POWER ELECTRICS INSIDE MAGAZINE ISSUE THIRTEEN: FEBRUARY 2016
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF... A MULTI MEGAWATT ENGINEER Page 4
WIN
A bloodhound mug in our photo competition... page 12
HYBRID POWER UNITS Page 11
IN THIS ISSUE COMPANY NEWS
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Environmental emergency response Multi-Megawatt A day in the life of a Multi-Megawatt engineer AMPS customer service award Bloodhound SSC Audit results Beckington Ball Bridgend in pictures
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DEPARTMENT NEWS Cumbria Floods Amazon Data Centre IHEEM CPD Whipps Cross Hospital Hybrid Power Units
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EMPLOYEE NEWS Photo Competition Customer Thank-you’s New Arrivals Lisa’s Farewell Its a Boy Christmas Photos Jade Evens - Tumbling Champion Guess Who Fantasy Football
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This newsletter is provided for internal company use only. Certain articles within this newsletter should not be circulated in the public domain.
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LETTER FROM EDITOR Hello, Welcome to the belated 13th edition of the company newsletter ‘Inside Magazine’. Due to the Christmas period there is a bumper Employee News section thanks to all the socials, parties and jumper shegnanigans thank you to everyone that submitted photos for this section. On page 6 we take a look at what makes a multi-megawatt engineer at Power Electrics and some more information about our recent investment in the larger machines (page 4). Thank you for everyones contributions to this quarters magazine and please submit any ideas you may have for future issues to, leigh.griffiths@powerelectrics, or simply pop on over to the marketing department in the Bristol Headquarters. Thanks, Leigh Griffiths
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Company News
ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE spill response, environmental risk assessment, implementing a spill response, methods for containment and recovery, and a summary of relevant legislation including oil spill prevention, enforcement powers and waste management legislation. The spill investigation training covered topics including sampling strategies, use and maintenance of on-site screening tools, sample storage and handling and interpretation of results. Steve Williams, Power Electrics Sales Director said: “The launch of our dedicated spill response team is all about offering increased peace of mind. Fuel spills are a rare occurrence but we want our customers to know that if sets do get tampered with, we have a procedure in place and a qualified team ready to implement a fast solution.”
As a generator specialist, we have a responsibility to our customers and to our environment. 4
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We’ve launched an in-house remediation and fuel response service as part of a dedicated environmental division. “As a generator specialist, we have a responsibility to our customers and to our environment” said Power Electrics Group EHS&Q Manager Brett Mann. “With over 50 specialist generator engineers and a 24/7 emergency call out service, we are in a prime position to be able to offer first response remediation solutions.” All of our engineers and electricians have attended Oracle Environmental Experts (OEE) UK spill accredited training course on spill response and site investigation – an intensive 3 day course delivered by industry experts. Specifically tailored to Power Electrics, the spill response training included topics on health and safety considerations during
MULTI MEGA WATT
Company News
Our multi-megawatt generator fleet has doubled in just 3 years. Since 2012, we’ve increased our 800kVA to 2000kVA large capacity generator range from 16 sets to 31 sets, offering a combined power output of nearly 35MVA. These multi-megawatt generators are used to power large mission critical applications across multiple sectors including data centres, telecoms, utilities, finance and healthcare. All our multi-megawatt generators are housed in super silent ISO containers and mounted on
artic trailers for ease of delivery and manoeuvrability. The new sets have been fitted with specialist control panels to enable gen-gen and genmains synchronous capability. We also have the ability to monitor the fleet remotely, reporting on data such as engine pressure, temperature, status, fuel level and GPS position. Brian Holland, Business Development Director at Power Electrics said: “As Power Electrics continue to expand, it’s important that we respond to marketplace demand to support our customers
across their entire generator requirement. Investment is about securing the best possible products for our customers and our bespoke range of large capacity generators enables us to deliver hire solutions on a larger scale than ever before.”
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Company News | Feature
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF...
A MULTI-MEGAWATT ENGINEER We sent marketing assistant Phoebe to experience a day in the life of multmegawatt engineer Danny. Here’s what happened...
There’s been a lot of jokes about today. If it’s not people warning me to watch out for Danny, it’s people laughing at the fact our day involves a visit to a sewage treatment works. Sometimes it’s both: “Watch out for the smell tomorrow, Phoebe. And that’s just Danny.” Suffice to say, I’m a little apprehensive. By all accounts I’m about to have a sh*t day....
