Connections Scotland - Autumn 2016

Scotland

connections A SPECIAL SCOTTISH EDITION FOR ALL ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS AUTUMN 2016

CONTRACTOR PROFILE P8

CASE STUDY P12

Oban business Kenneth Ferguson Electrical is thriving on local custom

The Scottish Maritime Museum is taking a long-term approach to saving energy

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CERTIFIED CASE P14 How you can stand out by becoming a certifier of construction

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LEADING THE WAY

Working with the Scottish government in support of certification

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CONNECTIONS SCOTLAND

Contents Keep calm and carry on 4 More than 80 per cent of electrical and building services firms believe they’ll weather the post-Brexit storm with ease News Minister praises NICEIC work

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News Free roadshow events

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Word of mouth Reputation is key for Oban contractor Kenneth Ferguson Electrical, and it’s a recipe that’s paying off, writes Nick Martindale

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Digital revolution 11 Bill Dodds welcomes the eBuildingStandards.scot service for online building warrant applications

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Solar savings 12 Andrew Brister finds out how Ceiba Renewables has helped the Scottish Maritime Museum to cut both its carbon footprint and costs

Scotland

connections A SPECIAL SCOTTISH EDITION FOR ALL ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS AUTUMN 2016

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CONTRACTOR PROFILE P8

CASE STUDY P12

Oban business Kenneth Ferguson Electrical is thriving on local custom

The Scottish Maritime Museum is taking a long-term approach to saving energy

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CERTIFIED CASE P14 How you can stand out by becoming a certifier of construction

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LEADING THE WAY

Working with the Scottish government in support of certification

Certified case 14 Richard Atkins explains how becoming a certfier of construction can help your business stand out

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CONTACTS // CONNECTIONS 17 Britton Street, London EC1M 5TP EDITORIAL General 020 7880 6200 Fax 020 7324 2791 Email nick.martindale@redactive.co.uk Editor Nick Martindale Technical editor Timothy Benstead Sub editor Caroline Taylor Creative director Mark Parry Art editor Adrian Taylor Picture researcher Akin Falope Publishing and business development director Aaron Nicholls ADVERTISING/MARKETING Sales manager Darren Hale Tel 020 7880 6206 Email darren.hale@redactive.co.uk Senior sales executive Patrick Lynn Tel 020 7880 7614 Email patrick.lynn@redactive.co.uk

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Please email nick.martindale@ redactive.co.uk

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ISSN 2042-5732

WWW.NICEIC.COM ENQUIRIES Certsure 01582 539000 Communications manager Paul Collins 01582 539148 paul.s.collins@certsure.com NICEIC Direct Paul Elcock 01582 539709 paul.elcock@certsure.com Twitter @officialNICEIC Technical helpline 0870 013 0391 Customer services 0870 013 0382 Sales 0870 013 0458 Training 0870 013 0389 Legal/tax 24-hour helpline 0845 602 5965

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COMMENT

Keep calm and carry on A survey by ECA indicates that more than 80 per cent of firms in the electrical and building services sector believe they’ll weather the post-Brexit storm with ease

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elcome to the latest edition of Connections Scotland. Much has changed politically since our last newsletter in spring, following a summer of upheaval that brought a government makeover and a referendum that will see the UK depart the EU. Many predicted this change would have a dramatic effect on the economy – with some experts predicting a meltdown of such catastrophic proportions that we should drain our bank accounts immediately and run to the hills.

However, while we still await the results of what a post-Brexit Britain will actually look like, the reality is that very little has changed. Indeed, a survey by the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) suggests that more than 80 per cent of firms in the electrical and building services sector believe Brexit will not have any type of negative impact on their business.

This is not really surprising. The electrical sector has undergone some immense changes over the past 50 years – some political, some regulatory and some technical – yet it has always found a way to move forward.

When it comes to coping with change, the electrical industry is at the forefront. I am constantly amazed at the way contractors are able

‘The electrical sector has undergone some immense changes over the past 50 years, yet it has always found a way to move forward’ to adapt or evolve their business, and that is why I am optimistic about what lies ahead.

