Ideal Heating Commercial has released a new CIBSE approved CPD: Understanding refrigerants & how they affect the choice of commercial heat pumps. It addresses both synthetic and natural refrigerants, and provides valuable advice for customers seeking the most energy efficient commercial heat pump. A concise CPD, ideal for a lunchtime session,
Temporary power solutions specialist, Star Power, has successfully achieved re-accreditation for three key international standards: ISO 9001:2015, ISO 45001:2018, and ISO 14001:2015. This reaffirmation underscores the company’s dedication to maintaining business quality, health and safety, and environmental management systems. The rigorous three-day audit, conducted by the British Assessment Bureau, covered
The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has announced a comprehensive new set of standards for property professionals: the ‘Property Agency and Management Principles’. This global guideline is set to redefine best practices in property agency and management, applying to RICS members and RICS-regulated firms across residential, commercial, auctioneering, and
NBS and CPI set to improve the quality and standard of product information within the construction industry Yesterday, NBS, a leading specification and construction product platform for the construction industry, announces its partnership with CPI Ltd, the independently governed, not-for-profit organisation responsible for the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI).
Geotechnical and geoenvironmental ground investigation services company Structural Soils will carry out site investigation work as part of a feasibility project supporting the Future Circular Collider study at CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics. CERN’s Large Hadron Collider has a circumference of 27 km. The Future Circular Collider is
Following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) has released a briefing, offering vital guidance for professionals in architectural technology. The report examines the recommendations from the inquiry’s Phase 2 findings and aims to establish best practices in the evolving regulatory landscape. A Focus on Building
Offsite manufacturing specialist, TALO, is expanding its transformational timber superstructure systems for low rise housing in the UK. Developed in Finland and widely used across the Nordic countries for over 40 years, TALO’s offsite manufacturing solutions can eradicate energy bills for homeowners and residents of social and affordable housing. As
Ahead of the 2025 update cycle for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) announces its forthcoming NDC Scorecard – a tool to support the evaluation and strengthening of nation-level policy on the built environment. Today, the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) announces its new initiative: ‘NDC
Actis continues seven-year relationship with LABC by renewing CPD partner support The renewal this autumn of insulation specialist Actis’ CPD partner support with LABC marks the seventh year of a relationship between the two organisations. The renewed arrangement will see Actis specification team members take part in LABC’s monthly technical
A renewable energy installation specialist has received national recognition for its efforts to tackle fuel poverty across the UK. UK Energy Management (UKEM) last week [11 Oct] won the ‘Fuel Poverty and Vulnerable Customer Support of the Year’ award, at the National Energy Efficiency Awards. Taking place at Birmingham’s Hilton
Ideal Heating Commercial has released a new CIBSE approved CPD: Understanding refrigerants & how they affect the choice of commercial heat pumps. It addresses both synthetic and natural refrigerants, and provides valuable advice for customers seeking the most energy efficient commercial heat pump. A concise CPD, ideal for a lunchtime session, it opens with a brief introduction to heat pumps and how they operate, including the refrigerant cycle and key principles such as co-efficient of performance (COP) and global warming potential (GWP). It then proceeds to explain the different refrigerant types (synthetic and natural) and their key features, and the factors to take into account when designing an efficient heating system using the different refrigerants. The CPD also addresses decarbonisation in the heating sector and refrigerant phase-down, and closes by touching on the future of refrigerants. The new ‘Understanding refrigerants & how they affect the choice of commercial heat pumps’ CPD was officially launched at the BESA Annual Conference on 17th October, where it was presented by Ideal Heating Commercial Head of Specification Richard Brown. The new CPD has been introduced to raise awareness of refrigerant types, following the recent expansion of Ideal Heating Commercial’s ECOMOD range of commercial heat pumps to include natural refrigerant models for the first time. ECOMOD heat pumps are now available with R32 refrigerant, and with natural refrigerants R290 (ECOMOD 290HT) and R744 (ECOMOD CO2) which are capable of delivering high temperatures while providing ultra-low GWPs. This latest CPD joins Ideal Heating Commercial’s expanding collection, which covers the latest industry developments and provide advice of new ways to add value, performance and efficiency to customer projects. Further CPDs address low carbon systems, heat networks and heat interface units, plant room surveys, and boiler heat exchanger materials. For more information on any of Ideal Heating Commercial’s CPD, and to book a place, go to https://idealcommercialboilers.com/cpd-courses. CPDs are delivered by Ideal Heating Commercial’s specification team managers either online or in person nationwide. