According to research from energy consultancy Energy Management LLP, NHS Trusts spend an average of half a billion pounds each year on gas and electric. Powering patient care is a costly exercise, however there are solutions that can deliver power generation in a cost-effective way. One example is combined heat
One in three responders to cross-industry survey say payment delays are threatening viability of business Government facing mounting pressure to address administrative failings A survey of industry members involved in the installation of technologies eligible under the Green Homes Grants scheme has reinforced claims that administrative delays are behind the
BigChange, the mobile workforce management technology company, today announced that EDF has selected its pioneering JobWatch system to support the delivery of metering and energy services in the UK. EDF’s Energy Solutions division will use BigChange’s JobWatch system to manage the activities of field engineers serving business customers. Jobs will
UK Power Networks has announced a major programme to kick start the ‘Green Recovery,’ by cutting the cost of green energy projects. The energy network, which keeps the lights on for more than 18 million people across London, the East and South East of England, is investing up to £80m
If substations are the delivery vehicles of the energy transmission network, then transformers are their engines, quietly humming away to ensure homes and businesses receive a constant supply of power. Given the cost to replace these vital assets, there is an ongoing maintenance requirement to ensure they remain in prime
Barriers and insulating components on strategic locations can help you reduce the impact of wildlife on your power system. When specified and installed correctly, power components can reduce fire risk, lower power outage instances and safeguard the environment for over four decades. Industrial power distributors and utility companies have to
Brickfab, a leading manufacturer of prefabricated products for the UK House Building industry, is building itself a greener future. The innovative business, based in Pontypool, which employs sixty people designs, manufactures and supplies prefabricated arches, brick specials, chimneys, GRP canopies and panels to the major house builders throughout the UK. Brickfab Managing Director, Nigel
British company, Osprey Group, has won the multi-million-pound contract to deliver all of the oversized equipment needed in the next phase of construction at Hinkley Point C (HPC). Through their innovative shared services logistics model, the team will use its expertise in both marine and heavy land transport to provide
British Gas has confirmed the renewal of its long-standing partnership with Energy Assets Utilities (EAU) for the construction of gas networks serving new build housing schemes and regeneration projects. The two businesses have been working together for more than 20 years, with EAU laying on average around 80,000 metres of
According to the UK Government, the solar industry is big business, with over 1 million solar PV systems installed by the end of 2020 – an increase of 1.6% on the previous year. Currently, only around 3.5% percent of total generated UK electricity is provided via solar energy systems, but with solar
According to research from energy consultancy Energy Management LLP, NHS Trusts spend an average of half a billion pounds each year on gas and electric. Powering patient care is a costly exercise, however there are solutions that can deliver power generation in a cost-effective way. One example is combined heat and power (CHP). Here Jason Harryman, UK Sales and Business Development Manager at energy and transportation expert Finning UK & Ireland, the exclusive distributor of Cat® equipment in the UK and Ireland, explains the benefits of using CHP in hospitals. Keeping medical equipment like ventilators running, as well as providing light and heating for large facilities, means hospitals typically have very high baseloads. The outbreak of COVID-19 has put added pressure on healthcare facilities, due to larger numbers of patients in intensive care. One major use of energy is heat, which is at the heart of every hospital — it is used for sterilising tools, heating water and for keeping wards warm. Conventional electricity generation is typically only around 40 per cent efficient and the heat generated by the equipment is wasted. This can lead to high energy costs as hospitals must consume more energy to compensate for what is lost. One way to reduce energy costs in hospitals is combined heat and power. As well as generating electricity, CHP systems use waste heat to generate steam and hot water for medical