The potential to provide low-carbon heating through district heating networks is a “game changer” for the economics of small modular reactors, the Energy Technologies Institute has told Utility Week. By using the two in combination, the revenues from small modular reactors (SMRs) could increase by between 40
Shadow energy minister Alan Whitehead has backed plans for National Grid to continue in its current role as system operator (SO), as long as the company can achieve more separation from the rest of its activities. Shadow energy minister Alan Whitehead Speaking to Utility Week, Whitehead said: “An
Savills and Parkinson Chartered Surveyors & Property Consultants have been instructed by a private landlord as joint letting agents at No.1 Smithy Court, an office building at Pemberton Business Park in Wigan. The three storey property offers 25,500 sq ft (2,369 sq m) of high quality business accommodation which is
We have been consistently impressed by YOPA, whose technological edge, dedication to transparency and focus on the client at the heart of the sales process all resonate strongly with our core values and the way we do business.. News has broken today that Savills, one of the largest high street
Construction work is underway at a £5.6 million primary school located on the old Filton Airfield in Patchway. The Charlton Wood Primary Academy is being built by Bristol-based Beard Construction and it will open its doors in September 2019. The scheme includes the addition of 14 classrooms – eight rooms
GRAHAM has won a £113 million contract for the construction of a new 1,400 bed student accommodation project for the University of York. The main contractor will complete the first phase residential expansion of the Heslington East Campus, which involves the development of high-specification student living and communal space. “This
Maximising space in the workplace is a pressure that all businesses face, as space has an impact on many things, including productivity and staff happiness. It’s easy to fall into routines and stick with an office design and features that have been unchanged for year; therefore these 10 tips will
Everyone knows the basics: hard hat, high vis, steel-toed boots. You can’t step foot in a building site without them. Construction can be a dangerous business after all, and the rules and regulations surrounding this gear exist for a reason. But what about more specialised equipment? Whether you’re working with
The potential to provide low-carbon heating through district heating networks is a “game changer” for the economics of small modular reactors, the Energy Technologies Institute has told Utility Week. By using the two in combination, the revenues from small modular reactors (SMRs) could increase by between 40 and 60 per cent. The ETI has calculated that SMRs could make as much money from selling heat as they could from selling power, according to its strategy manager for nuclear Mike Middleton. As optimising the reactors for the generation of combined heat and power would lead to a 20 to 30 per cent reduction in electrical output, this would translate to a 40 to 60 per cent increase in overall revenues when compared to reactors only generating electricity. Larger nuclear plants have already been connected to district heating networks, although not many of them. “You only have to look to somewhere the Besnau nuclear power plant in Switzerland where they do exactly this, and they’ve done it for decades,” said Middleton. “Their Refuna district heating system goes out into the countryside for tens of kilometres delivering heat supply to homes energised with nuclear power.” However, larger plants are not ideally suited to district heating. They are typically sited relatively far away from major population centres, and even if they were sited nearer “there are relatively few places in the UK that have a got a heat demand big enough to eat the thermal output from a [European Pressurised Reactor]” – the type which is planned for Hinkley. “[SMRs] have got a more flexible approach to siting,” Middleton added. “I’m not talking about putting them in cities. I’m talking about even with the existing siting criteria, you can find sites to put SMRs where you can’t put big plants. “Their thermal output is such that they’re a much better match for the amount of heat that will be required by city-scale district heating systems.” Public perceptions of nuclear will be one of the biggest barriers to using SMRs for district heating, according Tony Roulstone from the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge. “I think that the public’s not ready for it yet,” he told Utility Week. “It’s quite a hill to get over.” Earlier this month the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy accidentally published for a few hours the list of eligible participants for the first phase of its competition to find the “best value SMR design for the UK”. A roadmap for the development of SMRs is due to published by the government once the first phase is complete. Source link
Shadow energy minister Alan Whitehead has backed plans for National Grid to continue in its current role as system operator (SO), as long as the company can achieve more separation from the rest of its activities. Shadow energy minister Alan Whitehead Speaking to Utility Week, Whitehead said: “An SO that was National Grid would be a very good thing providing it actually operates properly as a system operator and sorts out a number of its potential contradictions.” Whitehead said it is important for the “longer term” for the UK to have a “much better clearly defined SO that actually stands back from a number of those other process.” It was reported earlier this year that ministers are looking at the possibility of stripping National Grid of its SO role in favour of an entirely independent body. Currently there are a number of potential conflicts between National Grid’s activities and its SO role, such as its role in the development of interconnectors, which some have said compromises its ability to act in the nation’s best interest. However Whitehead said National Grid has acted in the best interest of the nation “when perhaps other people weren’t”. “Actually I think National Grid has done a pretty good job and has done a lot of innovative work sometimes despite the best efforts of government to do the opposite in looking at how the systems going to work in the future and what its requirements are. “For example the private work grid did on strategic balancing reserve and contingency reserve at a time when government was just messing things up in terms of bringing the capacity market.” National Grid is currently working with Decc and Ofgem to create greater separation of the SO role from its other businesses. Ofgem said the regulator can manage any potential conflicts of interest “at the minute” but its desire to give the SO a bigger role in evaluating onshore tenders means greater separation will be necessary going forwards. Source link