6am As usual, it’s an early start. We meet at Bristol HQ to fill our flasks with tea and the van with petrol and then we’re off, heading towards London. We’ve already been driving for 2 hours when the “sun” comes up. Mostly though, it’s a grey November day. Today we’ll be visiting 3 sites to carry out control panel upgrades. Once the new software is installed we’ll be able to monitor the generators remotely. We’re even going to set up email alerts, so that every time the generator starts or
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stops, we’ll know about it. Installing the software isn’t overly complicated but it’s better done in person. Danny explains: “We can upgrade remotely, but if for some reason we were to lose 3G signal halfway through installing the updates, the software would default to factory settings. Then I’d have to attend site anyway, so I’d rather go to site in the first place and then I know it’s set up correctly.”
10.20am
At 10.20am we arrive in London and locate our first site: Beddington Sewage Treatment Works. Affectionately referred to as the toilet of South London, Beddington serves a population of over 350,000. As we drive onto the site, I’m getting ready to hold my nose but the place smells surprisingly ok. We must be lucky with the time of year! There are 5 Power Electrics generators here on long term hire:
Company News | Feature
@PowerElectrics
Today, Danny is carrying out software upgrades on our remote fleet monitoring panels #Dayinthelife
3 x 1000kVA and 2 x 500kVA. It’s a big site, but we soon locate our first generator and Danny gets to work. For each set, it’s the same process: he opens up the control panel, plugs in his laptop, runs the software and then starts the generator to make sure that the email alert comes through to his phone. It takes about an hour and half to program all 5 generators and then we pack up the van and head on our way.
we’re not the only Power Electrics crew there. Dave Potter and Lee Curry are on site overseeing the installation of a sales set - a 1250kVA in a custom built Power Electrics enclosure. They’re quick to buy us a coffee and then we’re treated to a sneak preview of the set on the roof and some spectacular views of the London skyline.
1.15pm Next we arrive at a BT site. The generator here is a 1250kVA which Danny upgrades using the same process. Well into the swing of things, this time we’re finished in just 15 minutes. It’s a good thing too because we’re keen to get to McDonalds for some well deserved lunch.
2.35pm Our final stop is St Thomas Hospital. It’s just 4 miles away but it takes us nearly 40 minutes to get there, heading past the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. When we finally arrive on site at 3.10pm,
The set we’re actually here to upgrade, however, is a 350kVA on the ground floor.
4.15pm Work complete, we start our return journey to Bristol (with a quick side tour via Sloane Square where TV programe Made in Chelsea is filmed). Traffic is slow, but we finally get back to Bristol at 7.45pm - a successful day behind us. Thanks for having me Danny!
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Company News
AMPS CUSTOMER SERVICE AWARD The AMPS Awards Evening is a celebration of some of the UK’s leading power generation companies. Taking place at London Hilton, 150 AMPS members and guests attended the event, including Power Electrics company directors Andy Pullin, John Pullin and Tony Jenkins. Food, music and entertainment was followed by a much anticipated awards ceremony, where we were delighted to walk away with the top award for customer service. Sponsored by Perkins, the award was presented
in recognition of our commitment and consideration towards our customers and for always going that extra mile. Andy Pullin said: “We are committed to investing in our staff, our products and our support services and we’re delighted to receive this special award.” Lisa Dalton from AMPS said: “The inaugural awards evening was a huge success and we are thrilled to see Power Electrics receive their well-deserved award. We are already looking forward to next year’s event!”
BLOODHOUND SSC What a difference a few months makes! When we attended Bloodhound’s technical centre back in March, the car still had a long way to go. Eight months later, the car is in the final development stages and is all set to make it’s first run at Newquay later this year.
MARCH
OCTOBER
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HIGHEST EVER AUDIT RESULTS! Power Electrics have been a member of Achilles for 15 years. In March, we announced our highest ever audit results, achieving 93% for health and safety and 100% for environment, quality and corporate social responsibility across our sales, service and parts divisions. We are delighted to announce that in our recent Achilles audit we have bettered those results, achieving 99% for health and safety and maintaining 100% for environment, quality and corporate social responsibility for our hire division. Brett Mann said “Achilles were extremely impressed with our business systems,
the professionalism of our staff and our commitment to continual improvement. These audit results demonstrate Power Electrics’ status as a trusted supply partner and highlights the high standards that we strive to achieve for our customers.”
Power Electrics rated 100% for quality, environment and corporate social responsibility.
