Trades : M&E News

Support for Heat Pumps Will Boost Confidence and Drive Growth

The Heat Pump Association warmly welcomes the launch of the UK’s Heat and Buildings Strategy today in the hope that it will encourage exceptional market growth over the next few years. The Heat and Buildings Strategy published today (Tuesday 19th October) has unveiled phased out dates for the installation of

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British Gas prepares for heat pump growth

British Gas has become the latest organisation to sign up to the UK’s main F-Gas register REFCOM as it seeks to keep pace with growing demand for heat pump installations. The energy giant’s social housing subsidiary PH Jones maintains more than 195,000 homes across the UK. It supports 23 social

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BOHS and HSE Develop Free Ventilation Tool

BOHS and HSE Develop Free Ventilation Tool

The British Occupational Hygiene Society, a scientific charity and the Chartered Society for Worker Health Protection has developed in collaboration with the Health and Safety Executive a free, online Ventilation Tool to help limit the transmission of Covid-19 in workplaces. As the government is advising businesses to use CO2 monitoring

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Chubb Appointed as Main Security Provider for Hinkley Point C

Chubb, a leading provider of security and fire safety solutions has been appointed by EDF Energy as the main security systems provider for the operational station at Hinkley Point C (HPC) – the UK’s largest construction project and first new generation of nuclear plant to be built in over 20 years.

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BESA secures extra funding for heat pump training

The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has secured extra government funding to provide a further 200 free places on its online heat pump training course. BESA developed the installer training in collaboration with the Home Builders Federation (HBF) and heating equipment manufacturer Worcester Bosch. Launched in March, it has already trained for free

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UK’s First Large-Scale Water Source Heat Pump Project Officially Opens

The award-winning Queens Quay Heat Pump Energy Centre is providing low-carbon heating to the first phases of the £250m Clydebank-based development and members of West Dunbartonshire Council, Vital Energi and Star Renewables recently gathered to celebrate the achievement at an official opening. The opening is a particularly timely showcase of

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Future opportunities and challenges for M&E companies

The future carbon economy will present major challenges and opportunities for M & E companies over the next 10 years with the need to deliver innovative design solutions for new and existing buildings, according to Julian McCamphill, Operations Director of Dowds Group. There is already considerable pressure for change, but

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Latest Issue

BDC 322 : Nov 2024

Trades : M&E News

Support for Heat Pumps Will Boost Confidence and Drive Growth

The Heat Pump Association warmly welcomes the launch of the UK’s Heat and Buildings Strategy today in the hope that it will encourage exceptional market growth over the next few years. The Heat and Buildings Strategy published today (Tuesday 19th October) has unveiled phased out dates for the installation of fossil fuel heating, increased funding support for households purchasing heat pumps, and the rebalancing of environmental levies on electricity, all of which will be vital to growing the heat pump market and reducing emissions from our homes.   Chair of the Heat Pump Association, Phil Hurley said: “The heat pump industry warmly welcomes these bold steps forward.  The industry in the best shape it has ever been, with sales this year already double those seen ever before. “This announcement is timed perfectly to take advantage of the Heat Pump Association’s recently launched training course, with the industry now ready to retrain the UK’s army of installers with the capacity to train up to 40,000 per year, to ensure consumers can find a suitably trained and skilled heat pump installer when they need one. “Today’s announcement will give industry and installers a huge confidence boost that now is the time to scale-up and retrain in preparation for the mass roll out of heat pumps, as well as making heat pumps more affordable, so all consumers can soon access and enjoy the benefits of reliable low carbon heating that stands the test of time.” Key highlights for the heat pump industry include: The extension of the Clean Heat Grant scheme. Going beyond earlier proposals, the scheme will now run for three years from April 2022 with an increased funding pot of £450 million. Consumers will receive government grants of up to £5,000 for the purchase of heat pumps. The rebalancing of the environmental levies on electricity and gas. This will help to reduce fuel bills for consumers switching to heat pumps and is likely to further stimulate demand. Phase out dates for fossil fuel heating. Regulation is vital for instilling confidence in industry and commitment to phase out fossil fuel systems by 2035 is a major milestone for the low carbon heating market

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British Gas prepares for heat pump growth

