Electrical Contracting News (ECN) October 2016 | Page 8

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High profi le case studies from the lighting sector .

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A brand new national exhibition , aimed at the entire

David Kitchener , managing director of ATM , commented , electrical and electronics industry , will be held next year at ‘ The ED & I Expo represents a real watershed moment the world renowned NEC in Birmingham by publishing and in the electrical sector , allowing everyone involved in events group All Things Media ( ATM ). the industry to get together , share ideas , unearth new ‘ The Electrical Design and Install Expo ’ ( ED & I ) is being business opportunities and drive the industry forward . backed by leading electrical and building services trade We expect to attract visitors from all over the UK and are body the Electrical Contractors ’ Association ( ECA ), which extremely confi dent that the event will quickly become will be the headline sponsor for the event . the “ must attend ” exhibition for senior level decision ED & I will aim to bring everyone involved in the installation , makers , contractors , specifi ers , consultants , architects design , specifi cation , inspection , manufacturing and and designers , distributors , training providers , facilities distribution of electrical products together under one roof . managers and other key infl uencers .’

The show will offer a unique opportunity to learn about Steve Bratt , CEO of the ECA , added , ‘ The ECA is and interact with the latest products and innovations , hear very pleased to be working with ATM on the ED & I Expo , from industry experts , and network with thousands of which presents a unique opportunity for designers , industry professionals . installers , suppliers and manufacturers from across the

Billed as ‘ the electrical event the industry has been crying industry , as well as showcasing what the industry has out for ’, the show will be shaped around discovering new to offer to important clients and specifiers . With the technologies and services that can help businesses to ED & I Expo being held at the UK ’ s leading exhibition grow . Comprehensive seminars will offer valuable insights venue – the NEC in Birmingham – all the ingredients are into the latest industry opportunities and trends , and the in place to deliver hugely important new industry event latest on policy and legislation , while an array of industry next autumn .’ vendors will showcase their latest industry leading products The ED & I Expo will be held on 6th and 7th September and services on the exhibition fl oor .

2017 . To fi nd out more , please visit www . edandiexpo . com .

Glamox has supplied hundreds of LED wide beam floodlights for use on the Royal Navy ’ s two new aircraft carriers – the HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales .

Win a Sonos wireless music system courtesy of Timeguard .

SPECIAL FEATURE :

Almost eight in 10 ( 78 per cent ) electrical and building services fi rms say turnover increased or remained steady in the second quarter of 2016 , according to new research from the Electrical Contractors ’ Association ( ECA ). The fi ndings cover the period leading up to the EU referendum , and the week following the landmark result .

ECA CEO Steve Bratt commented , ‘ The ECA ’ s business survey for Q2 indicates that electrical and building services fi rms have been doing more business , despite potential challenges in the wider economy .’

Looking at Q2 2016 , the ECA ’ s Building Engineering Business Survey , conducted in association with Scolmore , also found that :

• Small businesses ( turnover £ 201k – £ 1m ) had a positive quarter , with nearly three in four fi rms ( 72 per cent ) reporting turnover remaining steady or increasing , up seven per cent on the previous quarter .

• Medium sized fi rms ( turnover £ 1.1m to £ 5m ) also enjoyed a strong quarter , with eight in 10 businesses ( 80 per cent ) seeing turnover rise or remain steady , also up seven per cent on Q1 .

• Large companies ( turnover £ 5.1m to £ 20m ) had a fair Q2 , with over eight in 10 fi rms ( 83 per cent ) indicating that turnover increased or remained steady , up slightly on the last quarter .

• Very large businesses ( turnover over £ 20m ) saw turnover hold steady , with over fi ve in 10 fi rms ( 53 per cent ) reporting turnover remaining the same , while 35 per cent had an increase .

Looking to Q3 2016 , the period immediately following the EU referendum result , the outlook from building services fi rms remained positive . Over eight out of 10 respondents ( 82 per cent ) expected turnover to increase or stay the same compared to Q2 , which is similar to forecasts in the previous quarter .

ECA members were surveyed for their views in early July this year , with the response rate from members the highest in nearly fi ve years .

INDUSTRY NEWS

A new report published by AMA Research estimates that the lighting industry was worth £ 2bn in 2015 , having increased by 13 per cent on the previous year . The trend towards LED technologies has driven up value growth in the market , as has the continuation of a number of fi nance schemes that allow for lighting replacements to be paid for from future energy cost savings . Despite market forecasts being revised downwards following the EU referendum , underlying trends remain positive .

The issue of retro-fi tting of more effi cient lamp products has been crucial to growth rates within the market over the last two to three years . This trend is , however , now having less effect on market value , as the replacement lamps ’ average prices have fallen signifi cantly and are now more comparable with the high volume , low value products that they are replacing . The non-residential sector has not had the momentum of the domestic sector in the last couple of years but had started to pick up , especially in the commercial offi ce sector , though popular opinion is that this area will slow down as investors assess the risk factors associated with Brexit .