At NICEIC we have worked hard to develop a range of products and services that will better serve electrical contractors in the future – creating new training opportunities in smart home technology, ventilation, fire and security and CCTV. It is opportunities such as these, as well as the traditional bread-and-butter work, which I believe will see installers right over the next few years.

Changing times mean changing needs, and I am sure the contracting industry is well equipped to cope with whatever might come its way for the next few years and beyond.

Emma Clancy is chief executive officer, Certsure

NICEIC IN SCOTLAND

Meet the team NICEIC has an experienced team ready to help your business

Stuart Thompson, Scottish sales manager Stuart is an experienced commercial manager with previous experience of national account management, project management and marketing. Based in Scotland, he is responsible for NICEIC Scotland membership, and works with a wide network of members, key customers, stakeholders, business partners and specifiers.

Eddie Arrowsmith, regional engineering manager Eddie is NICEIC’s regional engineering manager, based in Aberdeen. He served his electrical apprenticeship with British Rail and specialised in DC systems, high voltage AC systems and DC machines. Eddie went on to work for consulting engineers’ practices for 18 years and was senior electrical engineer with WS Atkins.

Yvonne Warner, area engineer Yvonne is an experienced electrician and has worked in all aspects of the electrical industry, from domestic to commercial and industrial. In addition to her role as electrical inspector, she assesses hazardous areas as well as MCS solar and wind.

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Joe Gallagher, area engineer Joe is a multi-disciplined engineer with over 30 years’ industry experience, from small domestic to large-scale industrial projects. He works as the MCS, CPS and Green Deal inspector for NICEIC, having previously worked as an assessor, centre manager and external verifier.

Philip Martin, area engineer Philip is an electrical technician with more than 30 years’ experience in all areas of the electrical engineering and petrolchemical industry.

Previously a senior qualified supervisor with British Gas, Philip helped establish its current quality auditing regime, which identifies training needs for all electrical operatives.

Eddie Thomson, area engineer Eddie has been an area engineer with NICEIC since 2001. After serving an apprenticeship with British Rail, Eddie worked with a number of companies, carrying out electrical, lighting design and project management. He also spent some time in charge of a large maintenance and works depot.

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NEWS

NICEIC met up with Kevin Stewart, the new minister for local government and housing, recently as the new-look Scottish Parliament reconvened after the summer recess.

The minister was keen to learn more about NICEIC’s online certification system, which helps electrical contractors record and notify work in line with the approved certifier of construction scheme.

Over the past 12 months, NICEIC has worked with Local Authority Building Standards Scotland (LABSS) and Scottish Building Standards Division (SBSD) to adjust NICEIC certificates and make them easier to use for Scottish contractors.

The single certificate approach has reduced the amount of time contractors now spend on administration work and increased the number of certificates being completed by registered contractors.

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Minister praises NICEIC work

> Above left: local government and housing minister Kevin Stewart MSP meets Stuart Thompson, area manager, NICEIC Scotland, and Chris Beedel, corporate affairs director, NICEIC, at the Scottish Parliament (above right) in August Stuart Thompson, NICEIC’s area manager for Scotland, said: “It was a very productive meeting, and the minister fully endorsed the work we were doing to improve compliance in Scotland.

“The minister was also pleased with the work we were doing with LABSS to improve the system and the work we were doing with verifiers to help them understand the different types of electrical work carried out.”

Alamy

Rise in certification

MORE SCOTTISH CONTRACTORS NOW CHOOSING NICEIC More electrical contractors in Scotland are choosing NICEIC to help boost their business.

For the period April-July 2016, NICEIC saw a massive 68 per cent increase in new registrants compared with the same period last year. The growth follows a successful TV campaign by NICEIC earlier this year, which encouraged householders to use a NICEIC registered electrician.

Stuart Thompson, area manager for NICEIC in Scotland, commented: “Our work with specifiers, national roadshow of events and the recent TV campaign have all further raised the profile of NICEIC in Scotland.

