Energy Manager Magazine Aug/Sept 2017

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

www.energymanagermagazine.co.uk

22 New billing technologies are must-haves with heat networks INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

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19

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LED Eco Lights expands options for outdoor sites

Combatting emissions with combustion control

New funding for District Energy – a golden opportunity

Giving you the knowledge to maximise your energy and water resources.

Discover the future of the energy and water markets and meet representatives from leading companies including British Gas, Anglian Water and Dong Energy.

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FRONT COVER STORY: New billing technologies are must-haves with heat networks See Page 22

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017 PUBLISHER: Ralph Scrivens ralph@energymanagermagazine.co.uk PRODUCTION TEAM: Lucy Drescher lucy@energymanagermagazine.co.uk Sarah Daviner sarah@energymanagermagazine.co.uk ACCOUNTS: accounts@pssmagazine.co.uk PRINT: Mixam Print

INSIDE:

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UK Power Networks gives major boost to flexible renewable energy

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Five compelling reasons retailers should invest in LED lighting in back-of-house areas

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Prospects of the Paris Agreement for the UK after Brexit

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Combatting emissions with combustion control

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PrefectIrus – Alerts you to maintenance issues via email

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Designing and planning heat networks fit for the future

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How to untap water savings in deregulated market

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ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

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NEWS

TODAY’S ENERGY MANAGERS HAVE THE ABILITY TO RADICALLY CHANGE THE MARKET

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oday’s Energy Managers have the ability to radically change the basis on which companies engage with the energy market.” Says Ian Brent-Smith, director of Powersun Over the last six years, and certainly within more recent times, the topic of renewable energy has featured heavily in the headlines, often for the wrong reasons. Governments have panicked about the cost of the levy to UK households’ energy bills and have assumed this will translate into lost support for the renewables industry.

As climate change issues climb higher up the political agenda and receive greater media attention, governments are conscious of how unpopular policies can result in lost votes; possibly their only real success metric.

However, as reported in early May this year, public support towards renewable energy has risen dramatically, reaching record highs of almost 80% with opposition almost completely diminishing.

In fact, just 1% of those surveyed by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said they were strongly opposed to renewable energy.

Now that prices for solar panels have reduced to at least 30% below the EC imposed ‘minimum import price’, PV systems can offer energy managers forward purchasing prices over 25 years of under 4p/kWh. Set against the backdrop of substantial price rises in early 2017, this should be exciting news, yet many UK businesses assume that following the drastic 65% subsidy cuts announced by the Government in 2015, the Feed-in-Tariff is finished and solar PV no longer works.

Tie a solar PV system in with voltage optimisation, another simple but often misunderstood technology which can offer savings of up to 15%, and then add in energy storage systems and today’s energy managers have the ability to radically change the basis on which companies engage with the energy market.

Care must be taken not be left behind.

Stanford University economist Tony Seba suggests that diesel and petrol cars, lorries and buses will be a thing of the past in just eight years and will be unavailable to buy anywhere in the world.

While this may be a rather optimistic outlook, there’s a definite growth trend

towards EV vehicles with France and the UK announcing the ban on the sale of new diesel and petrol cars by 2040 and Volvo declaring that sales of its new cars will be partially or completely battery-powered from 2019. It should therefore come as no surprise that we’re now seeing reports announcing the ‘historic end’ to cars that only have an internal combustion engine.

If this trend is applied to typical UK businesses with fleets of vans and company cars, then we need to ensure the infrastructure is in place to meet charging requirements. If just 10 vans require a rapid charge for 30 minutes, it could mean a business needing an additional 400kW of electrical supply. This needs planning to ensure that the large operating cost reductions can be realised.

The energy market is rapidly changing and with change there comes opportunities. There are opportunities for energy managers to make substantial, long term savings for their companies providing careful forward planning is implemented. Solar PV may be a good place to start. www.powersun.ltd.uk

Global boiler market heats up as the UK is no longer the largest market

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riven by environmental policy uptake and increasing gasification in Asia the domestic boiler market grew in 2016 to 12.7 million units, with China recording the most dynamic market uptake. The growth in China and South Korea markets resulted in the UK dropping from being the largest world market for domestic boilers to the third largest according to the latest BSRIA market intelligence study.

The Chinese market driven by the roll out of the “coal to gas” policy is now the largest global market with over 1.77 million boilers sold in 2016 with further dynamic growth expected until 2021. The Chinese market is so far dominated by wall mounted gas non-condensing boilers that accounted for 87% of the market in 2016.

South Korea has also recorded good growth in 2016 and became the

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second largest market with over 1.75 million boilers sold, with further positive prospects until 2021. With 76% share, wall-mounted boilers also accounted for the majority of the market, the share of non-condensing units is however lower than in China, with condensing technology advancing continually.

UK, has recorded sales of 1.7 million units in 2016 placing it third in the list of largest markets in 2016. With over 26 million boilers installed, there is a large replacement market where almost 100% of units sold are of gas condensing type.

In 2016, the other countries to record markets of over 1 million domestic units were Turkey and Russia, while the North American market remains a low consumer of domestic boilers with around 400,000 units sold per annum.

In the commercial boiler market China is again the largest market with just over

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

92,500 units sold in 2016, with the North American market being the second most important market and Turkey the third largest market. While China is expected to post a fair growth of over 2% in the next few years, the highest growth rate (6.6%) is expected in Russia. European commercial boiler markets are under pressure with floor standing boilers experiencing particular difficulties.

The latest BSRIA World Heating study covering most European and World crucial markets and reporting on the five key product areas of Domestic Boilers, Commercial Boilers, Water Heaters, Radiators and Underfloor Heating was published in June 2017.

For more information contact the BSRIA team on wmi@bsria.co.uk or +44 (0) 1344 465630.

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NEWS

GAZPROM ENERGY TAKES THE LEAD IN UK BUSINESS GAS MARKET

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azprom Energy, a specialist business gas and electricity supplier, is now leading the UK business gas market according to the latest figures from market analyst Cornwall Insight, published on 10th July. This success is a result of Gazprom Energy’s significant investment in customer and market strategy as well as the integration of its WINGAS UK customer base.

The Cornwall report puts Gazprom Energy’s volume market share at 20.5% in April 2017 up from 18.3% in October 2016, having posted gains in all sectors and achieved the highest share recorded since the report was first published in 2005. Total Gas & Power dropped to second place with a share of 19.6%.

Gazprom Energy’s increased share of the large-user market was positively influenced by churn among other providers’ customer bases, including Statoil from which it saw the largest transfer of supply in the sector. In the small user market Gazprom Energy is one of three providers mentioned

Cornwall Insight report ranks Gazprom Energy as the largest supplier of non-domestic gas by volume having greater market share than any provider since 2005

in the report to have gained notable business from British Gas. Mark Eccles, Chief Commercial Officer UK at Gazprom Energy says, “This number one position in a market of over 50 providers is welcome evidence of our continued investment in customer and market strategy over the past 12 months, as well as the transfer of our WINGAS UK customers to Gazprom Energy.

“We’ve focused on always putting the customer first, whether that’s a large energy intensive enterprise or a start-up business, to ensure we’re offering the right mix of products, service and help to all.”

Another of Gazprom Energy’s recent achievements has been the successful move into OJEU tenders where it has won several flexible tariff basket deals and secured a number of major local government contracts. The business has also been targeting the growing

independent energy supplier market in the UK with its gas shipping services, and is also growing market share in France and The Netherlands.

Eccles continued, “We’ve also been investing significantly in customer service, including new tools to keep strategic energy buyers better informed on market trends and developments, and automation to help small business customers purchase energy quickly but competitively online.

“We have been working hard for some time to give customers what they want by delivering the highest levels of satisfaction. For us market leadership is all about the customer – listening to them and providing precisely what they need – so this is testament to the success of our ongoing strategy.”

For more information, please visit www.gazprom-energy.co.uk.

University of Strathclyde & Arbnco partner to close the energy performance gap

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he Energy Systems Research Unit (ESRU) at the University of Strathclyde has partnered with energy software provider Arbnco on an ambitious Knowledge Transfer Partnership, which aims to address the so-called ‘energy performance gap’ as buildings often under-perform when compared to design expectations.

The energy performance gap is the difference between design predictions and operational performance in buildings. The performance gap leads to fluctuating energy costs and increased energy consumption, resulting in inefficient buildings.

It also creates market confusion with the predicted asset performance of a standardised building becoming disconnected from operational reality.

Currently, many initiatives investigating energy performance gaps make use of dynamic integrated building performance simulation tools to analyse remedial actions and upgrades. Building simulation differs from compliance type models, such as Simplified Building Energy Model

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(SBEM), currently used to support estate management. However, this capability of simulation models is often compromised by the lack of prior calibration to match prediction to current performance.

This KTP aims to develop a software tool to undertake such calibrations automatically. This solution will lead to high-quality building simulation models for posterior use in energy analysis and decision-making regarding the operation, maintenance and retrofitting of large estates. Arbnco intends to integrate this calibration tool with its existing products and also offer automatic calibration through a new cloud-based service.

The calibration tool will employ actual performance data (energy and indoor environment) to routinely calibrate building simulation models prior to application for energy analysis. The KTP will also incorporate an element of ‘wellness’, with both Arbnco and the University of Strathclyde studying potential uses of calibrated models to evaluate interactions between energy, thermal comfort and indoor air quality.

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

Professor Joe Clarke, director of ESRU, stated: “This KTP will contribute towards closing the energy gap and understanding its causes. KTPs are an exceptional knowledge transfer mechanism, allowing academics to convey research outcomes to a business via a recent graduate. In this way the business can accelerate the transformation of research to new commercial products and solutions.”

Maureen Eisbrenner, co-founder of Arbnco explained: “People’s health and wellbeing should be at the core of everything we do and we need to ensure buildings are not only energy efficient but a positive environment to work in. The KTP aims to highlight poor performing buildings and, more importantly, the reason behind poor performance.” She went on to say, “The long-term plan is to develop a tool that can be used internationally. This means that funds with buildings in multiple countries can develop a consistent global policy on asset and energy management.” www.arbnco.com

adjust temperature

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monitor lux levels

sense humidity

detect occupancy/ absence

apply proportional control

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detect open windows

Email alerts monitor hot water temperature

The new Prefectirus CU3 is packed with features that distinguish it from a simple thermostat AND a complex building energy management system (BEMS).

Its algorithms cleverly learn the environmental conditions for individual rooms; how much heat is required; the time it takes to reach temperature; dissipation rates; and, lighting, sound and humidity levels – the software then balances comfort and energy use for the benefit of both students and energy managers.

Accommodation managers can be alerted to issues that require maintenance, provide compliance with regulations to support the wellbeing of students and be confident of optimum energy efficiency as heat is only used when needed - without ever setting foot in a room.

Students are able to control the comfort of their environment, safe in the knowledge that they cannot waste energy by leaving the heat on high when they go out or if windows are opened.

Prefectirus – just what student accommodation needs from a BEMS. To find out more about Prefectirus visit

www.Prefectirus.com or call 01787 320 604

NEWS

UK POWER NETWORKS GIVES MAJOR BOOST TO FLEXIBLE RENEWABLE ENERGY

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K Power Networks is calling on energy resources to offer their services to support the distribution network during periods of high electricity demand. Until now, such contracts were used to support the national power system, and rarely on the local network.

The new flexibility services contracts are expected to have three key benefits: • A new way for electricity generators, storage, major consumption users and aggregators to offer their resource to create additional income • More efficient use of the existing network infrastructure and connected resources will mean lower electricity distribution costs for customers • Help ensure an even more resilient electricity supply The company, which delivers electricity to more than eight million homes and businesses, is inviting expressions of interest from distributed energy operators capable of increasing generation or reducing consumption on request at the 10 locations across the network it has identified with a potential need.

The flexibility programme is a major step towards becoming a Distribution System Operator (DSO), which involves transitioning from a passive network manager to one providing active, marketfocused services for customers. UK Power Networks consulted with market participants on the design of the flexibility services in July 2017, aiming to create a product that enables all technologies

to participate.

UK Power Networks Director of Asset Management, Barry Hatton, said that the service underlined how UK Power Networks was leading the way in preparing distribution networks for the future.

He said: “The way we generate, distribute and consume electricity is changing and we Map of locations of potential need for flexibility services are making sure that questionnaire are available on the UK UK Power Networks is Power Networks website at http://www. in a great place to make the most of the ukpowernetworks.co.uk/internet/ opportunities this transformation offers. en/have-your-say/listening-to-our“Flexibility shows that we are not just connections-customers/flexibilitytalking about what the future holds services.HTML. for distribution networks, but we are After receiving expressions of interest, delivering on it. This important new UK Power Networks will determine which service offers a new route to market for locations have enough flexible resources distributed energy resources and we are to meet its needs; it then plans to run a looking forward to hearing expressions of tender to contract for flexibility services interest from the market. to start as early as January 2018. Full “In our recently launched Future details of the payment schedule will be Smart strategy, using customer flexibility released when the tender process begins is identified as one of our five key DSO in autumn this year. Follow on tenders strategic priorities.” will be run on a regular basis.

