Latest innovations and products in the sustainability sections of the construction industry.

Nanjing Green Towers, promoted by Nanjing Yang Zi State-owned National Investment Group Co.ltd, will be the first Vertical Forest built in Asia.

Located in the Nanjing Pukou District (an area destined to lead the modernization of southern Jiangsu and the development of the Yangtze River economic area), the two towers are characterized by the interchange of green tanks and balconies, following the prototype of Milan’s Vertical Forest.

Along the facades, 600 tall trees, 500 medium-sized trees (for a total amount of 1,100 trees from 23 local species) and 2,500 cascading plants and shrubs will cover a 6,000 Sqm area. A real vertical forest, contributing to regenerate local biodiversity, that will provide a 25 tons of CO2 absorption each year and will produce about 60 kg of Oxygen per day.

The taller tower, 200 metres high, crowned on the top by a green lantern, will host offices – from the 8th floor to the 35th – and it will include a museum, a green architecture school and a private club on the rooftop. The second tower, 108 metres high, will provide a Hyatt hotel with 247 room of different sizes (from 35 sqm to 150 sqm) and a swimming pool on the rooftop. The 20 metres high podium, will  host commercial, recreational and educative functions, including multi-brands shops,a food market, restaurants, conference hall and exhibition spaces.

Nanjiing Vertical Forest project, which is scheduled to be finished in 2018, is the third prototype, after Milan and Lausanne, of a project about urban forestation and demineralisation that Stefano Boeri Architects will develop all over the world and in particular in other Chinese cities such as Shijiazhuang, Liuzhou, Guizhou, Shanghai and Chongqing.

Evinox will be exhibiting in the District Energy Town Square at Ecobuild 2017, taking place from the 7th to the 9th March at Excel London. This year the exhibition will be themed as an immersive city – complete with main street, distinct destinations and special feature attractions. Ecobuild is the UK’s largest event for specifiers across the built environment, from architects and developers to local government and major infrastructure clients.

Visit us at stand F231 to find out more about our latest ModuSat HIU for communal and district heating schemes, which takes just 15 seconds to reach 55°C from the tap opening, providing an impressive dynamic response. You can also pick up a copy of our new “Guide to Metering & Billing” a useful document for anyone involved in a communal or district heating scheme.

We look forward to welcoming you at the event. You can register now to attend the exhibition for free by visiting the Ecobuild website.

Evinox Energy combine smart HIU technology with excellent after-sales end-user support and flexible metering and billing services, ensuring the building owner has a hassle-free, efficient development and residents enjoy a comfortable and relaxed place to live.

For more information on Evinox please visit www.evinoxenergy.co.uk.

Built on the site of the Poor Clares Convent, is a new development of 16 luxury homes. In the sought-after village of Baddesley Clinton in Warwickshire, landscape plans are now becoming a reality. The convent itself has been converted and six new dwellings built on the site which closed as an active convent in 2011 after 160 years.

Vortice has installed the energy efficient Vort Leto into the apartments. The Vort Leto MEV is a continuously running ventilation unit which continually extracts from the wet rooms. The fan runs on a constant trickle and then boosts up via switches located in the wet rooms. Vortice Specification Manager, Ken Johnson said “I worked closely with SANDS Plumbing and Heating Services London to ensure that the ventilation specified was suited to the type of building. Due to having only one break out of the building façade, the Vort Leto was an ideal choice in order to maintain the finish of the fabric of the building. It was important to both SANDS Plumbing and Heating Services and to Vortice to maintain the historic aspects of the building.”

For further information on the Vort Leto MEV visit www.vortice.ltd.uk or email technical@vortice.ltd.uk.

Names from left to right: Pat Beardmore, Operations Director at MEDITE, Pat Breen, Engineering Manager at MEDITE, James Ryan, Maintenance Supervisor at MEDITE

MEDITE SMARTPLY has been highly commended at the Sustainable Energy Awards 2016 in the large energy category.

