Showing posts with label electricians glasgow. Show all posts
Showing posts with label electricians glasgow. Show all posts

Friday 27 May 2016

Certificates 4 Landlords - Smoke Alarms

Introduction


From the 1st October 2015 regulations require smoke alarms to be installed by qualified electricians in rented residential accommodation and carbon monoxide alarms in rooms with a solid fuel appliance. Changes are also made to the licence requirements in relation to houses in multiple occupation (HMOs), such as shared houses and bedsits which require a licence and also in relation to properties which are subject to selective licensing. The Regulations apply both to houses and flats. Failure to comply can lead to a civil penalty being imposed of up to £5,000.
These provisions only apply in England; not Wales.

Who is affected?

The requirements are imposed on the immediate landlord. There is an exemption for providers of social housing. A tenancy includes a licence to occupy a residential premises and it also extends to subletting for these purposes.
In the case of a licensed HMO or where there is a selective licensing it is the responsibility of the licence holder to ensure that mandatory conditions imposed in relation to the installation of alarms are complied with.

The premises affected

These duties apply to residential premises which means premises all or part of which comprise a dwelling. Thus, it will apply to a flat over a shop. If the property is a licensed HMO or subject to selective licensing there are mandatory conditions imposed on licences.
The premises must be let under a specified tenancy or a licence. This is a tenancy or licence of residential premises which grants one or more persons the right to occupy premises as their only or main residence. Rent or a licence fee must be payable.
There are various exemptions:-
  • A tenancy under which the occupier shares any accommodation with the landlord or a member of the landlord's family. There must be a sharing of an amenity which includes a toilet, personal washing facilities, a kitchen or a living room but excludes any reference to storage or access.
  • A tenancy which is a long lease or which grants a right of occupation of the premises, i.e. for more than 21 years.
  • Student halls of residence.
  • Hostels
  • Care homes
  • Hospitals
  • Accommodation relating to health care provision

Requirement for Smoke alarms

During any period beginning on or after 1st October 2015 while the premises are occupied under a tenancy (or licence) the landlord must ensure that a smoke alarm is equipped on each storey of the premises on which there is a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation. A living room will include a lounge dining room and kitchen as well as a bathroom or toilet. It also includes a hall or landing. This means that a smoke alarm must be provided in working order on each storey. The RLA takes the view that mezzanines are caught by this legislation where they contain a room used wholly or partly as living accommodation, including a bathroom or toilet. As regards individual flats located on one floor then there will have to be at least one alarm within the flat itself or alternatively are provided outside the flat on the same floor of the building, i.e. a communal alarm.
Likewise, for flats comprising more than one storey there will need to be a smoke alarm on each floor.
It is the location of an alarm which sounds which is crucial; not the positioning of detectors.
The Regulations do not stipulate what kind of alarm is required. Ideally it should be a hard wired alarm system. It can, however, be a single standalone alarm. Landlords are recommended by the RLA to fit ten year long life tamper proof alarms, otherwise there is a problem of batteries being taken out and not being replaced.
As a final note, heat detectors are not considered sufficient. It will have to be a smoke detector.

Carbon monoxide alarms

Additionally, landlords must ensure that there is a carbon monoxide alarm fitted in any room that is used partly or wholly as living accommodation which also contains any appliance which burns, or is capable of burning, solid fuel. This would include log and coal burning stoves and open fires, even if they are not normally in use, but does not include gas and oil boilers. If an open fireplace is purely decorative and not useable then it is not covered by the regulations.
Gas is not a solid fuel and so there is no requirement to fit one near a gas boiler. It is still advisable as best practice however.

Checks

The landlord is specifically required to carry out a check to ensure that smoke alarms or carbon monoxide alarms installed to comply with the Regulations are in proper working order on the day a tenancy begins where it is a new tenancy. A new tenancy is a tenancy granted on or after 1st October 2015.
For these purposes a new tenancy does not include a tenancy which was granted where the original agreement was entered into before 1st October 2015; nor does it include a periodic statutory tenancy which arises when a fixed term shorthold tenancy ends. It does not apply to a tenancy which starts at the end of an earlier tenancy where the landlord and tenant are the same as under the earlier tenancy and the premises are the same (or substantially the same) as those under the earlier tenancy. Therefore this express requirement to check does not apply to the renewal of a tenancy for the same premises by the same landlord to the same tenant. This should not be confused with the requirement to install detectors and alarms which applies to tenancies in existence before October 1st 2015.
In our view, landlords should not be under a false sense of security because of this provision. Our reading of the regulation is that there is an ongoing obligation to ensure that any smoke alarm or carbon monoxide alarm installed to meet these requirements is in working order. Alarms should therefore be checked periodically to see that they are working properly. There is no reason why this responsibility should not be placed on the tenant and the government guidance does suggest the tenant check monthly. However, the landlord will then have to make sure that the tenant does actually carry out the checks. If challenged, a landlord could have to show that a proper system has been put in place to check alarms regularly.