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Temporary power solutions specialist, Star Power, has successfully achieved re-accreditation for three key international standards: ISO 9001:2015, ISO 45001:2018, and ISO 14001:2015. This reaffirmation underscores the company’s dedication to maintaining business quality, health and safety, and environmental management systems. The rigorous three-day audit, conducted by the British Assessment Bureau, covered multiple Star Power locations across the country, including its key operational depots. The audit concluded with no non-conformances or corrective actions. Del Patterson, QHSE Manager at Star Power, said: “Our teams have worked tirelessly to maintain the standards required for these ISO certifications. The auditors were highly impressed with the systems we have in place, and this reaccreditation shows our seriousness about upholding these important standards for quality, safety, and environmental performance.” The ISO 9001:2015 accreditation affirms Star Power’s focus on customer satisfaction and continual improvement, ensuring that quality is integrated into all aspects of its business. ISO 45001:2018 reflects the company’s ongoing efforts to ensure a safe and healthy working environment, while ISO 14001:2015 highlights Star Power’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact. Patrick Gallagher, Operations Director at Star Power, commented on the achievement: “These accreditations are not just badges; they are a testament to the ongoing dedication of our teams to maintain the highest standards in everything we do. By meeting these internationally recognised standards, we are showing our clients and stakeholders that we are committed to delivering high-quality, safe, and environmentally conscious services.” Star Power provides a full range of temporary power and site solutions across the UK, including generator hire, sales, maintenance, and water bowser hire. The company remains dedicated to upholding the highest levels of health, safety, and sustainability across its operations. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has announced a comprehensive new set of standards for property professionals: the ‘Property Agency and Management Principles’. This global guideline is set to redefine best practices in property agency and management, applying to RICS members and RICS-regulated firms across residential, commercial, auctioneering, and mixed-use real estate. These standards, mandatory from 1 January 2025, aim to address the evolving demands of the real estate industry, with a strong focus on transparency, integrity, and customer confidence. A core objective of the new guidelines is to protect consumer interests and bolster the reputation of surveyors, reinforcing trust in the profession. Guiding Principles: RICS Rules of Conduct The principles draw from five essential RICS rules of conduct: Developing a Standard of Excellence The standard was developed by a team led by Kelly Smith, COO of letting and management at Allsop, with RICS senior property specialist Mairéad Carroll serving as lead author. Carroll commented, “This important standard sets clear expectations for RICS professionals when providing property agency and management services. These mandatory standards will enhance customer service and confidence in the essential services surveyors provide worldwide.” To support members in implementing these new guidelines, RICS will offer webinars and educational resources in the months leading up to the 2025 launch. Through this proactive approach, RICS aims to ensure that property management professionals are well-equipped to meet rising industry standards, paving the way for greater transparency, professionalism, and trust in real estate services globally. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
NBS and CPI set to improve the quality and standard of product information within the construction industry Yesterday, NBS, a leading specification and construction product platform for the construction industry, announces its partnership with CPI Ltd, the independently governed, not-for-profit organisation responsible for the Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI). The collaboration with CPI aims to raise standards in product information and marketing across the construction industry and drive positive culture change. Ultimately, it supports the Code in its mission to move the industry to a place where product information is clear, accurate, accessible, up-to-date and unambiguous. The partnership between NBS and CPI will help to bring clearer, unambiguous product information and marketing to the fingertips of architects and designers working