Savills and Parkinson Chartered Surveyors & Property Consultants have been instructed by a private landlord as joint letting agents at No.1 Smithy Court, an office building at Pemberton Business Park in Wigan. The three storey property offers 25,500 sq ft (2,369 sq m) of high quality business accommodation which is available from small suites of 2,000 sq ft (185 sq m) to combinations of floors totalling up to 12,600 sq ft (1,176 sq m). No. 1 Smithy Court is located close to Junction 25 of the M6 motorway and would benefit from the future development of the proposed M58 link road, providing easy access to the M58 and M6. Daniel Barnes, associate in the office agency team at Savills, comments: “With flexible office space, an attractive landscaped environment and excellent connectivity, No.1 Smithy Court would be well suited to a wide range of local and national corporate occupiers.” Quoting rents at the property are £10.00 per sq ft (£108 per sq m). Source link
We have been consistently impressed by YOPA, whose technological edge, dedication to transparency and focus on the client at the heart of the sales process all resonate strongly with our core values and the way we do business.. News has broken today that Savills, one of the largest high street estate agency firms, has acquired a minority stake in hybrid estate agency YOPA after participating in a £16m fundraising round. Although it is not yet clear as to the size of the acquisition, Savills now join Connells in the foray into digital disruption by the incumbency. YOPA was founded in 2014 and has since developed its technology-led business model, which was launched in hybrid form in January 2016. It comprises digital technology to link the activities of sellers, buyers and YOPA’s own franchised local property agents, who are further supported by a dedicated customer service centre. Jeremy Helsby, Group Chief Executive of Savills, said: “We have followed the rapid advance of the online ‘hybrid’ estate agency model over the last year. This investment broadens the Group’s access to the UK residential sector by enabling us to take an interest in the high volume segment of the market, comprising over 1 million transactions annually, to which Savills has had little exposure to date. We have been consistently impressed by YOPA, whose technological edge, dedication to transparency and focus on the client at the heart of the sales process all resonate strongly with our core values and the way we do business.” Russell Quirk, founder and CEO of eMoov.co.uk, commented: “Today’s news is great for the hybrid sector and particularly the larger players like eMoov.co.uk. The alternative, better value, better service proposition offered by the likes of eMoov and other hybrid players has been gaining traction and credibility at a significant rate. When a long-standing incumbent like Savills wakes up to the realisation that they must invest in such a disruptive proposition in order to prevent themselves from becoming obsolete, despite it being the antithesis of all they stand for in terms of high fees, then you know that the inflection point is on the horizon. It also demonstrates that homeowners themselves support this new method of selling and the more consumer-friendly proposition it offers, although this is hardly surprising. You only have to look at the scale of growth in the sector to see why Savills have sat up and taken notice. I predict that the hybrid sector will account for at least 20% of all estate agency transactions by 2020, an increase from 5% currently. eMoov alone are now 130% bigger than this time last year and with a tech platform and a team that is leading the space. The future of the consumer property industry is set.” Source link
Construction work is underway at a £5.6 million primary school located on the old Filton Airfield in Patchway. The Charlton Wood Primary Academy is being built by Bristol-based Beard Construction and it will open its doors in September 2019. The scheme includes the addition of 14 classrooms – eight rooms for juniors, four for infants and two for reception – and it will provide places for 60 students in reception and year one. Each year, 60 new places will be created, aiming for a total of 420 pupils by 2025. The academy, which was designed by South Gloucestershire Council and BBA Architects, will include four breakout spaces, a library, kitchen, offices, staffroom and a large hall with a stage. There would also be play facilities outside, such as an outdoor timber classroom with a grass mound amphitheatre and a tepee village outdoor learning area, a multi-use court for netball and tennis and a grass sports pitch. “There are some really interesting outside features to this scheme which will be fun for our team to build, and even more fun for future students to use,” said Sean Franks, Beard Construction contracts manager. The primary school is part of Charlton Hayes – a brand-new 2,200- home extension to Patchway. The mixed-use development is named after the village of Charlton, which was demolished in the 1940s to make way for a runway extension at Filton. “Over the last year we have been working really closely with residents to ensure that the school is at the heart of the community. We are really excited to be opening next year and look forward to welcoming our first cohort,” said Headteacher Neil Lankester. The school is being run by Endeavour Academy Trust and South Gloucestershire Council awarded the building contract to Beard after a tender process.