British Gas has become the latest organisation to sign up to the UK’s main F-Gas register REFCOM as it seeks to keep pace with growing demand for heat pump installations. The energy giant’s social housing subsidiary PH Jones maintains more than 195,000 homes across the UK. It supports 23 social housing providers, has carried out almost half a million service calls and installs more than 11,000 heating systems and 850 renewable projects annually. A growing number of these installations now involve renewable systems with noticeable growth in heat pumps. It is actively recruiting to increase its team of skilled engineers and grow installation work backed up by ongoing expert service and maintenance. With the social housing sector moving more quickly towards low and zero carbon targets than other parts of the residential market, British Gas said upskilling the PH Jones workforce was a priority. “The industry is clearly suffering from an acute skills shortage, and it is crucial that large employers like us step up to address it,” said PH Jones director Matt Isherwood. “As well as bringing new engineers into the sector, we also need to upskill our existing workforce, particularly those already involved in boiler installations and other ‘traditional’ heating projects. “They will be crucial to delivering high performing heat pump systems in line with the government’s ambitions, but the technology does require specialist skills. We recognise the importance of making sure everyone working for us is properly trained, accredited, and able to comply with legislation. Credentials “That is why we were very keen to become REFCOM members as it is the best way to demonstrate our credentials and support higher standards across the sector,” he added. The government has set the industry the challenge of installing 600,000 heat pumps a year by 2028 – an almost ten-fold increase on current rates – and the Climate Change Committee believes 19 million will have to be installed to meet the country’s net zero carbon emissions target by 2050. PH Jones already has 11 F-gas qualified engineers and a larger team specialising in its renewables work. The agreement it has signed with REFCOM will allow it to eventually register many more certified operatives in line with its plans to expand its workforce. Founded in 1963, it now employs around 600 staff. Its social housing and facilities management business was acquired by British Gas in 2011. It received a ROSPA gold medal in 2019 following five successive years of receiving the prestigious health & safety initiative’s gold award. REFCOM is celebrating 25 years of helping refrigeration and air conditioning companies demonstrate their business and technical credentials and promoting higher professional standards of refrigerant management. Originally set up as a voluntary scheme in 1996 by a group of contractors who wanted to demonstrate their commitment to high professional standards and responsible refrigerant handling, it became the mandatory register for compliance with the European F-Gas regulation in 2009. It recently recorded its 7,000th company membership, which represents an estimated 90% of the total number of firms operating in the refrigeration and air conditioning sectors. The UK continues to ‘mirror’ the F-Gas Regulation despite its departure from the EU, which means that all personnel carrying out installation, commissioning, decommissioning, repairing, maintenance, or servicing of stationary refrigeration, air-conditioning or heat pump equipment that contains or is designed to contain F-Gas refrigerants must hold the relevant designated qualifications.www.phjones.co.uk/www.refcom.org.uk

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Over 40,000 heat pump installers could be trained per year: Secretary of State welcomes new training course

Secretary of State Welcomes Ground-breaking New Training Course Launched by Heat Pump Association The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP, has welcomed the launch of a new training course that will overhaul the route to becoming a heat pump installer in the UK. The Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a green industrial revolution, published in November 2020, outlined a target to install 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028 as part of ambitions to create green jobs whilst making strides towards net zero by 2050. The new training course, launched by the Heat Pump Association, aims to equip the heating industry with the additional skills needed to deliver on this target and deliver low carbon heat to hundreds of thousands of British homes. Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “The Government is absolutely committed to working with industry to drive down the costs of heat pumps over time so they are increasingly affordable for consumers. “While heat pumps are fast becoming a natural option for households, we need to ensure we have enough skilled tradespeople to hit our target of 600,000 installations each year by 2028 – so the Heat Pump Association setting up this training scheme is absolutely critical in this endeavour. “Today’s news is a great example of how government and industry can work together to accelerate progress and create the high-skilled jobs needed to make homes greener and more energy efficient.” The new course will be available for bookings across 38 training centres spread across the UK, with the ability to train over 40,000 installers each year across the HPA membership alone at maximum capacity. Phil Hurley, Chair of the Heat Pump Association, said: “Today’s launch is a landmark achievement and the HPA is proud to have worked hard with others across industry to bring this new heat pump training pathway to life. When we laid out our vision to government last year, we recognised our role in delivering training and skills, and we have successfully achieved this whilst working in constructive partnership with the Secretary of State and his team. “The heat pump industry is now fully equipped to lead the way in transforming the way homes are heated to reduce carbon and lower energy bills. “Importantly, we are also supporting plans to build back better through upskilling existing heating installers so that they are equipped with the tools and skills they need to allow consumers to access heat pumps as a solution to decarbonise their homes.” Further details on how heating industry professions can find and book a course can be found in the notes to editors.

