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

Acme clay plain tiles used for pioneering Zero Bills Home

An innovative, affordable zero bills home created by architects Zed Factory, is using Acme clay plain tiles from Marley Eternit to help meet strict sustainability criteria.

The demonstration house launched at the BRE Innovation Park in March 2016. It will be one of the first properties to be assessed under the new Home Quality Mark (HQM), which gives credits for the use of responsibly sourced building materials with the lowest environmental impact.

Zero Bills aims to be the first commercially viable home with no net annual energy bills and enough surplus electricity to power a small electric car. Built with traditional construction materials, Zed Factory has incorporated high levels of energy efficiency and renewable energy into the design. A mansard roof has been created with a clear integrated photovoltaic roof on one side and Marley Eternit’s Acme single camber clay tiles in Red Sandfaced and Red Smooth on the other.

Rehan Khodabuccus, from Zed Factory, explains: “As well as looking at energy efficient products for the home, we also needed to consider the construction materials themselves to make a building with the lowest embodied carbon possible. Responsible sourcing was also very important, not only from an HQM assessment point of view but also because we wanted to maximise the use of materials from the UK to minimise the carbon footprint. We wanted a clay tile to create a traditional aesthetic as a contrast against the solar PV on the other side of the mansard roof. We selected the Marley Eternit tiles based on their responsible sourcing and sustainability credentials.”

The Acme single camber clay plain tiles have a ‘Very Good’ BES 6001 responsible sourcing accreditation, an A+ rating under the BRE Green Guide and low embodied carbon. As well as the demonstration home, the tiles are included in the specification for the first 96 Zero Bills Homes planned to be built on a site owned by the Sir Arthur Ellis Trust at Newport, near Saffron Walden in Essex.

The Zero Bills Home is a pre-designed, engineered and costed housing system with a wide range of custom build design options. The concept is aimed at low to medium density developments with a range of house types available from a kit of parts, delivered to site in containers for easy assembly.

Daniel Weait, specification manager at Marley Eternit, adds: “We are delighted to be providing tiles for such a pioneering zero bills development, which could not only help to meet carbon reduction targets but also tackle the need to increase the output of quality homes in the UK. The homes offer a sustainable and cost effective alternative that still uses traditional construction materials and local labour and minimises cost. This blend between traditional materials and renewable technologies creates homes that could quickly and affordably be replicated across the country, yet can be sympathetic to local vernacular.

“Responsible sourcing is becoming an increasingly important part of specification and we are proud that using our products helps architects and housebuilders to get credits under the environmental section of the Home Quality Mark. As one of the first homes to be assessed under the new HQM scheme, we hope to see the Zero Bills Home being offered at developments across the country.”

Marley Eternit’s range of clay plain tiles is now available in 24 different colours to help match local vernacular and meet planning requirements. For further details and samples, go to www.marleyeternit.co.uk/clay.

For more information about the Zero Bills Home, visit www.zerobillshome.com.

For further information on our range of products and services just ask ME at www.marleyeternit.co.uk or call ME on 01283 722588. You can also follow ME on Twitter @MarleyEternit. If it matters to you it matters to us, that’s why with ME it’s all about you.
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Keston Boilers score top marks at lancing college

Leading British Manufacturer Keston Boilers has supplied three 55kW Heat Only twin flue boilers and a Frame and Header Kit to Lancing College in Lancing, West Sussex, which have been installed as part of a refurbishment project to improve the reliability of the heating system in one of the accommodation blocks and reduce overall running costs.

Lancing College is an independent boarding and day school, providing education for boys and girls aged 13-18 years. The boilers have been installed in Gibbs House, an accommodation block providing boarding facilities for 650 boys. Like all the buildings at Lancing College, Gibbs House is over 170 years old and the old heating system had previously been served by a central boiler room located in the main building over 50 metres away. The old boilers were not only unreliable and less energy efficient, but the long external pipe run resulted in excessive heat loss, as did the five inch cast iron pipework delivering the hot water to the radiators in the building, all of which contributed to high fuel bills.