hygiene purposes. This means that hospitals can achieve energy efficiency gains and cost reductions in one. While the efficiency of traditional power generation is around 40 per cent fuel effective, CHP means hospitals can increase efficiency to over 75 per cent. For example, Finning supplied Rotherham Hospital with a Cat® G3516B gas generator that had an electrical output of 1.1 M We, alongside heat recovery modules and an external radiator cooling system. The CHP solution produced heat as a by-product and fed it back into the hospital’s heating system. After only 30 days, the hospital achieved an efficiency rate of 90.2 per cent. Two for the price of one It is easy for hospitals to end up paying for energy twice — for electricity to power the hospital and for gas to heat it. Using a CHP system means they will only need to pay for the gas to power the system. Meanwhile, it will produce electricity and heat simultaneously at effectively half the price of coal and gas-fired plants. CHP systems can run in periods of low thermal demand so that hospitals can benefits from cheaper power. According to a report by NHS England and Public Health England, it was suggested that CHP could save the NHS £26.4 million per year by 2020. Cleaner energy As more hospitals commit to reducing their carbon footprints, CHP can help management teams meet sustainability goals. Because CHP captures the heat that would otherwise be lost from power generation, less fuel is required to produce the same amount of energy. Less fuel means less carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide is produced from the combustion process — hospitals can reduce emissions by at least 20 per cent by using CHP. With hospitals spending an average of half-a-billion pounds a year on gas and electric, CHP provides a way for management teams to recovering costs while achieving cleaner and more efficient energy. To find out how you can get more out of your electric power generation, visit https://www.finning.com/en_GB/industries/electric-power-generation/chp.html.
One in three responders to cross-industry survey say payment delays are threatening viability of business Government facing mounting pressure to address administrative failings A survey of industry members involved in the installation of technologies eligible under the Green Homes Grants scheme has reinforced claims that administrative delays are behind the low deployment of a £1.5billion worth of vouchers, with more than 100,000 vouchers applied for and millions of pounds worth of work already undertaken by installers. To date, only 20,000 vouchers have been issued and even fewer payments for completed work have been made. The Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), Solar Energy UK, Renewable Energy Assurance Ltd (REAL) and the Home Insulation and Energy Systems Quality Assured Contractors Scheme (HIES) are calling on the Government to implement a four-point plan to address the issues in the scheme: Immediate acceleration of payments and processing of vouchers to address installers’ cashflow concerns and increase pace of installations for consumers A greater administrative role established for the Microgeneration Certification Scheme, which has the expertise and existing relationships with installers, auditors and established consumer bodies in the zero-carbon home retrofitting market Greater transparency of the auditing process – particularly the cost criteria of products and installation works should be made visible A commitment in the upcoming Budget to use all of the underspent 2020/21 budget in future years through a longer-term programme of zero-carbon retrofitting until the end of this parliament, applying lessons learned from the successful Local Authority Delivery scheme The four industry bodies surveyed 194 members, yielding the following results: Almost three-quarters (73%) of survey responders have completed work under the Green Homes Grant. The remaining installers identify concerns with the operation of the scheme as their main reason for not participating Of this group who are yet to be convinced to take part, the majority (72%) state that they are waiting to see if improvements can be made to the turnaround of payments, before they will reconsider their involvement Of those installers already working under the scheme, over three quarters (76% are ‘concerned about the time it takes to receive voucher payments’ Over a third (35%) of responders state that delays to scheme payments, is now threatening the viability of their businesses Over half (51%) of installers state that they have hired new people, given an expectation that the scheme would generate a significant volume of new enquiries Over