on construction projects. It will see NBS integrate new functionality into its platform to help specifiers easily identify and select products and systems that have been assessed to conform with the CCPI and are registered with CCPI. NBS Source users can now filter listings to show only products and systems with CCPI assessment, enabling them to select from options which are conforming with the CCPI. Commenting on the partnership, Dr Stephen Hamil, Innovation Director, NBS, said “At NBS our mission is to use the power of connected data to add value and enable a safe, efficient, high-quality construction sector. We’re always looking to improve the way information is delivered to end-users, helping to ensure that specifiers can be confident in the integrity of crucial product data. “Partnering with CPI, we’re allowing specifiers to have better access to clear, reliable, and assessed product information, so they can be more confident in design decisions.” Amanda Long, Chief Executive of CPI, said “At CPI, we firmly believe that improving standards across the construction industry requires a collaborative effort. Partnering with NBS is the first of many such collaborations we would like to develop to engage the industry in every corner. Working with NBS will help us to reach out and provide specifiers with greater confidence in the product information and marketing that they need to make informed choices, reducing risk throughout the supply chain. By working together, we can drive the culture change urgently required across the sector in relation to prioritising product information and marketing that conforms with the CCPI.” Additionally, NBS has built a custom area within the NBS Source platform, dedicated exclusively to showcasing systems, and products that are registered with the CCPI and the that have achieved CCPI assessment. The CPI assessment process includes critical mechanisms, such as Leadership and Culture assessment and ongoing CPI Registration obligations for the company responsible for the product information. These do not exist elsewhere in the construction sector. The CCPI and its third-party assessment process provide valuable review and ongoing engagement to help users and specifiers have more confidence that they are working with product information and marketing that is conforming with the CCPI and that the manufacturers responsible are committed to continually updating and improving their product information and marketing. Nigel Blacklock, Technical Director at manufacturer Bauder, who is registered with the CCPI and has been awarded the CCPI Assessed Mark for its flat roof waterproofing systems, said “Increasingly we’ve seen specifiers request third-party assessment of the product information and marketing associated with our products. The CCPI mark is a mark of trust and, crucially, having a digitally-supplied format via NBS Source makes it even easier for specifiers to spot our assessed systems and specify with greater confidence.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Geotechnical and geoenvironmental ground investigation services company Structural Soils will carry out site investigation work as part of a feasibility project supporting the Future Circular Collider study at CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics. CERN’s Large Hadron Collider has a circumference of 27 km. The Future Circular Collider is expected to be 91km – more than three times the size of the current Large Hadron Collider. The work at CERN, which was established in 1954, aims to “uncover what the universe is made of and how it works”. CERN, the world’s biggest particle physics laboratory, does this by providing a unique range of particle accelerator facilities to researchers to advance the boundaries of human knowledge. Remaining at the forefront of scientific excellence and reinforcing European leadership in particle physics, an international collaboration is conducting a feasibility study for the Future Circular Collider (FCC), a proposed next-generation collider for the post-LHC era. This study, mandated by the update of the European Strategy for Particle Physics, explores the potential of the FCC to push the boundaries of high-energy physics. Structural Soils, an RSK Group company, has been tasked with carrying out site investigations for CERN in France in the Haute-Savoie area, south of Geneva, Switzerland. The work will examine the geology of the area with the enhanced level detail required to support the goals of the feasibility study. Structural Soils Director Mike Williams said: “The site investigation will examine critical areas to reduce any uncertainty surrounding the geological conditions. The emphasis for our team is to review and quantify potential construction risks. This includes a focus on identifying suitable, consistent tunnelling strata, investigating potential high water pressures in the strata and ascertaining the levels of natural gas in the ground. “The Structural Soils team is incredibly excited about the opportunity to contribute its ground investigation skills to such a globally important and prestigious project. We are collaborating with two companies as part of a joint venture to deliver this work