From August 15 until September To submit an expression of interest 8, companies operating demand side in taking part in flexibility services visit response, distributed generation, http://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/ electricity storage and aggregator internet/en/have-your-say/listeningcompanies can express their interest to-our-connections-customers/ by completing the online questionnaire. flexibility-services.HTML The network locations and the

Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan

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EIS have published their long awaited “Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan”.

There is a summary available here and a more detailed document here.

Many of the actions in the plan are already being progressed and there is, therefore, little in it that comes as a surprise (we will leave others to score the predictions we made in March). However, the fact there is now a detailed formal government plan on smart energy will provide greater confidence in the market.

Below we have picked out a few key topics from the three themes of the document: removing barriers to smart technologies, smart homes and businesses and markets which work for flexibility.

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Storage

Inevitably there is a strong focus on storage in the Plan including: • A new definition in primary legislation of storage “as a distinct subset of generation” to be introduced “when Parliamentary time allows” and a modified generation licence for storage by Summer 2018.

• Changes to the charging regime to avoid double charging of storage that Ofgem have previously announced (see our blog: www.regensw.co.uk/ news/ofgem-charging-reviewconsultation-proposes-removingdouble-charging-for-storage ).

• Indications that Ofgem will make it hard, but not impossible as a fall

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

back, for DNOs to own storage.

• Ofgem demanding an update from all network operators progress they have made to improve the process for connecting storage by the end of this year.

It is notable that on the same day BEIS Energy Security Team released a consultation on changes to the Capacity Market that propose ‘de-rating‘ storage on the basis that storage projects “may not be able to generate for the full duration of longer stress events”. This will impact on storage business models and, coming after cuts to embedded benefits, will cause some concern in the market about whether BEIS and Ofgem are wholly unified in backing for storage.

NEWS NEWS

Mind the gap: customers increasingly disaffected by brands

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early 60 per cent of UK organisations believe that realtime customer engagement can deliver a 10 to 40 per cent increase in revenue, according to a report launched by SAS, the leader in analytics.

However, the study, The Age of Now, found that brands are collecting less than a third of relevant personal data on their customers, and only 25 per cent of that data set is being used in segmentation for real-time customer engagement. The report revealed a stark difference between understanding of customer identity and being able to use the information available to drive customer intimacy in real time.

The Age of Now report revealed that only 16 per cent of UK organisations can adjust their marketing communication in real-time based on customer behaviour, 17 per cent in a few hours, and 25 per cent within a day.

Worryingly, only a quarter can halt or retract communications in reaction to unexpected socio-political events, and just a third claim to be able to switch communication channels in response to customer behaviour or external events. Moreover, 60 per cent of UK organisations said they are unable to communicate with customers via multiple channels in an integrated manner.

Tiffany Carpenter, Head of Customer Intelligence at SAS UK & Ireland, said: “The Age of Now is dividing consumer-facing organisations. There is a small segment of organisations leading the charge to capture the imagination and needs of

Flexibility markets

Enabling flexibility providers to provide services to the electricity network in a simple way is key to the Plan.

National Grid’s recent System Needs and Product Strategy has already set out a much clearer picture of how the national market will operate.

However, responses to the consultation highlighted the role of local flexibility platforms and BEIS have responded with £0.6 million for a “Flexibility Markets Feasibility Studies Consultation”.

The plan also places emphasis on the Energy Networks Association “Open Networks” project on which Regen sits on the steering group. This is going through the detailed work of how the network will

Despite nearly 60 per cent of UK organisations claiming real-time customer engagement can deliver between 10-40 per cent revenue increase, most are failing to harness customer data to full effect consumers. But most organisations are struggling to embrace real time.

As consumers become ever more demanding of personalised experiences, organisations must bridge the gap by truly harnessing real-time customer engagement strategies. The strive for real-time communication is really focused on delivering at the right time.”

Creating meaningful customer-centric, real-time communication requires organisations to first have context around external offline factors (e.g. the environmental, political and economic context) to inform real-time interactions with their customers. UK organisations have already taken the first step and are monitoring many factors including financial market movements (55 per cent), Government policy (48 per cent), major political events (34 per cent), retail price wars (33 per cent), consumer injustice (27 per cent), weather (26 per cent) and major attacks on the public (23 per cent).

The Age of Now report explored the major barriers to real-time customer engagement. Just over half claim budget constraints are a key obstacle, suggesting there may be willingness among many brands to undertake more real-time customer engagement initiatives. Other barriers include data security (40 per cent), legacy IT systems (30 per cent) and regulation (30 per cent). With GDPR

fast approaching, a third of respondents believe this could be a positive trigger point to overhauling their data governance and improving their ability to analyse customer data in real-time.

The report also explored the rise in Artificial Intelligence (AI) usage.

Interestingly, only a minority of organisations have implemented the necessary AI technology to communicate via the appropriate channel in realtime, and many still require human intervention. Nearly eight out of 10 (77 per cent) of organisations claimed to have deployed some form of AI technology but most admitted they were not fully exploiting it due to lack of skills (66 per cent), inability to provide ROI (55 per cent) and marketing not ready to embrace its use for real-time customer engagement (46 per cent).

The research report, The Age of Now: Creating real-time customer engagement, was commissioned by SAS and conducted by independent research agency, Coleman Parkes. It polled 350 heads of marketing, customer service, digital and data across the UK. It explored the opportunity that real-time customer engagement brings to organisations, where they are on that journey and the barriers to creating successful real-time interaction. www.sas.com

become more flexible and more open to third party providers of flexibility services.

negative) impacts on energy infrastructure the government is seeking powers in the Automated and Electric Vehicles Bill to set standards for charge points that ensure they can be used for DSR and vehicle-togrid technologies.

We will be digesting the document in more detail in the coming days in order both to share our thoughts with you and to feed into our projects, including a white paper on co-location of storage and generation; work with local authorities on local energy supply models and our Renewable Futures conference on 28 November. www.regensw.co.uk/ renewable-futures-and-green-energyawards

Small scale renewables

With the Feed in Tariff currently ending in 2019 BEIS has been considering the future of support for small scale renewables. This document indicates that future support will be dependent at least partly on how flexible small scale renewables are. In particular the document hints that the Feed in Tariff export tariff could be replaced by a “time of export” tariff.

Electric Vehicles

In an important intervention in the market that recognises that electric vehicles could have significant (positive or

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

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NEWS LIGHTING

FIVE COMPELLING REASONS RETAILERS SHOULD INVEST IN LED LIGHTING IN BACK-OF-HOUSE AREAS

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etailers can achieve reductions in consumption every bit as dramatic as those habitually recorded on the shop-floor.”

The tremendous benefits for frontof-house retail operations that can result from the installation of latest-generation LED lighting systems are well-established, from an improved shopping experience for customers to dramatic long-term reductions in energy bills.

Indeed, the advantages of taking a similar approach to back-of-house areas can be similarly profound. For an impressively short return on investment period, it is often possible to achieve significantly improved illumination levels that can benefit workforce productivity and efficiency, as well as reduce energy consumption by more than 50% with immediate effect.

Tony Ludlow, Managing Director of Connected Light says: “Don’t underestimate the benefits of implementing latestgeneration systems. Properly designed and specified, contemporary LED-based lighting can deliver improvements every bit as dramatic as those achieved on the shopfloor and these are the reasons why: 1. The latest LED systems can deliver greatly reduced energy consumption. The efficiency of LED systems has been on a steep upward curve over the last decade, with a recent study demonstrating an increase of approximately 50% since 2012. Even when compared

to the more energy-conscious fluorescent systems, improvements in energy consumption of well over 60% are commonly encountered.

2. LED systems pay for themselves – and quickly! In a small to mediumsized retail back-of-house space, a complete new system may pay for itself in only a few months of reduced energy bills. Even in much larger areas, payback periods are rarely more than a year or so.

3. More dramatic carbon reduction is in sight! As the Government pursues ambitious carbon reduction targets, there is a practical and moral obligation for retail outlets to lower their carbon emissions. LED lighting can be a vital asset in this regard.

4. Lighting is provided where it is needed, when it is needed. The deployment of LED lighting that is integrated with sensors and control technology means that unnecessary illumination can become a thing of

the past. For example, individual stock aisles lit only when a member of staff enters, rather than the entire room being lit full-time, with obvious ramifications for energy savings.

5. LED lighting systems are cheaper and easier to maintain.

Modern systems can be more effectively monitored, paving the way for further energy-saving optimisation. And with a general life expectancy of 50,000 hours, there is much less need for replacements as well as potentially disruptive maintenance work.

Tony Ludlow concludes: “Only by enlisting the services of a lighting specialist with access to a broad range of the latest solutions can a retailer take advantage of the benefits of implementing LED-lighting systems and hope to achieve the best possible results for their back-of-house areas.” http://www.connectedlight.co.uk

MINIATURE PIR FOR OUTDOOR LUMINAIRE INTEGRATION

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miniature IP65-rated PIR presence detector has been launched

by CP Electronics, allowing for maximum ease of integration and installation into outdoor luminaires.

The EBMHS-IP miniature PIR presence detector from CP Electronics, the UK’s leading supplier of lighting controls, has been tested and approved to IP65 rating in accordance to BS60598-1 2015 standards for 15 minutes, demonstrating impressive water ingress protection. This makes it suitable for external applications including car parks and street lighting.

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With a range of up to 16m at a 7m mounting height, the EBMHS-IP can be supplied pre-wired with an RJ11 plug for connection to the relevant power supply.

For lighting manufacturers, it presents a fully integrated control solution, approved to the same ingress protection standards as luminaires themselves. The product has also passed extensive vibration testing, further demonstrating its durability.

John Mercer, Senior Product Manager at CP Electronics said of the product: “The EBMHS-IP has been carefully “We made a conscious decision to design and test this

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

product to the IP65 rating. The fact that the product passed this testing gives lighting manufacturers confidence that there is an effective control solution, approved for the same level of water ingress as their own luminaires for outdoor applications.” www.cpelectronics.co.uk.

NEWS LIGHTING OPINION

LED ECO LIGHTS EXPANDS LED LIGHTING OPTIONS FOR OUTDOOR INDUSTRIAL SITES LED alternatives available for traditional fluorescent tube fixtures, 2D luminaires, bulkheads, metal halide and SON lamps.

Energy savings up to 80%, maintenance savings of 95%

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ED Eco Lights has introduced low-energy, low-maintenance alternatives to traditional lighting for exterior applications such as car parks, warehouses, loading bays and buildings. New LED options for outdoor use comprise Goodlight™ G5 battens with SMART Sensor technology, 2D anti-corrosive bulkhead luminaires and G360 SON retrofit replacement lamps. Delivering up to 80% energy savings, with a

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life-span of three to five times that of traditional lighting, they provide operators further savings on relatively costly maintenance of exterior lighting.

G5 LED BATTENS WITH SMART SENSOR TECHNOLOGY Goodlight G5 LED battens now offer SMART Sensor technology, allowing luminaires to be grouped and respond intelligently to exterior lighting needs.

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

By switching to LED, warehouses and industrial sites can reduce their lighting energy bill by up to 80%. The new G5 LED battens are direct dropin replacements for standard 2ft, 4ft and 5ft length single and twin tube fluorescent fittings. The G5 delivers very high levels of light output, offering an incredible 110Lm/W with a 120-degree beam angle for optimum spread.

Housed in a sleek body, the Goodlight G5 is shielded by a high-density rubber seal, giving it fivefold protection against the industrial environment.

The seal offers IP65 protection against water, dust and corrosion, plus the fitting can withstand exposure to frost, snow and ice. It can operate in extreme temperatures from -20 to +50°C, and is highly robust, thanks to an impact protection rating of IK08.

ENERGY LIGHTING SUPPLY NEWS

ENERGY SAVING LED LIGHTING RENTAL SCHEME

S 2D LED BULKHEAD New 2D LED bulkhead luminaires feature a rugged, yet stylish housing with an opal PC diffuser. For external use, they are rated IP65 to prevent dust and water ingress, together with anticorrosive protection to protect against industrial pollutants and coastal salt spray. As well as rugged performance, they come with black trim to match most fascias, guttering and facades.

The 2Ds can be either wall or ceilingmounted to enhance exterior communal spaces, or as the main security/comfort lighting in industrial and commercial exterior applications. Versions include standard, integral microwave sensor and emergency battery (3-hour) back-up.