Placement of Alarms

The regulations do not tell landlords where to place the smoke alarms, instead the guidance suggests the landlord follow the manufacturer's instructions which will typically be at head height between 1-3 meters away from the solid fuel burning source for carbon monoxide alarms and in a circulation point for smoke detectors.

HMOs and Selectively licensed properties

As from 1st October 2015 new licence conditions will be included requiring the provision of smoke alarms and fire detectors. In the case of HMO licences they already contain provisions for alarms in any case. The regulations themselves are not applicable in this kind of accommodation.

Enforcement

The local authority is responsible for enforcement.
A local authority must serve a remedial notice within 21 days where they have reason to believe that the landlord is in breach of any of these duties relating to smoke alarms or carbon monoxide alarms. A remedial notice must specify the action to be taken within 28 days of the date of the service of the notice. It allows the landlord 28 days to make representations against the notice.
The landlord must then take the required action within the period allowed. There is an excuse for a landlord for non-compliance with the notice if the landlord can show that he has taken reasonable steps to comply with the duty, but the landlord is not required to take legal proceedings. This could cover a situation where the tenant refuses access to allow the work to be done.
If the landlord fails to take action then the local authority must, if it has the necessary consent to do so, arrange for the work required to be undertaken within 28 days of consent being obtained if consent of the occupier of the premises is required. Therefore if a local authority is also refused access by the tenant it cannot take the necessary steps itself.

Penalties

If the landlord is in breach the local authority may require the landlord to pay a penalty charge up to a maximum of £5,000. It has discretion whether or not to impose this charge. If it intends to impose a charge it must serve a penalty charge notice within six weeks from when it is first satisfied that a breach has occurred. A right to make representations against the penalty notice is given and the local authority may reduce the charge for prompt payment.

Appeals

If the local authority upholds a penalty charge notice there is a right to appeal for the landlord to the First Tier Tribunal. The Grounds of Appeal are:-
  • Local authority has made an error of fact or law
  • The amount of penalty charge is unreasonable
  • The decision to impose a penalty is unreasonable for any other reason
Payment of the penalty is suspended pending any appeal.

Local authority penalty policy

Each local authority must publish a statement of principles which will be followed in determining the amount of any penalty charge. This statement will be taken into account in deciding on an individual penalty for a particular case.

Tuesday 8 December 2015

NICEIC UPDATES 2015


  Regulations in 2015/2016


After I attended a briefing and update session today by the NICEIC I can report on some of the main points of interest to property owners:-
  • Between January and July 2015 electrical installations work undertaken can comply with either the old or the new regulations. From July 2015 the new regulations will apply except in one regard in respect of replacement or new Consumer Units. Any electrical contractor engaged should by January be conversant with the new regulations.
  • Not unexpectedly the changes to regulations are there mainly to improve safety to persons and property. A few of the changes are to better align our regulations alongside common European regulations.
  • For home owners, from January 2016 at the latest, the main change will be a slightly different construction for Consumer Units (aka Fuse Box). Consumer Units will need to be of a fire resistance construction, in other words steel. They may not be quite so pretty and the method for the cables entering the Consumer Unit may not be so flexible or pretty either.  We shall have to wait and see what the manufacturing industry comes up with over time as they accommodate this new requirements.  I would forecast that prices for these new steel Consumer Units will be more expensive to manufacture and will take a little longer to install.  It also means that from mid 2014 there could be a flood of 3rd Amendment Regulation non compliant Consumer Units available at knock down prices.
  • For commercial businesses, schools, colleges and government buildings there will be stricter requirements for additional protection against electric shock on socket outlet circuits by increasing the use of safety devices called RCDs.  It will be a useful change in increasing safety but it does mean perhaps increased costs and in some cases a different approach to design circuits for computer equipment in offices and education establishments.
  • The will be more focus of design, inspection and testing of control circuits such as those used for central heating systems. This could present some challenges for Gas/Oil heating system engineers who may in the future have to call in an electrician whereas previously they could have completed the wiring to control valves, controllers and thermostats themselves.  This too will have cost implications on home owners.
  • The regulations for formal Inspection are changing a little as well. Enough require all new stationary and reference material for electrical contractors. Also new  methods and adjustments to learn how to use for recording results.
  • Interestingly there is a new regulation that when Periodic Inspections and Tests (EICR)are being undertaken in Homes and Business Premises then inspection to some degree or another in accessible loft spaces is now required unless recorded as a reasonable non compliance. Previously the inspection of wiring in loft spaces was a reasonably accepted omission. This is certainly a safety improvement as I personally have found a fair number of safety issues with wiring in lofts.
  • Another change is the need to ensure cables that run above or across safe exit routes but be secured with supports that will resist heat/fire. This is to avoid fire fighters and escapees being tangled up in drooping wire when try to get out of fire damaged building. Apparently the Fire Fighters requested this changes because there had been several deaths because of this problem.  To installing electricians this is a fairly  easy requirement to meet by using metal type buckle clips or purpose designed cable retainers for use inside trunking.
  • In the new Regulations there will now be approximately 1500 individual regulations, and increase of several hundred compared to the current issue.