The event, which took place on the 3rd November 2016, brings together leading innovators and companies that demonstrate a proven track record of going beyond best practice in integrated energy management.

This award, in part, is a result of the MEDITE SMARTPLY Operation Excellence programme that began in 2014.

The programme initiatives consisted of product and process flow optimisation, variable speed drive monitoring, controls, lighting, ISO 50001 certification, electric transport, and a steam turbine generating onsite electricity driven by their own biomass steam boiler.

The company has also undertaken employee awareness initiatives including displaying energy targets in real time at operator stations, children’s Energy Calendar competition and an Energy Fun Day.

The company has systematically and effectively focused resources on opportunities for energy reduction saving the company in excess of €250,000/per annum in energy costs.

“This award is an independent external acknowledgement of the hard work and efforts that all of our teams across Europe have put in from day one. From our new technologies, such as our Mat Preheater, compressed air energy reduction and process pumps upgrades, to our engineering works on LED lighting and airflow optimisation, everyone has had a part to play,” comments Pat Beardmore, Operations Director.

“The innovation and passion shown by all members of MEDITE SMARTPLY reflects what a truly energetic place it is to work and grow. We will continue our work and chase the top award next year.”

The company has set its sights on achieving an energy reduction in excess of 10% in the coming years. With five projects already in planning in order to achieve these ambitious goals MEDITE SMARTPLY will continue to lead the way in energy management in its sector.

For more information please visit www.smartply.com.

The University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol has recently quadrupled its solar generating capacity through the installation of 1,731 solar panels, which will enable it to produce over 400 MWh of electricity each year and making it the largest solar panel array in the UK university sector.

The new solar array has been installed on the roof of the University Enterprise Zone (UEZ) and the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, which have both undergone extensive refurbishment as part of the required works. Prior to the solar panels being installed, approved contractor Mitie Tilley Roofing overlaid the original failing single ply waterproofing with over 12,000m2 of Bauder’s lightweight, robust PVC single ply waterproofing system Thermofol. The solar modules, which weigh just 12Kg/m2, were then fitted onto the waterproofing using a unique penetration-free, welding method by renewable energy specialists Dulas. This installation technique means that the roof is not compromised by penetrations for fixings nor is it ballasted, which would add additional weight loading to the roof.

The new photovoltaic system will generate at least 74.32 Megawatt Hours of solar power each year which should; cover half of the energy consumed within the building, save around 200 tonnes of carbon and provide annual savings of over £50,000 a year. The university is highly committed to sustainability and energy efficiency, and this solar project is just part of a much wider plan to achieve its carbon reduction goals and enhance local renewable energy capacity.

Fabia Jeddere-Fisher, Energy Engineer at UWE, stated, “From its conception, we chose a roofing system that would mean the flat roof would not need to be strengthened if we chose to add solar panels. Normally, panels placed on flat roofs require either weighing down or fixings that penetrate the roof membrane, which can introduce the risk of leaks. The system we have chosen means that the panels are welded into place, reducing load, and reducing the need for roof penetrations. The University will use 100% of the power generated by the PV array, which will be equal to the amount generated by nearly 200 homes with solar panels. As a large organisation we want to set an example for others to undertake similar projects.”

For more information please visit www.bauder.co.uk.

Rinnai, the UK’s leading manufacturer of continuous flow water heating systems, has transformed the hot water delivery arrangements at a busy Caravan Club site in the Malvern Hills.

Malvern Hills Caravan Club site offers its visitors not only the beautiful Malvern Hills to explore but also the Elgar Trail taking in composer’s birthplace at Broadheath to his final abode in Worcester. Malvern adds to its charms with a Festival and Fringe in May as well as laying claim to having the finest parish church in England, all within easy reach of the caravan park. And it is, of course, renowned for its spring water.

The site is especially busy from Easter all the way through to October so there is a continuous need for hot water. Providing plentiful hot water for visitors staying in caravans on up to 210 pitches, with demand for showers before breakfast and dinner is no easy task and it recently became clear that the site’s old, traditional system simply couldn’t cope.