“When it comes to finding competent electricians, NICEIC is now the most widely recognised brand among consumers.

“In addition to this, it would seem more firms are keen to have the quality of their work assessed and gain NICEIC certification because of the benefits it brings to their business, and more organisations are specifying NICEIC contractors only on tenders and large contracts.”

NICEIC registered contractors in Scotland completed more than 160,000 pieces of certificated electrical work in 2015/16 – a rise of over 20 per cent on the previous year.

Each certificate is a recorded document of work that complies with the BS7671 Wiring Regulations and provides evidence that the equivalence certification route in Scotland is working well.

In total, NICEIC contractors have issued a total of 599,797 certificates and reports over the past four years.

The number of electrical installation condition reports (EICR) has increased dramatically since legislation was introduced in December 2015, requiring landlords in the private rented sector to carry out electrical checks every five years.

This demonstrates compliance with the legislation and was welcomed by local government and housing minister Kevin Stewart when he met NICEIC representatives recently. It also demonstrates the effectiveness of the equivocal route to certification – reducing any need to make the certifier of construction (C of C) route mandatory.

Indeed, NICEIC Approved Contractors are conducting more work through the equivalence scheme than was previously reported to the Scottish building standards division under the C of C scheme.

> NICEIC has developed electrical certificates unique to contractors in Scotland. These are available for registered contractors at www.niceiconline.com

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NEWS

DELIVERING MORE TRAINING TO CONTRACTORS

NICEIC will once again be hitting the road for a series of events in Scotland later this year.

The free roadshow events provide attendees with access to over three hours of useful technical content, including the top 10 non-compliances to the inspection schedule; an introduction to JPEL/64 and the 18th edition; and EICR observations and reporting.

It is also an opportunity to meet some of the industry’s biggest manufacturers and to quiz our team of experts about any of your electrical issues.

Whether you are already a NICEIC contractor or just want to find out more about how we can help boost your business, come along and meet the team at a venue near you: 8 November, Edinburgh International Climbing Arena

9 November, Cairndale Hotel, Dumfries 10 November, West College Scotland, Glasgow The three shows follow a successful tour of Scotland in June earlier this year. More than 250 contractors, specifiers and apprentices joined us for the talks, which took place in Inverness, Aberdeen and Dundee.

These events are important to NICEIC as it allows us to get out and meet contractors to discuss the important issues of the day.

The thoughts and opinions of our contractors are always key, and the feedback was useful in recent meetings with the Scottish minister for local government and housing, Kevin Stewart.

To book your free place, visit niceicscotland. com or email events@certsure.com

Alamy

NICEIC hits the road again

NICEIC can now offer even more accredited training through its partnerships with colleges across Scotland.

Contractors looking to acquire the latest qualifications or update their current knowledge can simply log on to the NICEIC Scotland website and choose from a range of courses at a venue to suit them.

Some of the courses currently available include: 17th edition (level 3); inspection and testing (level 3); portable appliance testing; and fire alarm and emergency lighting.

Contractors can choose from three different venues, at Dumfries & Galloway College, Dundee & Angus College and West College Scotland, Paisley.

To make our training more accessible to you, we can also tailor our courses and deliver them on-site at a location suitable to you. To discuss your training needs, call 0843 596 2454.

New online portal for contractors The Scottish government has launched a new online portal for all contractors looking to notify local authorities about electrical work.

The eBuilding Standards service launched in August and is the latest addition to the eDevelopment.scot suite.

The eBuilding Standards portal enables: • The electronic submission to local authorities of applications for building warrants and other related forms, such as completion certificates • Electronic payment of associated fees

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directly to the local authority • Submission of digital copies of supporting documentation, eliminating the need to print and post The introduction of the eBuilding

Standards service is in line with the Scottish government’s digital strategy. It was developed in response to feedback received from ePlanning portal users and local authorities (see p11 for more on ePlanning.scot).