Wednesday 21 October 2015

Replacement Consumer unit Glasgow

Vist our website www.weselectrical.co.uk or call 01418405236



17th Edition: Update for customers in the Glasgow and the surrounding areas october 21, 2015

Over the next year the electrical industry in the UK, faces Several changes to the electrical regulations. It has already started with the introduction of BS 7671: 2008(2015) - Amendment 3 to the 17th Edition of the IET wiring regulations - on 1st January 2015 and will continue through to 2016. It is important that electricians and electrical installers and electrical contractors understand what the amendment is and how it will affect their customers and there business

 So whats changed?

 BEAMA, the independent expert knowledge base and forum for the electrotechnical industry for the UK and across Europe, has said that the primary root-cause of fires in consumer units is loose electrical connections. Additionally, the London Fire Brigade has found that fires involving electrical consumer units have increased to approximately five incidents each week. It’s clear that a change needs to be made to protect consumers from potential harm. The London Fire Brigade LFB has been working with Electrical Safety First, BEAMA and other industry organisations to make edits to Amendment 3 requirements that will directly improve personal safety and quell the risk of residential fires.

What does it all Means? Glasgow 

To address this issue Amendment 3 will provide a degree of enhanced fire risk protection, requiring switchgear assemblies – including consumer units - to have their enclosures made from a suitable non-combustible material, or be installed in a cabinet or enclosure comprised from a suitable non-combustible material, for example steel. This is all covered within Chapter 42 with the addition of Regulation 421.1.201. MK Electric will be making the mandatory changes to their consumer units, using metal enclosures, which will be available at the end of March. This new range will be available alongside their MK Sentry insulated consumer unit portfolio. Enhanced fire safety is also referenced in the new Regulation 521.201, which outlines the requirements for wiring systems which are above escape routes, to be supported by fire-resistant fastenings and fixings. All cabling must be supported such that it cannot prematurely collapse when exposed to extreme heat. Once again there is a hint towards the use of metallic materials, although this is not prescribed. Amendment 3 also puts more responsibility on the installer. Chapter 41 examines the use of RCD protection on socket outlets. The regulation now requires RCD protection in accordance with regulation 415.1 for socket outlets up to 20A and for mobile equipment with a current rating not exceeding 32A for outdoor use, for all installations. However there is an exception, for socket outlets up to 20A, where the socket outlet is specifically labelled, or where a documented risk assessment determines that RCD protection is not necessary. Chapter 61 makes a new reference to ‘Skilled person (electrically)’ which has the added condition of the person being competent in inspection, testing and certification work. It also notes that supplies up to 100 amps have a new, more detailed schedule of inspections. Additionally, for installations greater than 100amps, a model list of items that require inspection during initial verification is provided in Appendix 6.

This list, along with a documented risk assessment of any permitted exceptions to the list must be appended to the Electrical Installation Certificate and the declaration signed. Dates to you need Know Over the next year and into 2016 there will be key dates that both manufacturers and installers need to keep in mind to comply with the updated regulation. • 1st January 2015: BS7671:2008+A3 was published.

Installations designed after this date may comply and be certified to these new standards or be designed and certified to BS7671:2008+A2 (for a maximum transitional period of 6 months) • 1st July 2015: BS7671:2008+A2 Installations designed after this date must comply fully with BS7671:2008+A3

 • 1st January 2016: Regulation 421.1.201 comes into full effect (this doesn’t preclude conformity beforehand) MK Electric is Ready​ MK Electric will shortly be announcing details of its new metal consumer unit range for compliance to regulation 421.1.201. The range will be available from the end of March. Additionally, MK Electric is offering electric installers and contractors the opportunity to take part in Continuing Professional Development Accreditation for Training to better understand the regulation. More specifically the session will address how the regulation affects installers, specific changes to be aware of and information they will need to counsel their clientele.

Consequentially, Amendment 3 to BS7671:2008 introduces a new regulation relating to the enhancement of Fire Safety, as follows: Regulation 421.1.201 – Protection against thermal effects – Consumer Units Within domestic (household) premises, consumer units and similar switchgear assemblies shall comply with BS EN 61439 3 and shall: Have their enclosure manufactured from a non-combustible material, or Be enclosed in a cabinet or enclosure constructed of non-combustible material and complying with Regulation 132.12 Amendment 3 was published on 5th January 2015 and will apply to all Electrical installations designed after 1st July 2015; however Regulation 421.1.201 will not be mandatory until 1st January 2016.

Sunday 2 November 2014

LED Lighting In the home.


