SE Controls Provides a Breath of Fresh Air for Jubilee House

Indoor air quality at a new £3 million energy efficient office development for the Diocese of Southwell & Nottingham, is being monitored and controlled by an advanced NVLogiQ natural ventilation system from international smoke and natural ventilation specialist, SE Controls.

                               

The new 1290m² Jubilee House building was designed by Nottingham based, Maber Associates and provides the diocese with a mission centre, conference facilities and a new administration centre for approximately 50 staff who were previously located in the adjacent Grade II listed Dunham House.

The BREEAM Excellent rated building incorporates a number of energy saving features including high levels of insulation and natural daylight alongside low energy light fittings and SE Controls’ efficient natural ventilation system, which monitors, manages and controls carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels and temperature to maintain a comfortable indoor environment.

The adaptive natural ventilation solution developed, installed and commissioned by SE Controls uses 26 of its innovative NVLogiQ controllers, which constantly monitor the air quality in 24 separate zones. This provides a highly versatile system that not only allows the indoor air quality and ventilation to be managed locally in each zone, but every NVLogiQ unit is also linked together as a networked building solution.

Depending on the level of CO₂ present in each zone, alongside information about temperature and humidity, each NVLoqiQ controller signals a series of dedicated NVLogiQ PSU (power supply units) to automatically open windows and rooflight vents, allowing stale hot air to be replaced with cooler fresh air using the thermal stacking effect.

The sophisticated monitoring and control algorithms used in the NVLogiQ controller were developed in conjunction Loughborough University’s Building Energy Research Group and are designed to not only provide highly accurate indoor air quality management and ventilation, but also minimise energy losses from the building.

Every compact NVLogiQ controller, which measures 160mm x 105mm, also incorporates a data logger, which allows the indoor air quality, building performance and ventilation strategy to be constantly recorded for analysis, enabling the operational parameters for each zone in Jubilee House to be tuned to meet specific environment needs.

In addition to the NVLogiQ controllers and PSUs, SE Controls also provided 50 SECO N 24 40 compact chain actuators to precisely control the opening and closing of the building’s windows and rooflight vents, which are also linked to external temperature, wind and rain sensors.

In the event of rain, the system automatically closes all rooflights fully and reduces the window opening to 10%, yet authorised personnel can also adjust the individual ventilation strategy for each zone directly from the front panel of each NVLogiQ controller. A temporary over-ride facility is also available from the front panel, which allows a zone’s system to be controlled manually.

SE Controls project leader on Jubilee House, Majeed Mohammed, explained: “NVLogiQ is an ideal solution for Jubilee House as it provides optimised indoor air quality, localised monitoring and control in 24 zones and constant real time data logging to enable the building performance to be monitored and tailored.”

He added: “Ultimately, however, the natural ventilation system is about ensuring the building’s occupants have a comfortable working environment while minimising the building’s energy consumption. This solution not only meets these requirements, but also provides a level of adaptability and control that is often difficult to achieve using alternative methods.”

  

SE Controls specialises in the design, project management and installation of advanced smoke ventilation and natural ventilation solutions to meet the needs of architects, contractors, building services engineers and facilities managers worldwide. Further information on SE Controls’ products, solutions and projects can be obtained by visiting www.secontrols.com or calling

 +44 (0) 1543 443060.

SE Controls Smoke and Natural ventilation solution for Airbus

A new 25,000m² office building for leading aircraft manufacturer, Airbus, is using an advanced smoke and natural ventilation system from SE Controls to provide a comfortable working environment for staff while ensuring that an effective smoke and fire control strategy can be implemented in the event of a fire.

The four storey building, which is part of the £70 million Airbus Aerospace Business Park development at Filton, accommodates more than 2,500 staff and brings together engineering, design and customer support functions that are currently located in several smaller buildings onsite into the new engineering and technology campus.

SE Controls was involved in the project from the early stages to clarify the ventilation strategy and provide calculations on the free area requirements for the smoke vents to ensure compliance and performance standards were met.