Contractor Booth and Bomford of Evesham advised on the task of supplying the needs of a toilet/shower block with a new state-of-the- art hot water system. It was important that the new system should be able to produce hot water any time of the day or night and never run cold, even at the busiest times.

The decision was taken to install four Rinnai HDC1500i gas fired continuous flow heaters to provide a never-ending supply of temperature-safe hot water for even the busiest of times.

Graham Cox, for Booth and Bomford, explains: “The job involved the removal of the two storage type water heaters and installation of four new Rinnai water heaters. We also needed to re-configure the hot, cold, LPG gas and return pipework to suit the requirements of the new heaters and insulate all new pipework, put in new vertical flues through the roof and a new water conditioning unit to protect the water heaters, followed by test and commission.”

According to Cox, the popular Caravan Club site now benefits from energy and cost savings due to the fact that the new heaters are more efficient providing instantaneous hot water as required rather than having large amounts of stored hot water that is continually re-heated and is not required during out of peak times.

The Caravan Club obviously agrees as Booth and Bomford have won the contract to get to work on another two sites – Moorhampton in Hereford with two Rinnai HDC1500i heaters and Moreton-in-the-Marsh where four HDC1500i heaters are going in.

Booth and Bomford is an established M&E contractor providing plumbing, heating and electrical services working on both commercial and domestic contracts and maintenance services.

Clients include the Caravan Club, care homes, County & District Councils, colleges, schools, building companies and architects, private commercial and residential clients.

Rinnai offers the most energy efficient and cost effective range of LPG-compatible A-rated energy labelled appliances.

For off-grid installation the Rinnai Infinity range offers world beating efficiencies and the most advanced technologies on the market today for anywhere an energy efficient LPG instantaneous water heater is needed.

Chris Goggin, Associate Director, Rinnai UK comments: “Installers and end users can rest assured that A-rated Infinity HDC units, including the HDC1500, offer high-end performance with unrivalled reliability – with this type of application we have seen an energy reduction as high as 30%.”

For more information on the RINNAI product range visit www.rinnaiuk.com.

AECOM, a major global player in the building engineering services consultancy arena, has concluded a report showing that continuous flow water heating systems have a clear advantage in terms of initial capital costs as well as life cycle costs over 20 years, when compared with stored hot water systems*.

The ‘Life cycle study of continuous flow water heating systems’ shows that continuous flow water heating systems can be up to 7% more economical than equivalent ‘traditional’ stored hot water systems.

AECOM was commissioned to carry out a life cycle study on continuous flow water heating systems, and to provide a comparison with conventional storage systems. Two case studies were provided that are based on projects using continuous flow water heating systems.

AECOM then determined an equivalent storage based system for each case study and compared operational and capital costs.

For the life cycle comparison, the analysis period was 20 years, based on the expected service life. The net present value (NPV) calculation is based on a discount rate of 3.5% (The GREEN BOOK – HM Treasury), an inflation rate of 2% for servicing costs and projected retail fuel costs from DECC1.

In both case studies the continuous flow system showed a clear advantage in terms of initial capital costs, as well as life cycle costs over 20 years, with the continuous flow system consistently lower in energy use than the two storage systems.

Case study 1

This was a system for a typical, small, pre-fabricated fast food restaurant. It is assumed the system only serves the hot water demand.

The life cycle analysis includes the initial capital costs, projected annual fuel costs, and estimated annual servicing costs which are assumed to increase by 2% each year. The annual fuel cost assumes the same daily fuel consumption over the whole year.

The servicing cost is based on £130/year per boiler, and £160/year for a boiler and cylinder. The resulting net present values of the three showed that the continuous flow system is 6 – 7% lower than the two storage systems based on that 20-year analysis period.

Case study 2

This was a system for a shower block in a holiday camp, with six showers and four basin taps.