For most of my customers in Glasgow the issue of lighting is never a dull subject to discuss, with the advancement in LED technology, the dawn of the new more powerful and colourful led lamps is upon us. I can assure customers that if the purchase the led lamps i recommend for their lighting the would not notice much in a way of difference in light but a significant reduction in the cost of running their lighting in the home.
The UK is in the top five nations in Europe for buying energy saving light bulbs, but lagging behind in the purchase of ‘next generation’ lighting such as LEDs.
More testing, information and certification of the kind we’re involved in through the PremiumLight scheme should certainly help increase consumer confidence. But outside the domestic market, it seems companies do not need much extra convincing.
Forbes grandly decreed recently that “LED retrofits are the ‘Trojan horse’ of the Internet of Things” with the market for just sensors and applications related to LED lighting set to more than double to 2020. This is not so surprising at all if we are to take the Carbon Trust’s director of implementation Myles McCarthy at his word:
A business, such as a warehouse or large hotel, can save up to 70% of its electricity costs by switching to LED lights with motion sensors…and receive a payback on the capital outlay within two years.”
Efficiency, cost reductions and the kind of light quality benefits that we saw in our Lit Up report on LED lighting in social housing schemes in Westend Glasgow are a potent combination.
Increased take-up of new technologies tends to mean falling prices and a growth in demand for fittings and extras – in this case those extras which play into the idea of a future of smart energy management. The future is suddenly looking very rosy indeed for LEDs. And that’s before we’ve even touched ‘Li-fi’.
Yes, that’s right – LED-based Wi-Fi connectivity may be another imminent boom to the LED industry, with a tussle for technological supremacy seemingly opening up between the UK and China.  Visible light communications, or VLC, can produce high data speeds at low cost, and while there was some scepticism about recent claims of a breakthrough in Shanghai, a British collaborative study seems to have backed them up.
Micro LED bulbs can handle millions of changes of light intensity, which can in turn transmit data. Parallel streams of light can multiply the amount of data transmitted – something likened water out of showerhead by a University of Strathclyde scientist.
Whether we’re bathing in an LED glow or using LED light to stream a video, this is certainly a technology we’re going to be well acquainted with over the coming years.


Friday 24 October 2014

Landlords (EICR) Electrical Testing (PIR)

Periodic Inspection Report (PIR) & Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR)



An Electrical Installation Condition Report (E.I.C.R.) previously known as a Periodic Inspection Report (P.I.R) is like a M.O.T for the mains power electrical installation and wiring of your property.

Some properties are required by law to conduct an E.I.C.R. at set intervals, depending on the type of use and if the public have access.

There is no obligation for private domestic properties which are not rented out to have a valid E.I.C.R. but many property owners employ the services of a qualified electrician to conduct an E.I.C.R. to be aware in what condition the installation is.
A report is only issued once all the circuits have been visually inspected and electrically tested.

If the installation is considered to be in a good condition and complies with the regulations a ‘Satisfactory’ certificate is applied which gives the property a good bill of health until the next inspection.

A date for the next inspection will also be entered on the report, and depending upon the condition of the installation and the purpose of use.

If the property does not meet requirements an ‘Unsatisfactory’ report will be issued, with a list of remedial works that need to be fixed before a the installation can pass the test.

If you are about to conduct a major renovation project it is advisable to conduct an E.I.C.Rhttps://www.facebook.com/westendglasgowelectrician to give you an accurate picture of the condition of the electrical installation and wiring in the building. If you need to some works on your installation it would probably be better to do so before you finalise all your decorating works.

Remember: – electricity can be dangerous. Overheated cables can start fire. Don’t risk your own safety as well as of the other occupants of the property. Maintain your electrical installation in safe condition.

wes electrical  have a great reputation for conducting electrical certification to all types of property, both domestic and commercial, with minimum disruption to the tenants and owners.

Monday 12 May 2014

Electrical contracting in Glasgow 2014





I have been wondering for a while now why our industry has been cutting itself down and not staying true to business. What do I mean by that well I look at the  bass fitters and the plumbers in my marketplace and they all have the same mentality and price structure. No one veers far from the standard price in the Glasgow and Mosspark area whether you are a one man show or a 50 man shop. HVAC companies have good structure and the standards for the technicians are set higher. They wear uniforms, don’t complain about working on call shifts and just seem to have a better grip on customer service than electricians.
Electricians and electrical contractors have been trying to play catch up with the other industries and trades and I have to say it is about time. We make our living doing a highly skilled trade and still don’t know how to do simple things in business and in marketing. There is no doubt that we are great electrical  technicians but we definitely have some work to do on the business side of things.
I created this blog so we can all try to make our electrical industry a better place to earn a living. Let’s face it, this is what we do to feed our families and if we can not do that then why do it. I see electrical contractors everyday that go out of business not because they were bad electricians but they just don't understand how in todays market place new thinking and new approaches need to be taken to be a success. Believe me I was one of those guys. I searched and looked for business resources on running an electrical business approached business gateway in glasgow but never found anything. It was the school of hard knocks for me. I realized that our industry thinks it is some secret that should not be told on how to run a business. I think different, I think that if we all have better training and resources that we all will prosper.
For me learning about business has been a full time occupation since i was 20 and could get a job in the electrical industry after my time as an apprentice electrician was done and to be honest i diet want to go out and work for someone, i have always had a business mind and an attitude to making my own money. so thats exactly what i did, and i dominated my local area, but as time goes on without proper knowledge of where marketing and the industry was heading, the work started to slow down, until i released that i need to work hard at keeping my business at the top. There are multiple ways of doing this and i will digress in my other blogs but running a business in todays market in west end glasgow takes much more than placing an add in a news paper.
Lets make a change the electrical contracting game for the better in Glasgow  because our industry is not like a shelf at asda. We cant look for the cheapest disposable electricians forever and it will catch up to all of us eventually. Let me know if you have anything you would like to learn or know about so we cant discuss it further.