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THE POWER TO BE THE BEST

NICEIC & ELECSA ELECTRICAL APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR 2017 SPONSORED BY THE SCOLMORE GROUP

ENTER TODAY AND YOU COULD BE CROWNED OUR ELECTRICAL APPRENTICE OF THE YEAR AND WIN A £2,000 HOLIDAY VOUCHER sponsored by www.niceic.com/apprentice

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CONTRACTOR PROFILE // KENNETH FERGUSON ELECTRICAL COMPANY: Kenneth Ferguson Electrical BASED: Connel, Argyll, near Oban FOUNDED: November 2006 MAJOR PROJECTS: Newbuild houses; two hotel refurbishments STAFF NUMBERS: 10 TURNOVER: £500,000

Word of mouth Oban business Kenneth Ferguson Electrical has built its reputation on providing a quality service to local customers large and small. It’s a recipe that’s paying off

By Nick Martindale

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or Kenneth Ferguson, managing director of Oban-based Kenneth Ferguson Electrical, electrical contracting is in the blood. “My father was an electrician and it was something I was always interested in myself, and when I got the chance of an electrical apprenticeship I grabbed it,” he recalls.

He worked for a local business which had put him through his apprenticeship for a number of years, initially in Oban and then working in a different role in the central belt of Scotland, overseeing larger contracts.

But when the opportunity to return to his hometown came up, working with the Northern Lighthouse Board maintaining lighthouses, he was happy to head back. He soon found, though, that friends and other local people would ask him if he could help out with their own electrics, and realised the potential to start his own business. “I thought there was an opportunity to branch out on my own, which I did, not thinking where it might lead to,” he says.

The business was based out of his home, from where it still operates, and focuses on everything from a small domestic job to larger commercial installations. “Oban has 8

9,000 people in it and we’re based five miles outside Oban in Connel,” he says. “So everybody knows everybody, and word of mouth is very strong. We have a wide range of customers, and do anything from fixing a storage heater to running data cables for a commercial office.”

Starting point One of the first things Kenneth did was to make sure his new business was NICEIC registered. “NICEIC is a recognised brand, so the first thing I did was to get things moving and register with them as an Approved Contractor, which we did in 2008.” Often it’s a pre-requisite from architects for particular projects, he says, and has also helped the business pick up work from larger contractors based elsewhere in the UK. “We’ve carried out maintenance for many national organisations and that’s really just due to being on the NICEIC website, because it’s the first place the facilities companies will look,” he says. “They’ll cover the central belt of Scotland, but when it’s two hours there and two hours back to do a job that could be as simple as changing a lamp they will look to use a local contractor.”

Before long, Kenneth found himself in need of some extra help, and approached his nephew to see if he might be interested in a career in the trade. “After spending two summer holidays working for me, he decided to take on an apprenticeship, and hasn’t looked back,” he says, going on

‘My father was an electrician.

When I got the chance of an apprenticeship I grabbed it’

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£30,000: The value of the company’s biggest project to date

to become apprentice of the year at his college two years running. Today, the business is 10-strong, including five electricians, two apprentices, a buyer/estimator and an office assistant, as well as Kenneth himself.

Apprentices in general are an important part of the business, he says, allowing him and his team to train people up in the way they want them to operate. “At a young age, it’s very hard to know how they’re going to turn out,” he says. ““But I’ve got a very good workforce and everyone helps each other to bring them on. In a small area there are very few opportunities for school leavers, so it works very well; every apprentice we’ve had has stayed within the company.”

Great and small As the company has grown – it currently turns over around £500,000 and covers a 50-mile area around Oban – so too has the type of work it undertakes. The largest project to date is a £30,000 contract on a newbuild house, and it has recently worked on two major hotel refurbishments and a new house on an island. “We’re just starting that but I can see us being there for the next six months, on and off,” he says.

> The company works on all sorts of projects, from futureproofing to fish farm installations (right)

One of the more unusual projects has been undertaking all the internal wiring on containers used to treat fish on fish farms.

“It’s been a big and steady job, and very interesting work,” he says. “All the parts come from Norway but the containers are lined and all the installation is carried out in Oban. The containers themselves are exported all over the globe.”