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We are thrilled to see Power Electrics receive their well-deserved award.
Company News
BRIDGEND IN PICTURES... Our depot in South Wales has recently had a makeover. The yard where our rental equipment and transport fleet are situated now have a nice new concrete finish. The series of images below highlights the change:
BECKINGTON BALL In October, we were delighted to support the Beckington Masquerade Ball by providing site power. The ball was held to raise money for the new Royal United Hospital Cancer Centre, a state of the art building designed to offer a healing environment for patients and their
families. The event was hugely successful and raised a total of £18,200. The Beckington Ball committee said: “We would like to thank you for your generous contribution and support of what was a truly sensational night. Your help is sincerely appreciated.”
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Department News
CUMBRIA FLOODS December 2015 saw some of the worst flooding in decades to hit Cumbria when months worth of rain fell within days, affecting cities such as Cockermouth, Carilsle and Keswick.
AMAZON DATA CENTRE Power Electrics have recently supplied Amazon, the online retailer a 2,000kVA generator for standby power to their data centre. The generator was housed within a bespoke acoustic container along with a base fuel tank for longer running. The generator package was installed on site as part of Amazon Web Services - a high level concept which is formed from multiple “availability zones” requiring physical data centres under a scheme called “London Calling”.
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IHEEM CPD In February, Leigh Preece was invited to talk on the topic of generator maintenance at the Healthcare Engineering and Estate Management (IHEEM) AGM. Presenting to IHEEM members in the South East, London and South West the presentation highlighted some key areas to consider when upgrading exisiting, or building new Estates, to make generator maintenance easier. Leigh also discussed utilising generators for Short Term Operating Reserves (STOR) and how it can be used to provide significant savings on electrical utility costs.
Power Electrics assisted in the rescue efforts by supplying temporary power to pump companies in order to displace flood water from residential and high risk areas.
WHIPPS CROSS HOSPITAL Later this month we will supplying Whipps Cross Hospital in London with a new standby generaotr. The FG Wilson P1250 is housed in a bespoke acoustic container designed to meet the stringent noise and space requirement the hospital had. The enclosure was built to achieve 55dBA @ 4m and sits on a 7,000 litre bunded fuel tank, allowing the set to run on full load for 24 hours. Built within the pack the unit also included mains synchronising equipment for nobreak restoration following a mains failure.
Department News
HYBRID POWER UNITS
HOW THEY WORK
Power Electrics has recently formed a strategic relationship with two suppliers in order to offer hybrid generator units in combination with diesel generators to our customers.
The hybrid power generator detects when load is low and turns off the diesel generator, seamlessly transferring load to its internal energy storage bank. When a higher
The units benefit customers by reducing the amount of fuel they are using in their diesel generator long with cutting down emissions - an important issue on many new construction sites due to government targets.
CO REDUCES CO2 REDUCES NOX
load is detected, the generator is automatically started, transferring load to the diesel generator and using excess capacity to recharge the battery storage
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BY UP TO
50% REDUCES FUEL CONSUMPTION REDUCES DIESEL FUEL BILLS BY UP TO
50%
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Employee News
WIN A BLOODHOUND MUG! Send your Power Electrics photos to leigh.griffiths@powerelectrics.com and the best photo of the quarter wins a Bloodhound mug and a USB.
JANUARY WINNER: SHAUN HARRIS Congratulations Shaun for this dramatic photo of a Power Electrics generator at Bridgewater Carnival.
THANK-YOU’S SERVICE OPS - PEG I would like to thank you for all the work that was done over the weekend, we managed to achieve all we set out to do with not too much stress. I would personally like to thank Colin Buik & Paul Baker. Maintenance Manager, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
SERVICE OPS - PEG Many thanks for your help this morning, the engineer attended site within a couple of hours, he rectified the problem and all is working correctly. The speedy response we appreciated, it is good to work with a helpful and efficient company, if only more were as good, my days would be easier. Maintenance Supervisor, Row Croft Hospice
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SERVICE OPS - PEG I would like to acknowledge and inform you of a member of your staff Colin Buik, who is a selfless individual who was so kind in helping us change our flat tyre. He was on his knees, in the wet car park, bitterly cold and making myself and my daughter laugh whilst he changed the wheel, explaining as he went. In this day and age it is rare for a total stranger to help another. He really did not have to stop and get soaked. I cannot thank him enough. I would like to make Power Electrics aware of what a great guy you have representing your company A member of the public
PARTS - PEB I would like to say a big thank you to your team for the service you have provided over the last few weeks, helping our company with spares, when and where required and you have delivered every single time. The level of customer service received from yourself has been second to non, it is greatly valued. Service Engineer, Burton Wood Group
Employee News
NEW ARRIVALS Welcome Back!