G360 LED SON REPLACEMENT LAMPS G360 LED SON replacement lamps can be retrofitted in place of traditional metal halide or SON lamps in external installations, including bollards, globes, street lighting lamp heads and canopies.

Delivering a high lumen output of 140Lm/W, they provide a 30% increase in brightness levels along with 360-degree beam angle. In high powered models, heat is well-managed with a unique onboard MagLev fan cooling system, which ensures silent operation (less than 0.5dB) and allows use in extreme temperature conditions outdoors. This radical design incorporates new vent ducts which create maximum airflow around the lamp ensuring that the heat is drawn away from the LED, therefore significantly improving reliability, consistency and performance of the lamp. G360™ LED lamps retrofit into existing fittings, replacing traditional sodium, metal halide and HID lamps up to 250W. Suitable for applied lighting, warehousing, storage, industrial, exteriors, street

lighting, bollards and Belisha beacons.

Commenting, Saima Shafi, sales and marketing director at LED Eco Lights said, “Our LED lighting technology offers industrial users more efficient light at lower cost, without the drawbacks of other low energy lighting technologies.

Our LED lamps and luminaires reach full brightness instantly, and are virtually maintenance free with no ballasts or starters needed. This is especially beneficial in external fittings where the environment is harsher and light fittings may be hard to access.

LEDs are also free of the migraineinducing flicker of traditional tube lights, and contain no heavy metals making them easy to dispose of safely and are much less hazardous in the unlikely event of a breakage.”

“Our products are already proven in exterior installations like Frosts Garden Centres, London Underground and nationally across a major supermarket chain,” adds Saima Shafi. “We are confident that industrial sites will experience the same technical and financial benefits.”

Businesses can fund lighting replacement programmes from their operating budgets by taking advantage of the company’s BrightPlan LED leasing scheme. This allows the replacement lights to be paid for directly by the energy savings and the customer will own the lights outright at the end of the lease. LED Eco Lights is offering businesses a free site survey which will provide a detailed breakdown of suitable replacement light fittings, the installed cost and the return on investment from savings on energy and maintenance costs. The five-year, 50,000 hours guarantee from LED Eco Lights makes exterior installation risk-free. www.goodlight.co.uk

wedish lighting experts, Aura Light, has been involved in a new warehouse LED lighting scheme at Celsa Manufacturing UK in Neath, South Wales.

Aura Light worked with Celsa UK to install 316 light fittings throughout its site as part of its energy reduction programme. These were the Aura Duro 23W, Aura PerseaLED 135W and Apus Pro LED 45W. The Aura PerseaLED and Aura Duro have been designed to significantly improve lighting and reduce energy costs of industrial applications. The two luminaires are a popular choice for Aura Light’s ‘Lighting as a Managed Service’ scheme, which provides businesses with a flexible funding option to upgrade their lighting schemes. The overall schemes will save end users a significant amount of money in energy, installation and maintenance costs.

Aura Light introduced the PerseaLED as a modern, energy efficient replacement for 400W high pressure sodium and metal halide high-bay luminaires, using a MIRO 4 silver reflector for ultimate light efficiency. The luminaire is available from 122W to 217W, depending on the light source chosen, with an efficacy of up to 141 lumens per circuit watt. Suitable for applications in warehouses, cold storage and supermarkets, the Aura PerseaLED offers two beam angle options for both wide and narrow light distribution, which can easily be altered if the arrangement of the environment is changed. The luminaire can also be equipped with an integrated PIR sensor for installation heights of up to 15m, to ensure light is only used when necessary.

The Aura Duro is another of the company’s products suitable for a wide range of industrial applications. Sealed inside a sturdy polycarbonate casing with a unique gasket-less labyrinth seal, the Aura Duro luminaire is IP66 rated making it completely “dust tight” and protected against powerful jets of water. Depending on the light source chosen, the Aura Duro comes with a transparent or white casing and uses a narrow beam MIROreflector for the highest efficiency of light.

The Aura Duro can be specified in many outputs ranging from 28W to 100W to significantly reduce the energy used within a scheme. The efficacy of the luminaire is as much as 102 lumens per circuit watt offering a high luminous flux. The luminaire can be installed with a DALI dimmable driver to control the light usage to add to the energy savings already generated from the installation. www.aura-light.co.uk

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

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NEWS OPINION LIGHTING

HOW WIRELESS LIGHTING CAN HELP TO TRANSFORM AN OLD BUILDING INTO THE PERFECT OFFICE

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inding the ideal office to reflect your company ethos can be tricky. As we all know, first impressions count and potential customers and employees often make up their minds about what they think of a company within the first few seconds of stepping through the door.

This is one of the reasons why many companies are looking at more unusual buildings to house their offices, with more and more businesses following in the very successful footsteps of London’s Shoreditch, Nottingham’s Lace Market and Manchester’s cotton mills by looking to repurpose old industrial buildings.

WHY CHOOSE AN INDUSTRIAL BUILDING FOR YOUR OFFICE? Unused factories and warehouses can be the base for a great office set up due to the following reasons: Location, location, location — When you are looking to invest in property, location is key. Industrial areas are increasingly being seen as ‘up and coming’, while being positioned in the heart of the city’s trendiest spot gives companies instant kudos.

Space — These buildings often present space – lots of it. This is great news for rapidly growing companies, as finding big enough premises often proves to be an issue within existing office units. Large amounts of space available all on one floor is another selling point, as office dynamics can change and communication can sometimes be lost when a company is split over several floors.

Aesthetics — The aesthetics of these buildings are often amazing. Original flooring, large windows, exposed beams, girders, raw brickwork and even antique plaster provide unique aesthetics. Retaining these original features not only adds to the heritage feel of the building, it may also saves in refurbishment costs. Scrubbing up, stripping back and repurposing existing features can be considerably cheaper than ripping out and starting from scratch.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO OLD BUILDINGS PRESENT? For every plus that comes from repurposing a rundown building, there will inevitably be a few minuses. The very nature of these old buildings is that they were originally designed for a very different purpose to office use. And elements that we now expect as standard simply weren’t even invented back in the day!

Power distribution is one of the obstacles

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that developers are likely to encounter, purely because the electrical requirements that were needed at the time of original construction were very different to those today. Where wiring is in place, there is a high possibility that it will not meet modern safety standards, and obviously electrical safety is not an area that can be compromised on.

Lighting can also present a huge challenge, as industrial buildings are often a vast and complicated space to light. The large windows that are often synonymous with this type of building will obviously present a fair amount of natural light in the summer months; however, a considerable amount of supplementary lighting will also have to be installed in order to provide adequate yearround lighting throughout the entire space.

To do this, it is likely that the aesthetics of the walls will need to be compromised to integrate new wiring — not ideal when attempting to retain the original feel of the building. Drilling into old walls is inevitably going to cause cracks, and potentially even structural damage. Likewise, running new cabling along exposed brickwork will inevitably detract from the raw aesthetics of the wall.

A MODERN DAY SOLUTION A great solution to installing modern lighting is to use a wireless lighting system.

Wireless lighting requires minimal installation (often using existing sockets), leaving walls undisturbed and allowing lights to be positioned exactly where they are required.

Wireless lighting also presents an excellent cost effective option. Once in place, it can vastly reduce energy wastage and the subsequent hefty bills. Operated remotely via a smart phone or tablet, lights can be programmed to be movement sensitive and timed to come on and off at specific times of the day, which can ultimately save around 50% on wasted

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energy; many wireless lighting solutions can even be powered by solar energy.

Being able to adjust the system on a ‘light-by-light basis’, adapting brightness to suit particular areas of the office, also enables the lighting to be tailored bespoke to specific tasks. For example, creative spaces are often enhanced by low-level mood lighting, whereas tasks requiring fine attention to detail will benefit from brighter, crisper light.

A HAPPY WORKFORCE EQUALS A PRODUCTIVE WORKFORCE Aside from being a worthwhile investment for energy saving and environmental purposes, wireless lighting is also a great way to enhance staff wellbeing. Employees who are expected to work in poorly lit environments can suffer from eyestrain and headaches, not to mention potential feelings of low mood that lack of natural lighting can induce. Integrating bespoke lighting to help assist particular tasks will not only improve working conditions for staff, it will also improve staff morale and productivity.

With this in mind, when considering new office premises, it is essential that employee wellbeing is at the forefront of the decision. Because no matter how stylish and fashionable the company’s offices may appear to the outside world, it’s the staff on the inside who will ensure its success. https://www.cmd-ltd.com/advice-centre/ the-hub/wireless-lighting-perfect-solutionrepurposing-industrial-buildings-offices/

ENERGYOPINION SUPPLY NEWS

PROSPECTS OF THE PARIS AGREEMENT FOR THE UK AFTER BREXIT

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he development to a lowcarbon economy entails both a vast challenge and an outstanding opportunity.

An opportunity in which the commercialization of low and zero carbon solutions, can further stimulate the emerging markets and support the revolution of the whole energy market.

A challenge due to the required close coordination between technology, capital and policy to convert economies that have been heavily relying on fossil-fuels.

In April 2016, the Paris Agreement marked a critical point in the battle against climate change and consequently the development toward a low carbon economy: 195 world leaders united for the first time in history to legally ratify action against pollution through the United Nations Framework Convention.

The aims of this agreement are to1: a. Hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels. b. Increase the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development, in a manner that does not threaten food production; The UK should focus on developing near-term strategies to meet the existing targets of the Agreement by: • Further developing a robust action plan of measures to meet the current carbon budgets.

• Focusing on promoting renewable technologies and greenhouse gas removal technologies.

Carbon Capture and Storage will play a crucial role in the long term, as according to the International Energy Agency (IEA) it will account for 13% of global emissions reductions by 20502.

Gabriel Hurtado González MEng MIET But, will Brexit have an impact on the performance of the UK in the Paris Agreement?

BREXIT AND THE PARIS AGREEMENT National Defined Contributions (NDC) are submitted by countries for 2020 and at 5 year intervals thereafter, and depict the benchmark against which their performance will be evaluated. As per the no-backsliding principle, each new NDC must further improve from the previous one.

The UK presented a collective NDC with various European countries when the Paris agreement was approved. An economy-wide reduction of 40% in greenhouse gases of 1990 by 2030 is the main aim of the EU’s NDC. Although the Agreement specified that the EU had to notify the emissions assigned to each Member State when submitting its NDC, this was not done: The Official Journal of the European Union (section II, point 10) stated that: The joint action by the Union and its Member States will be agreed in due course and will cover the respective. Member States are still undergoing internal discussions regarding their own allocations within the EU’s NDC, and the level of involvement of the UK is not known yet.

Two scenarios are possible regarding a possible collaboration between the EU and the UK: • UK and the EU could agree on a joint fulfilment agreement: The contribution of the UK to a joint NDC is dependent on whether it remains part of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). If the UK still adheres to the EU ETS, an agreement would be required until the regulations in the Paris

Agreement enable the UK to take into consideration its EU ETS trading activity. Iceland, which currently takes part in the EU ETS, took a similar approach when it ratified the second period of the Kyoto Protocol.

• The UK could submit its own NDC: The Agreement does not allow parties to resubmit their NDCs. However, the possibility that each country can adjust their existing NDC to increase its level of ambition. Consequently, this would indicate that if the UK doesn’t follow a joint fulfilment approach as depicted above, its NDC would have to reflect to more than the joint EU NDC. Through its 5th carbon budget, the UK is already on target to achieve 57% reduction of greenhouse emissions for 2030. Considering that the EU target is to achieve 40%, adopting a more ambitious NDC would not be an issue.

The UK should develop a solid road map to meet the Paris Agreement. Post-Paris, therefore, the energy game is not only becoming increasingly decarbonised but also highly strategic and politicised.

1 Paris Agreement, FCCC/CP/2015/L.9/Rev.1. UNFCCC secretariat.

2 Energy Technology Perspectives 2015, Mobilising Innovation to Accelerate Climate Action. International Energy Agency

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

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NEWS OPINION

WE’RE 55 MILLION YEARS TOO LATE FOR HYDRAULIC FRACTURING TO WORK IN THE UK The UK’s geology is unlikely to be suitable for hydraulic fracturing, research by a Scottish university has discovered.

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rofessor John Underhill, Chief Scientist at HeriotWatt University, revealed that while opponents of fracking continue to focus on the environmental impact of this method of oil and gas extraction, the geology of the UK doesn’t support it.

Professor Underhill explains: “Both sides of the hydraulic fracturing debate assume that the geology is a “slam dunk” and it will work if exploration drilling goes ahead. Public support for fracking is at an all-time low of 17% based, in the main, on environmental concerns but the science shows that our country’s geology is simply unsuitable for shale oil and gas production. The implication that because fracking works in the US, it must also work here is wrong.

