The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) has published a digital Embodied Carbon Calculator tool to enable engineers to estimate the embodied carbon associated with mechanical, electrical and public health systems in buildings.

The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) has published revisions to its Technical Memorandum 54: Evaluating operational energy performance of buildings at the design stage. The revisions bring the guidance up to date by taking account of regulatory changes and advances in best practice.

Construction volume output rises 3.5%, reversing October’s 1.7% decline. 

Baxi Commercial Solutions has released a new educational guide for the non-domestic sector that aims to debunk the myths surrounding hydrogen for heat and provide a timeframe for the anticipated transition to this greener gas.

The Digital Manufacturing Centre (DMC) has partnered with Beckhoff Automation Limited to bring completely automated building control to the DMC’s state-of-the-art engineering and production facility at Silverstone Park. 

Ecoserv Group has completed the purchase of Cooltech Environmental Engineering Ltd in a £3.5 million deal. 

A-Gas, a world leader in the supply and lifecycle management of refrigerants and associated services, has acquired the entire business and intellectual property of Salience Solutions Pty Ltd. 

The British Refrigeration Association (BRA) has announced Neil Roberts, senior technical sales manager at refrigerant supplier Climalife, as its new Vice President. This follows the appointment of Mark Hughes as BRA President in July.

Schneider Electric, underlines its commitment to developing a more sustainable, efficient and resilient building industry by joining buildingSMART International’s Strategic Advisory Council (SAC).

Johnson Controls is one of 45 companies that have been awarded the Terra Carta Seal

December PMI® data pointed to another solid increase in business activity across the UK construction sector, but the rate of expansion slipped to its lowest since September.

Having been forced to withdraw from staging its annual awards dinner and presentation ceremony last year, due to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commissioning Specialists Association was delighted to finally stage the event on the evening of Thursday 11th November 2021.

Saint-Gobain has entered into binding agreements for the sale of three of its remaining four UK distribution brands specialized in plumbing, heating and sanitaryware products to Wolseley UK: Neville Lumb, DHS and Bassetts. Completion is expected in early 2022.

A new Skills Bootcamp, part of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee and Plan for Jobs, is being launched at South Devon College next month. 

Bitzer's ECOLITE range of air-cooled condensing units has won the Refrigeration Product of the Year Award in the National ACR & Heat Pump Awards 2021.

Trade Associations UKIFDA, for fuel distributors, and OFTEC, for equipment manufacturers and training providers, welcome the publication of the Biomass Policy Statement (BPS) which reaffirms the role of renewable liquid fuels in decarbonising the off-grid sector.

Two new pieces of guidance on reducing COVID-19 transmission through ventilation and air cleaning technologies have been issued by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).

CIBSE are working with an authoring team from Arup and a cross-industry steering group on a contract awarded by BEIS to produce new guidance on the installation of heat pumps in larger non-residential buildings.

Glenigan’s November Construction Index indicates continued decline, countering positive expectations of an autumn recovery

The Ground Source Heat Pump Association has launched an online training scheme to increase understanding of heat pumps, improve the skill levels of people already working in the UK heat pump industry and give guidance to people who are seeking careers in the heat pump industry. 

The project represents largest Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme Grant made to a London Local Authority.

Harrogate-based ventilation manufacturer EnviroVent will be revealing its Roadmap to Net-Zero at the Homes UK 2021 exhibition (ExCel London 23-24 November).

Newcastle’s Black and White Engineering (B&W) is opening its doors to budding engineers by joining a key initiative to provide career opportunities to young people across the region.

The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has applauded the Chancellor for setting aside £3.8bn for education and skills with particular focus on additional support for SMEs and the creation of new T-levels to help young adults take up vocational careers.

Manchester’s new Tower of Light structure has been officially switched on, marking a milestone in the development of the city’s new Civic Quarter Heat Network. 

Global professional services firm RPS has launched a new STEM initiative – the RPS Climate Careers Zone. Hosted in a virtual city inspired by COP26 goals, the zone’s design enables young people to take control and shape their future. Empowering and informing career choices, students can use the zone to understand how they can be part of the change they want to see.

Engineering alliance Actuate UK organizations support the CBI statement on Business rates, which, together with other Trade Associations, is calling on Government to take long-term action in the forthcoming Budget and Comprehensive Spending Review.

