Graham and Jewson join forces

Posted on by Posted in Plumbing Industry News

jewsonAfter an extensive tender process, Graham and Jewson have been appointed by the Places for People Group, one of the largest property management, development and regeneration companies in the UK.

Together, the merchants will supply in-house contractor teams with a range of plumbing, heating and general maintenance materials respectively.

The new contract is to supply one of the Group’s companies: Places for People Homes, the property management arm, which is responsible for 48,000 homes across England and Wales.

An extensive tender process began in June 2012 and has resulted in Graham Plumbers’ Merchant being appointed a national contract to supply boilers, heating spares and radiators.

In addition, builders’ merchant, Jewson, will supply general maintenance materials in the north east, north west, south and west Yorkshire, south Midlands and south east areas.

“The combined national reach of both merchants was a key factor in the decision,” said Richard Williams, procurement manager at Places for People. “Graham and Jewson will hold core stock in branch for our in-house maintenance teams, delivering materials directly to site when needed or through a van replenishment service. These solutions will help to improve our efficiency and productivity.”

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Calor helps boost business

Posted on by Posted in Heating

calarDomestic heating installers can give their business a boost in off-grid areas by taking advantage of Calor’s new homeowner offer.

Rural homeowners can now receive a free above ground LPG tank installation when they switch their energy supply to Calor LPG before August 31, 2014, and installers can benefit from this by offering new boiler installations or by servicing the new heating system.

Calor is encouraging installers to inform customers of the offer, and in doing so, benefit from the additional work that may need to be carried out alongside or following the installation.

What’s more, Calor will reward installers for every successful tank referral with either £250, or an equivalent value in reward points that can be used to purchase items including Calor products.

Homeowners with an old and inefficient oil boiler could be wasting £732 a year on fuel bills, so will no doubt wish to replace their boiler with something more energy efficient.

Typically a new LPG boiler is cheaper than an oil one, so replacing an oil boiler with an energy efficient LPG boiler could save homeowners up to £1,500 on the purchase price.

Combine this with Calor’s free above ground tank installation – worth £1,000 – and the savings gained by replacing an old oil heating system with Calor LPG really start to add up.

Alternatively, if homeowners prefer to have their LPG tank hidden from view, for an extra cost of £1,000 Calor can bury it underground.

Installers are seen as a knowledgeable source of information by homeowners, so it will be an advantage for you to understand the large number of benefits that can be gained from selecting LPG as a fuel source for those in off-grid locations.

LPG provides homeowners with all the benefits of mains gas; instant heating and hot water, as well as a real, controllable flame for cooking and fires. Fuel theft is near impossible too, whether the LPG is stored above or underground.

It’s also a greener option, as LPG offers off-mains rural customers the lowest carbon emissions of all fossil fuels. In addition, it doesn’t pose any ground or water pollution hazards and burns clean with virtually no soot.

Unlike oil tanks, which are the responsibility of the homeowner, Calor is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of its LPG tanks, and safety checks are done each time a delivery is made.

With Calor LPG, homeowners are also able to fix their fuel price for up to 12 months, ensuring they get the best value for money from their energy supply. If homeowners are already using LPG, switching to Calor means they will receive £150 free gas and benefit from the fixed price for 12 months too.

Installers interested in learning more about how Calor LPG can benefit their business and customers, should visit www.calor.co.uk/installer or call 0845 600 7701 for more information.

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Wolseley UK’s largest solar PV in the UK

Posted on by Posted in Renewable Energy

wolseleyMark Group has installed 8,000 solar panels on the roof of Wolseley UK’s National Distribution Centre (NDC) in Leamington Spa, capable of generating enough electricity each year to supply around 450 homes.

A roof area of 13,113m² – roughly the size of two football pitches – has been covered in 8020 JA Solar Polycrystalline panels, along with accompanying Fronius inverters, at Wolseley UK’s head office site.

The installation, carried out over a six-month period including preparation, is rated at just over two mega-watts and could generate £6.5 million over 20 years under the government’s Feed-in Tariff (FIT) for commercial buildings. Over a year, the system should generate more energy than is consumed at Wolseley UK’s National Distribution Centre, along with a surplus of around ten per cent.

Chris Roberts, head of solar at Mark Group, said: “The rise in energy prices and the levelling off of installation costs means that 2014 is a sweet spot for businesses installing solar PV.

“The government’s FIT continues to fall slowly, so now is the time to invest in solar to obtain the best payback.

“Wolseley’s investment in this installation should be completely repaid in around seven years, which means the NDC will receive free energy thereafter. Wolseley UK will also achieve carbon savings of around 1,280 tonnes per year, helping to improve the Leamington Spa site’s environmental performance, which is already rated by BREEAM as ‘very good’”.

Steve Ashmore, managing director, Wolseley UK, said: “As a business, we are committed to sustainable building. We opened the UK’s first commercial showcase for sustainable building products and construction methods, our Sustainable Building Center, in 2008. And we are continuing to lead the way by investing in the technology that we advocate.

“We are already seeing some fantastic environmental and cost savings from our PV installation and I hope that our success will inspire others to adopt green energy solutions, due to the significant results they can achieve.”

