IT’S TIME FOR CONTRACTORS, WHOLESALERS AND MANUFACTURERS TO SHINE

There are five awards up for grabs in the companies category:

Manufacturer of the Year; Independent Wholesaler/Distributor of the Year; Chain Wholesaler/Distributor of the Year (three stores or more); Contractor of the Year (turnover under £5m); and Contractor of the Year (turnover over £5m).

If your company is an outstanding manufacturer, wholesaler/distributor or electrical contractor that has been operating between 1 January 2022 and 31 August 2023, please ENTER NOW! The deadline for entries is 15 September.

The first ever ECN Awards will be held at the Heart of England Conference and Events Centre in Coventry on 30 November 2023.

Take a look at each category to see what our expert judges will be looking for:

What new products has your company launched during the qualifying period that have really offered something new and exciting to the marketplace? Why are they such a big deal, and what did you do to ensure the whole industry heard about them?

What training does your company offer to ensure that installers know how to use your product? Do you keep your training regularly updated?

Has your company done anything to support the industry during the qualifying period? Maybe it’s holding events for contractors to try out your products, or attending trade shows? What have you done to actively support the electrical contracting industry?

There are two awards up for grabs for wholesalers and distributors – one for independents (one or two stores) and one for chains (three stores or more). What new clients has your company acquired this year, or new additions to your existing client’s product portfolio? How have you supported the launch of these new products, and why are they notable?

What support do you offer your clients? Do you offer a design service, or excellent technical support? What training do you offer your clients? How does it help push the industry forward?

winning.

The two awards for contractors at this year’s ECN Awards are Contractor of the Year (turnover under £5m) and Contractor of the Year (turnover over £5m).

How has your company improved its performance in the market, and increased sales and market share? Can you demonstrate how your company delivers innovative and technologically advanced solutions to your customers?

What is your company doing to assist the industry on the road to net zero? Which technologies and/or processes have you introduced to reduce your company’s carbon footprint?

What steps is your company taking with regards to equity, diversity and inclusion? How do you support your staff in all areas, including staff safety, mental wellbeing and staff training?

• A win can give a seal of approval to your activities and is a sign of quality for potential customers, so can form part of your sales pitch.

• It can also enhance business competitiveness – an award win can help cement your reputation in the industry and raise your profile head and shoulders above your competitors.

• Reward and motivate your team –entering awards sends a message to your team that their achievements are worth shouting about and that their hard work is worthwhile.

• Networking opportunities – as well as making new contacts on the night, winning an award can also give you a reason to communicate with your existing client database and let them know about your success.

• An award win isn’t just a popularity contest, it’s judged by an independent expert panel and therefore gives recognition for the great work that you do from the industry that you’re in.

Please enter as soon as you can so you don’t miss out on the chance to win and don’t forget that it’s FREE to enter! To enter, please visit electricalcontractingnews.com/ awards-entries.

For general enquiries please contact Carly Wills at carly@allthingsmedialtd.com and for sponsorship enquiries please contact Kelly Byne at kelly@allthingsmedialtd.com.

What better accolade could there be than to win one of the first ever ECN Awards?!

ECN Awards, electricalcontractingnews.com/awards

With the ECN Awards only three months away, it’s time to get your entries prepared! There are 5 awards up for grabs in the COMPANIES category – if your company is an outstanding manufacturer, wholesaler/distributor or electrical contractor that has been operating between 1 January 2022 and 31 August 2023, please ENTER NOW!

• Manufacturer of the Year

• Independent Wholesaler/Distributor of the Year

• Chain Wholesaler/Distributor of the Year (three stores or more)

• Contractor of the Year (turnover over £5m)

• Contractor of the Year (turnover under £5m)

The Northern Engineering Division of HE Simm Group has won a £16m contract to deliver a commercial project as part of the new regional hub in Blackpool that VINCI is constructing as part of Muse and Blackpool Council’s £350m Talbot Gateway Regeneration Scheme.

The contract, which will see the firm deliver a full MEP installation, over a 37-week programme, was awarded to the company following its ongoing, successful delivery, at VINCI’s New Victoria scheme for end client, Muse Developments.

Starting onsite in November, and running through to September 2024, the company will also utilise its internal offsite manufacturing team to provide a modularised roof top plant room amongst other modular items, including risers – to the value of three quarters of a million pounds.

Greg Simm, Managing Director for HE Simm Engineering in the North, comments, “We are delighted to have been awarded this contract, especially as it comes off the back of the work we are currently undertaking at New Victoria.

“It will be the largest commercial scheme delivered by the Northern Engineering Division and we are looking forward to getting going in November.”

Gareth Simm, Chief Executive Officer at the company, adds, “This contract award plays well into our continued diversification strategy, which sees more and more of our work completed in sectors including commercial, industrial and healthcare, whilst also staying true to our roots of delivering the very best MEP in the UK residential sector.”

