running costs of their compressed air systems are, yet it could be costing them up to 25 per cent of their annual electricity bill.  In today’s competitive world with increasing pressure on margins, any activity that can reduce the bottom line has to be worth exploring.” Before ESOS there was no process specific standard for assessing compressed air systems.  Working with its members BCAS helped produce and publish BS ISO 11011, which was then adopted as the international standard ISO 11011. Jones continued;  “Before ESOS, assessments of compressed air systems were either not done at all or relied on non standardised procedures and tests.  Unfortunately some of these were unsuitable, inaccurate, too expensive and ultimately non productive.  This has now changed with ISO 11011.” The standard identifies the roles and responsibilities of those involved in the assessment and considers compressed air systems as three functional subsystems; supply, transmission and demand. It provides a structured framework for data analysis, reporting and documenting any findings.  The assessment then identifies estimated energy savings and a targeted action plan. Jones concluded; “It is always worth doing an energy audit on your compressed air system, which will often yield significant cost savings.  Check with your service and maintenance supplier that they apply ISO 11011 to such an audit.” BCAS offers a day’s introduction to ISO 11011 at a location of your choice.  Alternatively several BCAS members offer a third party assessment service to meet the requirements of ISO 11011.  For details of the day’s introduction and BCAS members visit www.bcas.org.uk   Source link

Browser does not support script. Contact us Dame Zaha Hadid by Mary McCartney Zaha Hadid Architects have confirmed that Dame Zaha Hadid, DBE died suddenly in Miami in the early hours of this morning. She had contracted bronchitis earlier this week and suffered a sudden heart attack while being treated in hospital. Speaking today RIBA President Jane Duncan said: “This is absolutely terrible news. Dame Zaha Hadid was an inspirational woman, and the kind of architect one can only dream of being. Visionary and highly experimental, her legacy despite her young age, is formidable. She leaves behind a body of work from buildings to furniture, footwear and cars, that delight and astound people all around the world. It was only last month that I had the enviable task of awarding Zaha the 2016 Royal Gold Medal for architecture – she was delighted to receive the recognition and adds the medal to an amazing collection of awards, not least winning the RIBA Stirling Prize years running. The world of architecture has lost a star today.” Tony Chapman, RIBA Honorary Fellow and past Head of Awards added: “Many of us will feel personally diminished by Zaha’s death. Her imagination and her determination – qualities she had in equal measure – made her unique in architecture.And in recent years technology has caught up with that incredible imagination, meaning the world was able to share in the joy of her work, a privilege previously only shared by the cognoscenti. I have had the pleasure to visit a large number of her buildings over the past two decades and they are always far more persuasive and delightful in reality than on the screen or the page. She made beguiling places in a way few others could: witness the dynamism of her elevations in Montpelier, the way the routes in MAXXI and the Vienna University Library inveigle the visitor, or the overhead tracks of BMWs in Leipzig amaze with the strength of a single idea. “The discrepancy between the expectation and the actuality were perhaps even more marked in the person: many went to meet her in trepidation of her reputation, yet within minutes were won over by her wit and charm. At the time the RIBA finally recognised her unique talent with the Royal Gold Medal, I interviewed her at length for an as yet     uncompleted film. Within minutes both our guards were down and we were simply enjoying ourselves, talking of achievements and of what might have been. For a considerable number of her projects never came to fruition and I wonder how many more – for all the brilliance of the team she leaves behind – the world will never now see.”  ENDS   Posted on Thursday 31st March 2016 Source link

Increasing interest in renewable energy from high end property owners has led to a tripling of orders on this year’s books for the Midlands based company Zeuner. The new orders have come from work on luxury apartments and houses in London and Paris and an eight storey building in Chelsea; all of which are among in most expensive property markets in the world. Zeuner, based in Coventry, provides and maintains geothermal heating systems – ground and air source pumps and complete building management systems – to a wide range of sectors from multi-million pound residential developments, through to housing associations, schools and businesses. Director, Chris Reilly, said it was the renewable energy work on high end residential properties which had boosted this year’s order books with more on the way into 2018. Mr Reilly said: “Renewable energy is increasingly becoming of interest in both new buildings in cities as well as the conversion of current homes. We now look after not just the energy side of things, but everything from conducting feasibility studies through to heating, ventilation, air conditioning, drainage and waste management as well as managing building management systems. “Being able to broaden what we do has piqued interest in Zeuner. Many high end property owners, architect consultants and managers responsible for a block of apartments want to deal with just one person/one company. They don’t want to be trying to source plumbers, drainage specialists etc. They want a full building management system, including the smart technologies that come with this, and that is what we now offer.” Mr Reilly said Zeuner was now looking towards the government led BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) standard for buildings. The aim is to ensure buildings conform to environmental standards from sourcing materials through to installing renewable technologies and managing waste recycling. He said: “Given the massive push towards renewables and sustainability, encouraging businesses and luxury multi-use properties to convert to renewable energy is definitely the right way to go. We’ve seen a jump in interest in our order books and if the trend continues, the increase in renewable energy will go from strength to strength. This can only be a good thing for the future of householders as well as the planet.”

Proposals for a minimum energy efficiency standard for privately let homes could risk damaging the sector to the detriment of both landlords and tenants, Scottish Land & Estates has said. The organisation, which represents the majority of private housing providers in rural Scotland, has submitted its response to a Scottish Government consultation on energy efficiency in private rented housing. Scottish Land & Estates said that the particular challenges of rural housing should be taken account of by government, and that the policies should target the worst performing housing and the sector given time to gradually improve energy standards. Katy Dickson, Senior Policy Officer (Business, Property and Connectivity) at Scottish Land & Estates, said: “Our consultation response makes clear that there is a risk that the private rented sector could be damaged by well-meaning but ultimately flawed proposals for new energy efficiency standards. “Scottish Land & Estates is calling for the minimum standard to be set at EPC level E and for there to be no back stop date. This means the measures will target the worst performing stock and full upgrades can be completed gradually at natural breaks in tenancies. Ultimately this means all low performing homes will reach a better standard than the current proposals would allow and there would be less disruption to tenants. “If the regulations are not manageable or appropriately funded then landlords will consider increasing rents in order to pay for energy efficiency investments or even leaving the sector. Our members are being told there is a rural affordable housing shortage and the Scottish Government is encouraging them to develop new housing to let. “However, when faced with a new unfavourable tenancy regime and now a proposed minimum energy standard which fails to tackle the issues, landlords are being forced to consider if it viable to continue to let as many properties on a long-term basis at affordable rents.” The organisation added that problems with accurately assessing energy ratings also created worries for the sector. Ms Dickson continued: “The Scottish Government has highlighted that the age and location of rural privately let properties means they are more likely to be of lower energy efficiency. Simply being off the gas grid drops the efficiency score. “We are one of many stakeholders that has raised concerns about the methodology behind the energy efficiency assessments across the UK. It is not transparent and fails to recognise the reality of many aspects of traditional rural buildings resulting in unreliable assessments. If regulation and funding is to be based on it, there must be improvements as soon as possible.”