March 25, 2020

Heating Experts Podcast Fuels Renewable Energy Action

Heating Experts Podcast Fuels Renewable Energy Action

The popular energy, sustainability and environmental-focused BetaTalk podcast, sponsored by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), has released a two-part episode focused on renewable energy and ground source heat pumps, uniting British ground source heat pump manufacturer, Kensa Heat Pumps, with seasoned heating engineers. Host Nathan Gambling of BetaTeach, an educational resource

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Engineers Build Adhesive-Free 100% Timber Building

Engineers Build Adhesive-Free 100% Timber Building

Engineers at the University of Liverpool, alongside industrial partners, have designed and built an adhesive free timber office building at Ness Gardens on the Wirral in order to evaluate a more environmentally friendly construction method. The key idea behind the new `green’ office structure is to use timber to connect

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BDC 321 : Oct 2024

March 25, 2020

Heating Experts Podcast Fuels Renewable Energy Action

Heating Experts Podcast Fuels Renewable Energy Action

The popular energy, sustainability and environmental-focused BetaTalk podcast, sponsored by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), has released a two-part episode focused on renewable energy and ground source heat pumps, uniting British ground source heat pump manufacturer, Kensa Heat Pumps, with seasoned heating engineers. Host Nathan Gambling of BetaTeach, an educational resource for plumbers, electricians, heating engineers and students, says: “Travelling the country to meet the people involved in low carbon heating technology is a real pleasure. It was my first time visiting Kensa and I was really impressed!” The Kensa podcasts explore a number of hot topics affecting the renewables and heating industry, spanning opportunities and the need to upskill heating engineers to embrace the UKs transition to zero carbon, to the various solutions on the table to meet this target, including district heating and shared ground loop arrays with ground source heat pumps, nuclear energy, hybrid heat pumps, hydrogen, and load shifting. Representing Kensa Heat Pumps in the podcast are Darren Veal, Technical Sales Support & Commissioning Engineer, and Ally Cook, MCS Compliance Coordinator, accompanied by heat pump specialist William Johnson and regular BetaTalk guests and heating companies BTSE Heating and Renewable Heat. The vital role of system design and commissioning is explored in detail in the podcasts, where it is identified that in order for the UK to fully trust, embrace and benefit from renewable heating technology, system installations must be exemplary, with training critical to ensuring this. Darren says: “At Kensa we don’t just sell systems, we design them. We see training as being as big a part of company growth as anything else. “It was great to spend time with Nathan and his Beta Talk team discussing low carbon solutions and the upskilling of engineers. Here’s to a decarbonised future for all generations!” The two-part podcast is available to listen to here.

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Engineers Build Adhesive-Free 100% Timber Building

Engineers Build Adhesive-Free 100% Timber Building

Engineers at the University of Liverpool, alongside industrial partners, have designed and built an adhesive free timber office building at Ness Gardens on the Wirral in order to evaluate a more environmentally friendly construction method. The key idea behind the new `green’ office structure is to use timber to connect timber, and to use timber to reinforce timber. Timber is one of the very few industrial materials that can be 100% sustainable. Engineers designed and constructed a large section of the office space using adhesive free laminated timber (AFLT) beams and adhesive free cross laminated timber (AFCLT) panels, and densified wooden dowels and plates are used to connect beams with columns rather than metallic fasteners. The dowels and plates are made using softwood from sustainably-harvested timber and compressed using a heated hydraulic press to reduce thickness whilst making it denser and stronger than common hardwood. The `green’ office, which is part of an EU-funded INTERREG research project, will allow researchers to evaluate the performance of adhesive free engineered wood products and compressed wood fasteners in a real life environment over the next five to ten years, and compare it to conventional methods that use adhesives and metal.  Located at Ness Gardens on the Wirral, the 35m2 office structure will provide a functional workspace for researchers from the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Integrative Biology using the Brian Moss Aquatic Facility, one of Europe’s largest, most technologically advanced facilities for investigating environmental impacts on freshwaters. Liverpool engineer, Dr Zhongwei Guan, an international timber engineering and composite expert, who is leading project, said: “This is an exciting real world project. The structure we have designed and built is arguably the first building in the world to be constructed using this compressed wood technology! “It showcases a more environmentally friendly method of connecting wood and joining structures using compressed wood dowels and fasteners without the use of adhesives or metal products. “The prototype has been developed as part of our INTERREG EU research project to design, demonstrate and take forward new adhesive free engineered wood products for use in the construction industry.” Dr Stewart Plaistow, Senior lecturer in Evolutionary Biology in the Institute of Integrative Biology, said:  “I am delighted that this new facility which will support research projects investigating the effects of climate change on shallow fresh waters. “The new space will allow researchers to process samples on site, enhancing the mesocosm facilities capabilities even further. It’s been a real pleasure seeing “green” research projects from different faculties working together.” The office was designed and built by researchers from the University of Liverpool’s School of Engineering, together with FRCS of the University, a design engineer and contractor, and local businesses, SticX Ltd and Cunliffe’s Architects.

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