“For hydraulic fracturing to be successful, a number of geological criteria must be met. The source rock should have a high organic content, a good thickness, be sufficiently porous, and have the right mineralogy. The organic matter must have been buried to a sufficient depth and heated to the degree that the source rock produces substantial amounts of gas or oil.

“However, in locations where fulfilment of some of the criteria have led to large potential deposits, uplift and the faulted structure of the basins are detrimental to its ultimate recovery. Yet, the only question that has been addressed to date is how large the shale resource is in the UK. The inherent complexity of the sedimentary basins has not been fully appreciated or articulated and, as a result, the opportunity has been over-hyped.”

The UK uses over 65 billion cubic metres of gas to heat 80% of its 25 million homes and generate around a quarter

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of its electricity every year.

While efforts to move towards renewable energy sources like wind and solar continue, the demand for gas is likely to remain high for the foreseeable future.

While the UK’s gas supply was self-sufficient until 2004, indigenous production has declined to just 45%, leaving a precarious shortfall, topped up with European pipelines and LNG deliveries, primarily from Qatar Seismic data and geological map of UK record the tilt.

Conventional gas exploration in the North Sea is unlikely to reverse the current situation, which is why many argue that the UK should consider all options, including onshore shale gas, citing success in the US and Centrica’s impending de-commissioning of the UK’s main gas storage site in the southern North Sea likely to make the country more reliant on imports to meet demand.

The most successful US shale areas, like the Marcellus, Barnett and

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Haynesville plays all lie at present day depths and temperatures that mean they are ready to expel their oil and gas when fracked. They occur in relatively stable, undeformed intracratonic areas away from the edges of active tectonic plates. These primarily consist of

OPINION NEWS foreland basins, which form adjacent to mountain belts, or extensional sag basins, both of which have continuous layers of rock with only gentle dips and few fractures or major faults. Their gentle dip and relatively undeformed state aids subsurface imaging, gas and oil detection and the directional drilling needed for shale exploration.

Professor Underhill continues: “The seismic data and geological map of the UK shows a very different picture. A significant tilt affects the UK, which was initiated by active plate margin forces over 55 million years ago due to an upward surge of magma under Iceland and the subsequent formation of the Atlantic Ocean. The latter led to buckling of precursor sedimentary basins against the stable tectonic interior of continental Europe, including those considered to contain large shale resources.

“Areas that were once buried sufficiently deeply with temperatures at which oil and gas maturation occurs, lifted to levels where they are no longer actively generating petroleum. They have also been highly deformed by folds and faults that cause the shales to be offset and broken up into compartments. This has created pathways that have allowed some of the oil and gas to escape.”

Professor Underhill cites three potential fracking sites to illustrate the issue – the Weald basin in southern England, the Bowland Shale in Lancashire and the West Lothian Oil Shale in Scotland.

The Weald basin of southern England was a major area of sedimentary deposits in the Cretaceous, (the period between 65m and 135m years ago) but was subsequently deformed into a major anticlinal arch - a type of fold that is an arch-like shape and has its oldest beds at its core. The margins of this tectonic fold are particularly well defined since they are marked by the steeply dipping chalk ridges that form the North and South Downs in south-east England.

Other basins believed to contain commercial shale gas, like the Bowland Shale in Lancashire and West Lothian Oil Shale in Scotland, went through an additional period of deformation about 290m years ago. This has further compounded their structural complexity.

Professor Underhill concludes: “There is a need to factor this considerable and fundamental geological uncertainty into the economic equation. It would be extremely unwise to rely on shale gas to ride to the rescue of the UK’s gas needs only to discover that we’re 55 million years too late.” For more information, please contact a.pugh@hw.ac.uk

COMMENT – 18TH EDITION WIRING REGULATIONS

Paul Collins, Technical and Training Manager, Hager, highlights three key safety-driven changes that could emerge as the 18th Edition of the Wiring Regulations Standard BS 7671 review progresses through the public consultation phase.

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he Draft for Public Comment on the 18th Edition of the Wiring Regulations has now been published and highlights a number of potential changes to the existing regulations. The document does though remain a draft at this stage and is subject to further change, revision and amendment.

It is important to note that the overall objectives for the review are to ensure harmonisation with current European standards; provide an opportunity to clarify existing regulations and allow new technology and methodology to be incorporated into the wiring regulations.

Having scrutinised the draft regulations as they currently stand, three key areas covering protection against electric shock, thermal effects and over voltages will be of primary interest to all stakeholders across the industry.

1. Chapter 41 – PROTECTION AGAINST ELECTRIC SHOCK The protective measure of automatic disconnection of supply gives maximum disconnection times in Table 41.1. This table at present applies to final circuits up to and including 32A. It is proposed that this table will apply to final circuits up to 63A that contain one or more socket outlets and up to 32A if only fixed equipment is connected. The usual time of 0.4s for systems where the U0 is 230V remains unchanged for a TN system.

The requirements of regulation 411.3.3 for protection by means of an RCD up to 30mA currently includes socket outlets up to 20A rating or for mobile equipment used outdoors up to 32A rating.

There is also currently an exception allowed by labelling socket outlets for a particular use or by carrying out a risk assessment to alleviate the requirement of using RCDs where the installation is not a dwelling.

The proposed change in the draft will now include socket outlets up to 32A and there is no exception allowed, which means that every socket outlet up to the rating of 32A will require RCD protection no matter what the type of installation or equipment it is supplying.

A new regulation, 411.3.4 will require RCD protection up to 30mA of circuits supplying luminaires in domestic installations regardless of their wiring method.

2. Chapter 42 – PROTECTION AGAINST THERMAL EFFECTS Section 421, Protection against fire caused by electrical equipment could have a new regulation. The proposed 421.1.7 introduces arc fault detection devices saying they may be used to provide additional protection against fire caused by arc faults.

3. Section 443 – PROTECTION AGAINST OVERVOLTAGES This entire section has now been rewritten, with an exception for dwellings where the value of the installation does not justify the inclusion of overvoltage protection.

The draft suggests that they shall be provided where the result of an overvoltage would affect different aspects; such as danger to life, public services, commercial or industrial activity and more.

This is likely to mean there will be a requirement to install surge protection devices. www.hager.co.uk

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

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NEWS OPINION

HOW TO LOWER YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT WHEN WORKING OUT OF THE OFFICE

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any offices now have strict energy efficient measures in place to lower their carbon footprint. This can involve anything from recycling waste and ensuring computers are turned off at night to installing LED bulbs.

Some companies measure their carbon footprint and take pride in their performance; perhaps aiming to eventually become carbon neutral.

But what happens when employees are on their own? Perhaps an employee has a business meeting in another city, an industry conference in another country or they’re working away on a project for a week.

Many employees enjoy the change of scenery that comes with working away, but their actions when away don’t always match the company’s environmental efforts. Are there ways for employees to keep the good habits engrained in the office with them, when working away?

IS THE TRIP NEEDED? Before you get started in planning the venture, ask yourself: do you really need to take the trip? Think about other options before you commit to travelling to the other side of the country for a meeting. After all, we now live in a world where there are many other possibilities to meeting face-to-face. Perhaps ask if a conference call or Skype conversation would be suitable before jumping in.

Sometimes, it can’t be helped.

And when this is the case, you need to make sure you travel with the environment in mind.

ACCOMMODATION If you’re staying overnight, be sure to check out the energy efficiency of hotels in the area. Two of the biggest hotel chains in the UK, Premier Inn and Travelodge, have both made efforts to improve their sustainability.

Premier Inn has received The Carbon Trust Triple Standard for Carbon, Water & Waste, meanwhile Travelodge has implemented a ‘green programme’ that has meant green technologies have been added to their hotels. Additions to both include LED lights, solar panels and recycling waste.

It’s not just hotels you should look out for either. Depending on what part of the

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Lowering a carbon footprint is a hot topic for businesses. There has been plenty said about how this can be achieved when in the office but it all gets a little bit more difficult once you go out the walls of the office and get on the road. Here, Green Motion’s Franchisee Development Manager Will Wynter provides his top tips on how to stay green, when away from your screen.

country it is that you’re staying, you may be close to one of the growing number of independent, specialist low-carbon B&Bs. Your choice of accommodation should also consider how far the accommodation is from where the work/conference will be.

In the UK, on average, each of us drives 7,900 miles a year. That’s 650 miles per month! The majority of this is attributed to the commute to work. However, if when away you can locate yourself within walking distance from your temporary workplace, although temporarily, you’ll be helping the environment.

CHARGING YOUR GADGETS Now, because you’ll be on-thego, you won’t have the access the plug sockets as you will in the office.

But don’t worry, this can actually be an opportunity for you to be more efficient than you would usually be.

If you charge your phone, laptop or any other device in the office you’ll likely be getting the electricity from the grid, unless the office has solar panels installed. Thankfully, there are plenty of options for charging on the go with some offering an environmentally friendly solution.

Our suggestion is to use power banks that create power from renewable solar energy. The power banks work by converting and storing solar energy from sunlight. So, once you’ve picked up enough rays, the power will be stored for you to use whenever it’s convenient and needed. All you need to do is make sure the power bank is kept in a place where enough sunlight will get to it.

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EATING OUT Surprisingly to many, food is one of the three main sources of carbon, alongside transport and housing.

In the UK, about one fifth of each of our personal carbon footprints comes from the food we eat.

When you’re away it’s likely that you’ll have to eat out and sample the local restaurants in the evenings. Look out for restaurants that run an eco-friendly establishment and use local farms and vendors for their produce. All it takes is a little bit of searching and there will be a restaurant or bar nearby.

MEASURE YOUR IMPACT There are apps and websites that allow you to measure your carbon footprint. Mobile app, Oroeco, allows users to track their footprint on a day to day basis. If you record your time when away from the office, you can then compare it to how you do in the office.

TRAVEL Lastly, travelling from place to place is where you have the most impact on the environment. You may have a company car or be given an allowance to spend on car rental for the period of time that you’re out of the office. Whatever the situation, your choice needs to be low-emission.

By hiring a hybrid car, you get more miles from each tank of fuel. This equals fewer visits to the pumps and is better for the environment. Hybrid and electric cars are also cheaper to run, meaning drivers avoid the rising petrol prices and save money. www.greenmotion.co.uk

BOILERS & BURNERS NEWS

COMBATTING EMISSIONS WITH COMBUSTION CONTROL Phil Pett, Technical Sales Manager at EOGB Energy Products Ltd, takes a detailed look at ‘add-on’ trim systems and how they work to reduce harmful emissions and increase heating efficiency…

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wo of the most well-known energy efficiency controls designed for commercial and industrial burners are CO and O2 trim systems.

O2 TRIM Oxygen Trim (O2 trim) is widely acknowledged as an essential element of burner control that allows reduction in both energy costs and associated emissions. Since its inception in the 1980’s, O2 trim has evolved from basic systems that adjusted Combustion control systems can play a big mechanical linkages using part in increasing heating efficiency Bowden cables through to today’s sophisticated to the setpoint, if the microprocessor-controlled burner O2 decreases the management systems that employ highly opposite happens. accurate and repeatable servo motors to Most systems position air dampers and fuel drives. work by adding Efficient and safe combustion or subtracting requires a precise mixture of fuel and air as this has air. Too much air results in energy being less effect on the wasted up the flue; too little air results power output. in incomplete combustion. Incomplete CO TRIM combustion is particularly undesirable and results in the formation of Carbon CO Control Monoxide (CO), Hydrocarbons (HC) and takes a more empirical approach than Hydrogen in the form of H2.

Oxygen Trim, enabling combustion To avoid sub-stoichiometric systems to get closer to stoichiometric combustion, burners are always conditions whilst remaining safe. A selfcommissioned with an element of adapting algorithm optimises the fuel/ ‘excess air’. Combustion is complex air ratio over the entire firing range. It and there are many variables such as ‘learns’ each point on the programmed air temperature, humidity, barometric combustion curve by reducing air to pressure and fuel quality that affect the the point where CO is detected and whole process. Excess air ensures that, then ‘backing-off’’ to a safe setpoint. even if the combustion variables change, Each ’learned’ point has a lifetime of the combustion process remains safe. eight hours after which it is ‘learned’ O2 trim works in a fairly simple way again. This ensures that if external in that it adds or reduces either fuel conditions have improved then the CO or air (depending on the system used) Control will readapt to compensate to compensate for changes in these for this and increase efficiency. combustion variables. For each point on A combustion analyser and the combustion profile there is an O2 combination O2/COe probe provide a setpoint. If the O2 reading for any point failsafe solution for CO Control when increases, then air is reduced, or fuel used with a burner management added, to bring the process variable back controller. For example, a combustion gas

analyser uses two separate processors to cross-check the zirconia probe’s outputs with the advantage of using a single probe in the flue.