The installation incorporates various innovations and one such innovation is to channel some of the exhaust air from the inverters into the building’s heating systems to further reduce the building’s carbon emissions.

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Domestic RHI launch welcomed by heat pump manufacturers

Posted on by Posted in Heating

rhilaunchAs the domestic RHI launches (9th April) heat pump manufacturers remain optimistic that the demand for domestic installations will increase, but stress the importance of correct specification, installation and maintenance.

Here we’ve collated leading manufacturers’ reactions:

Dimplex Renewables
Dimplex Renewables has said that now that a start date has been announced, with guaranteed tariffs for eligible installations over the next seven years, the company is expecting to see a surge in the number of renewable heat installations.

Clyde MacVeigh, marketing director for Dimplex Renewables, said: “This is the news that everybody in the industry has been waiting for. Finally, consumers can have the confidence to go ahead with the installation of heat pumps, solar thermal and other technologies knowing they will be rewarded for the renewable heat they generate.

“We know there are home owners who are interested in renewable heating technologies but after all the delays this scheme has faced, many were not even speaking to installers until they knew for sure that the funding would be there.

“The next step now is to make sure that everybody in the industry – the government, manufacturers and installers – makes every effort to publicise the funding and raise knowledge among homeowners. There is a fantastic opportunity for householders to make significant savings to their heating bills with lower payback periods than they might expect.”

NIBE
NIBE agrees that the launch should act as a huge confidence boost for the industry, but adds that industry now needs to take responsibility in delivering the scheme to the best of its ability.

“The domestic RHI is set to be a game changer for the renewable heating industry, and after a long period of uncertainty and delays,” said Phil Hurley, managing director at NIBE.

“However, now that the scheme is in place it is vital that we don’t turn our attention away from the industry’s role in making it a success. As well as continuing to develop high-performance solutions to meet domestic heating needs, we need to focus on upholding the highest possible standards at every stage of the installation process – with a fully trained workforce to specify, design, install and maintain systems correctly.

“To ensure the RHI vision now translates into reality, it’s paramount that the industry pulls together to become the mouthpiece for the scheme. Effective marketing is the only way to drive consumer awareness about the long-term financial and environmental benefits of renewables. Spreading the right message now will lessen the need for incentives like the RHI in the future, and will help lay the foundations for sustained, organic market growth.”

Mitsubishi Electric
Mitsubishi Electric also expects to see an increase in demand.

John Kellett, general manager of the company’s heating systems said: “The domestic RHI makes the case for heat pumps much stronger, especially against carbon-intensive and expensive technologies such as oil, LPG and direct electric.

“We know air source heat pumps are one of the most straightforward renewable technologies to install and that they will provide a constant, comfortable level of heat to a building while lowering running costs and reducing carbon emissions.”

The company has also produced a dedicated website which demonstrates how much a household can receive in RHI payments and how much they will save over gas, oil and LPG heating.

Daikin
Daikin said the eagerly-awaited launch should give the industry a massive boost.

“It will provide financial help to households wishing to make the switch to renewable heating and is a really important step in providing a secure UK energy infrastructure and in reducing carbon emissions,” David Lacey, commercial director of heating and renewables at Daikin UK.

Kensa
Kensa said the domestic RHI’s arrival should ensure a renewed focus on ground source heat pumps as a compelling heating choice for every type of residence, which is welcome news to a supply chain that has been remarkably patient throughout the policy’s lengthy gestation period.

The company recognises there is still plenty of work to be done to ensure the emergence of heat pumps is handled in a fashion that creates sustained interest but said the launch of the RHI represents a significant step in the development of the industry.

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Bosch welcomes the new CHP tax exemption

Posted on by Posted in Heating

boschThe Chancellor’s decision to exempt Combined Heat and Power (CHP) from the “carbon floor price” as part of the 2014 Budget review has been welcomed by a leading commercial and industrial heating manufacturer.

Geoff Hobbs, business development director at Bosch Commercial & Industrial Heating, claims that the announcement could lead to a surge in demand for the technology.

“The government’s announcement that CHP will be exempt from carbon tax from 1 April 2015 means it has never been more prevalent for industrial users to take a look at how CHP can help to reduce carbon emissions,” he said. “This, combined with a growing list of other financial incentives, has positioned CHP as one of the most cost-effective solutions available to reduce the UK’s carbon usage.

“The fact that CHP essentially allows stakeholders to use heat created as a by-product of electricity generation means less gas is required than a comparable utility and boiler solution. Naturally, this is viewed favourably by the government’s low carbon initiatives.

“In addition to this carbon floor price exemption, there are also a host of financial incentives which can be gained from the investment in CHP technology. Not only is good quality CHP exempt from the Climate Change Levy (CCL) but it is also covered by the Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECA) scheme, helping to significantly reduce payback periods.”

Mr Hobbs reminds stakeholders that it is not enough just to invest in CHP technology to realise these benefits, but correct system design is needed to maximise performance. “As with many aspects of system design, the work put in at the early stages of a project is vital to the success of any installation. Correct sizing of a CHP system is essential to ensure the right balance between providing useful heat and electricity is maintained, and this ultimately leads to the maximum amount of savings which can be made.”

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