Four separate atrium spaces feature as part of the building, designed by AWW Architects, and each incorporates 84 Schüco AWS 102 projected top hung vents. The vents are automatically operated by a total of 336 SCCO 24 30 concealed actuators, which were supplied, installed and commissioned by SE Controls in partnership with specialist façade contractor, Norking Aluminium.

In addition to installing the actuators, the interface control panels were also supplied, installed and commissioned by SE Controls together with the fire rated cabling, which is completely concealed within the curtain walling.

During day-to-day operation, the natural ventilation system responds to signals from sensors linked to the building management system (BMS) to ensure that the indoor air quality and temperature are maintained within the pre-set parameters to maintain a comfortable working environment.

In the event of a fire, the building’s alarm system signals the natural ventilation system to automatically close all the vents as part of the smoke and fire control strategy. This not only restricts the flow of oxygen into the building to help suppress the fire but also allows precise control to be taken by fire officers via the system’s manual control points, enabling smoke to be cleared from the relevant atrium.

As SE Controls’ actuators and Schüco vents have been tested and proven to meet the European smoke vent standard hEN12101-2 and the Construction Products Regulations that came into force in July 2013, the ventilations system is CE marked and fully compliant.

SE Controls’ Commercial Director, Martin Oates, commented: “The Airbus project is an excellent example of how a fully compliant life safety critical smoke ventilation system can also be utilised on a day to day basis to provide a controlled natural ventilation solution that maintains comfort for Airbus staff.”

He added: “By being brought into the process at a very early stage, we were able to clarify the specification, assist the design team and help resolve any technical and operational issues during the build.”  

  

SE Controls specialises in the design, project management and installation of advanced smoke ventilation and natural ventilation solutions to meet the needs of architects, contractors, building services engineers and facilities managers worldwide. Further information on SE Controls’ products, solutions and projects can be obtained by visiting www.secontrols.com or calling

 +44 (0) 1543 443060.

MP, MICHAEL FABRICANT OPENS SE CONTROLS’ NEW TECHNICAL INNOVATION CENTRE

Lichfield’s Member of Parliament, Michael Fabricant, today officially named and opened the new technical innovation centre as part of a business and industry focused visit to one of the region’s fastest growing businesses, SE Controls.

The 21,500 sq.ft (2000 sq.mtr) ‘Hood innovation Centre’ is named posthumously in honour of the company’s former Head of R&D, Chris Hood, who played a pivotal role in developing SE Controls’ smoke and natural ventilation system products, which have helped the company grow by more than 35% since 2010 and create around 25 new jobs over the past two years.

“Product development and technical innovation are essential facets of our business and helps ensure that we provide the best and most effective solutions possible. This not only helps us maintain a strong competitive advantage, but is also vitally important when designing and manufacturing life critical smoke ventilation systems,” explained SE Controls’ Managing Director, Will Perkins.

He added: “Chris Hood was a true innovator and was instrumental in many of the products, systems and solutions that we offer today, so it’s very fitting that his legacy is recognised and acknowledged with the dedication of our new technical innovation centre in his name.”

SE Controls specialises in the design, project management and installation of advanced smoke ventilation and natural ventilation solutions to meet the needs of architects, contractors, building services engineers and facilities managers worldwide. Further information on SE Controls’ products, solutions and projects can be obtained by visiting www.secontrols.com or calling +44 (0) 1543 443060.

SE Controls helps create a stimulating learning environment at Passmores Academy

Passmores Academy in Harlow is using a natural ventilation system from leading smoke and natural ventilation specialist, SE Controls, to provide a comfortable and stimulating learning environment for pupils while helping to reduce the school’s carbon footprint.

Designed by Jestico & Whiles and constructed by Wilmott Dixon, the £23 million school provides places for 1200 students and uses an innovative design where five arms radiate from a 2.5 storey elliptical atrium ‘hub’, allowing access to the flexible teaching facilities and recreation areas from the common central area.

A range of low impact design features and sustainable technologies have been incorporated in the BREEAM ‘Very Good’ rated school, including solar shading, biomass boilers and energy efficient glazing together with the use of a natural ventilation strategy to improve and mange indoor air quality while reducing the need for mechanical cooling.