Monday 27 January 2014

The Future of Power

Kevin Arthur, CEO of Oxford Photovoltaics

It took just 10 minutes for Kevin Arthur to be persuaded that the tiny square of red glass on his fingertips was the future of solar power.
He had only recently been involved in a solar energy start-up company and was keen to try his hand at something new.
We would still be in the lab if it wasn't for the Technology Strategy Board – they listened to us when nobody else would – and their faith in our technology is seeing fruition right now – we are world leaders in our field - Kevin Arthur, CEO of Oxford Photovoltaics
 
But that was before he met the charismatic Oxford Universityphysicist Dr Henry Snaith and saw his remarkable solar cells.
 
‘I went into the room a sceptic and came out a believer,' says Kevin, the Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Photovoltaics.
We have been on the most amazing journey with them [Technology Strategy Board] - Kevin Arthur
 
Four years later – with a range of Technology Strategy Board fundings under their belt the two of them were heading up one of the UK's most promising young green electrical companies.

The incredible journey

scientist working in a laboratory
‘We would still be in the lab if it wasn't for the Technology Strategy Board – they listened to us when nobody else would – and their faith in our technology is seeing fruition right now – we are world leaders in our field,' added Kevin.
 
‘We have been on the most amazing journey with them. In the beginning – on that day in that room just four years ago – Henry showed me a solar cell technology that was low-cost, easy to produce and which could be printed on the surface of glass. 
 
‘The idea gripped me straight away. You mixed up the stuff and printed it on glass. That meant it could be used in the glass skins of commercial buildings - a massive market. I was really excited by the opportunity!'
Unlike conventional silicon solar panels which use rare earth metals and toxic materials, Henry's photovoltaic cells, developed at the Photovoltaic and Optoelectronic Device Group in Oxford University's Physics Department, use cheap, abundant and environmentally friendly materials - Kevin Arthur
 
By November 2009, Kevin already had more than 20 years' experience in the semi-conductor industry and two promising university spin-outs under his belt. He wanted a new challenge. 
 
needle and microscope
‘I was entrepreneur in residence at Imperial College when I was phoned by Isis Innovation – Oxford University's technology transfer arm - who asked if I wanted to be chief executive officer of another solar start up.
 
‘I'd already done solar with a university spin-out called QuantaSol so I told them ‘no thanks,' but by the end of that meeting with Henry  I had changed my mind,' explained Kevin. 
 

Low cost solutions for the environment

‘Unlike conventional silicon solar panels which use rare earth metals and toxic materials, Henry's photovoltaic cells, developed at the Photovoltaic and Optoelectronic Device Group in Oxford University's Physics Department, use cheap, abundant and environmentally friendly materials.
 
‘The technology works by printing a microscopic layer of ‘solid-state dye sensitised solar cells' on ordinary glass. The cells are sealed with a thin layer of glass.
 
‘A layer of cells is just one or two thousandths of a millimetre thick (one or two microns) and can be made in a range of colours and transparencies,' said Kevin.
 
‘In contrast, the equivalent traditional product – amorphous silicon solar cells often found in calculators – are black or brown and the process of making them transparent severely reduces their already low efficiency. 
scientists in a laboratory
 
‘These new solar cells are more efficient, more stable, thinner and use lower cost materials,' says Kevin. ‘They make beautifully clear coloured glass,' he added.
 
‘They work at much higher temperatures than existing technology which tends to lose efficiency above 25ºC. They also work well with diffuse light – making them suitable for building facades.
 

Harnessing the power of the sun

‘In 2009, the cells were working at five per cent efficiency, which meant it was converting five per cent of sunlight into electricity.
 
‘That isn't enough for a commercial product which typically works at 15 to 20 per cent efficiency but it was more than enough to show me that the invention had potential. I was hooked,' said Kevin.
All we could think was ‘Amazing! In one step, the Technology Strategy Board has got our company up and running! We could hardly believe it was true! - Kevin Arthur
 
He spent 11 months working on a business plan to allow Oxford Photovoltaics to licence the technology to glass manufacturers and processors. But money was hard to find and the company needed cash before Isis would release the patents.
 