for CERN: Smart Seismic Solutions (S3), a French geophysics company, and Geotec SPA, an Italian firm specialising in deep drilling. Together, we form the consortium known as SGS3.” The project began in late September and will run for six months on-site, with associated lab testing, monitoring and reporting being carried out over a further six-month period. Mike said: “Our work involves a wide range of ground investigation techniques, including project management of a large-scale site investigation, in-situ testing, geological logging and sampling, geophysical surveys, and laboratory testing – all conducted by our expert team at Structural Soils. As the lead contractor within the consortium, we are also coordinating the efforts of our partners to ensure the project runs smoothly. “Our work will be crucial in terms of reducing the construction risk for underground works, but also the environmental aspects. It will be important for Structural Soils to work with the larger team to confirm the ground conditions to aid with the design of the best tunnel footprint alignment to advance further studies at CERN. We are committed to performing this work with minimal disruption to the local population and in strict compliance with environmental standards. Drawing on our previous experience with similar projects and working closely with local and regional stakeholders, we ensure that all activities are conducted responsibly and sustainably, with safety and environmental care as top priorities. “As part of this process, we will be producing a realistic geological underground model along with a geological profile for every location. This will hopefully provide a template for future main site investigations and our work will support plans for future civil engineering underground works. This will all contribute to the input required for the next European Strategy Update for Particle Physics in 2026/2027.” Mike said that additional RSK companies will support the project, with CAN assisting with the supply of equipment, RSK Acoustics carrying out noise/vibration monitoring, Central Alliance tasked with mobilisation planning, Drilling Supplies providing consumables and RSK France giving health and safety support. CERN France ground investigation facts: Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Following the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) has released a briefing, offering vital guidance for professionals in architectural technology. The report examines the recommendations from the inquiry’s Phase 2 findings and aims to establish best practices in the evolving regulatory landscape. A Focus on Building Safety After Grenfell The Grenfell Tower fire tragically exposed widespread failings in building safety, including governance, regulatory compliance, procurement, and project delivery. Phase 2 of the inquiry specifically investigated these systemic shortcomings, resulting in 58 recommendations designed to improve safety standards throughout the construction and maintenance chain. CIAT’s briefing is intended to help architectural technologists prepare for the impending regulatory changes and ensure that their work adheres to the highest safety standards. It acknowledges that the profession must evolve alongside these new expectations and that the lessons learned from Grenfell should drive a commitment to improving building safety. Preparing for Regulatory Changes The briefing highlights the Labour Government’s pledge to review the Phase 2 recommendations and implement a “generational shift” in building safety, including updates to Parliament on progress. Anticipated changes include enhanced oversight of materials, stricter building requirements, and greater responsibilities for design professionals. CIAT advises architectural technologists to stay ahead of these changes by exceeding current regulations and avoiding practices that prioritise cost over quality. This proactive approach is seen as essential to rebuilding trust in the safety of UK buildings and ensuring long-term compliance. Maintaining High Professional Standards A key takeaway from the CIAT briefing is that architects and technologists must take full responsibility for the safety and quality of their work. This includes ensuring that all project records are properly maintained, particularly the “Golden Thread” of information required by the Building Safety Act 2022, which tracks the design and realisation of high-risk buildings (HRBs). CIAT also emphasises the importance of upholding professional standards as outlined in its Code of Conduct and Professional Standards Framework. For those aspiring to become Principal Designers under the Building Regulations, CIAT stresses the need for appropriate skills, knowledge, and experience to fulfil the role effectively. A Commitment to Safer Buildings CIAT’s guidance serves as a crucial resource for architectural technologists navigating the post-Grenfell regulatory environment. By committing to the highest safety standards, professionals can play a key role in ensuring that the built environment becomes safer and more resilient in the years to come. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Offsite manufacturing specialist, TALO, is expanding its transformational timber superstructure systems for low rise housing in the UK. Developed in Finland and widely used across the Nordic countries for over 40 years, TALO’s offsite manufacturing solutions can eradicate energy bills for homeowners and residents of social and affordable housing. As part of its expansion in the UK, TALO has just been awarded ICW Endorsed accreditation from ICW Group – one of the country’s largest structural insurance warranty specialists, which serves all major mortgage lenders. This certification follows a robust technical assessment of TALO’s timber superstructure system and its manufacturing processes to meet ICW’s stringent MMC requirements. The endorsement means that the TALO offsite system is now pre-approved, subject to satisfactory site audits, for use in conjunction with ICW’s structural warranties across multiple housing projects. Philip Quinn, Director of Surveying Services at ICW, said, “TALO’s commitment to quality is clear, as attested by their comprehensive technical design and robust manufacturing processes. Working with TALO has been refreshing and their approach to sustainability is impressive.” “We found TALO’s team to be responsive, technically minded and engaging professionals. We are thrilled to be working in partnership together as we look ahead to future MMC projects.” Leona Wikman, TALO’s Technical Director said, “The accreditation from ICW gives our housebuilding customers the reassurance that the TALO system meets ICW’s requirements for their structural warranties.” “We have an exciting project pipeline in place for both housebuilders and social and affordable housing providers. This certification will open the doors to more opportunities in the residential sector, as well as provide our existing customers with independent verification of the consistently high-quality standards we work to.” “ICW’s MMC team visited our offsite manufacturing centre in Finland as part of the assessment process. The depth of technical knowledge of MMC and competence of their team made the approval process very straightforward.” TALO is now working towards its first UK offsite manufacturing centre as demand increases for its zero energy housebuilding solutions in the UK. Its timber superstructure system is currently manufactured in Finland for its UK customers. Once production in the first factory nears capacity, there are plans for further manufacturing centres which will be rolled out across the UK to meet customer demand and create local jobs for local housing. This will accelerate the construction of TALO’s zero energy homes – from Scotland to the South West of England. TALO specialises in the offsite manufacture and installation of advanced timber superstructures to deliver new low-rise homes for sale, rent and social housing more efficiently. The high level of thermal efficiency of the TALO system removes the need for energy bills and snagging, and at no cost premium for the developer or housing provider. For further information, visit www.talo.co.uk, call 03301 334121 or email hello@talo.co.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Ahead of the 2025 update cycle for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) announces its forthcoming NDC Scorecard – a tool to support the evaluation and strengthening of nation-level policy on the built environment. Today, the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) announces its new initiative: ‘NDC Scorecard for Sustainable Buildings’. This tool is currently being co-developed with five pilot Green Building Councils (GBCs), alongside the GBC global network including the Global Policy Taskforce, and local stakeholders including governments, to ensure nations are being bold on buildings in their climate action plans, which are due to be updated in early 2025. Under the Paris Agreement, each country must draw up a national climate action plan (known as NDC – Nationally Determined Contribution) outlining their strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) to enable the collective global goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5ºC and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Current NDC commitments fall far short of this target, with current commitments on track for 2.5-2.9ºC of warming. The WorldGBC NDC Scorecard tool will allow all policymakers, GBCs and others to assess and compare their countries’ NDCs, and reveal where further action is necessary on the built environment to increase the ambition and effectiveness of their NDCs and national policies so they are putting the sector on a trajectory for 1.5ºC. The tool will also enable stakeholders to conduct a gap analysis to ensure that NDCs, national policies and implementation are all aligned so that commitments are being put into practice. “Being bold on buildings is essential if countries are to live up to the welcome ambitions signalled by the Buildings Breakthrough, the UAE Consensus and the Déclaration de Chaillot,” said Cristina Gamboa, CEO of WorldGBC. “It is absolutely critical that this next batch of revised NDCs accelerates the transition and closes the gap to 1.5ºC. This can be achieved by not overlooking the role of buildings