The new Heat Only Boilers were installed on Keston’s Frame and Header Kit, which was delivered in prefabricated modules that were then quickly and easily assembled on site by Chris Smith, Heating Engineer. The system was installed in a new plant room within the building, eradicating the need for a long pipe run, and serves 60 radiators. Around 200 yards of new 67mm copper piping runs along four foot high tunnels located throughout the building, ensuring they are out of sight and retain the character of the school.

There are around 30 Keston boilers installed throughout Lancing College and this installation was the first that utilised the new range of Keston boilers, which were launched in 2013. Chris Smith commented, “The Keston Heat Only boilers were very straightforward to install, especially with the Frame and Header kit as supplied by Keston. They have been running perfectly since their installation and the increased energy efficiency has meant a large reduction in running costs for the school.” He added, “The flexible flueing options offered by Keston twin flue boilers were perfect for our needs, as they allow us to hide the flues so they do not affect the character of the buildings by emerging from the original flintwork.”

The Keston Heat Only condensing boiler range includes 45kW and 55kW outputs and it is the only dedicated boiler on the market for domestic or light commercial applications that combines twin flue capabilities with a fully modulating Energy related Products (ErP) approved pump built into the framework of the appliance. Continuing to make boiler efficiency easy for customer and installer alike, the Keston Heat-Only range is also supplied with integrated weather compensation and an outside sensor as standard. Weather compensation is instantly activated when the outside sensor is installed, creating a simple ‘plug and play’ solution with no intricate programming required.

Keston’s boiler range for both domestic and light commercial applications, manufactured in Britain and launched in 2013, includes system, combi and heat-only boilers, all of which incorporate market-leading twin flue capabilities that are highly adaptable, offering the perfect solution for awkward installations. All boilers in the range offer a high SEDBUK efficiency rating, are Energy Saving Trust endorsed and also feature on the Energy Technology List (ETL), qualifying them for inclusion in the Government’s Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) scheme.

For more information on Keston’s condensing boiler ranges, visit www.keston.co.uk, email info@keston.co.uk or call 01482 443005.
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Insite Energy appointed at former Olympic Village energy centre scheme

District heating specialist to meter and monitor heat network performance at the Chobham Farm development of registered housing provider East Thames.

Insite Energy, the district heating specialist, has been appointed to provide full metering, billing, payment and monitoring services to one of the UK’s largest energy centre schemes. The community energy network which previously supplied the Olympic Village in Stratford, London, will now distribute heating and hot water to the 176 flats and houses of Chobham Farm, a new development by registered housing provider and social regeneration charity East Thames.

East Thames Group says monitoring the network will ensure residents pay the appropriate amount over the long-term, promptly identify if any faults occur in the system. Data gathered from this scheme will help East Thames Group develop the most efficient energy systems for housing schemes in future.

Simon Page, project manager at East Thames Group, commented: “In a competitive tender process, Insite Energy impressed us with its ability to provide a comprehensive service, which crucially will include monitoring overall heat network performance on site. Insite also demonstrated an excellent approach when working with the construction contractors to ensure successful metering system deployment.”

Anthony Coates-Smith, Insite Energy’s Business Development Director, said: “The planning consent for this site requires East Thames to connect to the district heating scheme operated by Cofely, taking away some control over the cost of heat supplied to their residents. Through Insite Energy, East Thames receives detailed information on heat network performance within their buildings, safeguarding the element of heat costs they can influence and reducing the risk of costly penalties included in the supply agreement with Cofely.

“With the provision of Insite’s flexible pre-payment and billing system, East Thames is also able to keep in touch with residents’ needs and protect itself from the risks associated with operating a heat network.”

The Stratford site’s energy centre scheme – which includes combined heat and power (CHP) units and biomass boilers, creating 20% fewer CO₂ emissions than a conventional system – was the largest in the country, with approximately 10 miles of energy distribution networks, when officially opened by Mayor of London Boris Johnson in 2011. It was designed at the outset to be adopted after the 2012 Olympics by new buildings and communities and the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) has granted planning consent to ultimately build a family neighbourhood of more than 1,000 new homes on the six hectare (14.8 acre) Chobham Farm site.