To provide the level of control and flexibility required for the school’s natural ventilation system to operate effectively within the pre-defined set points, SE Controls supplied and installed 7 OS2 control panels to operate the rooflights, atrium louvres and entrance screens.

In addition, the company also supplied and installed the rooflight and window actuators through specialist glazing contractor, English Architectural Glazing and were responsible for commissioning the complete natural ventilation system, which is interfaced with the school’s building management and fire safety system.

SE Controls’ Project Manager, Darren Wainwright, explained: “Indoor air quality in schools is a vital consideration as it not only manages the temperature within the building, but more importantly, the level of carbon dioxide present, which has been proven to reduce learning ability if it exceeds pre-defined national guidelines. Even the classrooms have CO₂ monitors fitted so that the level can be monitored and windows can be manually opened, if required.”

He added: “By incorporating natural ventilation and linking our control panels to the BMS, Passmores Academy can not only ensure that the air quality and environment is effectively managed but also that the energy costs are kept in check.”   

SE Controls specialises in the design, project management and installation of advanced smoke ventilation and natural ventilation solutions to meet the needs of architects, contractors, building services engineers and facilities managers worldwide. Further information on SE Controls’ products, solutions and projects can be obtained by visiting www.secontrols.com or calling

+44 (0) 1543 443060.

Precision Ventilation Control for Sheffield University NAMRC

Precision window actuators from SE Controls are being used as part of an energy efficient natural ventilation system at Sheffield University’s Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (NAMRC) in Rotherham, to help maintain a comfortable environment for researchers and staff.

Work at the NAMRC focuses specifically on innovative research into metals and manufacturing engineering, rather than radioactive research and the new BREEAM Excellent rated building, which was designed by Bond Bryan Architects, is based around an open plan 5,000 m² workshop that incorporates cutting edge manufacturing equipment and facilities.

As the building already employs low energy and renewable initiatives, such as 320kW ground source heat pumps and a 900kW wind turbine, the use of natural ventilation was an ideal solution, as the temperature and air quality can be maintained within clearly defined set points while minimising the need for additional mechanical cooling.

To provide the high degree of control required, SE Controls, supplied, installed and commissioned a range of chain actuators, which are linked to the NAMRC building management system and are used to control the operation of the high and low level vents.

Twenty TGCO 24 15 actuators with a 350mm stroke length were installed on the building’s high level exhaust vents, while the need to protect against finger entrapment on the low level louvres prompted the selection of eighteen SE Controls’ TGCO 24 20 ‘Easi-Drive’ compact actuators each with 160mm stroke length.

SE Controls’ Project Manager, Darren Wainwright, explained: “It is absolutely vital that the natural ventilation strategy and system perform as designed to allow the right amount of fresh air to enter the building while ensuring that heat energy is not lost unnecessarily during the process. By using precision actuators to provide incremental operation of the system’s vents and louvres, it helps ensure that required performance is within the specified design parameters.”

SE Controls specialises in the design, project management and installation of advanced smoke ventilation and natural ventilation solutions to meet the needs of architects, contractors, building services engineers and facilities managers worldwide. Further information on SE Controls’ products, solutions and projects can be obtained by visiting www.secontrols.com or calling

+44 (0) 1543 443060.

SE Controls enhances fire safety and comfort at flagship apartment development

Berkeley Homes’ flagship Woodberry Park apartment development in North London is using an advanced smoke and natural ventilation system from SE Controls to not only provide protection for residents in the event of a fire, but to also create a better environment by actively managing any excessive heat build up in corridors.

Located on Seven Sisters Road, Woodberry Park is part of the innovative Woodberry Down regeneration programme being undertaken by the London Borough of Hackney, Genesis Housing and Berkeley Homes, which will eventually create almost 4,700 homes, combining social and affordable housing with private residential apartments.

SE Controls was commissioned to design and install a SHEVTEC® mechanical extraction smoke ventilation systems within two separate low rise private residential blocks within Woodberry Park, which provide a total of 117 luxury apartments.