On the domestic front, the business has sought to futureproof houses, preparing the way for tomorrow’s technologies. “We’ll price jobs to the architect’s drawing but then once we’re on-site I like to meet with the client and talk to them about some of the newer things on the market, such as home automation, heating controls, Cat5 cables and Connections

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CONTRACTOR PROFILE // KENNETH FERGUSON ELECTRICAL

> The company is happy to take on commercial or domestic work maybe even preparing for an electric car charger,” he says.

“Even if we’re just putting in the cables now, in five years’ time that outside socket could be adapted to an electric vehicle charger.”

This has also extended to renewable technologies; something that is particularly attractive in this part of Scotland, where many houses are off the main gas grid.

“It was an add-on for us; we were finding we were getting newbuild contracts and the builders were not up to speed with solar panels and heat pumps,” he says. “We can do the first fix, heat pumps and solar PV. It’s easier for the builder, because we take all that away from them.”

The reduction in the feed-in tariffs has had an impact on this market, he admits, but he believes battery storage technology means the time when the economic case for solar PV stacks up on its own is not far off. “We’re looking at working with two companies for storing the electricity off the roof in a battery that can carry on running the house when the panels shut down in the evening,” he says. “This will equate to up to 80 per cent of a house’s electricity consumption. We’ve attended NICEIC training courses already for that. I’d like to think that within the next few months we’ll be fitting our first battery.”

Underfloor heating and LED lighting are also installed in most newbuild properties in the area, he adds, while the business recently fitted a heat recovery system in a house, which means around 90 per cent of the heat is recycled.

‘We just want to offer a good, local and reliable service. We’re at a manageable size without having to go too far afield’ 10

Keeping it local Much of its business is repeat work, he says, including domestic jobs for previous clients. “I’ll meet people in Tesco and they’ll say we rewired their house eight years ago, and it’s not been tested since,” he says. “That’s the kind of thing we get.” These smaller jobs often lead to larger installations, he adds, such as solar PV, rewires or new installations.

Ferguson Electrical also did its local reputation no harm by coming to the rescue of St Conan’s Kirk, a prominent church in Loch Awe, after lead had been stolen from the roof for the second time in quick succession. “It’s a 150-year-old church with a lot of history,” says Kenneth. “We contacted members of the trust and offered CCTV cameras and LED floodlighting, and put up signage on the church as well,” he says. “I wanted to give something back to the community I get work from.”

Having built the business up from scratch, Kenneth is not set on hitting particular targets for the future. “I think we’re at a manageable size without having to go too far afield,” he says. “We just want to offer a good, local and reliable service, as well as training staff and apprentices.” » Nick Martindale is editor of Connections

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BUILDING WARRANTS

Digital revolution

£289: The average predicted financial savings per building warrant application

The new eBuildingStandards.scot service means Scottish contractors and the public can now submit applications online

By Bill Dodds

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uilding warrant applications can now be submitted to Scottish local authorities online through Scotland’s eBuilding

Standards.scot website.

The introduction of the service, which was developed in partnership with all 32 Scottish local authority building standards services, can be accessed through the eDevelopment.scot home page.

This portal is also the new home for ePlanning.scot – formerly ePlanningScotland. A single login process is used to access both the planning and building standards services. ePlanningScotland was launched in April 2009 and since then has built up a strong reputation and excellent customer base. More than 70 per cent of all planning applications and appeals are now submitted online, as opposed to using traditional paper-based postal applications.

Building on this success, and in response to feedback received from portal users and local authorities, the service has now been extended to building standards. eBuildingStandards.scot will enable businesses and members of the public to submit building warrant applications to their local authority online. They can complete the online form, upload supporting documentation such as drawings and specifications, calculate the correct fee and pay it electronically to the local authority. The system is supported by a full and comprehensive set of

technical user guides, and help text is provided to assist the user through every step of the process.

In addition to applying for a building warrant, the new service also allows the digital submission of other building standards forms and documentation that is submitted after a building warrant has been granted.