Then in September 2010, Kevin learnt about Innovate 10 Launch Pad – a business competition run by the Technology Strategy Board for ‘disruptive' inventions and business ideas.
 
The prize was £25k and the chance to pitch for an additional £75k in front of 2,000 people at the Design Centre, Glasgow.
 
There was one catch. Kevin discovered this potential funding source late in the day and the deadline for submitting his video entry was noon the next day.
 
Kevin Arthur, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Photovoltaics
‘To make it worse I had a board meeting at 10am. The whole thing is a bit of a blur now. But on that fateful day, I got up at 4.30am, found my video camera, got a tripod from the loft and wrote a two minute script which I stuck to the back of the office door at home.
 
‘Time was ticking, I was on my own and I'd never edited a video before. But I did it and it's still on YouTube. It looks pretty reasonable.
 
‘We got the initial £25k prize in the Energy category and then we had this chance to increase it to £100k at the event itself where we did a short presentation. We beat three other guys and suddenly we had the money to build the company.
 

One step to success with the Technology Strategy Board

If we hadn't got the £100k from the Technology Strategy Board we wouldn't have been able to licence the patents and we wouldn't be here now. But we did. They did - Kevin Arthur
 
‘All we could think was ‘Amazing! In one step The Technology Strategy Board has got our company up and running! We could hardly believe it was true!
 
‘If we hadn't got the £100k from the Technology Strategy Board we wouldn't have been able to licence the patents and we wouldn't be here now. But we did. They did.
 
‘The next day we hit the road and we started pitching to anybody who would listen,' said Kevin.
Once again, the Technology Strategy Board helped us realise our dreams, this time with a £250k grant under the Smart scheme - Kevin Arthur
 
The company took control of the patents, landed £700k from the clean technology investment specialists MTI Ventures and a syndicate of Angel investors and moved to Begbroke Science Park near Oxford in April 2011.
 
Now they faced a new challenge - to go from creating small prototypes to A4 panes of solar power glazing.
That £250k was extremely important because it extended the range of the funding we brought in, and kept us focused on tight timescales and milestones. It gave us more runway - Kevin Arthur
To do that they needed to build the company's research and development capacity. ‘Once again, the Technology Strategy Board helped us realise our dreams, this time with a £250k grant under the Smart scheme.
 
‘That £250k was extremely important because it extended the range of the funding we brought in, and kept us focused on tight timescales and milestones. It gave us more runway,' explained Kevin.
It is yet another British company that is at the forefront of technologies that just a few years ago we would have thought impossible -Kevin Arthur
 
Since then the investment has kept coming. By July 2013, Oxford PV and its 14 employers had secured £4.2m in funding, including an award from the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme for Research.
 
By summer 2013, an improved version of the cell achieved more than 15 per cent efficiency, a level similar to commercial products.
 

‘The technology at our fingertips to change the world'

It's taken less than four years for Oxford PV to go from the lab to one of the UK's most promising green companies, and we did it with the Technology Strategy Board behind us who not only helped us financially but gave us the credibility for other, future investments - Kevin Arthur
 
The first revenues are expected by 2016 while the first office blocks that generate electricity from their windows could follow a few years after that. ‘Imagine that. And it is yet another British company that is at the forefront of technologies that just a few years ago we would have thought impossible,' said Kevin.
 
‘We think the added cost of doing this is 10 per cent on top of the cost of the glass. But this technology pays for itself in less than 10 years,' he added.
Kevin Arthur with a small solar panel
 
‘It's taken less than four years for Oxford PV to go from the lab to one of the UK's most promising green companies, and we did it with the Technology Strategy Board behind us who not only helped us financially but gave us the credibility for other, future investments." 
 
‘Henry believes that we have the technology at our fingertips to change the world – and we're determined to prove that he's right.'
 

Wednesday 20 March 2013

Electricians Byers Road - Westend Glasgow



Above is one of our latest wall mounted tv installations in the westend of glasgow.
The start of this year has been fantastic the work has been pouring, and as we are in our 7th year at www.weselectrical.co.uk, we are delighted with the progress of work, but mainly with the progress of contacts that we have made.

The westend of glasgow is an up and coming area for investors and private investors alike for student accommodation , bars and restaurants, we work in conjunction with landlords for their electical inspection certificate, in order so they have a hasstle free letting.

we offer electrical rewiring, sockets , lighting solutions, wall mounted tv installations, and much more feel free to visit our website and check our some of the electrical services we can offer.

Wes electrical are the leading electricians and electrical contractor in the westend of glasgow, so you can rest assured your in safe hands



Monday 31 December 2012

Electricians 2013 Glasgow


Electricians Glasgow west end follow us on Facebook 

This is the last blog of 2013 from WES Electrical, its been a fantastic year always learning year on year on how to deal with business, new situations that can arise, new customer we meet and new business relationships in Glasgow/ clarkston / giffnock / newton mearns that we have made.

