NEWS & APPOINTMENTS
Heat Pump Association expands its membership to installers
The Heat Pump Association (HPA) has opened its membership to installers to offer them a voice in shaping the future of the industry. As an exclusive offer for those registering their interest at the Installer Show, membership of the new Installer category was offered free of charge for 2022, and at a 50% discount for 2023. Welcoming the launch, Phil Hurley, chair of the HPA said: “By the end of the decade, 1m heat pump installations per year and a £5bn market could be a very real prospect – but only if we carry and support the installer. The HPA wants to give them a voice and real influence.”
Transforming Britain’s heating – a pathway to heat pumps
The Heat Pump Association (HPA) has published a call for a strong partnership between industry and government to transform Britain’s domestic heating market towards heat pumps as sales of new fossil fuel boilers is phased out by the mid 2030s. Its new document: “Transforming Britain’s Heating – A Pathway to Heat Pumps” sets out several ideas for how it sees the respective roles of industry and Government working together to drive the change. Phil Hurley, the HPA chair, said: “Central heating will personalise a significant part of the journey to Net Zero for millions of consumers. The next decade will see the biggest shake-up of the heating sector in living memory as the country’s homes become increasingly heated by heat pumps. “Today’s 130,000 heating installers and a new generation of apprentices will be front and
centre of this transition. Our Pathway document sets out some of the ideas for how the Industry / Government partnership can work to support them in becoming part of the Government’s 2030 target for 480 000 high-skilled jobs to power the Green Industrial Revolution.”
Clean Air Day highlights health case for better ventilation
The important role played by mechanical ventilation systems in protecting human health was a central theme of this year’s National Clean Air Day on June 16. Research released by the event’s organiser Global Action Plan established for the first time that air pollution affects every major organ in the human body, but that most people think it is only harmful to their lungs. An air monitoring exercise carried out by the national news website Mail Online in collaboration with ventilation company Nuaire also revealed potentially harmful indoor pollution in hospitality, transport, and office buildings around London. Some of the results were described as ‘scary’ – with particularly high readings for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulate matter (PM).
Threat Nuaire board director Stuart Smith said the sites visited by the Mail Online almost certainly had ventilation systems, but they were not doing their job effectively. “Some of the results are staggering with huge spikes in VOC and CO2 readings in popular hospitality venues at relatively quiet times of the day.” More long-term monitoring of IAQ using
A webinar hosted by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) also analysed the indoor air quality (IAQ) of multiple sites around the country with experts calling for much wider use of existing techniques for controlling and diluting pollution inside buildings.
“49% of people think air pollution is connected to worsening asthma symptoms…and 44% also rightly connect it to poor lung function development, 42% to bronchitis, and 35% to lung cancer,” a Clean Air Day statement said. “However, only 12% associate it with strokes, 10% with dementia, and 18% poor brain development.”
increasingly sophisticated devices can help building operators improve their understanding of the problem, according to Mazen Jamal from Airthings for Business. “You need more than just a snapshot of what is going on to fully understand the underlying issue as the levels and types of pollutants change continually,” he said. “That is why we are starting to see greater take-up of monitoring on a subscription basis, so users pay for long-term measuring that can inform their maintenance strategies.” The BESA panellists agreed that upgrading ventilation should be tackled as part of the government’s push for Net Zero, which will require most buildings to be refurbished and/or retrofitted with more effective building services technologies. One example would be wider use of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) systems, which “kill two birds with one stone”, according to Smith, because they provide air filtration while reducing the amount of energy needed to heat the building.
Consequences
Many ventilation systems now include automated controls that help to manage the air quality and Hern Yau of Mitsubishi Electric said this would play an increasingly key role. However, he added that it was also important for end users to be able to see IAQ data, so they recognise that their own action (or inaction) had consequences.
4 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER JULY 2022 Appointments
Wolseley UK announces acquisition and new managing director
Wolseley UK has received clearance for its acquisition of Heat Merchants and Hevac Ltd, which had been subject to clearance from the Irish Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. The company has also announced the appointment of Mark Lohan to the role of managing director, Ireland starting on 15 July. Mark brings extensive experience in the Irish market, specifically around supply chain management, finance, and operational strategy, to the role. He was previously the Managing Director of Brooks, one of the longest established of Ireland’s timber and building supplies businesses. Mark said of the appointment: “I am extremely excited to be joining Wolseley to lead the Heat Merchants, Tubs & Tiles and Hevac businesses. There are lots of opportunities in the Irish market at the moment and, as part of Wolseley, we will be in a very strong position to continue the growth, and build on the momentum and financial security that the teams in the businesses have already generated over recent years.” Simon Oakland, CEO Wolseley UK, commented: “I am delighted that Mark will be joining the team. His extensive experience in the Irish market will be invaluable as Wolseley continues to drive its growth strategy and extend the business into Ireland.”
Albion Valves appoints dedicated sales manager for Ireland
Albion Valves has appointed George McGuire as its new dedicated sales manager for Northern and Southern Ireland. George has a wealth of experience and knowledge in the industrial heating and valve market, having worked with distributors and contractors within the industry for almost 15 years! Living in Ireland for many years, George has a good knowledge and understanding of the area and the opportunities within it. Previously, Albion haven’t had an Sales Manager for Southern Ireland so the distributors in this area should see a significant shift in the support they receive on the ground, whilst continuing to receive excellent service from the Albion Sales Office. He said: “I feel I have a lot to offer Albion’s network of independent distributors. I have been in the industry a long time and have great understanding of the products and the systems in which they are used. I am looking forward to touching base with the contractors in the area and working closely with all of Albion’s customers.”
ELCO reinforces sales team
ELCO Heating Solutions has appointed Lee Atkinson as area sales manager for London and the central regions, with the company looking to strengthen key relationships with consultants and specifiers. Lee will be responsible for helping ELCO grow its market share in a competitive area, driving specifications of the company’s latest range of commercial heat pumps, low emission boilers, network heating and hot water products. Lee arrives at ELCO with over 20 years’ experience in the commercial heating and hot water industry. After starting out as an apprentice, Lee further developed his career as an engineer for leading HVAC manufacturers, before transferring his skills to a sales role six years ago. Commenting on his new position, Lee said:
“There are a huge amount of changes afoot in the commercial heating industry and ELCO is certainly ready for the shift to sustainable heating systems thanks, in part, to a great range of products. There are plenty of opportunities with our heat pumps, so I’m looking forward to re- establishing contact with consultants in the area and discussing their requirements. As an engineer, I truly understand commercial heating and hot water systems and potential issues encountered during the design and specification stages. So my aim is to make consultants’ lives easier, help negate any potential issues and provide a reliable and efficient service – that way it’s a win-win for all concerned.”
Read the latest at:
www.bsee.co.uk
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