NEWS & APPOINTMENTS
Data centre boom fuelling building services growth
Building services contractors are increasingly taking the lead on data centre projects, according to the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA). Findings from a new
report into the largest firms in the sector were backed up by an industry roundtable hosted by the Association, which confirmed that more clients were turning directly to building engineering firms to help them deliver these high value projects.
BESA said that UK data
centre development had increased dramatically in the past five years, and that the exponential expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) would further boost the market from its current £2.3 billion to £1.1trillion by 2030.
The construction market research firm Barbour ABI also confirmed that data centres
represented “the boom segment of 2024” with the value of planning applications almost doubling from the previous year to £2.6bn. Along with other high-tech sectors, like pharmaceuticals, life sciences, and defence industries, data centres have been able to continue their growth despite wider macroeconomic uncertainty, according to the latest edition of the Association’s annual Top 30 Contractors’ report.
In many such facilities, the building services represent upwards of 60% of the value of the overall project and, therefore, the mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) provider often takes the role of lead contractor, the report added. “The pace of growth provides significant opportunities for companies to scale up and diversify,” BESA’s technical director Kevin Morrissey told the roundtable in Manchester. “However, the pace of growth is putting pressure on supply chains and our members are facing significant resource constraints in these high demand sectors.” He added that industry also needed to be mindful of the impact of such rapid development on the environment and natural resources (particularly energy and water consumption), so sustainability was a crucial consideration for every project. One major consideration was how to make better use of waste heat from data centres in neat networks and heat pumps.
New solar policy must go further to support businesses, says solar expert
Following the government’s proposal of rooftop solar being mandated for new homes, a renewable energy and solar expert is warning that policy must go further to address energy for commercial buildings.
Damian Baker, founder and managing director of RenEnergy, said: “While it is good to see solar being mandated for new
homes to support homeowners with lowering bills, the government is not solving the issue of energy costs for commercial buildings and the high energy industries that use them. “Commercial premises use significantly more energy than homes, and rising energy costs for businesses continue to pose a challenge as the economic landscape remains uncertain. Solar production can provide a significant opportunity for businesses to take back control of their energy, particularly when it comes to installing solar car ports in car parks.
“Car parks for buildings such as supermarkets and retail parks, offices, hotels, golf clubs, train stations, and airports can introduce significant savings on energy costs and surplus energy can be sold back to the grid, significantly reduce their operating costs, improve margins and potentially pass on energy savings to consumers in the form of lower prices. “In turn, car ports on commercial premises can provide much-needed large-scale EV
charging infrastructure that can boost the uptake of electric vehicles, particularly for homes with no driveway.
“Most importantly, car ports offer the potential for the UK to significantly improve its
energy security and reduce reliance on the already over-stretched electricity grid, with solar carports able to gain planning approval within eight weeks under permitted development with prior approval. “We believe the potential is enormous with RenEnergy’s own ongoing research already identifying over 629,000 suitable parking spaces and counting that could provide over 1,456 GWh of solar energy per year. The government has called for evidence on their viability, but it is already clear that there is opportunity to produce significant solar energy to benefit British businesses, and in turn the public. Now is the time to build on this residential mandate and get serious about solar production for commercial premises to improve energy security and lower costs for all.”
Appointments
BESA appoints new director of competence and compliance
The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has appointed a new director of competence and compliance.
Jill Nicholls is stepping up from her current role as head of service development to replace Helen Yeulet who is moving on to a new position as strategic consultant to the Association focusing on key industry-wide projects and government skills policy. In her previous role, Nicholls was responsible for driving up standards in skills and training across the BESA membership.
“Jill’s commitment and dedication to raising the bar for skills, training, and competence standards has already made a major impact. It is exactly what we need to take our crucial work around professional and technical competence and compliance to the next stage,” said BESA chief executive officer David Frise. “She will be building on impressive foundations laid by Helen who will now focus her considerable expertise on several strategic projects that are vital to the industry’s future,” he added.
Nicholls joined BESA last year after seven years at the Institute for Apprenticeships and
Technical Education where she rose to become head of construction and transport. She was previously employed by the Education Development Trust. “I am excited to be taking on this important role at such a pivotal time for the building engineering sector,” she said. “Competence and compliance are central to everything our members face – not least increasing scrutiny around building safety, the push to decarbonise buildings, and the wider adoption of digital technologies which require a new type of skilled worker.
Conex Bänninger strengthens Irish presence with key sales appointment
Conex Bänninger has reinforced its commitment to expanding its footprint in Ireland with the appointment of Paul Fagan as regional technical sales manager. Paul brings extensive experience in business development, having worked across multiple sectors including steel, plumbing and heating. In his previous role, he successfully led a sales team covering both Ireland and the UK, driving growth and opening new sales channels for a diverse range of products.
Commenting on his appointment, Paul said: “I’m excited to be joining Conex Bänninger at such a dynamic time for both the company and the Irish market. Conex Bänninger is a trusted and highly respected brand with a 115-year track record of delivering high-quality, innovative solutions.
“The construction market in Ireland is currently very active, with strong demand driven by high-density developments, urban regeneration and a growing focus on sustainable housing. This creates real opportunities for us to increase market share across multiple sectors. “The supply model here differs from the UK, with products manufactured at our facilities in Spain and Poland and distributed through Hevac. This gives us strong logistical support and flexibility to meet local market needs quickly and efficiently. “In particular, I see significant growth potential for our >B< MaxiPro and K65 solutions in the ACR sector, especially as new EU regulations are due to come into force mandating the use of CO2
refrigerant in commercial refrigeration systems.
“Our products are ideally positioned to help contractors and end users meet these emerging requirements.”
Aermec appoints business development manager
As part of chiller manufacturer Aermec UK’s expansion plans, it has announced the appointment of John Pittendrigh as business development manager for data centres & district energy. The data centre industry is facing many challenges, power distribution, cloud strategies, environmental sustainability, the evolution of AI and its impact on hardware and cooling. It is going through immense change and Aermec is at the forefront of providing solutions that add value whilst minimising environmental impact. Mr Pittendrigh says: “This is an exciting time to be joining Aermec. As a result of the company’s continued investment in innovation particularly in addressing the needs of the datacentre community, Aermec offers a diverse product range that I believe to be market-leading and creates huge potential for growth,” John has over 35 years’ experience working in the HVAC industry, holding a variety of
roles and has a track record of communicating new product propositions and solutions to existing and prospective customers. In his new role, John will be identifying new business opportunities, fostering strong
relationships with clients, and assisting them with all aspects of their projects, delivering high quality energy efficient and cost-effective solutions.
4 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER JULY 2025 Read the latest at:
www.bsee.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38