HE Simm, hesimm.co.uk

TRILUX has collaborated with building services expert, Munro, to provide an array of innovative lighting solutions for a new major global manufacturing facility. The result was the creation of a brand-new, BREEAM Very Good rated manufacturing facility that perfectly aligns with CMR Surgical’s commitment to excellence, sustainability, staff wellbeing, and natural resource conservation.

CMR Surgical, formerly Cambridge Medical Robotics, is at the forefront of ground breaking medical technology, revolutionising surgical procedures through advanced robotic systems. CMR Surgical required a new, purpose-built manufacturing facility to support its cutting-edge work. Located in Ely, Cambridge, the state-of-the-art site spans 7,045m2 and is a hub for CMR Surgical’s pioneering research and development enterprises.

TRILUX’s extensive energy-efficient product range and expertise made it the perfect choice for this transformative location. Siella, ArimoFit, E-Line, LC60 and Solegra were carefully chosen to address the diverse lighting requirements throughout the entire facility.

One of the critical challenges was to meet the high lighting standards required for the intricate task of robotic assembly. TRILUX’s E-Line linear lighting system perfectly met these demanding requirements, including IP64 protection, low glare, and 1,000 and 800 lux luminance for the manufacturing areas. This precise illumination ensured factory workers could observe even the finest details with clarity, facilitating seamless robotic assembly and maximising operational efficiency and employee wellbeing.

TRILUX, trilux.com

Dalkia has been awarded Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) by Merseytravel for electrical works associated with the supply and installation of 10 new Variable Message Signs (VMS) locations on the approach roads to the Kingsway and Queensway Tunnels.

The VMS contract includes the supply and installation of new signs which will provide safety measures by advising motorists of additional information in relation to incidents, delays and diversions. As part of the ECI works, Dalkia will be responsible for developing the designs from the feasibility study and associated comments provided through to the full detailed design, in addition to detailed surveys of the sites to facilitate a selection of sign locations in consultation with Merseytravel. Following completion, a second contract will lead to the main supply and installation works.

Throughout the VMS contract, Dalkia will regularly engage with Merseytravel to determine general operational requirements, which will include the full design and installation of the 10 VMS and associated works. The scope also includes stipulations for the full design and installation of an over-height vehicle detection and warning system for the Liverpool approach to the Queensway Tunnel. Dalkia will also be responsible for the specification, design and installation of all related supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) works, except the final configuration within SCADA that will be undertaken by third parties.

Dalkia, dalkia.co.uk

Social Security Scotland, an executive agency of the Scottish Government, has recently taken over the whole of a high-profile Glasgow office building as a base for 750 new staff. Zumtobel and its sister brand Thorn have worked with Social Security Scotland, Mpact and Mitie on the lighting retrofit project, which will help the organisation save on its energy costs, provide comfortable lighting for its staff, and reduce its carbon footprint – meeting its ESG requirements.

The agency recently moved into a high-profile office building in Glasgow city centre. With sustainability and ESG requirements to meet, Social Security Scotland decided to upgrade the fluorescent lighting at its new base. The objectives included reducing energy consumption, reducing carbon emissions, providing a comfortable working environment for staff, improving neurodiversity with LED lighting, and maintaining the architectural integrity of the building.

To validate the potential savings from switching to LED, the Zumtobel team conducted an energy audit and lighting design for all the new fittings. Preliminary calculations estimated that energy consumption would drop from over 450,000KWH to 175,000KWH – the results were convincing.

The scheme comprised Zumtobel MIREL recessed luminaires and PANOS downlights for the offices and ONDARIA and SLOTLIGHT in the breakout areas. RESCLITE and PURESIGN fulfil the emergency lighting requirements.

Thorn Aquaforce waterproof luminaires are used in the basement and

The site team working on Hinkley Point C (HPC) has recently taken a big step forward, with the first permanent earthing cable arriving on site and being installed. These cables are the start of a vast network of cabling which will form the earthing for the entire power station. HPC, being French designed, has a very different earthing process, however, that doesn’t stop the fact that there is still in the region of 200km of similar cabling to be installed within the plant’s two units.

This supports one of the project’s major milestones on the mission to commission – the energisation of the auxiliary transformer from the 400kV National Grid, which will mark the first step to bringing a permanent power supply onto the site. The connection to the National Grid will allow NG Bailey to energise its distribution boards, enabling electrical infrastructure across the site to be commissioned.

NG Bailey is also progressing with the installation of the next high voltage switchboards, which form part of the electrical distribution network required to achieve the milestones as part of HPC’s overarching mission to commission targets.

NG Bailey, ngbailey.com car park, Katona wall luminaires in the stairwells, and Chalice and IQ Wave in the offices complete the design.

The upgrade from fluorescent lighting to the all-new LED scheme has reduced energy consumption by 61%. Over 60% savings in carbon emissions are also impressive, with the new lighting emitting

54 tons less than the original installation. Furthermore, having fully functional lighting controls increased the efficiency of the scheme, and the emergency lighting has also been completely updated in line with the latest regulations.