Coolair Equipment Limited has appointed Deane Flint to its Board of Directors.

A range of ECS cards are available through the Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS) for the Network Infrastructure industry.

The IOR has just released a new guidance note on the Pressure Equipment (Safety) Regulations and Pressure Equipment Directive (GN36) outlining the requirements for installers of RACHP systems. 

September data revealed another growth slowdown in the construction sector, with output volumes rising to the smallest extent for eight months.

Make UK has partnered with support platform Next Gen Makers to develop a ground-breaking Engineering Apprenticeships Employer Kitemark, which will recognise companies who achieve a best practice benchmark and so endorse them as an exemplary employer of apprentices.

The UK’s primary F-Gas register REFCOM has welcomed the Environment Agency’s decision to hammer a company with a fine of more than £1m for breaching the F-gas Regulations.

Smart Buildings Show, the UK’s leading, dedicated smart buildings event, has unveiled its 2021 conference programme. The event, supported by headline sponsor Bluetooth, will take place at ExCeL London on 6-7 October 2021, featuring industry-leading speaker sessions from some of the sector’s most renowned brands, including Bluetooth, Johnson Controls, Microsoft, Schneider Electric,  Siemens Smart Infrastructure and Vodafone.

With six weeks to go until COP26, engineering alliance Actuate UK has issued a stark message to world leaders gathering in Glasgow, urging them to tackle the climate crisis now “before it is too late”.

The Building Safety Alliance, an independent industry led ‘not for profit’ organisation, is launched with the purpose of implementing the certification of competent individuals wishing to deliver the role of building safety manager (BSM) and a publicly accessible register of those certified by the scheme.

Braid Mechanical and Electrical, a member of the Joint Industry Board (JIB), has become the 750th organisation to register for ECS Check. 

As of Monday 16 August, the government has removed the requirement to self-isolate for fully vaccinated adults or under-18s in England, if NHS notified of contact with a positive COVID-19 case. The change should greatly reduce the number of workers and others self-isolating as a result of NHS Test and Trace ‘pinging’, although notified individuals are being advised by the government to undergo a free PCR test.

Rinnai warmly welcomes the Government’s announcement of a national strategy with hydrogen being a replacement of fossil fuels as a major source of energy. By 2030 the UK government wants to produce 5GW of low carbon hydrogen capable of powering around 3 million homes as well as fuelling industry and transport.

School leavers and other young people are being urged to consider engineering careers as the UK employment market enters uncharted territory.

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has joined the line-up for this year’s Smart Buildings Show, on 6-7 October 2021 at London’s ExCel exhibition centre, as a supporting association.

In advance of COP26 in November, the  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released their report yesterday. To meet their objective of limiting global temperature rises of 1.5^oC, the demands on the construction sector will be great. Here's what the industry had to say in response. 

The ECA has warmly welcomed the urgent reform of electricity pricing recommended by The Climate Change Committee today. The latest CCC report to Parliament recommends that future energy pricing must remove current fiscal disincentives to electrification, boosting the deployment and use of low carbon electrical energy across the UK.

Advice is being issued to ECS card holders by the Electrotechnical Certification Scheme (ECS) that under the rules of the Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) it will be withdrawing ECS cards issued under the “conditional” or “restricted” route, sometimes known as Industry Accreditation. 

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Prof. Bernd Stoffel, who passed away on 8th June 2021.  All those who had the pleasure of knowing him, both personally and professionally, will mourn his passing.  

The British Pump Manufacturers’ Association (BPMA) and the Association of Electrical and Mechanical Trades (AEMT) are pleased to announce the recent signing of a Mutual Co-operation Agreement. 

The Smart Buildings Show has announced its 2021 event has now opened for registration. The free-to-attend conference and exhibition takes place at the London ExCel on the 6-7^th October 2021, featuring some of the leading names in the commercial smart buildings, technology and energy sectors.

Tetra Tech announced today that it has acquired Hoare Lea for an undisclosed sum. 

The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) is asking for comment on one of its most widely used guidance documents - Guide M: Maintenance Engineering and Management - ahead of a complete update.

The ECA is urging its members, as well as the wider industry, to continue to exercise caution and plan as far ahead as possible on projects involving cable management systems (CMS).