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BOHS and HSE Develop Free Ventilation Tool

BOHS and HSE Develop Free Ventilation Tool

The British Occupational Hygiene Society, a scientific charity and the Chartered Society for Worker Health Protection has developed in collaboration with the Health and Safety Executive a free, online Ventilation Tool to help limit the transmission of Covid-19 in workplaces. As the government is advising businesses to use CO2 monitoring equipment to check whether indoor spaces are sufficiently ventilated and the Welsh government announces millions of pounds of funding for CO2 monitors, the Society, following the publication of its Guidance on ventilation, took a step further and worked with the HSE to create a simple Ventilation Tool to support workplaces and help reduce exposure of workers to Covid-19. With winter coming and businesses contemplating the challenges of Covid-19 and colder weather, good ventilation is key to limit the risk of coronavirus amongst workers and provide clean air especially in enclosed spaces. As ventilation in buildings can be complex, BOHS and HSE decided to develop this non-technical ventilation check tool to provide guidance and an indication of the effectiveness of the ventilation system used on reducing coronavirus transmission. The tool can be used by employers, building users, and building owners and does not aim to replace ventilation specialists or occupational hygienists assessing risks in a workplace, especially when it comes to more complex ventilation needs. CO2 monitoring is also very important, as an increase in CO2 concentration in any area could be indicative of poor ventilation that needs improving. BOHS CO2 Monitoring guidance aims to provide basic information on why monitoring CO2 levels can help control the spread of coronavirus, when it does work well, what is a safe CO2 level and how to do the monitoring. Andrew Curran, HSE’s Chief Scientific Officer, commented: “’I’m really pleased to see the development of this practical tool which will help to inform decisions about ventilation in work spaces.’ BOHS CEO, Professor Kevin Bampton said: “Covid-19 has highlighted the central importance of air quality in protecting workers from illness. We hope that these tools will enable people better understand their working environment and the role ventilation plays in saving lives and preventing ill-health” Guidance on ventilation and CO2 monitoring can be found on BOHS COVID-19 hub, alongside guidance on managing Covid risk in different sectors and other health risks, such as legionella, as the economy re-opens.

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Chubb Appointed as Main Security Provider for Hinkley Point C

Chubb, a leading provider of security and fire safety solutions has been appointed by EDF Energy as the main security systems provider for the operational station at Hinkley Point C (HPC) – the UK’s largest construction project and first new generation of nuclear plant to be built in over 20 years. Chubb is a part of Carrier Global Corporation (NYSE: CARR), the leading global provider of healthy, safe, sustainable and intelligent building and cold chain solutions. HPC will generate low-carbon electricity for up to six million homes, which equates to 7% of the UK’s energy supply. The plant is also expected to generate approximately 25,000 employment opportunities throughout construction and operation jobs, 900 permanent jobs and contribute significantly to the UK economy. Chubb came on board in October 2020, to provide physical and electronic security systems. The total solution deployed includes unique design and in-house software development, integration, delivery and accreditation of bespoke systems. The comprehensive security system will include CCTV, intruder alarm, access control and visitor management technologies, as well as perimeter intruder detection for the nuclear power station. “We are delighted to work with the HPC teams for this project. Our long-standing relationship with EDF Energy is important to us and we value the opportunity to work on such a high-profile project. Chubb is able to fully leverage its expertise as a leading designer and integrator of security systems, identifying and solving complex requirements to critical national infrastructure and major, large-scale projects across the public and private sector,” said David Dunnagan, Systems Director at Chubb.      To learn more about Chubb’s solutions and services, visit https://www.chubbfiresecurity.com/en/uk/

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BESA secures extra funding for heat pump training

