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Volume V o olu ume 55 | Issue 10 | N November/December ovember/December 2017
New N ew minimum miniimu um m sstandard tandard ffor or b o oiler iinstallations nstallations boiler
Set to Set to come come into into force force in in April April next next year, year, BEIS BEIS has has announced announced changes changes to to the the Building Building R Regulations egulations tthat hat are are designed designed e to to improve improve on on the the current current requirements requirements for for boiler boiler installations installations in in existing existing buildings. buildings. Announced A nnounced in in October October by by BEIS, BEIS, the t he new new B oiler P lus iinitiative nit iat ive iiss d esig ned tto od r iv e Boiler Plus designed drive u p sstandards tandards for for domestic domestic h eating ssystems. ystems. up heating Changes C hanges will w ill appear appear within w it hin the t he technical technical sstandards tandards under under Building Building Regulations Reg ulat ions Approved Ap proved Document Document L1b L1b and and are are due due to to come c ome into into effect effect in in April A il 2018, Apr 2018, applying apply ing to to England only. E ngland o nly. The T he measures measures include include a minimum minimum 92% 9 2% ErP E rP space space heating heat ing energy energ y efficiency ef ficienc y rating rat ing all gas ffor or a ll g as boilers, boilers, together together with with mandatory mandator y and all boiler ttime ime a nd ttemperature emperature control control for for a ll b oiler Combi must ttypes. y p e s. C ombi boiler boiler installations installat ions m u st one off tthe options: weather iinclude nclude o ne o he ffollowing ollowing op tions: w eather compensation, compensation, flue co mpensat ion, lload oad co mpensat ion, fl ue gas smart g as heat heat rrecovery, ecover y, or or sm ar t control cont rol with w it h automation a utomat ion and and optimisation opt imisat ion functions. f unct ions. The will encourage T he HHIC HHIC ssays ays tthe he llegislation egislattion w ill e ncourage householders h ouseholders to to make make informed informed decisions decisions about products ab out tthe he pr oducts that that at best best meet meet ttheir heir needs. needs. The degree T he d eg ree of of flexibility flexibilit y in in terms terms of of which which entities new boiler means e ntities rrender ender a n ew b oiler ‘compliant’ ‘compliant’ m eans diversity off tthe housing and tthat hat tthe he d iversit y o he h ousing sstock tock a nd
Weather W eather ccompensation ompensation iiss one one o off tthe he m measures easures tthat hat can can be be fitted fitted with with a combi combi boiler bo oiler
needs off tthe consumer n eeds o he c onsumer are are catered catered for. for. Boiler B oiler manufacturers manufact urers have have broadly broadly welcomed Boiler potential w elcomed B oiler Plus Plus for for iits ts p otent ial tto o benefit consumers, and b enefit c onsumers, installers installers a nd tthe he environment. en v ironment. Jeff Jeff House, House, Regulatory Reg ulator y Marketing Manager att B Baxi, M arket ing M anager a axi, ssays: ays: ““Given Given tthat hat 20% 20% of of the t he UK’s UK’s carbon carbon emissions emissions comes domestic heating, c omes from from d omest ic h eat ing, tthese hese new new sstandards tandards will w ill result result in in huge huge savings sav ings and and
carbon emissions. The consumer will rreduce educe c arbon e missions. T he c onsumer w ill be biggest winner. minimum b e tthe he b ig gest w inner. The The new new m inimum rrequirements equirements will w ill iimprove mprove the t he efficiency ef ficienc y off boiler o boiler iinstallations, nstallat ions, saving sav ing consumers consumers money on energy bills.” m oney o n ttheir heir e nerg y b ills.” Speaking Viessmann, MD Graham S peaking ffor or V iessmann, M D G r a ha m Russell off R ussell is is pleased pleased with w ith the the mention mention o weather w eather compensation. compensation. ““Including Including weather weather compensation with every c ompensation w ith e ver y heating heating system system change c hange is is the the lowest lowest hanging hanging fruit fruit given given the the rrelatively elatively low low cost, cost, demonstrated demonstrated impact impact and a nd applicability applicabilit y across across different different heating heating he ssystems,” ystems,” h e ssays. ays. Grundfos welcomes G rundfos also also w elcomes the the new new standards, standards, as promote hydraulic balancing off a s tthey hey pr omote h ydraulic b alancing o and BEIS has ssystems, ystems, a nd B E IS h as rrecognised ecog nised tthis h is as practice’ connection with a s ‘‘expected expected pr p actice’ iin nc onnection w ith orr rreplacement off a h heating iinstallation nstallation o eplacement o eating ssystem. ystem. Grundfos Gr undfos UK UK MD MD Peter Peter Reynolds Reynolds potential hydraulic ssays: ay ys: ““The The p otential ssavings avings ffrom rom h ydraulic balancing b alancing are are up up to to 27% 27% of of total total heating heatting costs, costs, demonstrating d emonstrating that thatt a little little extra extra time time during during can yield iinstallation nstallation c an y ield llong-term ong-ter m ssavings.” av ings.”