For the continuous flow option, the analysis is based on a configuration of 4 continuous flow water heaters that each have a nominal output of 48 kW, which, for this particular application, because there is a very short run of pipe work between the water heaters and the fixtures, it is possible for the water heaters to generate water at 40°C. The risk of legionella is overcome by regular flushing of the system.

For the energy required to deal with the instantaneous hot water demand the analysis assumes that the bulk of the hot water demand would be due to the showers. Each shower would typically have a flow rate of around 9 litres per minute, which if mixed to 40ºC would equate to an instantaneous load of around 19 kW each, so even if there was only one shower running, the load on a single continuous flow water heater would equate to an efficiency of 95% based on the performance curve. As the hot water demand increases, the modular nature of this particular configuration would allow the 95% efficiency to be maintained for the bulk of the demand.

The difference in daily fuel costs between the three systems is around 7%. The usage profile for this case study is particularly suited to continuous flow systems (i.e. high but infrequent demand over the day), which is why there is an advantage in fuel consumption over the storage systems.

Systems employed in the study

*Indirect fired storage systems
This consists of separate heat source and storage cylinders, where for this study the heat source will be gas fired boilers running on 80ºC flow and 60ºC return with gross efficiency of 89%. As the hot water is stored at 60ºC in insulated cylinders there will be standing heat losses. The standby electricity is assumed to be 15W per boiler, and 60W when operating to cover fan and controls.

Direct fired storage systems
This is where the hot water storage cylinder has an integral gas burner to directly heat the water, and the key difference with indirect fired storage systems is that they are designed to operate in condensing mode and generally achieve gross efficiency up to 96%. A disadvantage of direct fired storage systems is that the standing losses are around 3 times higher than indirect storage cylinders.

Continuous flow systems
This is essentially a gas boiler that is designed to instantaneously heat mains water for supply directly to water fixtures without any storage. The key advantages with this type of hot water heating, is firstly saving in space needed for hot water cylinders and the associated standing heat losses. The challenge is that instantaneous hot water demand can vary hugely for most systems and therefore the continuous flow heating system needs to have a wide modulation range as well as maintaining efficiency over that range.

For more information on the RINNAI product range of high efficiency condensing continuous flow hot water heating units and systems visit www.rinnaiuk.com.

By Stephen Hurrell, Managing Director, Aurora Group UK Projects

There are several misconceptions about LED lighting, principally that LED lighting prices will go down so it pays to wait; LEDs are so efficient that controls are unnecessary; and that LEDs don’t work well in high-temperature environments.

According to the Energy Savings Trust, LED offers best value for money in lighting today; the price of fittings has come down and, at the same time, performance has improved significantly.

The Carbon Trust advocates LED as its number one efficiency recommendation. LeaUnknown-2ding website www.environmentalleader.com reports that while switching to LEDs creates a one-time savings event – typically reducing lighting energy use by up to 50% – integrated sensing and controls can nearly double those energy savings, making controls essential for maximum savings and project economics.

And did you know that by using LED in construction, it significantly contributes to the BREEAM rating of a building as it typically halves energy consumption of traditional light sources. Miniaturisation has also led to a significant reduction in raw materials utilised in manufacture.

Artificial lighting in buildings is usually categorised in three ways. The ‘Ambient’ lighting function provides light to the space to an accepted level. ‘Accent’ lighting highlights certain features and/or attributes. ‘Task’ lighting illuminates specific working areas to aid visibility.

Lighting Performance

The four key criteria governing LED performance are thermal management, optical control, efficacy of light and reliability of power. So, what are the guiding principles of best practice in quality manufacturing?

Heat has a negative impact on any LED light source’s performance. The next generation in thermal management dissipates heat away from the LED chip, providing higher quality, brighter light for longer.  There’s also been continuous improvement in efficacies of LED chips so the higher the lumens per watt, the better.

Look for products warranted to L70 to a stated number of hours.  This means you can expect a light output of 70% of the lumen performance stated at that period of time e.g., a 1000 lumen LED luminaire will deliver at least 700 lumens after six years, based on burning 4000 hours per year.