and encouraging governments to send strong policy signals that unlock finance and enable the private sector to scale existing climate solutions.” The tool enables the evaluation of NDCs using a number of criteria, such as carbon, resilience and adaptation, circularity, water, biodiversity, health, equity and access, and finance mechanisms, and establishes if the NDC is supported by national policies and building codes to ensure implementation. Most current NDCs overlook the potential of buildings Only with strong action on the built environment, which is responsible for 37% of global emissions, can the world hope to succeed in building the transition and achieving the 1.5°C limit targeted by the Paris Agreement. Yet most country’s NDCs and policies are not currently close to meeting the challenge. According to the GlobalABC Global Status Report 2023, despite a growth in the number of adopted codes globally, over 30% of building codes have not been updated since 2015. Only three places have codes aligned with Zero Emission Buildings (ZEB) principles. Mandatory building energy codes are lacking altogether in 110 countries. And these include the places where 82% of global population growth will occur, and consequently increased building, in the period to 2030. A global pilot phase WorldGBC is working with five GBCs in different regions of the globe to develop the Scorecard. The project involves Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Nigeria and the Philippines. Its development process is designed to identify best-practice building policies that should be in revised NDCs and integrated into national buildings regulatory frameworks. The project will also produce tailored action plans for each of the five countries. The Scorecard tool will be developed using a collaborative process that engages the GBC network, local stakeholders and political actors from the outset, ensuring that the communities who are responsible for implementation are involved in the process. This aims to maximise the chance for better and deliverable outcomes, and drives locally-relevant action that delivers on global priorities. “It’s been encouraging to see such strong support from local stakeholders. The recent flooding and heatwaves across Nigeria are harsh reminders of how vulnerable our communities are to climate change, and they show just how urgent it is to align our building policies with climate goals. This is why the project is so timely! We believe it will be a game-changer in shaping Nigeria’s built environment and setting the stage for our 2025 NDC update.” Danjuma Waniko, President, Green Building Council Nigeria “The NDC Scorecard for Sustainable Buildings Project can significantly influence the shaping of the Philippines’ NDC. Integrating sustainable buildings reduces emissions, enhances energy efficiency, and promotes green construction. It fosters job creation, strengthens resilience to climate impacts like typhoons and heatwaves, and improves living conditions — advancing national climate goals and driving sustainable urban development and economic growth nationwide.” Christopher Cruz de la Cruz, CEO, Philippine Green Building Council “At Colombia GBC we truly believe that the built environment can play a great role in dealing with climate change. We have been committed to work very closely with our government to integrate the built environment as part of the national agenda and as an important part of the NDC update processes. This process includes not only the impact of different policies, but also the work with the private sector to ensure an integrated approach.” Angélica Ospina, CEO, Consejo Colombiano de Construcción Sostenible (Colombia Green Building Council) “We are enthusiastic about discussing the best policies and opportunities to reinforce the green building agenda at the NDC scale. The green building movement in Brazil has influenced market behaviour towards decarbonisation, biodiversity, and resilience while guaranteeing economic results for developers and occupants. By better understanding and advancing our movement through policies and regulation, our contribution will be expanded to all.” Felipe Augusto Faria, CEO, Green Building Council Brasil “As Egypt faces increasing climate vulnerabilities and a rapidly growing construction sector, projected to expand by nearly 6% annually — the NDC Scorecard for Sustainable Buildings Project is a crucial tool for promoting climate-resilient, sustainable development. This project will provide Egypt with a framework to assess the carbon reduction potential of our construction practices and ensure that new developments prioritise