Insite Energy is the provider of metering, billing and payment services to more than 120 communal and district heat networks and 15,000 end-customers across the UK.

For more information please visit www.insite-energy.co.uk.
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ScaleBuster® Performance and Longevity Encapsulated at James Hornby School

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Between August 1998 and February 1999 three Scalebuster® units were installed at the James Hornby School in Basildon, Essex. The Scalebusters® were specified to protect the calorifiers in the school heating system by inhibiting the build-up of harmful limescale and so preventing the need for costly repairs or premature replacement.

In 2014 a refurbishment programme was undertaken at the school that included changes to the heating system, but the question was, had the Scalebusters® actually done their job? The ideal chance came when the three original units were removed 16 years after their installation. Between December 2014 and February 2015 new boilers were installed for the upper and lower schools as well as the sports hall. At the same time five new Scalebusters® were installed to protect the new system and the old units were returned for a detailed examination.

Their effectiveness was immediately evident from the condition of the calorifiers. The contractor involved in their replacement took internal photographs of the original, 16 years old calorifiers, shown here, before they were removed. The images show no build-up of scale on either the cylinder walls or the heat exchange walls demonstrating conclusively that the ScaleBusters® had performed their function of inhibiting the build-up of hard scale throughout their operational life.

But what of the Scalebusters® themselves? If the old boilers hadn’t been replaced would they have carried on working even longer? External inspection showed the body of the units to be in good order. The nickel plating was in good condition and there was no corrosion or pitting of the brass. The central spindle and all PTFE fins were in good order on the flanged units. All the fins were present and were tight within their housing indicating that minimal reduction in the anode had taken place.

The PTFE sections within the ISB C50 threaded unit were clean and showed no sign of wear or fouling. All the zinc anodes were in place and although some signs of depletion were evident, this was to be expected after having been in use since 1999. A detailed internal and external examination of the units confirmed that despite the use of a zinc anode as a sacrificial element, minimal depletion of the anode had actually taken place.

During a service life in excess of 15 years, thousands of cubic metres of water would have been treated as they passed through the three units. The service life in the case of the removed ScaleBuster® units within the system and water type at the James Hornby School was found to be well in excess of 15 years.

How do Scalebusters® work?

The Scale-Buster® unit conditions hard water (preventing lime-scale build up) by combining a number of actions that release zinc ions into the water as it passes through the unit. It does not contain magnets or involve any sort of magnetic process. It needs no power supply and works completely automatically with no control panel to maintain. They are WRAS approved and can be installed with new systems or retro-fitted to existing installations.

Scale-Buster® is designed to cause precipitation of calcium carbonate into the water stream. This is as a result of the breakdown of the bicarbonate into carbon dioxide, water and carbonate due to the effects created within the Scale-Buster® itself. The particles which are formed in the water stream act as nuclei for the formation of further scale when the water is heated. In this way, scale deposition upon heating surfaces is minimised.

When a salt is precipitated from solution it results in a relatively less saturated solution remaining. The less saturated water is then able to dissolve and breakdown existing scale from pipe surfaces which form bigger particles that can then be removed from the system with a filter.

For further information, call The Rodin Group on 01795 423400, Email info@therodingroup.co.uk or visit www.therodingroup.co.uk

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RINNAI – reliability really rules

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Rinnai, leading manufacturer of a complete range of A-rated continuous flow gas fired water heaters, is supplying the UK with what is thought to be the most reliable individual units* on the market.

The ErP A-rating** applies over the complete Infinity range – from small domestic models to XXL sized industrial units. Rinnai is the only manufacturer that can field a complete range of gas fired water heaters that more than achieve to coveted A-rating.

Rinnai can combine high efficiencies with high levels of reliability. During 2015 warranty claims against Rinnai stood at 0.05% demonstrating unparalleled reliability.