a third (34%) said they were unlikely to retain these new staff, unless significant improvements are made to the operation of the scheme, including the flow of payments A further fifth (17%) of installers state that they have already let their recent new hires go as given issues with working with the voucher scheme MCS chief executive Ian Rippin said: “The Green Homes Grant has good intentions, but it has been over-engineered to the point where it is now significantly affecting how our installers operate. Delays to payments are especially damaging and we are calling for consumer incentives like this to be simplified to enable renewable energy businesses to do what they do best, without worrying about their financial health.” Solar Energy UK chief executive Chris Hewett said: “We are keen to see the Green Homes Grants scheme made a success. The government needs to work with industry to make the process simpler and clearer for installers and consumers alike. Payments for completed work must be made without further delay, and any unspent funds recommitted in following years. If this government is serious about driving a green economic recovery it has to put its money where its mouth is.” REAL CEO Virginia Graham said: “The Green Homes Grant scheme has successfully piqued the public’s interest and has great potential to deliver green home upgrades at scale. But installer confidence is essential if this is to be realised. We therefore urge Government to take heed of these survey results by simplifying and rationalising the voucher redemption process and by rolling over any unspent funds.” HIES chief executive Faisal Hussain said: “The results of the survey are a real concern because of the delay in customers receiving vouchers and installers getting paid for completed work. Furthermore, consumers who have paid a deposit could be in danger of losing it if their chosen installer ceases to trade. We want to work with the government and the scheme administrator to help ensure that consumers and installers are not severely impacted and would welcome a meeting to discuss the findings and potential solutions in more detail.” The government has faced mounting pressure to address the administrative failings of the scheme in recent weeks from both industry and politicians, with the Environmental Audit Committee’s 3rd Parliamentary report calling for the scheme to “be urgently overhauled and extended to provide greater long-term stimulus to the domestic energy efficiency sector.” [2]
BigChange, the mobile workforce management technology company, today announced that EDF has selected its pioneering JobWatch system to support the delivery of metering and energy services in the UK. EDF’s Energy Solutions division will use BigChange’s JobWatch system to manage the activities of field engineers serving business customers. Jobs will be scheduled and automatically dispatched through JobWatch, with activities allocated to the most appropriate engineer after considering a range of factors including their location and skills. Field engineers will be provided with their schedules, optimal routes, job information and worksheets through a BigChange app on their existing Android devices. With details of each job recorded on the app as it is completed, EDF’s back-office team will gain a real-time view of their mobile workforce operations and how each job is progressing. Tony Rabone, Senior Manager for Energy Solutions Delivery at EDF, comments: “We are excited by the potential of BigChange’s technology to improve our field service activities for commercial customers. This new way of working should allow us to be even more responsive to customer needs, while reducing the administrative burden of managing field operations and improving our employees’ experience.” Martin Port, founder and CEO of BigChange, comments: “The ease with which JobWatch is deployed at scale and integrated into third-party ERP systems means BigChange is increasingly chosen by large organisations to replace legacy infrastructure and ways of working. We’ve invested heavily in innovation, integration and achieving ISO27001 information security accreditation to meet the demands of larger customers. We are thrilled that EDF has rewarded these efforts by selecting JobWatch.” BigChange’s pioneering mobile workforce and job management solution, JobWatch, provides organisations of any size with a paperless means of planning, managing, scheduling, and tracking their mobile workforce operations. It is used by 50,000 mobile workers and back-office personnel at over 1,500 organisations worldwide, primarily working in the construction, facilities management, field service, transport, logistics and waste management sectors.