An emerging trend in construction is to insulate the ceiling void by ‘blowing in’ loose fill insulation as an alternative to loose-laid products. Loose fill completely encloses the fitting which could affect LED performance in inferior downlights.

 Biodynamic lighting

Light controls our biological or body clock and this is known as the circadian rhythm. New to the market, biodynamic LED lighting allows people to control their environment according to need, mood and task, which can improve performance and motivation. Changing the colour temperature of the artificial lightsource (e.g. from extra warm to warm through to cool) can have a dramatic effect. Biodynamics is particularly suitable for dynamic interior projects, retail applications, and in healthcare and homes for the elderly.

 Regulatory compliance

Lighting design is a complex issue and part of a quality manufacturer’s role is to develop bespoke schemes which will comply with regulations. A revised version of the Building Regulations, Part L (2013), came into force in April 2014. BIM LEVEL 2 was introduced as a requirement for all government construction projects this April 2016.

Enlite’s LED value solution

The Aurora Group has responded to increased demand for LED by engineering the Enlite range of 250+ “Lighting Essentials”. Enlite offers Offsite’s varied modular business model the best in value, quality and performance to meet specifications and budgets.

Firm Enlite LED favourites in the MMC sector are the E8TM 8W integrated fire rated downlights with halogen like appearance, the ultra-slim E6060 TM 600mm2 flat panels for commercial applications, the UniPac TM and LinearPac TM IP65 linear anti-corrosives which replace traditional T8s and the vandal resistant Orbital TM IP66 bulkhead.

 

Call: +44 (0) 1727 83 66 11 or visit http://enlitelighting.com

A house built using polyurethane materials consumes 85% less energy than a home built from conventional materials. They can provide very high levels of insulation with minimal thickness which in turn allows architects and designers to maximise the use of interior spaces. It is perhaps no surprise then that when it came to the construction of a passive house in Belgium, polyurethane insulation materials were used to create a highly insulating building fabric. Three years on, has the Polyurethanes Passive House in Brussels and its very well insulated and sealed envelope provided a comfortable and healthy environment throughout the year?

The end-of-terrace four-storey family house developed by ISOPA, the European trade body for diisocyanate and polyol producers, was completed in Evere near Brussels in 2013. It is now occupied and working as a low energy test bed, its running costs and energy use closely measured to show the savings possible for homeowners.

While there are over 12,000 new build Passive House certified buildings across Europe, the ISOPA house is unusual in using a high proportion of PU to achieve its highly insulating fabric first design which reduces the need for heating and saves around 80% of the energy used by a normal house. PU insulation has been used wherever possible from wall cavities to the floor, and windows to the roof.

The house has been designed so that all of the construction elements work together in an integrated way, from the solar panels on the roof to the geothermal heat pump and MVHR system which ensures that warm fresh air circulates internally despite the high air tightness levels. The University of Leuven has been evaluating the home’s overall performance, energy use and indoor comfort levels which would verify whether the PU products as installed were really achieving the calculated performance levels.

The analysis of the data yielded an estimated heat loss coefficient of 60.0 W/K, with a standard deviation of 3.0 W/K. This indicates that the thermal performance of the building fabric meets the very high standards expected, which was instrumental to the project reaching the performance levels required for Passive House certification.

Known for the comfort they provide, polyurethanes are ideal for Passive House construction because they provide very high levels of insulation thanks to low thermal conductivity, meaning they provide reduced thickness increasing their affordability and reducing the impact on building footprints. As well as requiring fewer adjustments to be made to the design of buildings and less aesthetic compromises such as with deep window reveals, further cost savings on depth of eaves, joists, rafters or studs, lengths of fixings can be achieved. In short, the extremely low U-values required for Passive House projects can be much more easily achieved with PU than with other materials as far fewer changes to design detailing are required.

Rigid PIR insulation boards are also light but strong, moisture-resistant and easy to install, and they, as well as spray foam PUR insulation, retain their insulating properties for the life of the building. Last but not least, PU materials contribute to preservation of natural resources by reducing the need for energy which assists their sustainability credentials in Passive House projects.