Processes such as applying for amendment of building warrants, notifying the local authority that work has started and submitting the completion certificate once the work has been completed can all be carried out through the eBuildingStandards.scot portal.

Certificates of design and construction can also be uploaded. The process of validating these certificates has been significantly improved. Local authorities will no longer have to check the Scottish government’s certification register to verify that the certifier, or approved body, was a member of the relevant certification scheme when they signed the certificate of design or construction, as the portal automatically carries out this check when the user enters the details of the approved certifier or the approved body in the online forms. eBuildingStandards.scot provides advanced features for professional users to manage a collection of building

‘More than 70 per cent of all planning applications and appeals are now submitted online’

standards proposals. Colleagues can share access so that each can contribute to completing the application.

Additionally, agents can share proposals with their clients, allowing them to view the application and, if they want, send it in and pay for the completed application.

The eDevelopment.scot portal provides access to three accredited location plan providers, where applicants can purchase, and then upload, a location plan in support of their application.

For customers, eBuildingStandards. scot will ensure businesses, citizens and communities in Scotland can access the same consistently high level of online service, delivering customer service improvements and predicted financial savings averaging around £289 per building warrant application.

Gordon Spence, chair of Local Authority Building Standards Scotland, said: “Local authority verifiers are committed to delivering and operating within a digital environment. Investing in delivering eBuilding Standards for the benefit of our customers will provide a more accessible service, promote sustainable working practices and gain enhanced efficiencies across the board.

“Verifiers are working closely with the Scottish government, implementing processes to take delivery of electronic applications and, where necessary, provide training to staff to make the transition as seamless as possible.”

The new digital building standards and planning services can be accessed through www.eDevelopment.scot » Bill Dodds is head of the building standards division at the Scottish government Connections

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CASE STUDY // THE SCOTTISH MARITIME MUSEUM

Solar savings The Scottish Maritime Museum is slashing its electricity bills and cutting carbon by taking a long-term view around its solar PV installation, with a little help from Ceiba Renewables

By Andrew Brister

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hat do the Scottish Maritime Museum, the Solar Impulse 2 airplane and the catamaran MS Tûranor PlanetSolar have in common? OK, the word solar may be a bit of a giveaway, but all three make use of what is said to be the world’s most advanced solar PV technology.

Such is the reliability and performance of SunPower’s silicon cells that they have been used by Solar Impulse 2, the first airplane to travel around the world solely powered by the sun. And, of particular relevance to the Scottish Maritime Museum, the catamaran MS Tûranor PlanetSolar is the first vessel to sail around the world powered only by solar power.

Now NICEIC accredited contractor Ceiba Renewables, based in Prestwick, has installed an 8.04kWp SunPower solar PV system at the Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine, Ayrshire. The system will generate over 6,800kWh a year, powering the museum and its offices and workshops.

“The museum is very much a working building; indeed they train apprentices in boat building there, so it does have a high 12

electricity consumption, which they were keen to reduce,” explains Duncan Crosthwaite, director at Ceiba Renewables.

The Maritime Museum holds an important, nationally recognised collection, encompassing a variety of historic ships, artefacts, shipbuilding machinery, machine tools and fascinating personal items. Many of these exhibits can be found inside the Linthouse Engine Shop in Irvine, a unique Grade A listed, 19th-century cathedral of engineering.

Premier league Ceiba Renewables is a SunPower Premier Partner and advised the Scottish Maritime Museum to opt for SunPower’s solution on account of its solar yields and durability. The PV system uses SunPower X21 335W all-black panels and

‘Panels needed to be able to withstand the harsh coastal weather conditions, with high winds and salt mist exposure’

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£774 The anticipated reduction in annual energy costs as a result of the installation Coastal challenge Although Crosthwaite modestly describes the project as relatively straightforward, Ceiba Renewables has had to overcome some particular challenges. “The Scottish Maritime Museum had some very specific design considerations as the building is part of a conservation area, and we wanted to maximise the available roof space,” he says. “In addition, the panels needed to be able to withstand the harsh coastal weather conditions, with high winds and salt mist exposure.”