The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has secured extra government funding to provide a further 200 free places on its online heat pump training course. BESA developed the installer training in collaboration with the Home Builders Federation (HBF) and heating equipment manufacturer Worcester Bosch. Launched in March, it has already trained for free more than 700 qualified plumbing and heating engineers, who were looking to upskill to take on heat pump work. The course is delivered through the Association’s online training Academy and this new round of funding, which comes from unspent Green Homes Grant scheme money, will allow it to extend the free programme until the end of October. New applicants should sign up here and are urged to move quickly as demand continues to be high as the market for heat pumps expands encouraging more companies and individuals to diversify into this area. Heat pumps were highlighted by the Prime Minister as a key technology for delivering many of the government’s decarbonisation goals and he tasked the industry with installing 600,000 a year by 2028. The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) also set a target of one million a year by the 2030’s towards an eventual total of 19 million to help achieve net zero by 2050. Industry estimates for this year put the current number of heat pump installations at around 71,000 and ramping that up to achieve the government’s ultimate target would require an additional 40,000 trained installers, according to the Heat Pump Association. Challenge The BESA Academy training scheme is a direct response to that challenge, according to the Association’s director of training and skills Helen Yeulet. “One of the biggest barriers to increased adoption of heat pump technology is the lack of suitably qualified installers,” she said. “It is also very important that installations meet a high technical standard and that engineers fully understand the technology, so consumers get the full energy and carbon saving benefits. “We are delighted to be working in collaboration with the HBF and Worcester Bosch because our combined expertise means we can include the most up-to-date knowledge in the training and use people who really understand the subject to deliver it.” Alongside the training course, BESA has updated its guide to good practice for heat pump installation (TR/30). This is the only guide that clearly identifies and explains all the different types of heat pump available and clarifies the type of training needed for successful installation. It also explains how to avoid many of the design problems that have impaired the performance of some systems to improve consumer satisfaction and cut more carbon emissions. The guide, which is available to buy from the BESA website, draws on the increased experience of heat pump technology in the field and provides an overview of the different applications including their benefits and limitations as well as providing outline design information for each. It contains updated references to building standards and codes of practice as well as data referenced from the latest CIBSE and BSRIA guides. Carbon emission factors have been updated along with explanations of new and emerging technologies that use different refrigerant types and blends which bring new hazards and safety considerations. “Since the first edition of this guide was published, there has been a significant increase in the use of heat pump technologies, which has resulted in a broader range of choices for end users, specifiers and installers, and also a greater knowledge of their potential benefits and pitfalls,” said Will Pitt, chair of the BESA technical committee. “New regulations, assurance schemes, government incentives and market entrants mean that heat pumps are now a far bigger presence in our industry. This makes the need for a recognised source of good practice increasingly vital to avoid some of the design problems that can undermine performance and disappoint end users.” TR30 is available to buy here. It costs £70 to BESA members and £140 to non-members. To sign up for heat pump training go to: www.thebesa.com/hpi

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UK’s First Large-Scale Water Source Heat Pump Project Officially Opens

The award-winning Queens Quay Heat Pump Energy Centre is providing low-carbon heating to the first phases of the £250m Clydebank-based development and members of West Dunbartonshire Council, Vital Energi and Star Renewables recently gathered to celebrate the achievement at an official opening. The opening is a particularly timely showcase of Scottish innovation as world leaders are set to gather in Glasgow for the COP26 United Nations Conference. The £20m project, which was delivered by Vital Energi on behalf of West Dunbartonshire Council will provide heating and hot water to the 23-hectare Queens Quay development which includes plans for 1,200 homes, businesses and public buildings. The initial phase connects Aurora House, the Titan Enterprise Centre, Clydebank Leisure Centre and care home, Queens Quay House.   At full build out the project will deliver circa 5,705 tonnes of CO2 reduction per year due to grid decarbonisation. Scott Lutton, Vital Energi’s Operations Director – North & Scotland said, “With COP26 fast approaching it is timely that we showcase the local authorities who have successfully delivered initiatives to meet their carbon targets and are an inspiration to others. West Dunbartonshire Council have shown that it is possible to, not only deliver large carbon reduction by harnessing renewable technology, but that this heat can be delivered at a more affordable price. “One of the truly exciting things about this development is that it will continue to grow over multiple phases, increasing in scale, becoming more efficient and allowing more people, businesses and organisations to access low-carbon heat.” The energy centre houses two 2.65MW water source heat pumps which extract water from the River Clyde at a rate of 125 litres per second and use the latent heat to produce heating and hot water for the development via a 5km district heating network.  Councillor Iain McLaren, Convener of Infrastructure, Regeneration and Economic Development, said: “I am extremely proud to officially open the West Dunbartonshire Energy Centre. This ambitious project has been many years in the making and it’s a pleasure to see the system up and running, providing low-carbon heat energy to so many buildings already, and with the capability of expansion throughout Clydebank. “As the world turns its eyes to the West of Scotland for COP26, and we work to agree action to try and halt the climate emergency, we are determined to do our part. This system, alongside a number of other steps taken by the Council, will help us achieve our goal to be net zero by 2045 and lead the way in tackling the climate emergency.” The network was designed to accommodate further growth, with the potential to expand beyond Queens Quay over several phases. The network has been future-proofed, and pipework has been installed to supply the forthcoming Health Centre, West College Scotland, the first 140 flats and retail units currently on site, all other homes planned for the site as well as Clydebank Library and Clydebank Town Hall. Future plans also include connections to the Golden Jubilee Hospital, Clyde Shopping Centre Dalmuir Flats, and into the town centre. Councillor Daniel Lennie, West Dunbartonshire Energy LLP Board member, said: “This fantastic system is already heating so many public buildings from the leisure centre to the care home, with the potential to expand to the Golden Jubilee and beyond. “It makes me so proud that as a Council we are showing our commitment to our net zero mission, especially because we are using our shipbuilding heritage and the Clyde – our most famous resource – to do so. “As well as taking these steps to tackle the climate emergency, we are also addressing fuel poverty for our communities and I’m sure Clydebank will see the benefits of the system for years to come.”