With a daunting 80% reduction in carbon emissions on 1990 levels called for globally by 2050, such efforts to create practical ‘near zero energy’ houses are essential. With houses accounting for 40% of energy consumed across Europe, achieving the means of constructing new Passive Houses affordably using PU which can deliver the results while saving homeowners money is the realistic way forward, as demonstrated at the Polyurethanes Passive House.

by Marleen Baes, BRUFMA Technical Committee Member

For more information about BRUFMA visit www.brufma.co.uk.

The Build Show, part of the UK’s largest construction trade event UK Construction Week, has released the details of its seminar programme taking place in The Home Building Theatre.

Day one focuses on challenges and opportunities for house builders covering funding, exciting new and innovative approaches such as 3D printing and offsite construction with insight from the likes of John O’Brien, Associate Director – Construction Innovation at BRE.

The spotlight in the afternoon will be on energy and sustainability. THE BUILDING ENERGY PERFORMANCE GAP will look at closing the gap between design and built performance with confirmed speakers to include Anthony Briden, Senior Energy Consultant at PRP Architects; Alasdair Donn, Principal Energy Solutions Engineer at Willmott Dixon; Andrew Dainty, Professor of Construction Sociology at Loughborough University; Douglas Drewniak, BEPIT Research Engineer at Bioregional, Steve Hornblow, Project Director for NW Bicester, A2Dominion Housing Group and many more.

Day two kicks off with a seminar about OPPORTUNITIES IN THE CUSTOM AND SELF-BUILD MARKET which will showcase a session by Philip Singleton, MD of Graven Hill Village Development Company, about Graven Hill Village – the UK’s largest self-build scheme.

Looking ahead the afternoon will ask important questions about FUTURE-PROOF HOUSING DESIGN AND MATERIALS with experts from the industry exploring the changing role of architects in housing design and creating liveable homes and communities for the long term. Does good housing design have to cost more? How can we plan for spaces that people want to live in? And what will the house of the future look like? Speakers include Nicolas Khalili RIBA ARB PM, Managing Director at HWO Architects and Gwyn Roberts, New Homes and Communities Lead at BRE.

The final day of seminars will take a closer look at the topic of FUTURE-PROOFING HOUSE BUILDING. Feeding into this session, the CONSTRUCTION METHODS TO SAFEGUARD THE FUTURE OF THE UK HOUSING MARKET segment will explore the goals and aspirations for the future of house building with its differing construction methods and their impact on the housing requirements. BIM4 Housing Chairman, Patrick Wilson explains the benefits of structured data and how this can determine build methods and outcomes. Wienerberger will lead discussions on HOW THE HOUSE BUILDER BENEFITS FROM STRUCTURED DATA in the build process, including internal processes, asset management and developed metrics. Nick Tune, CEO of coBuilder UK will also comment on WHAT IS DIGITAL DATA, WHY WE NEED IT, HOW TO COLLECT AND DISTRIBUTE IT TO OUR ADVANTAGE.

Nathan Garnett, Event Director for the Build Show, commented: “Central to this year’s show, the seminar schedule has been a real focus of our organisation – ensuring we cover the most pressing topics to offer the most value to our visitors. We really believe that the show offers a powerful opportunity for the industry to propel itself forwards into a stronger, more united and prosperous future. Indeed, as the first major event following the decision to leave the EU, the Build Show will play a significant role in shaping strategy and settling nerves within the sector.”

Taking place at the Birmingham NEC from 18 – 20 October, the Build Show sits alongside Timber Expo, Civils Expo, the Surface and Materials Show, Energy 2016, Plant & Machinery Live, HVAC 2016, Smart Buildings 2016 and Grand Designs Live as part of UK Construction Week.

For more information or to get your free ticket to attend the Build Show, please visit www.buildshow.co.uk or follow @BuildShow on Twitter.