UK Power Networks has announced a major programme to kick start the ‘Green Recovery,’ by cutting the cost of green energy projects. The energy network, which keeps the lights on for more than 18 million people across London, the East and South East of England, is investing up to £80m to supercharge projects that contribute towards the UK’s commitment to reach Net Zero by 2050. The programme follows the Government’s announcement in November 2020 of a Ten Point Plan to kickstart the ‘Green Recovery’ and enable the country to reach its target of Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050. Now the network company is inviting bids from shovel-ready low carbon energy projects that require a high or low voltage electricity connection to its networks in the next two years. The programme will support successful bidders who can demonstrate their project helps enable the low carbon transition. This could include installing rapid electric vehicle charging stations in local communities, energy generators looking to connect more renewable energy to the electricity network, local heat networks or community energy projects. To be successful, projects will need to demonstrate how they meet both the Government’s Net Zero objective and the Ten Point Plan. They will also be assessed to understand their contribution towards improving air quality, creating jobs and alleviating fuel poverty. The programme will focus on funded projects that can be delivered in 2021 or 2022 to make sure it has immediate impact. The programme will enable UK Power Networks to increase power capacity in areas identified, to significantly reduce the cost of connection. Successful applicants will still need to apply for an electricity connection in order to use this increased capacity. To support this work, UK Power Networks is also exploring a range of innovative solutions, including a new compact substation design, to enable new connections to be delivered more quickly and at a lower cost. It hopes this new solution can be delivered by any authorised body. Sul Alli, director of Strategy and Customer Service at UK Power Networks said: “Electricity networks are the front line of enabling Net Zero. That’s why we’ve taken this decision to make a significant investment to kickstart the Green Recovery and help get projects that are going to make a real, tangible difference to people’s lives off the drawing board and into development. “The clock is ticking – in less than a decade there will be 36 times as many electric vehicles connected to our network as there is now, and that’s why we have to take action now. Electricity networks have a vital public role to play in enabling the Net Zero revolution, and it’s a role we are 100% committed to.” To find out more email Green.Recovery@UKPowerNetworks.co.uk or see https://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/green-recovery
If substations are the delivery vehicles of the energy transmission network, then transformers are their engines, quietly humming away to ensure homes and businesses receive a constant supply of power. Given the cost to replace these vital assets, there is an ongoing maintenance requirement to ensure they remain in prime working condition. And so, as the population of transformers across the UK gets older with every year, so the risk of them failing increases. Alongside this, there is the constant risk of oil escaping as a result of a failure. With some estimates putting the average age of a distribution transformer as high as 63 years, it is understandable that facilities managers are continually exploring ways to limit their exposure to such a potentially dangerous scenario. Enabling environmental compliance MIDEL-type oil is non-toxic and fully biodegradable, meaning it is becoming increasingly sought after for its environmental benefits. At a time when industry is stepping up to tackle an increasingly urgent sustainability agenda, this is in contrast to the potentially harmful polluting impact that high-toxicity mineral oils can have if they escape into the watercourse. The combination of these reasons makes it easy to see why MIDEL-type ester oils have grown in popularity. It is important to note, however, that being a more environmentally sound option compared with mineral oil does not mean that the environmental risks are totally eradicated. It remains essential for any site using MIDEL to consider the wider ramifications – and particularly the cost implications – for managing this different kind of spill risk. When it comes to pollution-prevention methods for transformers, bunds are the primary option, ensuring compliance with the Control of Pollution (Oil Storage) (England) Regulations 2001. Bunds can be a trap for rainwater, particularly in a climate such as the UK’s, where our already saturated winters are expected to become up to 30% wetter within the next 50 years. Safely managing the removal of this water while guaranteeing its separation from pollutants can be a costly task when carried out on a regular basis by third-party waste removal providers. A more efficient and cost-effective alternative is a bund water control unit (BWCU), which automates the dewatering process without the need for manual intervention. Rainwater, when it reaches a certain probe trigger level, is simply evacuated from the bund and into the surface water drainage system, with a guarantee that oil contaminants will not be at a level exceeding 1ppm. MIDEL compatibility Any transition to the use of ester oils, such as MIDEL 7131, should therefore be done in the knowledge that the BWCU will continue to deliver the highest pollution protection levels. At Darcy Group, we have received independent verification from a UKAS accredited testing house, that our BWCU is compatible with the use of MIDEL 7131, confirming a discharge of less than 5ppm of oil to water. As such, choosing a Darcy BWCU is a future-proof choice for those looking to use MIDEL. For our clients using MIDEL, having a compliant BWCU to manage the dewatering process not only removes ongoing waste removal costs, it also further enhances their environmental credentials beyond the choice to use ester fluids over mineral oils. As more sites consider making the transition to ester oils for their transformers, it is crucial that the bund and the dewatering process are a key element of the overall risk management plan. Only by doing this can you truly ensure that the end result is sustainable from both an economic and environmental perspective. For information on how our products and services, call us today on 01732 762338 or get in touch via the website www.thedarcygroup.co.uk/contact.