JONATHAN NASH
SIMON HUTTON
COLIN BUICK
JAMES LANCASTER
OLIVER BANNELL
- Logistic Scheduler -
- Fabricator/Welder -
- Field Service Engineer -
- Plant Trailer Technician -
- LGV Driver -
Thanks Bev!
PETER HURNDALL
JASON PEMBERTON
JEAN-PIERRE LUTZ
MARK PALMER
- Regional Sales Manager -
- Maintenance Engineer -
- Marketing Assistant -
- Senior Project Manager -
JAMES AKERMAN
GEORGE TANNER
HANNAH VACOE
- Sales Administrator -
- Service Sales Assistant -
- Business Development Management -
LGV Fitter Bev Jonas temporarily rejoined us to help cover the garage. Thanks Bev!
FAREWELL TO LISA In January we bid farewell to Lisa Freeman who had first started at Power Electric s in May 2008. We wish Lisa all the best in her future plans and adventures!
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Employee News
IT’S A BOY!
PICTURES FROM CHRISTMAS...
Congratulations to Simon Oliver on becoming a dad. Simon’s wife gave birth to a 9lb 3oz baby boy on the 27th December. They’ve named him Charlie.
Christmas jumper day at Southampton Simon and baby Charlie
TOUGH MUDDER Congratulations to Paul Rich for completing Tough Mudder London South. Over 8000 people completed the 11 mile course in order to raise money for Help for Heroes. Here’s Paul enjoying an ice bath...
Rental Christmas Social - Bowling
You said WHAT about my shoes?!
Paul enjoying an ice bath
Got a photo or some news for the next newsletter? Send your submissions to Leigh Griffiths
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Christmas Social - German Market
Employee News
JADE EVANS - TUMBLING CHAMPION! Thank you to everyone who sponsored Trevor Brain’s granddaughter Jade Evans in pursuit of her love of gymnastics and tumbling. Jade, age 11, is the granddaughter of Trevor Brain, Rental Service Engineer at Bridgend since 2008. She loves tumbling and has been committed to gymnastics since she was 3 years old. In 2013 she joined West Street Gymnastics and since then has taken part in competitions all over the country. In 2014 Jade represented Wales in NDP Level 3 and came first, making her the top Tumbler at NDP level 3 in the country. Since then she’s been awarded ‘the most improved Tumbler’
from her club, a first place medal at the 2015 Dragon Cup and received an award for 2015 sportsman of the year. Working with coach Shelley Pace, she came 5th at the British Tumbling Championships and 4th at the 2015 British Elite Championships - it’s been a successful few years! However, since July 2015 Jade and her fellow tumblers have been unable to train at West Street Gymnastics. Jade now trains in Swansea (Tuesday), Cardiff (Thursday), Andover (Friday), Cardiff
(Saturday) and Andover again on Sundays, showing an incredible commitment to tumbling and gymnastics. Jade has now joined the Andover gym but coach Shelley hopes that the tumbling team can raise enough money to open a gym in Swansea. Our Bridgend depot have been holding a collection for Jade and her team. Thank you to everyone who has donated! Jade has been delighted with the support.
P.E.P.L. 2015/16 CURRENT STANDINGS
1
Trogs Exiles, Leigh Preece
1,459
2
Bristol BCFC, Kevin Naish
1,415
3
1,414
GUESS WHO?
Tanner XI, Drew Tanner
4
Banjo Boys, James Crew
1,409
We were lucky enough to come across this photo... can you guess who it is?
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Forest Dean Rovers , Dan Stallard 1,407 15
Brr. There’s nothing quite like a brisk midmorning dip to get your heart rate going. Other health insurers might say, “well done.” But we’ll give you more than a pat on the back. From things that make staying healthy cheaper
and
easier
-
like
National
Trust
passes
and
half
price
gym
memberships’ - to motivating rewards like discounts on fun ways to entertain the family and even luxury cruises. And we’ll always ensure you have access to the best possible medical care. So isn’t it time you were rewarded for living life well?
rewarded Power Electrics offer Private Health Insurance with Pruhealth after successful completion of the probation period. For further information please contact Personnel.