How can Green Roofs improve biodiversity?
The level of biodiversity on a green roof will be dependant on a number of factors including the type of green roof installed. In the past green roofs were designed …
Viewpoint
A royally renewable revolution
As Royal Wedding hysteria begins to settle down, Ellina Webb looks into what the Royal Household is doing to improve their green credentials and help save our planet. Whatever your …
Changing Attitudes to Green Infrastructure in the UK
With increasing pressure on ground level green spaces it comes as no surprise that we are experiencing a growing momentum across the UK in the number of green roofing and …
Anti-scald advocate calls for better education to avoid unnecessary deaths
Following the news last month that a 79-year-old man died after falling in a scalding hot bath at his Romford home, the director of leading bathroom product manufacturer Inta is …
School should be a healthy environment for young minds
by Janvi Patel ~ Ventilation specialist at Mitsubishi Electric With news reports that air inside London’s classrooms is worse than the air outside, Janvi Patel looks at what we can do …
Futurology: the new home in 2050
Homes of the future will increasingly tap into neighbourhood energy systems, feature flexible layouts and use improved technology to make automatic decisions about heating, security and even postal deliveries, according …
The Principles of Green Roof Maintenance
During very wet seasons green roofs can have problems retaining the plant nutrients. If the flowers have been in short supply then it may be time to apply a sort …
The effects of climate change in London
Article by by Ellina Webb – Mitsubishi Electric Climate change is an issue that makes us think about the wider implications to our planet. But what about the impacts on pinpointed locations like …
Should the UK follow the German example in developing green roofs?
When we consider the development of green infrastructure as part of an overall strategy to combat climate change, few would argue that we need to look much beyond Germany as …
Where would Hollywood be without HVAC?
Ellina Webb looks at the importance of HVAC infrastructure in large buildings, spaceships and Hollywood action films. What do Aliens, Die Hard and Mission Impossible all have in common aside …
It’s time to embrace the ‘living wall’ years
Ellina Webb looks at some of the most successful examples of living walls in the UK Over the past few years the number of buildings with living walls both internally …
Artificial intelligence used in major study analysing occupant behaviour to enhance building energy performance
The work, using AI’s Machine Learning, aims to combat and minimise the ‘energy performance gap’ in buildings ARTIFICAL intelligence has been at the centre of many media reports recently and …
New proposals for a wilder Britain
Critical moment to reverse the decline of nature On Tuesday 1st May, The Wildlife Trusts are publishing Towards a wilder Britain – creating a Nature Recovery Network which shows how new laws …
Can art improve air quality?
Article by Janvi Patel ~ Ventilation specialist at Mitsubishi Electric Will a new London art installation help improve air quality? As a Londoner, I love the diversity of the city …
Six reasons why timber frame is surging in the UK
In the mid-1980s negative press about quality control for timber-frame housing caused a healthy market to slump from around 40 percent to less than 10 percent in a single year. …
Top construction materials that can positively impact the environment
The building industry is undergoing a shift. Most of the cities around us are built using a combination of steel and concrete. Concrete blocks are used to build our homes, …
Working in fall arrest: what you need to know
Fall arrest is the term used when working at height with a system which doesn’t prevent you from accessing a fall risk, unlike fall restraint. Instead of preventing you from …
Building the cities of the future
Martin Fahey reports from MIPIM, the global property event where sustainability was top of the agenda Having just spent four days in the south of France meeting some of the …
3 steps to planning ahead with F-Gas
As we continue to talk about the important industry topic of changes in F-Gas Regulation, Carl Dickinson looks at 3 steps aimed at encouraging those in building services to gather …
The benefits of timber as a building material
Jeremy English, Sales Director at Södra – Sweden’s largest forest-owner association – explains how timber is perfectly placed to meet the needs of the UK construction industry. With its clean, …
Energy efficient help for SMEs
With business looking for ways to reduce operating costs, Scott McGavin looks at how even small adjustments to a building’s HVAC systems can make a significant difference to bills. Did …
18 Things you need to know about R32 refrigerant
As the market sees R410A refrigerant increase in cost by over 600%, Deane Flint looks at 18 reasons you need to be thinking and talking to your customers about the …
Antibacterial Protection For Worksurfaces Better Than Wetwipes
It’s well known that a kitchen dishcloth is a breeding ground for bugs – leading to increases in sales of anti-bacterial wipes. The trouble with wipes is that a recent …
What’s in a number? The search for true capacity
Max Halliwell looks at what can be deduced from heat pump manufacturers’ performance figures when the temperature drops below zero. Many of my colleagues have recently made the switch to …
18 Things you need to know about F-Gas Regulations
As industries using refrigerants continue to discuss changes related to the F-Gas Regulations, Deane Flint looks at 18 important details you need to undertake and plan for now. In March 2014 the …
Love your home: The power of the positive
Can positive energy really affect happiness, well-being and love for your home? Ellina Webb investigates the three lifestyle concepts of Feng Shui, Hygge and Minimalism. Over the past year on …
Top of the class: The smarty pants office building
Ellina Webb looks at the smart solutions that can help building owners comply with legislation and improve both the energy rating and the graded class of their office space. Retrofitting …
The 18 things you need to know about MEES in 2018
With big changes soon to affect commercial buildings in England and Wales, Deane Flint looks at 18 important details regarding MEES (Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards) and the changes landlords might …
Can we now breathe in deeply and celebrate air quality?
As London manages not to exceed legal limits, ventilation expert, Janvi Patel ponders on air quality News last week on the BBC website that London’s air quality has not exceeded legal …
25 year plan to tackle environmental issues
Has the government done enough with the publication of its environmental plan? On the 11th of January, the Prime Minister, Theresa May, announced a 25 year plan to “nurture” the environment, …
The solar revolution: 3 everyday items you didn’t realise were solar powered
As we look towards a positive growth in solar and renewables, Ellina Webb looks backwards and forwards at the solar revolution. Solar power was the fastest-growing source of new energy …
New guidelines call for homes for people and wildlife
Why and how to build nature-friendly housing developments New guidelines published by The Wildlife Trusts today show how new housing developments can be built in a way that provides people …
Are we driving towards an electric future for heating?
Russell Jones finds parallels between news of electric car sales and renewable heating. The news last Friday was full of reports about the drop in UK car sales with a 17% decline …
Fossil Fuels: Beyond global warming and beyond the UK
Ellina Webb examines how burning fossil fuels causes damage to the world we live in. We all know the wider implications of burning fossil fuels, not only do they use …
Top tips for limescale removal
Limescale is incredibly common, and it’s likely that you will have it on your taps at some point in your life. Your taps will look significantly nicer without limescale on …
Can you make a commitment to conscious shopping?
Ellina Webb challenges shoppers and encourages retailers to be environmentally conscious this 2018. As the New Year dawns, about 63% of people are waking up to – not only a hangover, but …
Keeping your HVAC airways clean
RICHARD BETTS, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF RABSCREEN, THE EXTERNAL FILTER SPECIALISTS, DISCUSSES THE IMPORTANCE OF AIRFLOW IN HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEMS. Airflow is the single most critical element in the correct …
The future of heating is wireless
After a month without any gas heating, Russell Jones now looks towards a wireless future and online control If you read my last post ‘But baby it’s cold outside’ you …
The smarty-pants home
As our homes head towards being “smart” and we are bombarded with a plethora of different home devices to add to our Christmas presents list, Ellina Webb looks into what’s …
Key considerations for green roof specification
Stuart Hicks from cold-applied liquid waterproofing specialist, Kemper System, discusses the rise of green roof applications and specification best practice. The green roof market is quite literally growing – in …