Barriers and insulating components on strategic locations can help you reduce the impact of wildlife on your power system. When specified and installed correctly, power components can reduce fire risk, lower power outage instances and safeguard the environment for over four decades. Industrial power distributors and utility companies have to face a prevalent problem where animals interfere with high voltage lines and power substations and cause bushfires that have a serious effect on the environment. Such power incidents may be a result of the following: • Fires resulting from the ignition of animal nests and other debris; fires at pole tops as well as the electrocution of animals and birds • Fire induced by vegetation when live conductors clash with vegetation • A clash of conductors, when adjacent conductors come into contact and generate travelling arcs, sparks and lead to conductor damage • Pollution flashover (airborne environmental pollutants and bird guano) where pollutants build up on insulated components. They then become conductors where the current flows through, increasing the chances of a flashover, flame tracking and arcing Vegetation and wildlife can cause phase-to-earth-faults when they form conductive paths, which connect the power equipment to the ground. They can also cause phase-to-phase faults that occur from the collision of the adjacent phases or getting connected via debris or wildlife (wire clashes or animal conduction). This often results in the production of molten metal particles that cause fires by igniting dry vegetation. These risks may be lowered by preventively installing TE Connectivity’s (TE) Raychem Wildlife Asset Protection solutions. What are TE’s Wildlife Asset Protection solutions? They are insulating barriers and covers that lower a fire risk on substation and overhead line components. They are both reliable and retrofittable. Wildlife and Asset Protection products are always at a risk of premature failure and degradation due to environmental factors, which in turn may cause fire. Thus the selection of materials used in producing these products is very important. Unfortunately, it is often overlooked at the selection stage. Particularly important is that the polymers used are formulated to endure harsh environmental conditions without material breakdown for decades. The importance of choosing the right Wildlife Asset Protection Solutions Most utility companies find investing in systems to reduce the risk of bushfire from wildlife-related causes more of a reactionary or discretionary effort. However, these components indeed help enhance reliability in power connections as well as power safety, which would result in a significant payback of the power providers as they prevent fire catastrophes. The costly and far-reaching implications include: • Injury to people and sometimes, fatalities • Extensive damage or total loss of the assets in the power grid • Power outages and service interruptions (SAIFI and SAIDI) that not only disrupt communities and residential homes, but may also lead to dangerous conditions in hospitals, learning institutions, and industrial centers, among other places • Environmental pollution that may threaten wildlife, livelihoods and power infrastructure personnel, especially if potentially hazardous components are burnt in the process • Irreparable damage to horticultural and agriculture assets from the fire • Legal implications that result in litigations and penalties from the fires • Negative publicity on mainstream and social media outlets that not only damages the reputation of the company but also lowers the shareholder value. Choosing Materials for Wildlife and Asset Protection Installations The level of effectiveness of a Wildlife and Asset Protection product, and thereby its level of fire protection, varies based on the type of material it is made of. It is important that the manufacturer makes its products using materials formulations that can handle the harsh conditions substations and overhead lines are regularly exposed to for extended periods of time. These include mechanical stress, pollution build-up, high voltage stress, elevated temperatures and pollution-induced arching. If you do not select components made from the right performance material, you could end up increasing ignition sources. With this in mind, consider the following performance characteristics, as explained in selecting Wildlife and Asset Protection components. 