Zumtobel, z.lighting

TClarke has won the building services programme, working with Principal Contractor IHP to deliver the Integrated Front Door Project for The Great Western Hospital at Swindon within its Way Forward Programme. The programme has identified that the existing Great Western Hospital (GWH) is currently operating with a 110-bed capacity deficit, resulting in the frequent occurrence of ‘corridor care’. The Integrated Front Door (IFD) project will consist of a refurbishment of a large proportion of the GWH West Wing Ground Floor combined with the construction of a ‘new build’ extension.

TClarke’s package includes electrical works, LV distribution, photovoltaics, UPS/IPS for medical systems, bedhead systems, lighting, small power fire alarm, access control, CCTV, nurse call system, data, earthing and bonding, lightning protection, and the full HVAC system. TClarke, tclarke.co.uk

Domestic electricians who need to formally recognise their skills and experience will now have a dedicated Experienced Worker Assessment (EWA) route available to them.

The domestic electrician EWA is based on the same content as the domestic electrician apprenticeship standard, so both new entrants and existing workers are assessed and accredited to the same industry standard.

To be eligible for the assessment, candidates need to be currently working as a domestic electrician with over three years’ experience. They must also hold at least a Level 2 electrical technical qualification listed in the EWA ‘skills scan’, a document that has to be completed during the application process, for training providers to verify if the candidate has the relevant skills and knowledge to successfully complete the process.

Once enrolled, learners will have to achieve the Domestic Electrician Experienced Worker Qualification, which comprises of five practical performance units, plus the BS 7671:2018 and full inspection and testing qualification. A key benefit of the EWA is that existing qualifications can count towards the assessment and do not need to be repeated.

After the qualification is gained, learners must undertake the AM2ED assessment, which mirrors the AM2D end point assessment taken by domestic electrician apprentices at the end of their training.

The assessment follows the footsteps of the EWA for installation and maintenance electricians that was launched in 2020. Both were developed by an industry group comprising The Electrotechnical Skills Partnership (TESP), Certsure, ECA, ECS, NAPIT, City & Guilds, EAL, the IET and Unite.

It will be recognised in the Electrotechnical Assessment Specification as equivalent to the domestic electrician apprenticeship. Achievement of the qualification, along with the AM2ED assessment, meets the qualification criteria for an ECS Domestic Electrician gold card application.

The EWA is available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland from accredited EAL training centres and from City & Guilds centres later in the year.

The Electrotechnical Skills Partnership (TESP), the-esp.org.uk

Screwfix has announced that it has been included in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers for 2023. The annual accolade is compiled by the Department for Education and celebrates England’s outstanding apprenticeship employers. The retailer has been ranked in 69th place after applying for the first time. It has been recognised for its commitment to creating new opportunities, the diversity of apprentices, and the number of apprentices who successfully achieve their apprenticeships.

Over 500 colleagues across the business have already completed an apprenticeship programme, ranging across areas such as retail management, customer service, HR management, finance and data. Apprenticeships are offered at all levels from Level 2 apprenticeships to Level 7 postgraduate level apprenticeships.

Screwfix, screwfix.com

Carrier has announced a new range of 10 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training courses for 2023.

The CPD programme is for consultants, installers and end-users wanting to update their knowledge on key technical and legislative topics.

The new courses are certified by the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), and those attending gain credits towards their annual personal CPD learning programmes. They are offered free of charge and presented by experienced practitioners at customers’ offices or hosted at Carrier’s various office locations across the UK.

The CPD themes include:

• F-gas Refrigerants and Eco Design

• Efficiency and Legislation

• Heat Pump Technology

• Ventilation System Design via AHU’s and RTU’s

• Indoor Air Quality (IAQ): how to achieve a healthy building

The new range of courses will provide attendees from young to experienced engineers with the knowledge and skills regarding HVAC systems that will enable them to design solutions to achieve environmentally sustainable buildings.

Carrier, carrier.com

JTL has named Malvern-based apprentice Amy Lister as the winner of JTL’s National Apprentice of the Year Award for 2023.

After being crowned a Regional Electrical Award winner for her academic and practical progress earlier this year, Amy went on to compete against 11 other regional award winners at JTL’s annual awards ceremony. As part of the selection process, it was agreed by its senior team that she should be named the overall winner in recognition of her excellent work as an apprentice at Goodridge Electrical.

As the recipient of the award, Amy was presented with a trophy and £1,000 cheque. The purpose of the awards is to recognise its highest achieving apprentices in the building services engineering sector and to celebrate their success. Candidates are nominated based on their outstanding performance throughout the four years of their training.

The award scheme sees each finalist assessed against four key elements which make up the apprenticeship framework – their practical work onsite, theoretical knowledge, key skills and industrial test scores.

JTL, jtltraining.com

WE ARE THE GLOBAL MEMBERSHIP ASSOCIATION THAT SERVES THE HOME TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY

We position the smart home industry as essential to homeowners, allied trades, and governments.

We connect the professionals who connect our homes around the world.

We develop content to share knowledge and raise the bar on industry best practice.