CO Control also promotes increased safety as CO and other unburnt hydrocarbons are only produced as a result of incomplete combustion which cannot be detected by probes measuring only oxygen.

It is not uncommon for systems employing CO Control to run as low as 1% O2 and as a rule of thumb, CO Control can generate an additional saving of up to 50% over conventional O2 trim systems.

The controls are easily retrofitted to all types of burners on most heating systems and the payback is typically less than two years. www.eogb.co.uk

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

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NEWS MANAGEMENT ENERGY OPINION

GETTING THE RIGHT HEATING MIX FOR YOUR SCHOOL

Ever-increasing pressure on the budgets of schools around the country means optimised energy performance is key to maximising the funds available for educational resources rather than the running costs of the building. Pete Mills, Commercial Technical Operations Manager at Bosch Commercial and Industrial, explains some of the most important considerations to make when it comes to heating and hot water, and which technologies are best-suited to delivering reliability and energy efficiency:

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inding the funds for repair or replacement can be a daunting challenge for schools suddenly faced with a heating system breakdown, so when it does come to deciding on an alternative system, energy efficiency and ROI should be top of the agenda to ensure any money saved can be spent elsewhere on site.

Legacy boilers can be costly to repair and often, if restored, are unable to deliver the expected energy efficiency of today’s schools. Therefore, when a school’s heating system breaks down, generally, the most straightforward solution is to replace any inefficient boilers with modern, efficient alternatives.

Even though many older systems operate at temperatures of 82°C flow and 71°C return, condensing boilers can be made to work efficiently for educational buildings through the use of weather compensation and effective control.

Consideration can also be given to the possibility of re-balancing the system to 80°C flow and 60°C return for further savings. With energy efficiency a top priority, schools should be turning to boilers which can automatically modulate their output down to as little as 20 per cent in order to precisely match the demand for heat, helping to reduce fuel consumption and improve overall seasonal efficiency.

This is ideal for periods like the summer holidays where there may only be limited demand for heating and hot water. For schools planning development to include further facilities, a cascade system can also help to future proof a school to cater for increased heating demand.

AGEING SCHOOLS AND THEIR CHALLENGES With some of the UK’s school buildings dating back to the sixth century however, it’s no wonder that some of these buildings are struggling to cope with the

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use demanded of them. Heritage school buildings, despite their beauty, come at a cost and present certain challenges when trying to incorporate modern energy efficient technologies. Their ageing infrastructure means installers are often welcomed with narrow plant rooms, and old pipework to contend with when trying to install new boilers. However, concerns with mixing the old with the new shouldn’t stop schools from replacing their heating system with a more efficient alternative.

Fortunately, the modern condensing boiler is also the perfect fit despite these restrictions. Its compact dimensions when cascaded in systems up to 800kW, make it especially suitable for plant rooms which are difficult to access and restricted in space.

This in turn reduces installation time so there is minimal disruption to staff and pupils.

Integrating new boilers with pre-existing pipework can affect the operation and efficiency of any new heating appliances, but this can be easily avoided with the addition of a plate heat exchanger. This provides two elements of protection by separating old and new systems allowing them to work efficiently together.

COPING WITH FLUCTUATING DEMAND With schools roughly shut for 12 weeks throughout the year, it can be difficult for school leaders to ensure they have a heating system in place that caters for fluctuating demand for hot water while a school is open and a significant drop in demand outside of term time. For example, showers for PE lessons and after-school sport, along with the wash-down of kitchen equipment, plates and cutlery after lunch, can cause dramatic peaks in the amount of hot water required.

This rise and fall in demand can take its toll on older heating systems, which can struggle to cope and bring costs through the roof.

A continuous flow hot water system is ideal for coping with these peaks in

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demand, providing instantaneous hot water at a set temperature to ensure regulations are adhered to and only using energy when hot water is required to maximise efficiency. Providing heating and hot water via two separate systems will ensure than any peaks in demand for hot water can be easily catered for.

This continuous supply of hot water is perfect for schools with cafeterias, bathrooms and changing rooms with showers that can all demand hot water at the same time. What’s more, the instantaneous water heating technology frees the need for a storage cylinder, which saves space, reduces energy loss, and lowers the risk of Legionella contamination.

The condensing technology also allows for greater energy efficiency of up to 105% resulting in significant energy savings.

The water heaters can be installed as single units or in a cascade of up to 12 units to provide a combined flow rate of up to 247 ltrs/min. This makes it ideal for schools which can have surges in demand for domestic hot water depending on the occupancy of the building.

With energy saving a major objective for schools and pressure on budgets increasing, condensing boilers and a continuous flow hot water system could be the ultimate partnership to ensure a school can cater to demand, enhance its energy efficiency credentials and ultimately, stay open whilst improving the learning environment for students and staff.

For a more in-depth look at the considerations that need to be made when investing in a new heating system, ‘Out of sight, out of mind? A report on the heating and hot water challenge in UK schools’ is available to download from: http://bit.ly/heatinginschools www.bosch-industrial.co.uk.

ENERGYENERGY MANAGEMENT SUPPLY NEWS

PREFECTIRUS – ALERTS YOU TO MAINTENANCE ISSUES VIA EMAIL

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he all-new Prefectirus CU3 unit has obvious benefits relating to energy efficiency. By using only the energy needed to keep student rooms at comfortable temperatures, energy is saved through a number of features including programmable on/off times, maximum temperature settings, absence and presence detectors and open window monitoring, all managed from the central controller linked to each room node via the existing electrical within the building.

But the new Prefectirus CU3 also features maintenance sensors that warn of malfunction and faults via email alerts.

Blown light bulbs, defective fans or broken thermostats are now detected without ever setting foot in a room, allowing appropriate remedial action to be taken.

Algorithms cleverly learn the environmental conditions for individual rooms – how much heat is required, the time it takes to reach temperature, dissipation rates, along with sensors for lighting, sound and humidity levels.

LIGHT LEVELS Low light levels in study bedrooms can have an detrimental effect on students’ performance, alertness and well-being.

Failed light bulbs or fittings are often not reported as the lighting in the room still works but may not be sufficient.

The new CU3 is equipped with a lux sensor that constantly monitors light levels in the room and the system can alert managers to constant low light levels in individual rooms so that action can be taken and fittings replaced.

HUMIDITY LEVELS The sophisticated in-built electronic hygrometer measures temperature and relative humidity (RH). The ideal relative humidity for health and comfort is around 40-50%, in the winter months. By constantly monitoring the RH level in the room the CU3 can highlight potential problems like faulty ventilation, or illicit cooking, by alerting managers when pre-set RH level is breached. By keeping humidity levels within safe limits, mould growth and damp

conditions can be avoided.

HOT WATER LEVELS While monitoring the temperature of hot water, a feature designed to comply with regulations to safeguard against the likes of legionella, Prefectirus will alert managers should the temperature rise above set parameters due to failure of third party thermostats on the hot water heating system. This safety feature will guard against water being delivered to showers, for example, that is too hot avoiding potential scolding incidents.

INTEGRATED PIR These maintenance features are complemented by the inclusion of the integrated PIR that removes the need for additional remote PIR`s and associated wiring thus reducing capital cost. Settable for “detection” or “absence detection” the new passive infrared sensor can be set to trigger the heating ON only when the occupant is asking the thermostat for heat, switching off quickly if no movement is detected or it can simply set to activate the heating when first entering the room.

KEEPING YOU INFORMED The IRUS system constantly monitors all of the new CU3`s integrated sensors, Temperature, Movement, Humidity, Sound and Lux. The information is then displayed allowing management to view individual rooms in real time and because the portal is web based, it can be viewed on any device from anywhere with internet connectivity.

Passive monitoring and control of accommodation is now enhanced with alerts sent via email to maintenance, accommodation or energy managers should any one of maximum parameters be breached.

These new features are available so that well maintained, safe comfortable rooms can be provided for students by universities and colleges. Managers can rely on PrefectIrus to keep them informed of maintenance issues and ensure energy efficiency and compliance of regulations for student safety and well-being. While Students are able to control the comfort of their room to their personal preferences, safe in the knowledge that their environment is monitored to ensure it is safe, efficient and conducive to effective study.

Prefect has been providing control equipment for heating, lighting and hot water systems for nearly 20 years.

Their products are suited particularly to student accommodation along hotels and any other multi-occupancy building where energy efficiency is a prime consideration. www.prefectcontrols.com

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

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NEWS MONITORING & METERING

NEW BILLING TECHNOLOGIES ARE MUST-HAVES WITH HEAT NETWORKS

Energy efficiency, customer service, and data protection all benefit from new metering, billing and payment technologies. Anthony Coates-Smith, business development director of Insite Energy tells how

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ith ever-increasing numbers of people in the UK living in high-density housing, the adoption of heat networks in residential buildings is also rising. Centralised heating (and cooling) systems are generally more energy efficient and cost effective than single-dwelling heat sources, but communal and district heat networks can only achieve financial economies of scale if there’s efficient cost-recovery from residents. This means it’s important to install the most capable metering, billing and payment systems, and these are advancing in ways worth knowing about.

Here I’ll share insight into three particularly advantageous metering and billing technologies. One is significantly more useful than alternatives, the other two are initiatives Insite Energy is proud to be pioneering in the UK heat network market.

These technologies benefit almost everyone involved in supplying or using a heat network: housing associations, building managers, heat network operators, and residents. They can also help compliance with the Data Protection Act, which is getting more difficult now that the Heat Network Regulations are resulting in so much information-gathering.

METERS AND DATA PROVISION It’s true that the basic purpose of heat meters is to record energy consumption for billing purposes and to provide end-users with access to data which can help them control their consumption, just as the Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations demand. But meters can and should be used for so much more than this. Building-level and user-level meters also give access to data whose analysis can identify sources of heat loss or inefficient operating practices, leading to further reductions in energy use and costs.

It’s worth bearing in mind that if a meter costs less than others, it will almost certainly do less, and that will mean missing out on pay back through data-lead energy savings.

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It’s worth remembering, too, that much of the installation cost of user-level meters is labour-related, so the additional capital outlay required for more sophisticated meters is relatively modest. Despite this, too often at Insite Energy we have had to replace other installers’ metering systems which, though fairly new, have proved unfit for purpose. In our experience providing metering, billing and payment services to 170 communal heating schemes across the UK, the most advanced option, suited to all requirements is the Guru Hub. Where this is installed, tariffs can be reduced from about seven pence per kilowatt of heat to as little as three pence.

Guru gives residents real-time information on energy use, costs and carbon emissions through an easy-to-operate touch-screen interface. Better still, the Hub is the only system that can transfer data real-time via broadband to the heat metering and billing provider, enabling energy reporting, heating system efficiency and heat loss analysis.

What’s more, the Hub’s capability for remote fault diagnosis means that heat supply anomalies can be flagged-up, diagnosed and resolved remotely. This proactively prevents end-user complaints, engineer call-outs, and prolonged energy waste.

BILLING AND CRM SOFTWARE Insite Energy recently became the first adopter in the UK of Gentrack Velocity data management software for heat network metering, billing and payment services, though this is proven in the British water utility sector. With powerful workflow, customer payment and customer relationship management (CRM) capabilities, this software seamlessly manages all forms of customer engagement, invoicing, and payment collections. The system has the ability to handle a multitude of price and tariff variables for accurately calculating heat usage and losses.

For residents, this software takes the heat supplier’s customer service to a whole new level, enabling prompt and well-informed

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responses to customer enquiries and, if the heat supplier wishes, making possible a range of flexible payment options. For the metering and billing services provider, the software speeds up and centralises access to vital information about the heat network, at the same time as introducing a cost-efficient level of automation which frees-up staff to focus on other tasks. And for the heat network operator, this software gives 24-hour access via an online portal to system data and customer energy-usage data, helps to more quickly identify faults in the heating system, can give insights into the customer base, and eliminates the involvement of third-parties in data storing or handling which would complicate compliance with data protection laws.

IVR FOR SAFER BILL PAYMENTS The other payment technology Insite Energy is introducing to heat networks is initiated voice recognition (IVR), which makes it easier for residents and safer for heat suppliers when bills are paid over the phone.

With IVR, residents’ calls are answered by a computerised system which recognises the caller’s voice and responds by offering options based on the caller’s previous transactions.