The next issue is servicing – the Rinnai system is simple and straightforward to service as all components are easily accessible and parts readily available.  Compare this to a business, for example a fast food restaurant or a hotel, running on just one cylinder, they would have to shut down the hot water system to allow it to be drained and inspected as part of the service. This would mean that during this down time the business may have to cease operating for a few hours while the work is carried out.

Another problem is a breakdown: if your only source of hot water fails then you have no means to provide hot water until the fault is rectified. If we take the worst-case scenario of a cylinder failure the whole thing needs to be replaced and this is no easy task especially when you consider the weight. You are now looking at multiple problems:

  1. a) You have lost all hot water capability.
  2. b) You need to pay for a replacement (if it isn’t covered by warranty).
  3. c) You have to pay for engineers to remove the faulty one and replace it, which can take days to change.

If we then look at a Rinnai Infinity water heater or multiples thereof, the down time would be reduced significantly, in the case of multiple units, putting up with reduced capacity for a very short period of time.

Servicing not only reduces the down cost of the business but can also reduce the servicing cost as a Rinnai water heater can be fully serviced and back operating within one hour. If a unit fails whereby it needs replacing, this replacement can be done in a couple of hours and if you have a bank of heaters you will still have the facility to provide hot water, albeit at a slightly reduced capacity, while one of the heaters is down. This is nowhere near as disruptive as having no hot water at all, and perhaps having to close the business while servicing or replacement takes place.

According to Rinnai UK Associate Director Chris Goggin: “The configuration of the Rinnai system is supportive of operational reliability. In effect, if you have a cylinder and you need to service it, or it breaks down, you are left with nothing but a standing body of water.

“Many Rinnai systems supply additional benefits to storage by using multiple heaters, let’s say three so the total system is made up of 33.3% by each heater. If one needs servicing there is still 66.66% still operational so there is no downtime for the hotel, restaurant or any other facility that uses hot water as a criteria feature.

“Some facilities incorporate additional heat engines as a means of built-in redundancy so that the system will always operate at full capacity even during servicing.”

Goggin concludes: “The Rinnai continuous flow system has significant USPs over any stored hot water system while at the same time offering built-in reliability and peace of mind to both installers and their customers.”

* With regards to the reliability of the units themselves a comparison of unit sales from 2013 until April 2016 against Rinnai UK’s warranty database shows 0.003% first year failure rate. (2013 is when the new database was set up.)

** All water-heating products sold in the UK need to meet minimum energy performance criteria in order to be legally placed on the market, and require an energy label.

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

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New heat network design guide created with efficiency in mind

Evinox Energy have launched a Heat Network Design Guide and CPD Seminar for Communal & District heating systems.

Packed with useful information, our Heat Network Design Guide contains all of the key factors to consider when planning, designing and delivering a communal or district heating project.

The scope of any heat network project begins at the planning stage, and carries through to system design, product selection, network maintenance and end user support. Attention to detail must be applied at every stage of the project in order to deliver a successful, efficient and cost effective heat network.

Successful design, installation and operation relies on a large number of factors, that can vary from project-to-project. Our free guide is a useful tool for system design and product selection process, supplementing other industry standards, guidelines, regulations and codes of practice.

Our CIBSE approved CPD seminar provides the opportunity to explore this topic in depth and identify new ways to add value, performance and efficiency to your heat network project.

Visit our website to download the guide, or contact us on 01372 722277 / info@evinoxenergy.co.uk to request a hard copy or book a seminar.

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All black proves a winner at Oxford

The Blavatnik School of Government is one of the youngest and most vibrant departments of the University of Oxford. Founded in 2010, thanks to a £75 million donation by American philanthropist Leonard Blavatnik, the aim of the school is to improve the quality of government and public policy-making worldwide.

Their new multi million pound building designed by architects Herzog & de Meuron and built by Laing O’Rourke features two horseshoe-shaped lecture theatres providing seating for 120 and 80 students.

There are also large flexible teaching spaces that can be used for lectures and conferences. The stunning open forum, around which teaching spaces are located, ensures natural light reaches into lecture theatres.

The entire construction of the building has been designed to meet the highest standards of environmental sustainability.