GRAHAM has won a £113 million contract for the construction of a new 1,400 bed student accommodation project for the University of York. The main contractor will complete the first phase residential expansion of the Heslington East Campus, which involves the development of high-specification student living and communal space. “This is another fantastic win for GRAHAM and builds on our strong pipeline of projects in the region following the opening of our Leeds office in 2017,” said Michael Graham, Group Executive Chairman. “We are committed to providing outstanding student accommodation and the 1400 units delivered across the first phase of this project will bring our total output in the sector to more than 10,000 in the past five years,” he continued. Construction work is scheduled to start in January 2019, with the project expected to be completed in two years. After the first phase an addition 800 bed unit will be developed as part of Phase 2. The scheme is hoped to act as a stimulus for the University of York’s student recruitment strategy, while meeting the accommodation demands of an expanding global student body. “We look forward to developing this fantastic scheme and the positive impact it will have on the local community, creating opportunities for work and engagement with local businesses as we construct a high-class development that reflects York’s strong heritage,” said Michael. The project will utilise a state-of-the-art offsite manufacturing facility located in Byley, South Manchester. GRAHAM is a privately owned company with an impressive history built on integrity and responsibility. It became a private limited company in 1955 and 30 years after it set foot in England. Since then, it has grown steadily and significantly, becoming a leading player in all areas of construction throughout the UK and Ireland. GRAHAM now operates from 23 regional offices in the UK and Ireland.
Maximising space in the workplace is a pressure that all businesses face, as space has an impact on many things, including productivity and staff happiness. It’s easy to fall into routines and stick with an office design and features that have been unchanged for year; therefore these 10 tips will help you create a better environment for your employees. 1.Maximise light and open space As natural light is a well-known mood booster, it is important to remove items from window sills and any other light blockages. By doing so, the room will be brighter and will give everyone the feeling of extra space. If the office has a limited amount of natural light however, the best way to attract it is yo rearrange the desks so that more are positioned close to windows. Avoid heavy furniture Heavy furniture, such as desks, are not necessary in the modern day because people do not use them for storage that much anymore. Even though the classic large dark mahogany desk may appear trendy, when it comes to optimising a space, they are troublesome. Where possible, heavy, traditional desks should be switched with furniture that is lighter in terms of colour and weight. 3.Multipurpose spaces These spaces can accommodate almost anything, from catch ups with clients to group meetings. In an open plan office, a meeting pod can give privacy without needing another room and can double up as a semi-permanent working space or meeting room. 4.Hot-desking Hot-desking involves the removal of personal desks and the introduction of large, communal desks. These are assigned each day on a first come first served basis. From folding tables and laptop tables, there is quite literally a space-saving option to suit any space for hot-desking workers, while also encouraging creativity. 5.Declutter Having a space that is clear and organised makes productivity much easier, so encourage employees to be ruthless with what is kept in the office. 6.Rethink the corridor Make use of every space in the office, including the corridor and the staircase and turn them into productivity-boosting activities, such as phone booths for making calls away from the hustle of the main office area. 7.Sit-stand desks Sit-stand desks are invaluable for productive working as they not only aid health benefits by increasing standing, but are also useful for meetings within an office space. 8.Quiet zones Open-plan offices are becoming a norm; however, it is important to design a quiet zone for those that needs to work with no distractions. 9.Bring nature inside An office full of pictures and accessories spoils productivity and creativity. Fix this by adding a few plants and indoor trees around the office, which will boost productivity long-term. 10.Store files offsite/online An office full of unordered files piled together all over the place makes it look stressful and cramped. Choose to share to-do lists and post-it notes as a spreadsheet and store files on a cloud-based system.