Business is fantastic and hopfully going into 2013 we maintain the standard going forward. As per every start of a new year we work out an advertising budget going forward this year we are going to focus on paisley the westend of glasgow, and bearsden. with a busdget of around 2000£ p/m we aim to be pretty busy.
As our goal is to take on a new electrician by february and a new apprentice for the start of june.

We have updates to our websites electricians westend glasgow and to our electricians bearsden.
over the festive period we have been busy with call to attend mostly domestic clients but it is difficult to get materials at this time of year but, usually with the stock we have in our vans and our office in the westend of glasgow we usually get the job done.

thanks for reading our blogs this year, this has been the first year of blogging for us and look to continue into the foreseeable future.

Have a great time tonight for the bells and have a great new year....dont drink too much.

W.E.S Electrical 01418405236


Wednesday 28 November 2012

Glasgow commonwealth Games 2014

Glasgow Commonwealth games - Electrical contracting As the Glasgow Commonwealth games fast approaches the city, construction has been booming in the east end of Glasgow. we have seen new building arise out of nowhere on land that has been previously derelict. W.e.s Electrical is on t=of the leading electrical contractors in Glasgow, they said they have seen there business grow 10 fold in the past 2 years mainly in the glasgow area for the build up to the games. Currently W.e.s Electrical are working in conjunction with Glasgow city council to build an athletes village close to parkhead and the new sir chris hoy vellodrome, which will accomodate the athletes every need for the duration of the commonwealth games. Afterwhich the flats will then be turned into residential flats to use for Glasgow city council. Exciting times ahead Director Iain Jamieson said " we are looking to employ another 6-8 electricians over the next 3 months just to keep up the demands of the ongoing projects, we have also tendered for various other projects in Glasgow and in preparation the wider community at large is have work done, so it is a rather busy time and im glad of it" The games have brought a much needed boost to Glasgows econemy as everywhere else at the moment times are hard even the staple of the glasgow shipbuilders BAE Systems is under threat at the moment so any boost for the econemy is welcomed with open arms.

Thursday 15 November 2012

end of a busy day.

this was one of these days that i thought would never end, i had a tv installation in the morning in bearsden and then a call out in the city centre of glasgow, and then finally on to the westend of glasgow for a cooker installation. got up at 8am slightly later than usual but still earlie enough to get in and get my scrambled egg without waiting in a long line. tv installation constisted of 50 inch tv bracket, power socket behind the tv an av port for the hdmi behind the tv down to where the units are being kept (which was in the corner) was straight foward job the hardest part was getting the tv level as the ceiling look off level but we got it looking smart then off to second job. periodic testing of the electrical installation, in the city centre glasgow which took 3 hours, its was a small office close to argyle street,i have to go back and do the pat testing at a later date....noted in the diary. finally heading to the westend glasgow cooking installation i think the least said about this one is best as it was late and i was loosing patience with it. but as usual all job done all electrical installations safe thanks to www.wesuk.co.uk thanks for reading....

Wednesday 13 June 2012

electricians in glasgow

hi there we need some likes on facebook have a look at our website electrical contractor glasgow and if you like that click on our facebook link. www.wesuk.co.uk kind regards 01418405236

Monday 6 February 2012

some friends honoured

Electrical Safety Council Board Member Honoured Roy Jones – a member of the Electrical Safety Council’s (ESC) Board and governing body - has been awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List, for Services to Young People in Wales. Roy has over 40 years of service within the utility market and is currently a Community Liaison Manager for ScottishPower. Following the launch of ScottishPower Learning in 1995, he oversaw the delivery of the Prince’s Trust team programme across North Wales and Merseyside and, as New Deal Manager, helped establish schemes to bring young people into employment. Originally from Bethesda, North Wales, Roy – who is married with two children - has also managed the ‘Your Champions Award’ for ScottishPower and Trinity Mirror North Wales, which gives recognition to unsung community heroes in the region. Roy, who left school at 16, holds postgraduate qualifications in Marketing and an MBA in Business Administration. He is also a school governor. In both his personal and professional life he has been committed to assisting young people make the transition from education to employment.“I am honoured to receive this award but it has really been a team effort”, explains Roy. “The community projects I have worked on could not have been delivered without the help and support of my colleagues. Their generosity with their time and expertise has been fundamental to the success of our community projects, as it is this sharing of skills which has proved key to getting young people into work”. electricians in glasgow