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Innovative partnership delivers life-changing tech to protect UK’s workforce

Sick days cost UK businesses around £77 billion in lost productivity each year, equating to roughly 30 days of absence per employee1. Poor or unmaintained ventilation can cause ‘sick building syndrome’ in employees and could lead to longer periods of staff absence and potential operational disruptions too. In a bid to tackle this very real issue, Plasma Clean, trusted pioneers in innovative and affordable infection prevention solutions, has partnered with global tech company Airthings to deliver life changing air quality technology to protect the UK’s workforce. This significant partnership between two leading providers of air quality technology can provide advantageous benefits for offices as well as health and leisure facilities and schools. Studies show these include long term cost savings, over 60 percent better cognitive performance and a 30 percent decrease in headaches and respiratory issues1. Indoor air has been found to be over five times more polluted than outdoor air in the UK2. The impact of this is acute and has been directly linked to asthma, anxiety, lack of concentration, lower productivity and the increased spread of infectious diseases.  The industry leading businesses have joined forces with the aim of helping everyone to breathe better air. Utilising Airthings’ highest grade air quality sensors, Plasma Clean will be able to monitor CO2, temperature, humidity, radon, VOCs, pressure, light and virus risk – all in real time. The battery-operated and wireless sensors can be placed in any building and indoor air quality with advanced cloud analytics is monitored through the comprehensive Airthings Dashboard via desktop. Plasma Clean, which has been dedicated to improving indoor air quality for the last 13 years, will analyse the data collected to produce a detailed report complete with a range of recommended solutions for any identified inefficiencies. The recommendations give clients options to take the next step to neutralise bacteria and virus cells in the air, and ensure continuous disinfection. Steve Keogh, CEO of Plasma Clean, explained, “We are thrilled to be announcing our partnership with Airthings, which will help to deliver life changing technology to offices, leisure and health facilities and schools across the country.  “Without the proper ventilation systems in place, an office full of people can quickly increase the amount of harmful gases in the air and dramatically reduce the indoor air quality, impacting negatively on cognitive function.” Airthings works with major brands and businesses to deliver affordable and innovative technology solutions to improve indoor air quality on a global scale. Airthings has sold more than 300,000 monitors worldwide with its premium product range. Oyvind Birkenes, CEO of Airthings commented, “We’re so excited to be working with a like-minded company such as Plasma Clean. Our collaborative approach allows us to use the very best technology to analyse indoor air quality and deliver a solution to help protect people long term. Together we are dedicated to helping everyone breathe better air.” To find out more about Plasma Clean’s infection control range, visit: www.plasma-clean.com 

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Construction sector urged to ‘step-up’ in race to adopt greener heating solutions