Though this might sound inhuman, users love it: their call gets answered instantly, at any time of the day or night; they are less likely to suffer the inconvenience of errors made in taking payment; and they are less likely to unintentionally miss payment-due dates because the system has a complementary text reminder service. They feel much more comfortable stating personal account details to a computer than a call handler. Heat network operators and housing associations also welcome IVR: in addition to cutting call-centre costs, its elimination of human involvement in the payment process is good for data protection accreditation.

Between them, these three technologies bring a wide-range of benefits that we can expect to see rolled out over the coming years. www.insite-energy.co.uk

NEWS CHP

OVER £38 MILLION OF SALIX FUNDING USED TO INSTALL CHP ACROSS THE UK PUBLIC SECTOR

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ver £38 million of Salix interest-free loans have been used for the installation of combined heat and power (CHP) to provide high efficiency heat and power generation to UK public sector buildings, bringing estimated annual savings of over £10 million on energy bills. Last year saw a record number of these Salix funded CHP projects completing, with a total of £14 million of funding utilised throughout the public sector.

CHP can generate heat and power across one or more buildings and can reduce energy use by up to 30%1.

Funding for CHP has been particularly well received for projects in hospital and higher education estates, as their year round electrical and heating base load allows for CHP running hours which can maximise the return on investment.

Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust identified the opportunity to make significant financial and carbon savings by replacing two smaller, aging CHP units with a 850 kWe CHP located in a

new energy centre. Using £1.2 million of Salix funding, the project completed in March 2017 and it is estimated to save over £262,000 per year on energy bills as well as over 1,100 tonnes of CO2e2.

Steven Fall, Estates Officer at Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Working with Salix has been a smooth and efficient process. This funding has significantly contributed towards our overall Trust carbon reduction target and sustainability plan.”

In 2014, the University of Liverpool completed the largest CHP project supported by Salix funding. Using an interest free loan of £6.1 million, they installed two 2 MWe CHP engines into a disused Grade II listed boiler house.

The engines generate 22 GWH of electricity each year, with a net reduction to energy bills of over £1.5 million.

Peter Birch, Engineering Services Manager at University of Liverpool, said; “Our CHP engines have delivered fantastic financial and carbon savings for the university. Without the support and funding from Salix Finance we

would have been unable to implement such a large scale project.”

In addition to the projects already completed, Salix has committed a further £7.7 million of funding to CHP projects in hospitals and universities which are now in the process of being implemented.

Further funding for CHP and other energy efficiency projects is available now, and details can be found at https:// www.salixfinance.co.uk/loans. Salix can provide part or full funding for projects, with funding allocated based on value for money both in terms of financial payback on funding requested and estimated carbon savings.

Salix will be running workshops on CHP for the public sector later this year. These will be an opportunity to learn more about best practise for the design and operation of CHP systems, as well as how Salix funding can be utilised to help with the upfront costs of installation. If you work for a public sector organisation and are interested in attending, please contact emma.lawes@salixfinance.co.uk

1 ‘Lightening the Load - How CHP helps win the global race for a competitive, low carbon economy’, The ADE (https://www.theade.co.uk/resources/ publications/lightening-the-load-how-chp-helps-win-the-global-race-for-a-competitive-low) 2 Calculated using emissions factors published by government in June 2016 for carbon footprinting purposes

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

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DISTRICT HEATING NEWS

DESIGNING AND PLANNING HEAT NETWORKS FIT FOR THE FUTURE Steve Coates, Head of Heat Networks for district and community heating specialist Switch2 Energy, explains the key planning and design considerations to ensure smooth and efficient heat network operation CUSTOMER FOCUS For years, design of community heating schemes has been largely technically focussed.

But as the sector matures, developers need to put residents and the customer experience at the centre of design and planning decisions.

Development and engineering teams must think more holistically so that decisions made in the early design stages will meet the long-term needs of scheme operators. The overall priority, of course, is to meet the needs of end users: residents who will live with, and rely on, the heat network long after the planners have moved on.

PLAN FOR THE FUTURE Failure to address all the complex operational and design issues at the start will result in potential problems once the system is up and running.

Planning and design needs to ensure minimal operating costs and maintenance, high levels of resident satisfaction, smooth payment procedures and longer term flexibility. All these factors need to be considered from the outset, with detailed plans developed around the desired outcomes.

Although it’s still early days for the district heating sector, there is enough good practice out there to learn from, which can be applied to future schemes so the same mistakes of the past are not repeated.

Codes of best practice and guidance are available from CIBSE and the Heat Trust. All developers should consult these documents, and voluntary adherence to the CIBSE Code of Practice is strongly recommended.

The Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations in 2014 place a new requirement

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Effective design and planning will create heat networks fit for the future

on scheme owners to ensure accurate and transparent metering and billing. It's, therefore, essential to consider a metering and billing strategy at the planning stage, rather than treating it as an afterthought, as has historically been the case.

KEY LESSONS LEARNT •

Design with maintenance costs in mind.

• Consider installing prepayment meters to ensure debt does not build up.

• Review future operational efficiency, including factors such as low heat loss, flow rates and return temperatures.

• Decide what customer satisfaction looks like and how you can deliver this.

• Ensure flexibility is designed into the system to leave the potential for expansion and installation of more efficient or low carbon elements, such as fuel cells.

• Develop an effective metering and billing strategy to comply with new regulations.

Invest today for lower whole-life costs Whether the owner/developer is a local authority, an ESCo, a property developer or a community organisation, it will ultimately be responsible for the performance of the project and should therefore take the lead in working to best practice outlined in the CIBSE Code.

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This may mean more upfront investment in the design and quality of materials used – in order to achieve lower whole-life costs and resident satisfaction. As the sector matures, regulation in this area is eventually expected to become compulsory and more exacting.

CLOSER RELATIONSHIPS Developers should seek advice and discuss issues with all major stakeholders involved, including prospective customers and the local community. Any plan must be carefully vetted to ensure it will be the right system and design to satisfy residents, whilst working financially and technically. Whether the priority is long-term cost reduction, lower carbon emissions – or both – all goals need to be clearly defined in terms of measurable objectives.

The CIBSE Code recommends that monitoring against its standards should be carried out on a regular basis, including assessing compliance with minimum standards at the end of each project stage. As best practice evolves, this may need to be carried out formally by independent specialists.

Developers should check that the designer and subcontractors are familiar with best practice and industry requirements. At a minimum, the owner should ensure that the CIBSE Code of Practice and Heat Trust guidelines are included as a key requirement in briefs and specifications relating to feasibility

ENERGYHEATING SUPPLY NEWS DISTRICT District heating plant room

Switch2 Energy Incontro smart metering and prepayment system for district heating networks

studies, design services, construction contracts, commissioning contracts, operation and maintenance contracts and energy services contracts.

FINANCIAL PLANNING The availability of government support and incentives for community heating/emissions reduction should be checked early on as this may influence fuel choice or design. Future prices and availability for various fuel types also need to be weighed up, especially in the case of oil or natural gas-fired operations.

Whole life costing should be used to measure and compare projects using the government model outlined in the Treasury’s Green Book. This takes into account capital and running costs, replacement costs and revenue streams, and the benefits to each stakeholder. These costings and feedback from all stakeholders should contribute to an agreed project strategy that should be communicated to all concerned, along with milestones and benefits of the scheme.

KEY DEBATE Important questions to ask are: • To what extent should emissions reductions be prioritised relative to cost or customer service improvement?

• How can providers get the standing charges down and introduce fairer tariffs?

• What are the implications of relying more on stored or instant hot water?

• What recourse should scheme operators have if customers do not pay their bills?

• Where do you draw the line in the trade-off between material quality and cost/efficiency?

• How should responsibility for operating, maintenance and billing be best shared?

FINDING A WIN-WIN SOLUTION District and community heating schemes are expected to be win-win

solutions, not just a way of satisfying planning requirements and meeting emissions targets. With careful planning, heat networks can benefit residents by ensuring a supply of affordable, low carbon, reliable heat.

Transparency and fairness in pricing is key. The Heat Trust scheme rules include an obligation to provide residents with information showing how pricing compares to typical conventional heating supplies. Owners must, therefore, be sure cost forecasting is robust and that their charges will survive such scrutiny.

The residents' needs must be fully considered, but this must be balanced by ensuring that the scheme pays for itself. Cash flow is critical, which is why modern prepayment/pay-asyou-go smart metering technologies should be considered. In most cases, such equipment cannot be fitted retrospectively to tackle rent arrears – they need to be installed at the start.

including education of end-users and staff in how to use the heating system itself, along with the billing system.

WIDER ISSUES

CONCLUSION

Any scheme should be able to deliver some significant economic, environmental or social benefits.

Projects should also aim to assist area regeneration and help build sustainable communities, reduce fuel poverty and improve security of supply.

Within this context it is essential that design options undergo sitespecific technical and financial feasibility studies, looking at elements such as projected maintenance and running costs, and how to ensure the system can be run within parameters that will enable a high level of efficiency.

Once constructed, the project launch should also be planned carefully, with a number of checklists to complete,

In many ways, district and community heating in the UK has still to overcome a poor image based on the experience of outdated technologies and systems installed decades ago, which have not been adequately maintained.

We only have to look at Denmark, where 55% of homes are served by community heating, to see what's possible via effective design and implementation.

There are examples of best practice in the UK too, but to raise overall standards, it's necessary to take a carefully planned, long term, customer-focused view in the early design stages of each scheme. www.switch2.co.uk

OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES It is important to assign clear responsibilities for the project’s development, operation and maintenance. It can be more cost efficient and ease communication to use a single project partner, with specialist experience of all areas of district heating, who can join everything up and ensure that the resident's needs are not put in a silo and overlooked.

Whoever you partner with, ensure that only suitably qualified and experienced people are employed at each stage. In future, it is expected that a system of certified individuals or companies will be established.

Meanwhile, careful screening and due diligence are a must.

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NEWS DISTRICT HEATING

NEW FUNDING FOR DISTRICT ENERGY – A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY Dominic Barton, Metropolitan Infrastructure Ltd

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n March this year the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) predicted that decentralised energy systems, or district energy, could radically change the way that homes and businesses are heated, and forecast that by 2030 heat networks could be servicing at least 10% of the UK’s total heat demand. Government estimates put the possible share of heat supply contributed by district energy even higher at 14%. But why should local authorities and other public sector organisations adopt this technology and exactly what funding and other support is available to help them do so?

District energy is not a new phenomenon. The technology is tried and tested. The first heat network in the UK went live as far back as 1988 in Sheffield and is still operational today.

Government data indicates that there are currently approximately 2000 heat networks in the UK supplying heat to 210,000 homes and nearly 2,000 commercial and public buildings. Yet impressive as those numbers seem, a

step-change is expected in the number of new heat networks being commissioned by both the public and private sectors.

This is due to the coalescence of a number of important planning drivers: the requirement to deliver low-carbon development; the need to reduce fuel poverty; and the availability of new Government funding to make it happen.

A LOW-CARBON SOLUTION Government support for district energy is being driven by a number of factors, not least of which is the requirement under the UN Paris Climate Agreement for carbon emissions to be reduced to 80% of 1990 levels by 2050.

Since buildings account for 40% of total energy consumption, decarbonising heat has become a clear focus for policymakers, and district heat networks are being seen as a key means of delivering the low-carbon objective. District heat networks such as Metropolitan’s King’s Cross network deliver significant energy and carbon savings. The statistics speak for themselves: a 50% saving in carbon

Fountains at Granary Square, King’s Cross

emissions compared to traditional utility solutions; 80% efficiency compared to 30% in the conventional UK electricity supply; and energy centres which meet almost 100% of heat demand and 80% of power demand.

As well as reducing carbon emissions, district energy is a very flexible solution, which is scaleable and designed to grow with the increasing demands of the development, as well as the ability to be modified as technology advances.

Currently, many heat networks are powered by Combined Heat and Power (CHP) engines driven by natural gas or biomass. There are debates about which is the most sustainable power source but once a network has been installed then the heat source can be changed, future-proofing the system. For example, further carbon savings can be delivered through the development of hydrogen fuel-cell technology. Other sources being explored include utilising the waste heat from the London Underground system and using heat pumps to draw upon the heat in rivers, canals or sewers. As demand grows, additional engines can be installed, making this a very flexible solution. Nor are heat networks confined to new developments, with retro-fitting of existing buildings possible as their heating systems need to be renewed.

District energy networks are thus a prime example of ‘joined-up thinking’, literally bringing communities together.

FUEL POVERTY AND CONSUMER PROTECTION District energy also has a role to play in the fight against fuel poverty. For example, residents at the King’s Cross development enjoy savings of 5% on their fuel bills. Nor are they responsible for maintenance, whilst still being able to control the heat input and be individually metered for the energy used.