1. Resistance to Erosion and Tracking (TERT) TERT measures the extent of tracking resistance of a material. This is its ability to resist ignition and surface arching when subject to high-stress environments. The ASTM D2303 abrasion test and a step method using 2.5kV to 3.25kV are the common methods to determine TERT. If the tracking resistance is inadequate, the material is susceptible to degradation over a given period. This, in turn, leads to the breakdown of the insulation, propagation of the flame and production of sparks. With the test standard in mind, the material with an excellent TERT resistance is one that can withstand more than a single Step TERT after the abrasion method has been applied. 2. Ultraviolet (UV) Resistance This is the ability of a material to withstand prolonged UV exposure without failing over a long period. This is because the materials will be outdoors all the time. Materials that do not have excellent UV resistance tend to degrade over time This gives a leeway to environmental pollutants to build upon the cracks, thereby increasing the chances of ignition, arcing and tracking from conduction from these pollutants. Scientists demonstrate UV resistance by the use of ASTM G154, UV-3, Cycle 3 test that takes at least 1,000 hours. However, to determine if the polymer at hand can perform for over 30 years, the materials are UV tested for at least 5,000 hours. 3. Thermal Endurance This is the measure for a material’s ability to resist deforming or melting (maintain mechanical integrity) in environments with sustained high temperatures. If a material can withstand melting, there is a reduced risk that it might drip down on dry grace or other vegetation and trigger fire. There are two methods used in testing thermal endurance in wildlife and asset protection components: 1. Thermal Index IEC 60216/IEEE 98. Here, the material is subjected to temperatures of105°C (221°F). If it can withstand these temperatures over 20,000 hours, it can last over 20 years. 2. Thermal Aging ASTM D2671that takes 750
Brickfab, a leading manufacturer of prefabricated products for the UK House Building industry, is building itself a greener future. The innovative business, based in Pontypool, which employs sixty people designs, manufactures and supplies prefabricated arches, brick specials, chimneys, GRP canopies and panels to the major house builders throughout the UK. Brickfab Managing Director, Nigel Watkins, says the firm recognises the role it must play in reducing its carbon footprint by putting the environment at the forefront of its business. It has added to its green credentials by installing 170 solar panels at its factory in Pontypool. Mr Watkins said: “We take a proactive approach to dealing with all matters relating to Brickfab’s environmental impact. To that end and to reduce our carbon footprint even further, we have installed a total of 170, 290v solar modules which will give us an installed capacity of 49kWP. We expect to make savings of 25 tonnes of CO2e per year. It helps everyone at Brickfab to have a greater awareness of the importance of looking after the planet and climate.” The business expects to recover the costs of installing the solar panels over the next few years through the energy produced by the equipment. Brickfab received an interest free loan from The Carbon Trust for the installation which had made the project financially viable. The system was installed by Hereford-based Caplor Energy. The installation comes in the wake of Brickfab’s other green initiatives which include the use of cutting-edge delivery vehicles to help reduce fuel use, streaming and segregation of factory waste with significantly less going to land fill and the recycling of plastic and cardboard. Mr Watkins said: “We have a focus on reducing energy use across the business and working towards ISO 14001 environmental standard. We could well see further solar panels installed on our other factories, in the future.”
