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TRAINING
I N S TA L L AT I O N N E W S
New lamps for old
A luxury Victorian hotel situated in Newquay, Cornwall is moving with the times
Apprentices
by relamping all of the lighting fixtures with Megaman’s energy saving lamps.
By introducing Megaman’s candle lamps into the existing traditional light
fittings, the hotel has managed to maintain its Victorian charm whilst saving
safeguard
energy and running costs.
The four-star, family run Headland Hotel is situated on the edge of Newquay,
overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and Fistral Beach - a well known spot for
surfers. The hotel was built in 1897 by a famous local architect, Sylvanus
skills and
Travail, who was also the mayor of Truro. The Grade II listed building was one
of the first grand hotels in the UK to have electric light, which was supplied by
a DC generator situated in a pit 100 yards from the hotel and only converted to
AC in 1923. Steeped in history, the first floor rooms were regularly occupied by
business
the Royal family in the years before World War 1. During World War 2 the hotel
was used as an RAF hospital. Its stunning location, looking out over the rugged
Cornish coastline has also made the hotel an ideal setting for films, one being
The Witches in 1987.
With hotels costs running high, John Armstrong, owner at The Headland for
the last 30 years, was aware that his electricity bills could be drastically
By Keith Marshall,
reduced and called upon the expertise of local wholesaler Electrical Services,
Newquay, for advice. Following a survey of all lighting within the building, it
Chief Executive of SummitSkills
was agreed that a simple change of lamps would be the best option, thus
providing no disruption to the day-to-day running of the hotel.
Megaman’s Candle lamps and R80 reflectors have been utilised in the main
public areas of the hotel. The Candle lamps are incorporated in a silicone sleeve
A
report by SummitSkills, the Sector Skills Council
so in the unlikely event of shattering, the glass remains contained. The R80
for building services engineering, estimates that
reflectors are ideal for highlighting/spotlighting features, producing less heat and UV than conventional halogen lamps. Both the R80 and
up to 10% of work
Candle lamps contain Megaman’s unique Ingenium technology and can provide over 15,000 hours of running time plus a flicker free
in social housing
instant start. The last part of the project, changing over of all bedroom lighting has now been undertaken.
and 55% of work in
Following the installations, John Armstrong commented: “The new lamps fit in perfectly with our décor and we are looking at
approximately 80% reduction in our electricity costs”.
private housing may be
postponed or cancelled as a
result of the recession. In
Impact of the recession on the
building services engineering
A fresh approach to learning
sector, SummitSkills suggests A new school designed to enhance learning and performance is bringing a
that between 67,000 and
fresh approach to education in Derby with help from Passivent.
154,000 jobs are at risk in the
The £8million Village Primary School in Normanton replaces three others
contracting industry.
in the area and brings educational unity through a single environment for
SummitSkills’ Sector Skills Agreement (SSA) and update
up to 600 children aged from 4-11, with an additional 75 part-time nursery
reports identify skills requirements through the recession
children in one, environmentally-friendly building. In line with Derby City
and up to 2013. The SSA identifies the need for those in the
Council’s policy of optimising sustainability, the new establishment
incorporates innovative design features such as a biomass boiler, rainwater
sector to train to achieve appropriate competence levels and
recycling and Passivent natural ventilation.
enable productivity and growth to continue.
Passivent has supplied 95 Aircool window ventilator units, seven roof-
The SSA findings are strengthened by a Chartered
mounted Airscoop units and three Airstract terminals, all linked to a
Institute of Building survey that revealed of the 1,182 temperature and CO2 control panel, to maintain effective ventilation
members polled, 77% felt there was already a skills shortage throughout the school building.
and 78% felt that a loss of skills would hinder the industry’s
The high level Aircool units, which form part of the window, draw fresh
recovery when the economy improves. Many large and
air into the classrooms. Low pressure acoustic transfer grilles at the back of each room ensure the fresh air circulates across the teaching
publicly funded projects are demanding workers hold proof
spaces, out into the corridor beyond, with the now used, warm air being extracted out of the building by additional Aircool units above
of qualifications in the form of a SKILLcard or registration
the corridor. The same principles are applied in the reception and nursery areas, with extraction being achieved using the Airstract
with approved competent person schemes, which can only
terminals on the roof (in essence, chimney stacks).
be achieved with the right experience or qualifications.
In the larger reception area, library/ICT suite, dance studio and dining hall, Passivent’s award-winning roof-mounted Airscoop units
simultaneously draws fresh air into the space below and extract the used air.
In an increasingly competitive environment, companies
Ventilation flow is controlled via a central panel, which monitors air temperature and CO2 levels within each zone and opens or closes
must invest in staff training and development to ensure their
the ventilation louvres in the Aircool, Airstract and Airscoop units to adjust airflow as required, to maintain airflow rates as designated by
workforce has the necessary skills to compete, now and in
the DCSF to achieve a comfortable ambient temperature within. The only elements of the entire system to use any electricity are the control
the future. The skills that will be needed when the UK panel, and the louvres, the latter drawing energy only when opening or closing.
recovers from the recession are likely to be in environmental
and renewable energy technologies, which need to be
learned now in anticipation of the economic upturn.
To provide evidence of the benefits of apprenticeship Rainwater harvesting for DEFRA
schemes to employers in the sector, SummitSkills has
Lion House is an ultra low-emissions office building, designed and built for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra),
recently published a report - Apprenticeship cost-benefit
in Alnwick, Northumberland.
analysis. This reveals potential savings on larger projects of
From the outset, the aim was to construct a building with the highest possible BREEAM rating. That included incorporating low energy
between 10 and 16% on the overall labour costs when using
technologies, responsibly sourced materials and reduced carbon emissions.
apprentices, with minimal changes to the overall skills of the There was also the aim of minimising mains water consumption through low-water use fittings and rainwater harvesting systems and
team.
the project's M&E contractors Haden Young approached Kingspan Water, to design a suitable solution for the building.
The report also demonstrates cost savings on smaller
The agreed system comprises of a pre-tank filtration system, a 12,000 litre underground storage tank, an electronic control system and
domestic scale projects. In addition to the actual labour cost
pump. The pump in the main holding tank delivers the water to a
saving it also calculated the displacement saving, where
high level header tank in the building from where the water will
using an apprentice with the appropriate skills freed up the
gravity-flow to the serviced appliances.
craftsman’s time to make the contract progress quicker. It is,
The team calculated that the annual water consumption at Lion
House will be around 469m³. Given the roof area of the new building,
however, essential that health and safety issues are taken
and the annual rainfall statistics for the region, it is estimated that the
into consideration and the apprentice is properly supervised
annual water harvest will be around 563m³.
throughout.
In theory, therefore, all of the annual toilet flushing water is
In challenging economic times it is critical to grow and
expected to come from the rainwater harvesting system.
develop talent, to aid faster recovery and ensure the effects Gerry Quinn, product manager for Kingspan Water says: "Reusing
of this recession are not felt as heavily in future years.
rainwater presents savings not just for the environment, but also in
Apprentices provide an important part of this solution with
terms of reduced water rates. At todays water cost, we expect to
opportunities to develop and grow skills, along with a sound
see Lion House saving in the region of £800 per annum, so we would
financial argument.
anticipate payback on capital investment in around four to five
years."
14 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER JULY 2009
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