The benefits for communities and residents, therefore, extend beyond the delivery of low- carbon, and in some cases, zero-carbon development. District energy networks generate employment both in delivering and managing the networks but also by attracting investment

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ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

DISTRICT HEATING NEWS from commercial and public-sector organisations looking for sustainable energy solutions for their buildings.

Residents’ interests can be safeguarded through the Heat Trust, an industry-led, self-regulatory initiative which recognises best practice.

Metropolitan was one of the first to register a scheme (King’s Cross) with the Heat Trust and as a member commits to abide by the scheme rules which protect and safeguard the interests of all heat customers. Service standards cover: billing and payment arrangements; fault and emergency reporting; support of vulnerable customers; and complaint handling.

NEW FUNDING TO HELP IMPLEMENT NETWORKS District energy therefore offers important advantages both in terms of sustainable development and ongoing management of energy provision, but also benefits residents and the wider community. Making the case, then, for district energy seems straightforward, but where can an organisation source the expertise and financial resources to implement it?

Public sector organisations in England and Wales can now apply for substantial loan funding to help pay for the installation of district energy networks for non-commercially viable schemes. The Heat Networks Investment Project (HNIP) has just entered its main funding phase with £300million available in loans. The pilot phase, which closed in April 2017, awarded nine proposed schemes with £24million in funding.

Four of the successful bids were from London boroughs whilst the other five were spread across the country including Sheffield, where grant and loan funding were provided to expand the existing heat network and connect it to another, illustrating the flexibility and scalability of this low-carbon solution. The awards ranged from £1million to £5million and will enable those local authorities to expedite their heat network plans. Similar funding is available in Scotland through the District Heating Loan Fund (DHF).

Not all applications will be successful of course, and competition for this valuable funding is expected to be fierce. Submitting the best possible application is therefore imperative.

The winning applications in the pilot phase all demonstrated well-defined business cases; a robust timetable for construction; and an awareness of the financial risks and plans of how to mitigate them. Public sector organisations wishing to bid for funding therefore

Low-carbon heat, power and cooling supplied by a central energy centre

need to seek technical, legal and commercial expert advice to prepare their bid and to progress their projects beyond the feasibility study stage.

A key element of successful projects is the development of a robust business case and an understanding of how to commercialise the heat network. Without a realistic return on investment (ROI) it will be difficult for proposals for public sector district energy networks to attract funding either from the Government or the private sector. Without a clear roadmap for the future ownership and management of a network there is a real danger that such networks become a drain on resources for organisations rather than assets. Fortunately, assistance to devise future-proofed plans and to choose an appropriate ownership model is readily available from consultants and experienced district-energy suppliers, such as Metropolitan, who provide the full package from design and build, to financing, owning and operating the district energy network. Funding to pay for district energy networks is provided by the Government (and the GLA in London) and also the private sector.

FREE TECHNICAL, LEGAL AND COMMERCIAL ADVICE In 2013 the Government established the Heat Networks Delivery Unit (HNDU) to provide consultative support to local authorities in England and Wales exploring heat network opportunities.

Currently in its seventh round of funding, the scheme is intended to assist local authorities through the initial development phases of projects by providing grant funding and a pool of commercial and technical specialists

to guide organisations through the process. HNDU funding can provide up to 67% of the estimated eligible external costs of early-stage development studies, with local authorities needing to match fund the remaining 33%. The project stages that can be supported in this way are heat mapping, energy masterplanning, feasibility studies, detailed project development and early commercialisation. The guidance offered under the scheme enables best practice to be incorporated into applications and, more importantly, into the energy networks themselves. HNDU has already distributed over £14million in funding.

For London boroughs, further help is available through the GLA’s Decentralised Energy Enabling Project (DEEP) which became operational in June this year. The project offers technical, commercial, financial and legal support services through an OJEU framework, giving access to pre-approved suppliers and to expert consultants who can provide assistance in bringing projects through to the procurement stage.

A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY In conclusion, the case for implementing district energy is compelling. It is a proven technology, with an impressive track record of delivering low-carbon, energy-efficient heating for the benefit of whole communities. The active support of the Government and private sector in providing significant funding and access to specialist expertise, means that public sector organisations should take advantage of this opportunity and explore the potential of district energy now.

Contact www.met-i.co.uk

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NEWS RENEWABLE OPINION ENERGY

THE POWER OF CARPARKS

By: Guy Morrison Sales Director at FlexiSolar, the UK’s leading solar carport systems integrator. Guy’s background is in large-scale and commercial solar PV, storage & peak shaving solutions and the EV infrastructure industry. guy.morrison@flexi-solar.com

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lthough the solar carport concept is generally understood and the multiple benefits have encouraged widespread and growing deployment in Europe and the US, there have been no largescale projects to date in the UK and even enthusiastic early adopters have been reluctant to be first to commit.

This problem, cited by many as the main barrier to large-scale adoption, is about to change as preparations begin on Megawatt plus projects in both the public and private sectors, and carparks up and down the country are being assessed for their suitability. There seems to be a shift across the board from not wanting to be the first, to not wanting to be left behind.

Among the contributing factors at work here are Central Government’s recent announcements on, and renewed enthusiasm for, transport electrification to help combat air pollution and the motor industry’s acceptance of this shift together with rapid development of new and better electric vehicles which require charging infrastructure and clean green electricity to fuel them.

There have been some overblown claims in the less meticulous press about the need for twenty new nuclear power stations to power the EV revolution.

As wind and solar are the cheapest forms of new power generation this is clearly not the case, it is certainly true however that we need to ensure new renewable energy capacity keeps pace with the increase in demand from electric vehicles and where better to do this than at the point of consumption.

INTEGRATE, INTEGRATE, INTEGRATE. Anyone that has installed, or considered installing, free-standing EV charge-points will be aware of two things, firstly the equipment cost represents a fraction of the overall supply and fit costs and secondly, a typical three phase 11KW or 22KW commercial charge-point draws 32amps per phase

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Photo: Schletter

per socket and this can seriously restrict deployment numbers or lead to expensive grid supply upgrades.

Solar carports provide the ideal structure on which to mount chargepoints, sharing civil engineering groundworks and removing much of the cost of installation while a technology agnostic turnkey solution provider will assess the site requirements and, where necessary, offer smart chargers with load management capability and/or a battery storage facility to defer any upgrade to the incoming supply and provide other cost savings and revenue streams.

These smart, integrated solutions are now available and ready for rollout.

ANY OTHER BENEFITS? Some of the by-products of turning your carpark into a power station and electric vehicle hub include an improved user experience and studies in Germany and the US indicate increased footfall in the retail sector when vehicles are sheltered from the elements and increased dwell time of EV owners charging while they shop.

Other studies suggest a more rapid EV adoption when public and workplace charge-point infrastructure is available and, given the popularity rating of solar PV, there are positive PR benefits for companies that are very visibly displaying their green credentials. These softer benefits should not be overlooked when considering the business case for integrated solar carport solutions but the direct financial benefit will be the key driver and this can be achieved

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

Montpellier Airport, France (Photo: Solarworld)

from day one under a power purchase agreement or leasing arrangement.

ROOFTOP, GREENFIELD, BROWNFIELD OR TARMAC FIELD? There has long been a preference, in Government and the wider community, for rooftop and brownfield solar over greenfield solar farms on even the lowest grade agricultural land. Brownfield sites in urban areas will usually have some housing or office development hope value and rooftops, although they come without many of the benefits outlined above, should of course be considered where practical and costeffective and where they are not too small, too weak or too cluttered for any meaningful PV array. By utilising carparks for micro-generation, energy storage and to support EV infrastructure, operators and owners create a virtuous circle and can realise the full potential of this often-overlooked asset.

For more information on solar carports, the BRE solar carport guide can be downloaded free from the BRE Solar Centre website library page: https://www.bre.co.uk/filelibrary/nsc/ Documents%20Library/BRE/89087-BRE_solarcarpark-guide-v2_bre114153_lowres.pdf

EXHIBITION NEWS

PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS UNITE TO BOOST UK ENERGY EFFICIENCY AT EMEX For the last 3 years, EMEX organised in partnership with the Energy Managers Association (EMA, www.theema.org.uk), has helped thousands of businesses from all sectors to increase their energy efficiency and reduce their operational costs.

T

aking place on Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 November 2017 at ExCeL in London, EMEX is the must-attend energy management show that connects all energy users with leading experts, policy makers, suppliers and technical solutions. 100+ CPD accredited free seminars and 150+ Exhibitors Energy is a cost to most organisations that has grown as a proportion of overall expenditure in recent years. All energy consuming organisations need to manage energy consumption if they are to avoid the impact of price increases on the products or services they provide. In this context, the case for investing in energy efficiency has never been stronger, and of course the cheapest energy is the energy organisations don’t use.

There is considerable potential within most organisations in the public and private sectors to make large energy cost and carbon emission savings through the installation of energy efficiency measures.

The energy efficiency technologies that deliver these savings are readily available, tried and tested, and often repay their initial capital cost within just a few years. Such improvements can provide significant long-term cash savings for organisations and reduced exposure to future changes in energy costs.

As with other types of project, whilst finance is an important consideration, top level leadership remains the key to unlocking the resources to deliver projects and address barriers.

With a clear majority of big energy users from public and private sectors discussing energy management at board level, this underlines the fact that managing energy is now a businesscritical function and that energy management is on a par with other strategic decisions.

These facts are also supported by the data collected during the ESOS audit and released by the Environmental Agency. While nearly 97% of the completed audits were carried out by external lead assessors and a large majority of audited companies have discussed results at board (74%) and Senior management (90%) level, 60% of companies declared having no energy efficiency targets and only 6% have published information relating to their ESOS audit. Despite this 72% of those companies were open to adopt some form of energy efficiency measures.

Many researchers found that saving on energy costs is a motivator for carrying out energy efficiency measures with a significant growing trend for factors other than simple cash savings, which are driving investment forward. Protecting the environment is an important motivator for action as well as improving energy efficiency as a way to increase competiveness and protect business reputation.

Lord Rupert Redesdale, CEO of the Energy Managers Association (EMA), said that “reducing energy demand is critical to reducing energy costs. EMEX

will proudly show that improving energy efficiency is the way to make energy costs affordable. Our vision is for ethical, low energy principles to become the norm within UK businesses, and for every individual to see themselves as both an energy consumer and an energy manager. EMEX represents a unique opportunity for professionals to come together once a year and share knowledge and best practices on how energy can be used. We look forward to hearing our delegates’ ideas for inspiring the UK into action on this issue.”

The free to attend event at ExCel London, featuring leading expert speakers and exhibitors from across the energy industry, also sees the launch of many initiatives, founded by the EMA and underpinned by major organisations such as BIFM, BEIS, OFWAT, OFGEM, BPF, BRE and IET. New in 2017, The Flexible Power Zone, created in partnership with Power Responsive for the uninitiated to understand and evaluate this widely talked about opportunity. A dozen participating DSR Battery Storage partners of National Grid such as Scottish Power, E.ON Energy Solutions, EDF Energy, Doing Energy, enerNOC and Origami Energy, will each give a presentation and be available to talk with you one on one. It’s a rare opportunity to find a supplier that talks your language and makes sense for your business.

The IET will launch a new Guide to Energy Management which aims to provide clear and concise information that can be developed and applied to a number of different building set-ups.

The wide-ranging EMEX event programme covers many other important areas of energy management and will feature dozens of case studies from both the public and the private sectors.

For more information and register for free, please visit www.emexlondon.com

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

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NEWS EXHIBITION NEWS

SEE YOU IN BIRMINGHAM ....

Following on from the success of our inaugural University and Healthcare Estates and Innovation Conference and Exhibition last year, we have planned a bigger and bolder event for 2017.

T

aking place over two days at the University of Birmingham Campus on the 14th & 15th of November. We have put together a timely, relevant and comprehensive programme backed up by a strong line up of industry expert speakers and a focused exhibition for our delegates.

Put simply - the similarities and parallels between Higher Education and Healthcare Estates sectors are striking.

At this year’s Conference we will address these issues and many more.

• Management of large, complex and demanding sites.

• The need to tackle compliance, deliver projects and control diverse property portfolios.

• Management of suppliers and procurement, construction and maintenance at scale.

The University and Healthcare Estates and Innovation Conference and Exhibition, is a unique opportunity to hear from the sector experts and to network and share solutions and experiences.

This event will be the second meeting of minds – that builds upon last year’s inaugural event and will lead to closer future collaboration between sectors and stimulate opportunities for shared thinking and shared benefits.

Now more than ever we should be sharing ideas and pooling solutions.

I look forward to meeting you at the University of Birmingham on the 14th & 15th of November.