The team tackled access by scaffolding across the warehouse roof to minimise disruption to the workshop.

Favourable weather was also needed for installation.

The 24 SunPower X21 335 modules will deliver 8.04kWp, with an estimated annual electricity production of 6,825kWh. “This will save the Scottish Maritime Museum £774 per annum in electricity costs, rising to £1,239 with income from export and the feed-in tariff, and achieve an estimated annual CO2 reduction of 3.5 tonnes,” says Crosthwaite. “It’s an ideal installation for solar PV because the museum will be able to use at least 80 per cent of what they are generating on-site.”

The payback for the solar PV technology is around 10 years.

Chris Woodland, commercial manager at the Scottish Maritime Museum, says: “We are always looking for ways to minimise our operational expenses without impacting on the visitor experience, and this is an excellent example of the museum’s dedication to improving its energy efficiency.”

> The Scottish Maritime Museum posed a particular challenge in being very much a working building in a conservation area SolarEdge power optimiser inverter technology. SunPower’s X21 series of panels holds the world record for efficiency of any commercially available solar panel and uses the company’s Maxeon technology, which is said to deliver superior performance and greatly enhanced durability over conventional solar PV panels.

SunPower’s panels come with a high capital cost, but patented features such as the copper back plate, cell connectors, tin backing to the copper plate and use of phosphorous instead of boron to coat the silicon mean that increased efficiencies more than cover the costs over the life of the cells. “Over time you will get a better yield than any other panel – approximately 8 per cent better per rated watt compared with a 15.3 per cent efficient conventional panel,” says Crosthwaite. “This translates to 20 per cent more energy after 25 years.”

The SolarEdge power optimiser technology further improves the yield of the PV system, allows firefighters safe isolation of each solar panel and provides detailed monitoring so that should a fault ever develop it can be identified and fixed quickly and with minimal hassle. The efficiency gains are also backed up by a 25-year warranty; Ceiba Renewables is a service partner for SolarEdge.

The next evolution For installations where you are not able to use all of the electricity generated during the day, Ceiba Renewables reports a surge in interest in battery storage systems to work in tandem with solar PV. While undoubtedly still high cost, the advances being made by the likes of electric car manufacturer Tesla will eventually see prices tumble.

Ceiba Renewables has completed its first installation of the Tesla Powerwall battery storage system for a customer who has been undertaking a Grand Designs-style newbuild in the beautiful highland surroundings of Spean Bridge. The ecohouse is served by a 9.81kWp SunPower PV system and two SolarEdge inverters, and has the Tesla Powerwall integrated so the homeowners can benefit from solar PV power at night.

The PV system will produce around 8,764kWh per annum and, with the demand of the house estimated to be 8,250kWh per annum, the property should be a net exporter of energy.

Without battery storage, as much as 70 per cent of the solar PV power would have been exported to the grid, which would have meant lower financial gains for the homeowner. Instead, the PV power that would have been exported can now charge the Powerwall to be used in the house later at night.

“We’re really pleased with how the installation has gone, and it’s great to be able to monitor the performance of both the PV system and the Tesla Powerwall using the SolarEdge monitoring portal,” says Crosthwaite. “This technology will revolutionise home energy usage and be crucial in helping homes and businesses reduce their electricity bills.” » Andrew Brister is a freelance journalist specialising in the electrical industry Connections

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CERTIFICATION

Certified case Electrical contractors have the opportunity to differentiate themselves by becoming certifiers of construction

By Richard Atkins

T

he Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) is the professional body for chartered architects in Scotland. Including students, retirees and honorary fellows, the organisation has over 4,900 members.

In last year’s Connections Scottish supplement, Bill Dodds, head of the Building Standards Division at the Scottish government, outlined the benefits of the certification of construction within Scotland as seen by both local and national governments.

The then minister for local government confirmed the government’s position that it wants to see certification as the “norm”.