Everyone knows the basics: hard hat, high vis, steel-toed boots. You can’t step foot in a building site without them. Construction can be a dangerous business after all, and the rules and regulations surrounding this gear exist for a reason. But what about more specialised equipment? Whether you’re working with a drill, with chemicals or sanding down a dozen wooden beams, there is more that you can do; both for yourself and for any employees. The ideal personal protective equipment is all about caution. It’s about prevention and common sense – so employ both and shop around. Here are five pieces of kit you should always have on hand, no matter the size or scale of your job. 1. Ears: Buds, Plugs and Headsets Nothing says construction like a drill and hard concrete, and while most of us are smart enough to wear ear gear when up close and personal, we often underestimate other activities around a building site. The whir of the concrete mixer, the slam of hammer on nail. Your ears go through a lot every day, so you should do your best to cushion the blow for all at hand. Protection in this case is about fitting the bud to the business, so to speak. There are numerous types of ear gear, each scaling in severity, from simple plugs to full-on industrial headsets for the heaviest of work. Make no mistake, hearing is important – both you and your workers need to be able to make their way around a site aware of any danger – but a little extra safety goes a long way. If you’re worried about price at this point, don’t be. Manufacturers are quick to offer bulk discounts, especially so if you’re working a large project. The Engelbert-Strauss website lists multiple headsets that come in batches of ten or fifteen, for example, lowering the cost of individual units significantly across their equipment. 2. Gloves to a Perfect Fit Delicate work requires steady hands, so it’s generally best practice to keep those fingers safe. Be it plumbing, electrics or full on labour, gloves can keep your digits clean at worst and save them from a nasty injury at best, and there’s plenty to choose from to boot. Nitrile and or latex gloves are a great choice for any chemical business, preventing staining of the skin and potential acid burns in some cases. Winter gloves keep the extremities warm in the colder months, and are especially useful all year round in specialised environments like large-scale freezers. Remember: mistakes are far more likely to happen if your hands get numb. Prolonged exposure to cold is dangerous in and of itself. Leather or general construction-wear gloves are your best bet for more of an all-purpose fit. Just be sure they’re up to the task and that you go for quality first over anything else. Cutting corners might be part of a woodworking job, but when it comes to gear the extra money for specific, high-quality protection is always more than worth it. 3. Eye and Face Visors Better safe than sorry is a mantra to live by in construction. That extra rail or harness buckle could save a life, so why not save eyes while you’re at it? Clear, clean vision is extremely important for everyone working on a site, and while simple eyeglasses can help they’re not always enough. Gases, sprays and residue can get around and they’re not much good against heftier risks. Proper protection means sealed goggles or total head coverage, with a hard hat on top or as part of the product. Almost all eye injuries are preventable if the right gear is being used – so while Gucci summer shades are certainly stylish, consider a more practical option for yourself and your workers next time around. 4. First Aid – the Second Line of Defence The gear on this list is vital to keeping workers safe, but sometimes things can inevitably take a turn for the worse no matter how careful everyone is. In cases like these, a quality first aid kit within arm’s reach can save lives, limbs and a whole lot of trouble. There are numerous types and sizes available for purchase, but when it comes to industrial work you’re going to want to scale up as much as you can. Alternatively, have multiple kits dotted all around site for easier access. Bandages, plasters, antiseptic – you name it, you’ll find it inside. Small incidents like minor cuts or insect stings can be cleaned up without a fuss and in more threatening situations the equipment inside can keep things steady until the professionals arrive. 5. Mouth and Nose Respirators Sawdust, chemical offshoots, glue, asbestos, paint. The industrial materials that go into a site build or demolition are endless and impressive, but they’re not always kind to the human lung. A mouth and nose respirator can help you there. With smaller models for the front of the face to full head coverage (doubling as eye protection, handily enough), they make sure the air you breath is as clean as can be. Like with ear gear, it’s hard to strike a balance between the need for free communication and total safety on sight here. Smothering our hearing, our eyes and our mouths is all well and good, but what about in an emergency? Conclusion At the end of the day, you’ll just have to find the right model for you. Lightweight, heavyweight, big or small. Don’t try and fit a round peg in a square hole and don’t employ gear like this without need. Having it on hand is vital – as much as a JCB digger or a concrete mixer. Their individual models and diggers are unique to their roles, too, just as safety gear should be. Everyone’s there to do their job, and your part in ensuring adequate protection is on a roll.