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Concerns C oncern r s over over uptake uptake of of apprenticeships apprenticeships According to According to a recent recent YouGov YouGov survey, sur vey, less less tthan han o one ne iin n1 12 2 sstudents tudents a aged ged b between etween 15 tto o 18 1 8 are are being being advised adv ised tto o sseek e ek a w work-based ork-based apprenticeship. a pprent iceship. By By contrast, contrast, some some 85% 85% of of sstudents tudents are are encouraged encouraged to to go go into into further fur ther orr higher o higher education. education. In In addition, addit ion, o over ver oneonequarter q uarter o off sstudents tudents ((28%) 28%) ssaid aid tthat hat tthey hey h had ad never been about work-based n e v er b een sspoken poken tto o ab bout w ork-based apprenticeships a pprent iceships by by their their school school or or college. college. The T he findings findings of of the the survey survey reflect reflect concerns concerns iin n the the industry industry that that not not enough enough is is being being done done tto oe ncourage sschool chool leavers leav e vers to to consider considerr nonnonencourage academic a cademic o options. ptions. JJust ust 3 3% % ssaid aid tthat hatt tthey hey w were ere a dvised tto og et a jjob ob a nd o ther sstatistics tatistics have have advised get and other rrevealed evealed tthat hat there t here has has been been an an over over 60% 60% decrease d ecrease iin n tthe he n number umber o off p people eople sstarting tar t ing apprenticeships UK. a pprent iceships iin n tthe he U K.
Kevin K ev i n W Wellman, el l m a n , C CEO EO o off tthe he C CIPHE, I PH E , comments: gap c omments: ““The The sskills k i l ls g ap in in the t he UK UK has ha s been widely publicised number off b een w idely p ublicised ffor or a n u m b er o years y ea r s n now, ow, w which hich m makes akes tthe he c current ur rent sstate tate off c communication around apprenticeships o ommunication a round a pprenticeships and a nd uptake, uptake, or or lack lack thereof, t hereof, all all the t he more more disappointing. d isappoint ing. We We are are now now in in a position posit ion where, educators don’t w here, iiff e ducators and and employers employers d on’t wake problem, w ake up up and and address address tthis his pr oblem, tthe he ffuture ut ure o off v vocational ocat ional iindustries ndust r ies iin n tthe he U UK K will w ill be be bleak.” bleak.” With the the prospect prospect of of Brexit Brexit looming looming and and With tthe he uncertainty uncer ta int y this t his brings br ing s with w it h it, it, Kevin Ke v i n believes b el ie i ves tthere here iis se even v en m more ore rreason eason tto oa act ct quickly: q u ick ly: ““What What iis sc clear lear iis s tthat hat iiff w we ea are re tto o address a ddress tthe he sskills k ills sshortage hor tage a and nd ssafeguard a fe g u a r d our o ur iindustry, ndust r y, especially especially post-Brexit, post-Brex it, more more
n needs eeds to to be be done done across across all al l fronts f ront s to to encourage change, and not bare e ncourage c hange, a nd n ot jjust ust tthe he b a re minimum. This m in imum. T h is means means associations assoc iat ions llike i ke tthe he CIPHE CIPH E promoting promot ing apprenticeships apprent icesh ips to to m members, embers, and and also also working working with with consumer consumer bodies educate b od ies tto o e duc u ate the t he public publ ic at at large, l a r g e, especially parents.” e spec ial ly p arent s.” T The he a apprenticeship pprenticeship ttraining raining p provider rovider JJTL TL agrees a g rees that that more more collaboration collaboration is is needed. needed. Liam L iam Sammon, Sammon, Commercial Commercial Director, Director, says: says: ““There There a are re some some ffantastic antastic opportunities opportunities out young people an o ut tthere here ffor or y oung p eople tto o sstart t ar t a n apprenticeship and embark on career a pprenticeship a nd e mbark o nac areer iin n ah highly ighly sskilled killed and and w well ell paid paid job. job. Schools Schools need do more highlight benefits n eed tto od om ore tto oh ighlight tthe he b enefits off apprenticeships, o apprenticeships, and and we we look look forward for ward to to w working orking w with ith tthem hem o on n tthis h is a agenda.” genda.”
VRF heat VRF heat p pump-based ump-based a air ir conditioning conditioning units Toshiba are helping u nits ffrom rom T oshiba a re h elping tthree hree young y oung giraffes giraffe f s stay stay n nice ice a and nd w warm arm in in att tthe Wild Place Project ttheir heir new new home home a he W ild P lace P roject Bristol. Air Conditioning iin nB ristol. Just Just A ir C onditioning iinstalled nstalled SMMMS-e VRF system tthe he S MMMS-e two-pipe t wo-pip pe V RF s ystem ffor or purpose-built giraffe tthe he p urpose-built g irafffe enclosure en e closure e which which iincludes ncludes ffour our cceiling-suspended eiling-suspended iindoor ndoor units and wall-mounted units. u nits a nd tthree hree w all-mounted u nits. Wayne W ayne Raven, Raven, who who headed headed the the project project for for Air Conditioning, says: JJust ust A ir C onditioning, s ays: “The “The cceilingeilingsuspended units had be above s uspended u nitts h ad to ob e llocated ocated a bove viewing tthe he public public v ie ewing balcony balcony to to ensure ensure they th hey were off reach off tthe giraffes, w ere out out o reach o he g iraffe f s, which which ccan an grow grow up up to to 18 18 feet feet tall.” tall.”
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