In addition to smoke ventilation, a key part of SE Controls’ project specification and design brief was that the system should also incorporate an ‘environmental ventilation’ mode, enabling it to monitor heat build up in communal corridors and lobbies while also managing the operation of automatic vents to reduce the temperature and introduce fresh, cooler air into the building.

SE Controls’ Project Leader on Woodberry Park, David Sawyer, explained: “Heat build up in corridors with multi-storey apartment buildings can become an issue as many developments use efficient distributed heating systems where pipework runs along the corridors to each apartment.”

He added: “The cumulative thermal gain generated by the pipework can make corridors, lobbies and communal spaces uncomfortably hot, which is why we originally developed the environmental ventilation mode as an integral part of our smoke ventilation system capabilities, to help developers overcome this issue and provide a better environment for residents.”

The comprehensive SHEVTEC smokeventilation and environmental ventilation system installed in the two residential blocks, which have between four and seven floors, includes both an extract shaft and air inlet shaft in each the building’s two cores, with smoke dampers fitted at each level.

In normal smoke ventilation mode, if a fire is detected by building’s smoke sensors, the SHEVTEC roof mounted fan sets will start, while staircase vents and smoke vents located on the fire floor will open, enabling up to 5m³ per second of smoke to be drawn through the extraction shaft and provide a smoke free escape route for residents.

Tamper proof manual control points are installed throughout the buildings and separate fireman’s control points are also incorporated as part of the system, enabling fire service personnel to manually control the operation of every damper and staircase vent as well as the smoke and heat exhaust fans.

In addition to the system’s fire safety role, it is also designed to operate in a ‘natural environmental ventilation’ mode, which allows temperatures in corridors, lobbies and communal areas to be maintained at comfortable levels and avoid the heat build up caused by the under floor heating pipework feeding individual apartments.

Each lobby that is served by the smoke shafts is fitted with a ceiling mounted temperature sensor, which triggers the roof mounted environmental ventilation fan to run when the temperature exceeds the pre-determined set point to vent the warm air and replace it with cooler air from outside.

As with the smoke ventilation operation, only the dampers on the over-temperature floor will open and once the temperature has reduced sufficiently, they will close again and the ventilation fan will switch off. External temperature sensors are also installed within the system, which ensures that the environmental ventilation system will not operate if the outside temperature is higher than that within the corridors.

SE Controls specialises in the design, project management and installation of advanced smoke ventilation and natural ventilation solutions to meet the needs of architects, contractors, building services engineers and facilities managers worldwide. Further information on SE Controls’ products, solutions and projects can be obtained by visiting www.secontrols.com or calling +44 (0)1543 443060.

Charity fundraising by SE Controls raises over £6,500 for St Giles Hospice

For the past year, staff at Midlands based smoke and natural ventilation specialist, SE Controls, have been raising funds totalling £6,504 for local charity St Giles Hospice, which provides specialist care for patients with cancer and other serious illnesses.

The SE Controls staff found a variety of fun ways to raise money including fancy dress days, unwanted item sales and the hotly contested annual SE Controls cake baking competition that saw the Operations Director triumph for the second year in a row with his famous lemon cake.

The fund raisers joined up with Walsall Rugby Club to host a family fun day with a rugby match and balloon release. The Walsall Vets gained victory over the Bloxwich team and whilst age and athleticism wasn’t on their side the weight advantage meant they won every scrum. The balloon release was a great success with the winning balloon making it all the way to The Netherlands.

“Being able to help support a great charity like St Giles is always rewarding” Mark Soleil, who recently helped present the cheque to head of fund raising for St Giles Helen Relihan, who commented “It really is a fantastic amount and the money raised will go a long way to helping support those who need it most”.

SE Controls specialises in the design, project management and installation of advanced smoke ventilation and natural ventilation solutions to meet the needs of architects, contractors, building services engineers and facilities managers worldwide. Further information on SE Controls’ products, solutions and projects can be obtained by visiting www.secontrols.com or calling +44 (0) 1543 443060.