British company, Osprey Group, has won the multi-million-pound contract to deliver all of the oversized equipment needed in the next phase of construction at Hinkley Point C (HPC). Through their innovative shared services logistics model, the team will use its expertise in both marine and heavy land transport to provide centralised logistics and management for all major critical assets coming into the site – giving project-critical support to Hinkley Point C and its suppliers. Osprey Group is a British-owned company that’s local to Hinkley Point C, in Somerset. It is the only British firm with the cumulative experience, skill sets, and in-house resources to deliver this new, innovative shared services model of special logistics support that’s now needed for Hinkley Point C (HPC). Hinkley Point C’s new nuclear power station will deliver a long-term socio-economic legacy for the nation. Its primary purpose is to deliver energy that is cleaner and greener – a major contributing factor to UK net zero targets – but the construction programme is also opening up sustainable career opportunities. Suppliers to HPC are encouraged to showcase innovative methods than can help overcome the challenges of major infrastructure logistics. This is Osprey’s forte: by using their learnings from a range of offshore oil and gas construction projects, Osprey’s multi-disciplined team identifies efficiencies and improves reliability in its delivery of logistics to major construction projects onshore. Osprey will become a strategically important, collaboration-focused Tier 1 supplier. The team’s shared services model removes many of the risks faced by one-off, critical asset suppliers – some delivering unique components weighing over 750 tonnes per piece – many of whom might not have the experience or local knowledge needed for organising specialist logistics to this particular site. Now, HPC is moving into the major next phase of its build: visibly constructing buildings on the carefully prepared site in Somerset. The Tier 1 suppliers are liaising on tight schedules to install key critical permanent equipment, which includes steam generators, turbines and the nuclear reactors themselves – everything needed to generate low-carbon electricity for around six million homes. Won through an international tender, Osprey’s innovative approach to shared services is making a step-change possible that will have a tangible positive impact on the environment, the local community, and HPC’s construction programme overall. John O’Connor, Commercial Director, Osprey “We’re exceptionally proud to partner with EDF to deliver strategic logistics for the project. Normally, critical assets are called forward by the Construction Director, and multiple contractors complete the delivery. It’s an enormous task to perform this to the tightest of schedules, with so many contractors and interlocking phases of construction. You need a detailed plan and the right specialist heavy-logistics’ resources – all applied intelligently with a best for project, one team mindset. HPC is an inspiring project driven by exceptional people – our job is to provide safe, flexible and reliable service every time. It’s an exciting time for Osprey and we look forward to supporting EDF and all Tier 1 contract partners in delivering success together.” Osprey’s new working model is the result of close collaboration over a period of several years with the HPC team. By drawing on learnings from other sectors and being involved in much more of the planning than might be expected, the leadership team at Osprey has created an approach to construction logistics that will make life easier not just for key project teams at HPC, but also their suppliers, and potentially for other projects of this scale too, such as Sizewell C. Nigel Cann, Delivery Director for HPC, said: “It’s fantastic to see a local company step up to the challenge of delivering this volume of critical components for our project. Osprey has already proved to us that they have the capability and expertise to deliver to the high standards of safety, quality and efficiency required for such a complex construction job. We set out to ensure that businesses in the region would benefit from HPC and this is the latest example of us delivering on that commitment.” Osprey will be transporting all of HPC’s largest assets – critical, one-off pieces of equipment manufactured around the world and delivered by water via a dedicated muster port at Avonmouth. From there, deliveries will be made to the build teams on site in line with predefined construction scheduling. Each consignment will be received direct from a delivery vessel before onward movement to the HPC terminal, cutting down on road use, disruption, and emissions. John: “This is a brand new, specialist logistics model for receiving critical equipment. All in all, over £1billion of essential, critical assets will move through this operation over the coming years.” The team’s experience in importing and transporting critical assets has provided the evidence needed to shape an accelerated marine logistics model that works well for just-in-time deliveries. This has been made possible by injecting land and marine expertise into the engineering disciplines that work as the core of the business. It is a model that is adaptable to specific project requirements and should be transferrable to all major infrastructure projects in the UK and, where adopted, will play an important role in improving interoperability between site teams, and cutting down on road-transport emissions and disruption usually associated with over-sized loads. John: “HPC’s lead here, in embracing this innovative new approach, provides an opportunity for projects like HS2 and large-scale renewables projects to see ways in which assets can be delivered faster, against more flexible schedules, and with an improved impact on both the environment and the bottom line. As the centralised logistics provider, we will be taking the pressure off for some of HPC’s own logistics teams too – and it’s an innovation legacy for the region, as we often work with local sub-contractors.”