The UK market for lighting is diverse with a broad range of products and a number of end use applications , many of which have dedicated lighting ranges . Although the lamps and luminaires sectors have continued to experience positive conditions 2014-15 , lighting controls remains the sector with the highest levels of growth within the overall market . Key to this recent growth has been the step change experienced in the technologies of solid state lighting controls and recognition of the need for more effi cient lighting systems for all end use sectors . The concepts of zoning , directional and space lighting although previously evident in the market have been brought into sharper focus by the need to cuts costs , carbon emissions and save energy .

The UK lamps market has experienced signifi cant change in recent years as European Directives have impacted on the supply and sales of certain lamp types . The phased removal of ineffi cient lamps from both the residential and non-residential sectors has continued to see the replacement of the traditional incandescent lamp in the domestic sector with compact fl uorescents which in turn have been replaced by LEDs .

Luminaires still dominate the UK lighting market accounting for the majority share in 2015 , although their overall share of the market is gradually declining . The luminaires market is more reliant on the levels of new build and refurbishment activity , particularly in the nondomestic sector , than the lamps market and these fi gures refl ect an increase in output and rising confi dence in the private commercial sector between 2013 and 2015 . The recent trend has been positive with strong market growth in 2015 underpinned by investment in street lighting , rising levels of house completions as well as improvements in construction output for both the domestic and non-domestic sectors .

‘ Market prospects have changed markedly with the result of the EU referendum , which is forcing companies and investors to consider their fi nancial commitments , and the construction industry was already showing signs of slowing growth in the fi rst half of 2016 ,’ said Keith Taylor . ‘ These deteriorating economic and construction trends are likely to affect the lighting market and while there has been good growth in the last two years , the next two to three years are expected to be much more constrained .’

Recent research has discovered that smart energy is the number one driver for smart home installations – ahead of smart security , entertainment , convenience and health .

Sales fi gures for Internet of Things ( IoT ) heating devices in the UK show the increasing adoption of this new technology , with sales growing by 3,000 per cent since 2010 and volumes set to rise by a massive 40 per cent in 2016 .

Overall awareness is also high with 57 per cent of UK consumers now aware of what a ‘ smart ’ or ‘ connected home ’ is , so it ’ s vital that heating engineers and electricians are not getting left behind with the smart home revolution .

Simon May , product manager at Drayton , said , ‘ Internet connected heating controls have been around for a number of years now , but we have really seen an increase in adoption of these systems over the last 12 months .

‘ Heating engineers and electricians can no longer ignore these systems , and by offering smart thermostats to their customers they can open up a potentially lucrative new revenue stream .’

Devices such as intelligent thermostats , controls and metering come under the smart energy umbrella , covering areas such as space and water heating and lighting .

Werner is once again the proud sponsor of Phil ‘ The Power ’ Taylor , following a successful partnership in 2015 with the darts legend and 16 times World Champion . The renewed sponsorship deal is the third year for the successful partnership designed to promote the Werner brand to professional installers , trade audiences and end consumers .

Integral LED is celebrating the accreditation of several new Which ? Best Buys . Since the brand ’ s launch three years ago , the manufacturer has been recognised for quality on two previous occasions . Now , expert consumer reviewers Which ? have judged three further Integral products as worthy of their prized ‘ Best Buy ’.

Adler & Allan Group Company , E & S Environmental Services , has expanded its M & E offering through the acquisition of Worcester Electrical Services ( WES ). WES specialises in all areas of electrical installations , engineering , maintenance and design . As NICEIC approved electrical contractors , the main bulk of its work is carried out in hazardous environments , such as petrol forecourts . WES also carry out all aspects of industrial , commercial and domestic electrical installation .

Campbell & Kennedy ( C & K ) has achieved the Achilles BuildingConfi dence accreditation following a successful two day audit last month . The inspection included a thorough review of all company policies and procedures , providing excellent feedback for further development . Achilles BuildingConfi dence is the accreditation standard for the UK Construction sector and has been designed to minimise risk and streamline procurement for construction clients .

Beckhoff Automation has been named as a Finalist in the Lux Awards 2016 , in the Connected Lighting Innovation of the Year Category . Beckhoff ’ s innovative lighting control solution is based around its CX-series embedded PC , which had been designed to provide a simple , single platform for lighting control that enables building owners and managers to bring various lighting systems , and other building controls , together for greater synergy and energy savings .

ETA Enclosures has invested £ 100,000 in its UK Logistics centre in Rotherham , South Yorkshire . This investment provides new training and showroom facilities along with extended offi ces to accommodate additional internal sales staff .

YESSS Electrical is celebrating the opening of a new branch in York . The 6,000ft 2 store , located on Seafi re Close , off Auster Road in the heart of Clifton Moor has had a £ 150,000 refi t and now features a modern sales area and lighting showroom . The new store is open to both the trade and the public and is the wholesaler ’ s fi rst branch in the city .

SWA is offering a top prize of a £ 500 holiday voucher – plus many other prizes – for the quickest fi tting of its new Tauras cable gland . As well as the £ 500 fi rst prize , there ’ s a £ 50 Amazon gift voucher for every regional winner and even a prize for every entrant . Contact SWA for details of your nearest stockist participating in the Tauras Challenge .