For the washroom facilities, 30 Kemmlit Classic Cell floor to ceiling cubicles in black with stainless steel fittings and full height duct panels, were specified.

The Classic Cell cubicle system with its straight profiled lines is a timeless design classic and features 42mm thick smooth surfaced welted doors and sound reducing floor to ceiling dividing partitions.

The Classic Cell’s concealed edges and recessed leg supports produce an elegant yet functional design that creates the unique impression that the cubicles are ‘floating’ above the floor without support.

Its robust construction makes it the ideal choice for all types of washroom applications.

The Classic Cell is available in a range of colours and finishes and is part of an extensive range of high performance cubicle and locker systems from Kemmlit who also offer a design, project management and installation service.

For more information please click www.kemmlituk.com.

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Avoid hoarding up problems by sourcing all timber on site responsibly

Just because construction site hoarding is temporary doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have to be considered as part of a responsible sourcing strategy. Despite the fact that many clients and contractors are now insisting on greater levels of sustainability across all aspects of projects, this is one area that is being overlooked when it comes to timber sourcing.

The European Timber Regulation (EUTR) stipulates that all timber used on construction sites needs to be legally sourced. This means ALL timber, from that used in construction of the building to the hoardings used to shield the site from prying eyes. Timber hoardings may also be used to convey an appropriate message to the outside world. This might include a project’s sustainability credentials as part of promotional information about the developers’ and contractors’ CSR efforts, all designed to give the local and wider community a feel good factor about the project.

However trumpeting a project as a leading example of sustainability on hoardings which breach regulations on responsible sourcing, no matter how temporary they are or how good the rest of the site is, is an irony which might lead some to seriously doubt the integrity of the project’s other claims. Cheap Chinese plywood accounts for a large chunk of the problem. A recent report by the National Measurement Office found that only two of the 16 companies investigated which import Chinese timber met the requirements of the EU Timber Regulation for due diligence in the sourcing of legally harvested timber.

The issues around imported plywood extend far beyond variable quality to mislabelling of products as certain species which they subsequently turn out not to be. Greenpeace has campaigned to end the use of illegal and destructive rainforest plywood since 2000. It found evidence that a large quantity of Chinese plywood was faced with veneers from slow growing tropical species sourced from endangered rainforests. By contrast SmartPly, part of Coillte the Irish forestry company, has access to sustainable, well managed fast growing softwood timber. OSB, unlike plywood, uses forest thinnings which are smaller diameter logs unsuited for use by the sawmills, therefore maximising the overall resource.

The concerns over illegal timber extend beyond the actual material itself to the pay, reward and working conditions for those harvesting timber or laying out the plies of material for plywood production. Sustainability is not just about protecting vulnerable resources but also ensuring the preservation of community and individual economic sustainability.

The big problem in the UK construction industry is making sure that timber hoardings are seen as part of the whole construction project when it comes to product specification and timber sourcing. On the whole, focus is concentrated on the building, and protection of the site perimeter during construction is left to the contractor who has a lot of other priorities. With one or two exceptions in the form of more enlightened firms, poorer quality and potentially illegal plywood is the dominant choice for hoarding applications, but one which can undermine a project’s sustainability credentials and wider image.

SmartPly SiteProtect OSB offers the answer to the problem, a high quality hoarding solution with a pre-primed smooth finish ready for painting. Manufactured under factory controlled conditions to European standards, dependable product performance is ensured for long lasting looks with no delamination. With raw material supplied from our own well managed local forests we have not only security of supply but also we know exactly what timber we are using, ensuring a robust chain of custody for FSC Certification. This enables clients to have confidence that their sites are compliant with binding UK and European responsible sourcing regulations, and that they are not contributing to the illegal timber trade or unsustainable practices.

To find out more about SmartPly, please visit www.discoversmartply.com.

 

Mike Harrison, Marketing Manager, Coillte Panel Products
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Rinnai new stylish space heater design and impressive energy savings performance

Rinnai Energysaver fanned convection powered flue gas fired space heaters are designed specifically for use in schools, community centres, libraries, conservatories and churches and other large spaces where they offer fastest heat up at lowest running cost.