But did you know that, alongside the certification of construction schemes in Scotland, there are certification of design schemes? As with the certification of construction, the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 provides the opportunity for design professionals in Scotland to be able to certify that a design meets one or more sections of the building regulations. To date, there are schemes covering Section 1 – Structures, Section 6 – Energy (Domestic) and Section 6 – Energy (Non-domestic) of the building regulations.

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The RIAS was approved as a scheme provider for Section 6 – Energy (Domestic) by the Scottish government on 21 August 2007, and we will shortly be launching our non-domestic scheme.

At the time of writing, members of our scheme have certified over £716 million of warrantable work, covering over 7,000 dwellings, both new and old.

In 2007, we recognised that the requirement to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions was set to dominate the planned reviews of the building regulations in the years to come. The Scottish government is committed to reducing CO2 emissions by 80 per cent relative to 1990 rates, and the built environment has a very large part to play in this.

We could see that this meant that demonstrating compliance with the regulations would become more complex, and that it was important that achieving this did not compromise either architectural quality or make the economics of construction unviable.

Making progress As a scheme provider, alongside

NICEIC, we work closely with the building standards division of Local Authority Building Standards Scotland, which represents all 32 local authority building control departments, and the other scheme providers in order to promote and strengthen certification.

Of course, when we launched our scheme, no one anticipated the 2008 financial crisis, and it has taken our industry a long time to recover from the near meltdown of the banks, the lack of lending and the slump in property values.

Fortunately, we are now seeing a significant uplift in workload. The word

‘In no other part of the UK does there exist the opportunity to demonstrate your competency to the point where you can use the government’s logo to distinguish yourself’

Connections

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80 per cent: The amount by which the Scottish government has pledged to reduce CO2 emissions from 1990 levels

‘An NICEIC approved certifier of construction has the competencies and the status required to protect both the client and themselves’ demonstrated that: they have met a rigorous threshold of competency, are committed to undertake continuous professional development to maintain that competency, their work is covered by appropriate guarantees and, in the rare event something goes wrong, the scheme provider will step in and help sort the problem. It is a simple duty of care to building owners and members of the public.

» Richard Atkins is technical advisor to www.rias-regs.co.uk at the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland

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on the street is that building control departments, in their new, slimmed down, post-recession form, are snowed under with warrant applications.

Increasingly, these departments are looking to competent designers and contractors to certify their work, and the question has to be asked, if you are competent, why are you not certifying your work?

In no other part of the UK does there exist the opportunity to demonstrate your competency to the point where you can use the government’s logo to distinguish yourself from anyone who just happens to own a T-square or a screwdriver and thinks they know what they are doing.

The RIAS recommends to its members that, wherever possible, they should ensure that construction work is undertaken by certifiers of construction. Why? The answers are obvious; like our approved certifiers of design, certifiers of construction have

Work to do There remain significant challenges ahead. From an energy point of view, the current regulations for new buildings are more rigorous than they have ever been.

But the number of new buildings being built each year is a small proportion of the total built stock, and the rate of demolition is tiny, meaning the challenge of achieving the Scottish government’s targets relies on making the fabric of existing buildings more efficient and adding, where appropriate, renewable technologies that can be integrated at a building scale. The electro-technical industry has a big part to play in making this happen in a safe and reliable way through the integration of control, heating, generation and storage systems.

The RIAS is playing its part, raising awareness with experienced clients, such as housing associations, which are planning new buildings and stocklevel refurbishments. However, at the other end of the scale, the challenge is those homeowners who are undertaking small alterations and have no clue about the regulations, nor that it is their responsibility to undertake works that are safe and compliant. An NICEIC approved certifier of construction has the competencies and the status required to protect both the client and themselves.

I am an eternal optimist and have fallen foul of predicting that certification will become the norm many times. But it will, and, when it does, it will happen very quickly.

So don’t get left behind. If you are already a certifier of construction, certify every project. If you don’t, the courts might just take the view that you knew a project was non-compliant.

If you are not already a certifier of construction, put it at the top of your ‘to do’ list, assuming you are competent, of course…..

Connections

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