Following recent revelations that UK’s home gas boilers emit twice as much CO2 as all power stations, the construction sector is being urged to accelerate the switch to greener heating solutions such as CO2 heat pumps, which have been described as ‘the future of green heating in the UK’. The government’s target of 600,000 heat pump installations per year by 2028 is an encouraging step but Tim Rook, Chief Markets Officer at Clade Engineering, a leading designer and manufacturer of CO2 heat pumps, is concerned that the UK is a long way off the pace from hitting that target. “Burning natural gas has historically been a cheap, reliable and relatively safe way to heat buildings in this country. But as this study shows, things are going to have to change if we have any hope of reaching Net Zero. CO2 heat pumps are the future of green heating in the UK – they are more efficient, cleaner and have a lower total cost of ownership than gas boilers,” explains Tim. “We need to step up – and that’s going to take more awareness and more clamour across the construction, facilities management, property investment and property management industries,” suggests Tim. The recent energy price crisis adds further weight to this argument and has been caused by several long, medium and short-term factors coming into play at the same time. It’s been coming down the tracks for a while, and touches on a couple of things that Clade Engineering consider extremely important – the decarbonisation and security of Britain’s energy supply. “Installing a heat pump is one of the best things a business can do to decarbonise, and it’s fairly straightforward if engineered correctly. A heat pump will deliver a 60 to 80% carbon reduction and when used for cooling too it’ll do even better. If plugged into a digital platform to optimise performance and provide grid flexibility services it will be able to deliver even more carbon reductions and cost savings. “For the good of the planet, we need to pull our collective fingers out,” says Tim.

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Future opportunities and challenges for M&E companies

The future carbon economy will present major challenges and opportunities for M & E companies over the next 10 years with the need to deliver innovative design solutions for new and existing buildings, according to Julian McCamphill, Operations Director of Dowds Group. There is already considerable pressure for change, but while most building manufacturers and suppliers are looking at delivering better energy saving performance across product ranges, the onus will be more and more on M&E contractors and designers to be more proactive in terms of reducing carbon footprints to meet Government targets. As these targets alter and become more complex, this in turn will mean the need for new initiatives to provide even greater investment to attract highly trained staff to join the industry, especially graduates who will need to see construction as a more attractive career option. For companies such as Dowds Group, the challenge already exists to deliver increasingly complex projects involving BIM, new technologies and much more. These are already being incorporated into all new contracts – a typical example is the planned major refurbishment of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in south London operated by the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. The project is worth around £30 million. More than half of that total will be spent on delivering the M&E. Work has already started for Dowds to accurately design and agree cost on every aspect of the project prior to contractors going into the hospital at beginning of 2022, with the contract expected to be finished the following year. “Attention to detail, health and safety matched by an emphasis on delivering quality at all times is important for every type of contract,” said Julian Camphill, “and this particularly applies to work in hospitals and in our opinion will increasingly become more challenging.” “That attention to detail relates to everything we do – right down to knowing that when an operative flicks a switch, everyone is totally aware of what is on the end of that and every other circuit. It could be a patient on life support, power to a critical operating theatre – it is that important.” “Equally, we have to be aware that we are not only designing and installing infrastructure that meets today’s needs, it also has to be fit for purpose for the next 20 years or more and be capable of delivering Government carbon targets and changing patient needs.” Dowds, working from their head office in Belfast for more than 40 years, has an enviable reputation for delivering quality healthcare projects in Northern Ireland. This expertise has been transferred to London where the company is now regarded as one of the fastest growing of its kind across the capital and the rest of the UK. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital which was built in the 1950s and later modernised in the 1990s under a PFI agreement is in urgent need of refurbishment and modernisation to bring the building up to modern standards. Dowds, who will be working closely with the NHS Trust to ensure minimum disruption to staff and patients throughout the refurbishment, will be responsible for upgrading all of the electrical infrastructure. They will further upgrade the facilities for medical gas supplies such as oxygen, the climate control and all the other M&E areas across the site. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital is the latest in a growing number of healthcare success stories for Dowds, which include just about every major hospital in Northern Ireland together with scheme at Addenbrookes, Merseyside, Newcastle, Reading and many other parts of the country. With NHS Trusts probably under more pressure than ever before due to Covid and expanding waiting lists, the focus is now firmly on the M&E sector to deliver 21st Century facilities – that’s the challenge for companies like Dowds – and they are up to it.

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