Trevor Payne

MORE ABOUT UNIVERSITIES AND HEALTHCARE ESTATES CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION 2017:

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IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AUDE

•

SUPPORTED BY:

•

• • • • • • • • • • •

BIFM CIC University of Birmingham, The Carbon & Energy Fund, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust BESA, BIM4 Health The Carbon Trust University of Liverpool ASIS DQI and digital 2 all

MEDIA PARTNERS: Building Education, Building & Facilities Management Magazine, Energy Manager Magazine, Hospital Times, Public Sector Sustainability Magazine, Risk UK and University Business

MAIN EXHIBITORS & SPONSORS: Built Offsite, Capsticks, Clarke Energy, Clearview Intelligence, Cortech, Ecophon, ESG, Extra Space Solutions, Fusion, HYDROP, IES, IHEEM, Jactone, Jewson, Langley Design, Micad, MWA Technologies, Paxton, PPL Training, SFG20, Salix, Shire Controls, Smarti Ltd, Snapsys Solutions and SearchHigher.

CONFERENCE TOPICS FOR 2017: • • • • • • • • • •

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Brexit - thoughts on the impact on the HE/ NHS estate A Shared approach to Campus Master planning Property Management in HE/ NHS Emergency Preparedness HE/ NHS Lessons Learned Property Management from the NHS Ransomware Virus Attack Commercialising the Estate – HE/ NHS Succession Planning & Developing Capacity Building the Estates Team – HE/ NHS Compliance - the Challenge of Managing Older Buildings in HE/ NHS Sustainability HE/ NHS

Director of Estates University of Birmingham

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ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

• •

•

Food Waste Management within the HE/ NHS Occupy in HE/ NHS Space Management and Agile Desking Solutions for HE/ NHS The Oxford Journey to Customer Service Excellence HE/ NHS An Alternative Delivery Model for E and F Services in the HE/ NHS Sharing Processes and Resources: How a common process can work for disparate organisations HE/ NHS

JUST A FEW OF THE SPEAKERS AT UHEI 2017: •

Simon Corben - Director & Head of Profession NHS Estates & Facilities–NHS Improvement • Trevor Payne – Director of Estates – University of Birmingham • Andrew Burgess – Deputy Chief Operating Officer – Loughborough University • Karen Johnson – Operational Director - University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust • Duane Passman - Director of 3Ts - Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust • Stewart Crowe - Health & Safety & Risk Manager University of Liverpool • Russell Smith - Head of Estates - Bradford University • Louise Webster - Head of Environmental Sustainability - University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust • David Reilly - Head of Carbon Trust Wales - Carbon Trust • Rachael Hanmer-Dwight - Environmental Manager - University of Liverpool • Ian Stenton - Head of Sustainability - Royal Liverpool & Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust • Lisa Hofen - Deputy Head of Strategic Facilities Management - University of Oxford • Robert Gormley - Business Change Manager University of Edinburgh For more information on how to register for this UHEI 2017: Email: info@ascentevents.co.uk www.ascentevents.co.uk/uheibirmingham.php

NEWS MANAGEMENT WATER

HOW TO UNTAP WATER SAVINGS IN DEREGULATED MARKET Bob Millar, water specialist at utilities consultancy Inprova Energy, discusses how public sector organisations can tap into the benefits of water market deregulation in England.

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U

ntil April 2017, public sector organisations and businesses in England had to purchase all their water services from a regional monopoly and costs steadily rose. In contrast to the open gas or electricity markets, there was no customer choice, except for very large water consumers. However, this changed recently when England followed Scotland in deregulating its non-domestic retail water market.

Now, organisations of all sizes can shop around for their retail services – opening up the opportunity to reduce costs and improve service levels.

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

HOW DEREGULATION WORKS Under deregulation, existing regional water companies remain responsible for wholesale services, i.e. the infrastructure that brings water to your site and removes waste water and drainage. However, they must now compete against other suppliers for your retail water and wastewater business (including billing and other customer-facing services).

If you have sites across England, and/or Scotland, where the retail water market has been deregulated since 2008, you can consolidate arrangements under one retailer, which could mean just one monthly bill.

WATER MANAGEMENT NEWS There are no changes yet in place for Wales or Northern Ireland, but some suppliers will be able to offer consolidated billing for multisite customers across the UK, which would simplify and reduce the costs of administration.

Customers with larger water requirements may be able to ‘selfsupply’ by applying for a retail water licence from Ofwat and deal directly with their wholesalers.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF SWITCHING? Direct tariff savings are proving to be modest, but this is expected to improve after 2020 when the 2019 Ofwat price review will be implemented. For the time being, the biggest benefit is likely to be improved service levels and water efficiency services, which can deliver considerable time and cost savings.

If you have the administrative headache of managing water arrangements at different sites and are responsible for juggling many water bills from different suppliers, then consolidation can simplify this process.

Whether or not you decide to go ahead with switching water retailer, it can be beneficial to cleanse your existing data. This can help you gather missing information and ensure underpayments or overpayments are rectified.

will use to identify your supplies (just like an MPAN in the electricity market).

If you are using an experienced water consultant, they will conduct the data management for you. To start the process you will need to supply information of what water you are using and where, along with a letter of authority and at least one, but ideally 12 months’ copies of bills.

GENERATING WATER EFFICIENCY SAVINGS Leak detection coupled with water efficiency measures can pay rich dividends in terms of cost reduction.

Using water more sparingly can help you comply with current and future legislation, to improve environmental performance and generate positive PR. It’s important to compare your water consumption and benchmark against other sites, which will improve your understanding of your water consumption profile and what scope there might be to increase efficiency.

There are a number of steps you can take to save water, including using automatic meter reading (AMR) technology to monitor consumption; installing flow or pressure controls to regulate water flow; or harvesting rainwater for reuse. Many of these

initiatives require little or no investment and can provide a rapid return on investment. Some suppliers will provide assistance as part of a new contract.

IS IT BETTER TO WAIT AND LET THE MARKET SETTLE? With potential cost savings on offer and the prospect of simplifying your administration, plus other value added opportunities, it is sensible to explore the opportunity sooner rather than later so that you can realise the benefits immediately.

Procurement is much simpler in the water market, than for energy. This is because of a lack of price volatility and, therefore, the prevalence of simpler fixed price contracts – typically over three years. Since market rates are unlikely to change significantly until after the 2019 Ofwat price review, which will take effect in 2020, there’s little point in hanging back for better deals to arrive.

As with any contract, it’s the small print that is often crucial. Even if you undertake your own tendering process, an independent review of the contract before signature is recommended.

Further information: www.inprovaenergy.com E: bob.millar@inprovaenergy.com

Reputable water consultants will undertake a historical billing audit on your behalf to identify potential historic overcharges. Billing errors are not uncommon, so you might receive a windfall rebate or lower ongoing costs. This preparatory work will also help reduce costs when it comes to tendering for retail services.

As part of the data checking and gathering phase, you will need to collate accurate details of your sites, meters and volumes for a ‘hassle-free’ tendering process. Look out for Supply Point ID’s (SPIDs) on your recent invoices – these are the reference numbers that the market

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

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NEWS PRODUCT SHOWCASE

RINNAI INFINITY 1600E OFFERS LOWEST LOW-NOX GUARANTEED

R

innai, designer and manufacturer of the A-rated Infinity range of Infinity continuous flow condensing gas fired water heaters, supplies the best energy efficient range of lowNoX water heaters on the market.

Advanced condensing heat exchangers combined with innovative down firing pre-mix burner technology ensure every cubic metre of natural gas or LPG is utilised to the maximum in the Infinity HDC 1600e. The units are renewables-ready and suitable for use as a temperature booster for solar thermal and heat-pump installations. The HDC1600e is also future-proofed against future regulatory and legislative changes.

The renewables-ready low-Nox Infinity HDC 1600e external wall mounted boiler along with the interior HDC 1600i version) utilises Rinnai’s patented pre-mix burner technology with a 14-1 turn down ratio – the largest on the market – of 58.4kw4.05kw and is ultra quiet in operation.

Integral controls on the units are also a major step forward in achieving best efficiencies whether locally or when integrated into a building management system. Legionella proliferation is also significantly reduced too.

Rinnai has also invented additional ‘SMART’ controls for secondary return

DHW systems in the form of an advanced temperature control system which allows for safe running of water at 42°C core temperature during the day and 60°C at a time when the building is closed.

By the time the building reopens, core temperature is 42°C for safe use.

“The uptake on the whole series of Rinnai’s low-NoX, high efficiency product, across all sectors, has been nothing short of phenomenal,” says Rinnai UK Associate Director Chris Goggin.

Rinnai Infinity HDC range offers condensing technology with up to 107% gross efficiency, ultra-low-Nox of less than 20 ppm, a widely expansive modulation range of 54kW-4kW and high flow rates of 37/ltr/min. Add to these benefits the peace of mind of an extended warranty, a top A-rating exceeding the demands of eco-labelling legislation, the flexibility of external wall mounting and delivery to site with all relevant accessories and the knowledge that the HDC1600e is futureproofed against future regulatory and legislative changes and it is easy to see why the Rinnai brand is fast growing in popularity among H&V professionals.

For more information on the RINNAI product range visit www.rinnaiuk.com

RINNAI RUGBY LEAGUE SPONSORSHIP NOW HAS ITS OWN VIDEO GAME

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innai, the UK’s leader in continuous flow hot water heating delivery systems, has enjoyed a big dividend in its sponsorship of Widnes Vikings rugby league team.

The company’s sponsorship - the Rinnai name appears on the back side of the shorts - is now featured in a video game that is proving a popular success in both the UK and Australia where it has been mass marketed.

“We are absolutely delighted at the amount of media coverage - in print, broadcast and online - that our sponsorship has given our brand name and our range of continuous flow hot water heating units. And now we have a video game that, again, features our name,” says Chris Goggin for the company.

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“Rinnai is a worldwide brand name in its field and has taken some major global sponsorships – including the Queensland Reds, The World Club World Cup event held January this year in Tokyo, the World Ice Skating Championships and the US Nascar competition held in Daytona, Las Vegas and other major American venues.

“The Widnes Vikings are also local to our own UK headquarters so it is all an excellent fit. We look forward to working with the team and staff.”

For Widnes Vikings CEO James Rule says: “Our business and the success we produce on and off the field is driven by the quality of our people and it has been evident working with Rinnai that we have welcomed into the Widnes Vikings “One Club” family a committed partner staffed by quality people who buy into our vision

ENERGY MANAGER MAGAZINE • AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

and who want to play an integral role in moving forward with excellence”.

The sponsorship package has also seen the Rinnai name featured in several ’live’ televised games on Sky Sports and in TV shows such as BBC’s ‘The Super League Show’.

For more information on the RINNAI product range visit www.rinnaiuk.com

Healthcare Estates Conference. Exhibition. Dinner. Awards.

10-11 October 2017 Manchester Central

200+ 3,849 No.1 Official 2016 Total attendance including visitors, delegates, speakers & dinner guests

Companies exhibit their latest products & services

Event in the UK for health estates, engineering, and facilities professionals

Call: 01892 518877 for stand availability or for more information visit www.healthcare-estates.com

Book your stand today... @HCEstates

Space Only

Meet specifiers and decisionmakers responsible for controlling NHS budgets

£350 +VAT per M2

Contact the team for further availability and prices.

Call: 01892 518877 email: healthcare@stepex.com

Event Partner Event Sponsor Principal Media Partner

Present and demonstrate your expertise to a highly targeted and motivated audience

Gain valuable feedback and insights that can feed into your new product and business development processes

VIP Sponsor

Healthcare Estates is a truly unique event in the UK market – the only national conference and exhibition to bring together those who fund, design, build, manage, and maintain the UK’s healthcare facilities.

Raise your profile in the healthcare sector, and gain a genuine competitive advantage

Talk directly to ‘front line’ staff about the challenges they face and how your products and service can help them to address them

Shell Scheme £385 +VAT per M2

Contact the team for further availability and prices.

Call: 01892 518877 email: healthcare@stepex.com

Supporters

7 CONFERENCE, EXHIBITION & GALA DINNER

University & Healthcare Estates and Innovation 14th -15th NOVEMBER 2017 / UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM

Universities & Healthcare Estates and Innovation is a unique conference and exhibition that addresses some of the key issues facing the University and Healthcare sectors.

The conference addresses each issue from a University perspective, and then from a Healthcare perspective - allowing delegates to gain insight into both areas and share best-practice.

The event will feature a wide range of high profile industry speakers that will focus on identifying the synergies and opportunities between these two sectors, and how best-practice can be shared effectively.

If you would like to find out more, please contact: Ascent Events T: 01892 530027 E: info@ascentevents.co.uk or register at http://www.ascentevents.co.uk/uhei-birmingham-registration.php Event Partner

Hosted By

Supported By

@UHEI_UHEI