Actis continues seven-year relationship with LABC by renewing CPD partner support The renewal this autumn of insulation specialist Actis’ CPD partner support with LABC marks the seventh year of a relationship between the two organisations. The renewed arrangement will see Actis specification team members take part in LABC’s monthly technical seminars over the coming twelve months. Key presenters include Actis regional specification managers Amaret Chahal, Jason Docherty and Elijah Peters. They will share highlights of Actis’ updated RIBA-approved Tomorrow’s Insulation Solutions for Future Homes Standards CPD with architects, specifiers, builders and building control officers, while other industry experts share information on other pertinent subjects. As in previous years, the sessions will be a mixture of regional face-to-face and online events aimed at construction professionals working across England and Wales. The roadshows, which last two hours when taking place virtually and three and a half when in real life, have provided CPD training to more than a thousand delegates over the past year. Actis UK and Ireland sales director Mark Cooper said: “We’ve been running CPD training at LABC’s popular long-running roadshows since 2018 and we’re delighted to continue to support the construction community in this way. The sessions are always informative and interesting and are also great for networking and sharing best practice. The CPD partnership means we can continue to offer valuable advice which will help builders and specifiers comply with building regulations as we move towards net zero.” In addition to the 20-minute sessions it offers via the LABC roadshows, Actis has developed a number of full length CPD training courses including RIBA-approved modules on how to comply with changes to Part L and prepare for the Future Homes Standard – Tomorrow’s Insulation Solutions for Future Homes Standard – andAddressing the Performance Gap with Reflective Insulation . Another of its popular CPD sessions is on Proven Compliant Systems. Actis’ Hybrid range of insulation, vapour control layers and breather membranes and its two-in-one Eolis HC have been praised by users for their cleanliness, ease and speed of installation, lack of waste, lightness and ease of transportation as well as their impressive thermal performance. Their flexibility and ability to bend around corners and be squeezed into gaps means they are excellent at counteracting thermal bridging and ensuring air tightness. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A renewable energy installation specialist has received national recognition for its efforts to tackle fuel poverty across the UK. UK Energy Management (UKEM) last week [11 Oct] won the ‘Fuel Poverty and Vulnerable Customer Support of the Year’ award, at the National Energy Efficiency Awards. Taking place at Birmingham’s Hilton Metropole, the glittering award ceremony brought businesses and experts from across the energy efficiency industry together under one roof. Comedian Jason Manford hosted the event and presented UKEM directors Steven Copeland and Chris Snaith with the award, which recognised ‘those organisations going the extra mile to help people in difficult circumstances.’ UKEM beat eight other finalists to the award, having helped install energy saving solutions in over 9,000 homes over the past 12 months. Speaking after receiving the accolade, Steven Copeland, UKEM CEO, said: “We are beyond proud to have been presented with this prestigious award. “We have invested heavily in our marketing and advertising efforts over the past couple of years to target those in traditionally hard to reach communities who may be experiencing fuel poverty. We are now seeing those efforts really bear fruit. “Over the past 12 months, we’ve installed energy efficiency solutions in thousands of homes, the vast majority which have been on behalf of people struggling with rising energy prices, so to receive such an award is testament to the fantastic work our team do week-in, week-out, to help those most in-need.” All of UKEM’s installations during the period were delivered via the Government’s Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) and Great British Insulation (GBIS) Schemes, aimed specifically at reducing fuel poverty through the installation of renewable and low-carbon technologies. The solutions installed by UKEM, including heat pumps, solar panels and loft and wall insulation, have a real environmental as well as economic impact, with the firm’s latest impact report concluding that its installations also prevented over 57,000 tonnes of CO2 from escaping into the earth’s atmosphere. “Poorly insulated homes not only come at a huge financial burden to residents, but also at a significant environmental cost to the planet, and the judges reserved special praise for how our solutions are helping to directly address both challenges,” Steven added. “The Government has set a target for around 6.5million fuel-poor homes to be at least band C by 2030 and for as many as possible homes to be band C by 2035, which is why support schemes such as ECO4, which make it more affordable for those struggling to make their homes more energy efficient, are so important. “By breaking down the barriers preventing those most in-need from improving the energy efficiency of their homes, it is helping retrofit the UK’s housing stock at pace, while helping the nation meet its ambitious Net Zero targets. “However, we know there are still millions of households out there who are eligible and very much in-need of such support, so we’d recommend anyone to check their eligibility for funded measures via our website.” For more information on UKEM, visit: https://ukem.co.uk/ Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
