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management and automation, and the Rural Electrification Authority of Kenya have electrified 128 rural schools throughout Kenya in 2015.


The project means that more than 45,000 primary school pupils now have access to energy for their educational needs. According to Schneider, lack of electricity in Africa remains one of the biggest barriers to the region’s development and


prosperity, and continues to trap millions of people in extreme poverty.


With a third of all primary schools lacking any access to electricity, that means that 90 million students are left being educated from places that have no power. In Kenya, where 77% of the 44 million inhabitants have


Schneider Electric brings access to energy for Kenyan primary schools S


provides power for light, but also for computers. “Now, each school benefiting from this solution can connect 30 computers, 34 lamps, one printer and 15 plugs.”


Schneider Electric Kenya designed a high featured off-grid PV solution


no access to electricity, the Government entrusted the Rural Electrification Authority with the responsibility of ensuring that all public primary schools in the country are connected to electricity supply in readiness for the implementation of a global laptop programme. In 2015, Schneider Electric was selected as technical partner to electrify 128 schools throughout the year. Fola Esan, President at


Industry skills shortage flagged up at CIPHE President’s Dinner


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erry Stephenson, National President of the Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE), welcomed some 50 guests to his special dinner, which took place on the HQS Wellington last month (March). The guest speaker was Nick Mead, President of CIBSE.


The dinner was attended by prominent figures from organisations serving the plumbing and heating industry, including the Master of the Worshipful Company of Plumbers, Erica Stary.


Nick Mead spoke about the enormous skills shortage in the industry; education and training was the way forward. He said there is still a long way to go, but it is good to see CIPHE looking at the MSc course in Water Engineering, along with the Trailblazer initiative and career pathways. Terry Stephenson talked about advances in technology, materials and working practices. However, he said we should not lose sight of the fact that recent figures show some 11 million people are deemed vulnerable in relation to clean water and good sanitation.


“As an educational charity we continue to work for the public benefit and this year we are supporting the vulnerable in partnership with other organisations who are contributing to worthwhile and worldwide projects.” He went on to talk about the CIPHE’s commitment to education and mentioned that many of the Institute’s members, particularly in Hong Kong, aspire to achieving Chartered Engineer status.


“We are indebted to those that support the work we do in promoting professional career progression to all our membership and all those who are proud to be a professional.”


Schneider Electric Kenya, said: “The challenge was to imagine a solution customised to primary school needs in Kenya in less than a few months. Thanks to our internal engineering capabilities, our wide network of local


entrepreneurs in Kenya, and our strong collaboration with the REA, we’ve developed an off-grid solar power back-up easy-to-install and maintain solution that


comprising 2PV inverters with solar charge controller. The first PV inverter is dedicated to supply energy for lighting application and the second PV inverter is for computer. These 2 PV inverters are supported by Deep Cycle Solar GEL batteries and Solar PV modules. Schneider Electric trains local entrepreneurs to install the solution and someone from each school to maintain the system and to regulate its usage.


The solution for this project can be replicated and customised for any similar electrification project in Africa.


Lifetime Achievement Award for Calpeda’s UK operations MD


Industry Awards. K


Reading the citation, BPMA President, Peter Reynolds said: “Having served as a marine engineer, Ken moved into the pump industry in the early 1980s, initially as a contracts engineer in the mining and oil pump sector, later moving into a technical sales role.


“He has served with Calpeda since 1986 where he has held positions including Sales Manager, Sales Director and since 1995, Managing Director. In addition to heading up the company`s UK and Ireland operations, he also assists their head office in Italy, providing technical and commercial sales support, and he looks after their legislative, energy and environmental policy.”


Mr Hall has been a member of the BPMA council for over 20 years, and held the position of BPMA President on two occasions. He remains a Director and Council member and is the UK representative on the Council of the European Pump Manufacturers Federation (Europump) having been their President in 2007 and 2008.


Mr Hall was the architect and driving force behind Europump’s acclaimed energy policy ‘ECOPUMP’, and has promoted the pump industry's European and UK energy policy at events and conferences across the world including; the USA, South Africa, India, and China. He is also been appointed to the role of Energy Councillor, a special advisor to Europump Council on energy and environmental policy.


MP’s ‘Delivering for Britain’ praise for cable company Marshall‐Tufflex


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P Huw Merriman has praised leading cable


management


manufacturer Marshall- Tufflex for ‘delivering for Britain’ during a fact- finding tour of the company’s production facilities in East Sussex. Mr Merriman, who


represents Bexhill and Battle, dropped into Hastings-based Marshall-Tufflex for a factory tour and question/answer session with the company’s Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) and members of staff from his own constituency. During this meeting he said: “Marshall-Tufflex is very important to the local area –


you’re providing jobs for people, you’re providing products and you’re delivering for Britain. To see your products being made as I have during the factory tour today is fantastic.” Other topics discussed included the local transport infrastructure, affordable housing, job creation, parking and the European referendum.


“If we had connectivity of the A21 as dual carriageway and a high speed rail link from Bexhill and Hastings into London it would be of huge benefit to local business,” said Mr Merriman, who also reiterated his stance on the Brexit vote: “Politicians


en Hall was presented with a lifetime achievement award for his services to the UK and European pump sector at the 2016 UK Pump


shouldn’t tell you which way to vote. My role as an MP in a referendum is to bring the information to the public and bring the opportunities for debate.”


uBexhill and Battle MP Huw Merriman (third right) with Marshall‐Tufflex’s Dennis Delaine, John Aherne, Josh Hayler, Paul Hetherington and Jeremy Dodge.


apprenticeships are the most valued across all sectors, but industry professionals admit that a lack of government support is a key issue – a new survey reveals.


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uCIPHE President Terry Stephenson said that the Institute is committed to education.


The research, published by job site, CV-Library, showed that engineering


professionals are demanding improved awareness and support for apprentice schemes in the sector. The survey, carried out amongst more than 2,000 UK employees, sought to


8 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER APRIL 2016


Apprenticeships are ‘most valued’ in the engineering sector ngineering


uncover attitudes toward apprentices in the workplace. The findings revealed: uOver half (53.6%) of engineering professionals have completed an apprenticeship, compared to just 21.8% nationwide, making the sector the most popular among apprentices; uAlmost all (92.3%) believe the training helped establish their career, and a further 73.1% still work in the industry; uSome 93.8% believe apprentices are the key to filling the sector’s skills gap;


uYet, 93.8% of sector workers don’t think the government is doing enough to fund or support apprenticeships


Just 1.9% of those who completed an


apprenticeship advised that government information made them aware of sector schemes.


Lee Biggins, founder and Managing Director of CV- Library, comments: “Apprenticeships are extremely valuable for engineering workers and employers – the skills acquired during these


schemes can shape a career and also help tackle the industry’s skills shortage. “However, it seems that this opportunity is being under-utilised within the sector – while government funding is on its way via the apprenticeship levy, it’s clear that there is a broader issue at play. The data shows that not enough is being done by the government to raise awareness for


apprenticeships and more support is needed for both engineering businesses and apprentices themselves.”


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