The Rinnai Energysaver 309FT has had a stylish makeover to offer contemporary cabinet styling that matches its superior energy saving performance. The new, sleek good looks of this popular model bring it in line with modern minimalist tastes in interior aesthetics. It is eminently suited for architects, specifiers and installers tasked with projects demanding both top end styling and performance.

Sporting a modern, sleek casing, the heater simply blends into the background while still offering exceptionally high efficiencies in operation and subsequently reduced running costs.
Rinnai has also provided the appliance with a no-quibble 15-year guarantee on the heat exchanger, positive proof of its confidence in the periority of its quality Japanese engineering.

Rinnai Energysaver 309FT, with its low surface temperature (LST) casing to avoid any risk of burns, offers easy on/off operation and intelligent features such as self-diagnostics and a self-learning pre-heat time to maximise heat up time and energy consumption.

The Rinnai Energysaver 309FT delivers warm air at floor level for greater comfort and coverage of even greater spaces and turns in efficiencies of 85.9%. Because the heater heats from the floor up and modulates gas usage in relation to room temperature, the unit provides unparalleled levels of comfort combined with efficiency for large spaces, such as churches with vaulted ceilings.

It has an input of 3.4kW and output of 2.92kW. The streamlined unit measures 695mm x 465mm x 257mm. Natural Gas usage has been pegged at 0.31m3 while LPG consumption is 0.26kg/hr.

Rinnai Energysaver units are very easy to install as they do not need expensive (and extensive) ductwork, nor do they involve the necessity to run domestic heating circuits for radiators or pipework to boilers. This cuts down dramatically on cost and time at the point of installation.

Standard flue is 240mm-400mm with alternative flues to fit walls ranging from 5mm-1000mm. Flue hole diameter is 80mm and maximum flue length is 7 metres.

Rinnai Energysaver 309FT delivers energy-efficient and consistent warm air powered by Natural Gas and LPG options and is built with fully modulating burners so heat output and energy input is reduced as the space warms up – a valuable cost saving benefit.

The heaters are also suitable for central BMS control. This feature allows the building manager to run any number of Rinnai space heaters off a central time clock providing heat to the large of spaces. The Energysaver Multicontroller is not limited to single Energysavers as the flexibility of the system guarantees units can be mixed and matched to satisfy even the most unique of buildings.

The Rinnai Energysaver range more than exceed seasonal thermal heating guidance under Building Regs Part L.

“Rinnai Energysaver 309FT space heater really does deliver a cost saving on installation, low operational costs and maintenance, lower life cycle costs, lower replacement costs, high energy efficiencies. It is infinitely suitable for refurbishment projects and comes with a 15-year warranty on the heat exchanger, which is testament to the superior engineering quality of the appliance,” explains Chris Goggin, Associate Director of Rinnai UK.
For more information on the RINNAI product range visit www.rinnaiuk.com.

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Evinox Energy to Exhibit at Ecobuild in the District Energy Pavilion

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Evinox Energy will be exhibiting in the District Energy Pavilion at Ecobuild, taking place from the 8th to the 10th March at the ExCeL London. Ecobuild is the leading exhibition and conference for the UK construction and energy market, attracting over 40,000 industry professionals from across the entire supply chain. This year’s event is set to be bigger and better than ever, focusing on market priorities such as housing, infrastructure, technology and innovation.

The District Energy Pavilion will provide visitors with the opportunity to meet with a selection of suppliers and industry experts all in one area, and includes a comprehensive, informative seminar programme, featuring the latest information about efficient heat networks.

We specialise in communal & district heating systems, and manufacture our own range of modern heat interface units (HIU’s), designed with efficiency and end user comfort in mind. We will also be presenting a seminar in the District Energy Pavilion at the exhibition, where we will be discussing efficient heat network design and management.

Visit us on stand E4280 to find out more about our metering & billing solutions for communal & district systems, and smart control technology. Our systems combine effective HIU control 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.

We look forward to welcoming you at the event. You can register now to attend the exhibition for free by visiting www.ecobuild.co.uk.

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