British Gas has confirmed the renewal of its long-standing partnership with Energy Assets Utilities (EAU) for the construction of gas networks serving new build housing schemes and regeneration projects. The two businesses have been working together for more than 20 years, with EAU laying on average around 80,000 metres of gas infrastructure mains and connecting approximately 4,500 new service connections and meters each year. EAU covers the largest single geographic area among the three utility construction service providers partnering with British Gas and has also completed more than 100 dual fuel (gas/ electricity) schemes for its customers. Commented Kevin Keaney, Area Engineering Lead at British Gas: “This new contract supports the service excellence commitments made by British Gas to its customers while at the same time enabling the business to look to previously untapped markets, helping us to grow our energy portfolio through site works. “EAU has a proven track record of delivering positive outcomes for our customers, so this new contract provides us with a continuation of the excellent working relationship established with the company, which is important in ensuring that British Gas remains one of the biggest site works providers in the UK.” EAU has established a comprehensive communication and project delivery process for the utility construction and metering services being delivered on behalf of British Gas, with dedicated teams taking responsibility for all the required off-site planning. This includes organising highways notices, connections management, materials, labour, as-built records, meter installation data and managing projects through each stage to completion. Design services have also been provided for dual fuel projects. Said Steven Lynch, EAU Group Commercial Director: “We are delighted to be continuing the positive working relationship that has evolved with British Gas over many years and look forward to supporting the company through this new contract, which will run through to 2025.”
According to the UK Government, the solar industry is big business, with over 1 million solar PV systems installed by the end of 2020 – an increase of 1.6% on the previous year. Currently, only around 3.5% percent of total generated UK electricity is provided via solar energy systems, but with solar PV predicted to be the fastest growing form of renewable energy production, by 2050, it’s likely that those figures will look very different. So why might now be the right time to move over to solar, incorporating it as standard when new construction projects are undertaken? Why incorporate solar into design?Anyone responsible for paying energy bills will know that prices have been steadily on the rise for some time now – in part down to the increasing complexity of the worldwide energy market as fossil fuels are phased out and renewable energy production continues to grow and evolve. Investing in a solar power system as part of a new build will allow for safeguarding against rising costs in the future, alongside increasing the end value of the property. Whilst the initial expenditure may seem large, in terms of overall build costs of solar versus traditional energy infrastructure, the prices are not much different, and the ongoing rewards are even bigger – the average UK resident will see a return on investment in only a few short years, whilst the benefits will keep on going. Pairing energy storage with solar installs is also beginning to gain traction – in fact, it has been demonstrated that if all UK south facing roofs were to have solar panels, the entire business industry could be powered by solar alone. However, it’s also important to remember that without storage, energy generated in this manner is lost, and alternative forms of power must be used to bridge the gap before the sun comes out again. Shifting bulk amounts of energy around still involves high prices for energy storage, and is not yet feasible on a mass scale. However, with individual storage solutions now available for installation in tandem with PV panels, on an individual or organisational level, it is possible to ensure that the power of solar stays possible, even during the hours of darkness, by incorporating storage into the design and construction of modern property. Design and flexibilityWhen you’re looking at options for a new build, it’s likely there will be solar technology available that will work with your design. Many solar PV panels are installed on rooftops (flat or pitched) and made of various materials, including metal, tile and shingle, meaning you can merge style and aesthetics when assimilating solar into your plans. No available south facing roof space doesn’t mean no potential for solar, and ground mounted solar energy systems and solar carports are also available, meaning it is possible to generate electricity from a variety of locations, in a range of situations – options are available for even the most unique property compositions. With emerging innovation such as that from the University of Sheffield, who have created a new type of solar cell which is more efficient and costs less to manufacture, it is likely that the appetite for solar will increase in line with the rise in supportive regulations and funding, research and development. This, in turn, will lead to a decrease in price for panels and infrastructure. Installing solar now will offer an advantage for anyone who wants to ensure that their new property is fit for the future, reducing running costs and benefiting the environment, and ultimately boosting value… whichever way you look at it, incorporating solar into building design is a strong move.