Thursday 2 February 2012

electrical contracting in glasgow 2012

2012 Construction Outlook Pervasive Uncertainty, Fear and Unemployment Leading construction experts and economists are certain about one thing in construction right now: The future is mostly uncertain because consumers are scared, and too many Americans are unemployed. Economists see 2012 as a big question mark because of the risk of a double-dip recession. The projections from previous years are out the window, as unemployment continues to hover around 9 percent and the economy has “been bouncing along the bottom in 2011,” said Keith Fox, president of McGraw-Hill Construction during his opening remarks at the Outlook 2012 Executive Conference, held in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 19, 2011. This article analyzes the construction data and economic forecasts from industry leaders to help ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR readers better understand why most construction markets are mired in a slump and what hope, if any, lies ahead. Perhaps the heavy bleeding is over, but the economy is still limping along a path of uncertainty and volatility. Right now, there isn’t a lot of confidence to go around. Current economic data showcases the not-so-enjoyable trends. Economy still in crisis First, let’s examine the macroeconomic trends that steer what happens on America’s job sites. According to Beth Ann Bovino, deputy chief economist at Standard & Poor’s, the recession has been over since 2009, but recovery is at “half speed.” During her presentation at McGraw-Hill Construction’s Outlook 2012 Executive Conference, Bovino said the U.S. economy grew by a modest 3 percent in 2010, by 1.7 percent in 2011 (estimated), and is projected to grow by a mere 1.5 percent in 2012. One of the main detractors from growth is that 9 percent unemployment rate. In addition, Bovino said government bickering and debt issues, coupled with fear and uncertainty among consumers, put the economy at about a 40 percent risk of another recession. The Federal Reserve’s lowering of interest rates to near zero didn’t do much to boost the economy's growth. “Investors saw that risk was a four-letter word and ran for the door,” she said. Robert Murray, vice president, eco-nomic affairs at McGraw-Hill Construction and electrical , agreed, saying during the Outlook 2012 conference that the chances of a double-dip recession were at about 20 percent in January 2011, but have since risen to more than 40 percent. In other words, the economy is teetering on the edge of another recession, and the slightest nudge can send it off that cliff again. With 25 million Americans unemployed or underemployed, “people are scared,” Bovino said, adding that wealth is down, home prices are down, spending is down, and savings are up. In its most simplistic terms, “a weak jobs market means less construction,” Bovino said. Consumer spending is another obstacle for construction markets. Consumers are focusing on debt reduction. Household debt, as a percentage of after-tax income, was 140 percent in 2007. In 2011, it was 120 percent. Much of that debt reduction has to do with foreclosures, as well. “If you turn in the keys, you don’t have the debt,” Bovino said. The latest Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) data supports that assertion. Total deposits in FDIC-insured banks eclipsed $10 trillion on Sept. 30, 2011. Total deposits increased by $235 billion in the third quarter of 2011, marking a $577 billion increase since the beginning of the year. The FDIC data also shows that about $8.5 trillion of total deposits is sitting in domestic branches of insured banks while the remaining $1.5 trillion is in overseas branches of U.S. banks. “People are putting a little more in the bank and spending a little less at the mall,” said Standard & Poor’s Bovino, simplifying the trend. What is more interesting about the consumer saving is that they are putting their assets in “liquid” accounts, such as savings, checking and money market accounts. Perhaps fears from stock market volatility and the questionable situation in Europe pushed them to find safer, more conservative places for their assets. According to the FDIC report, checking, savings and money market accounts increased $316 billion in the third quarter and $762 billion since the beginning of the year. Conversely, certificates of deposit—which require a time commitment and penalties for early withdrawal—decreased by $36 billion in the third quarter and $130 billion since the beginning of the year. Consumers and small business owners remain conservative with investments. The housing market is included. Most economists agree that, until the housing situation changes for the better, the economy will be mired in this economic crisis, with only slight, incremental growth. The housing bubble that burst a few years ago precipitated this mess. Recovering from it will take much more time. Let’s take a closer look at the construction markets, paying particularly close attention to the residential market—a leading indicator for overall construction. Construction overview According to McGraw-Hill’s Murray, the $412 billion construction market breaks down to $133 billion in residential construction, $152 billion in nonresidential construction and $127 billion in nonbuilding construction. Right now, residential and nonresidential are hurting, while nonbuilding could emerge as a nice opportunity for electrical contractors—at least in the short term. “It continues to be a turbulent time,” Murray said during his annual presentation at the Outlook 2012 Conference. “There is a sense of uncertainty.” In 2010, Murray predicted a leveling off that suggested growth for 2011. Murray, one of the industry’s leading and most respected economists, was among the masses in missing the mark on that call. Most experts and economists were in the same boat, as they expected the jobs picture to improve in 2011. When that did not happen, in addition to many other variables, the market remained flat or declined. And while government stimulus funding appeared to boost the economy, it was an artificial jolt, Murray said. Residential: trouble at home The housing bubble collapse continues to ripple through the entire construction arena. Things are turning around, but economists are erring on the side of caution with expectations—an evident theme throughout the forecasts. “We believe the turnaround is in progress, but it’s so slow and so painful we can’t get too excited about it,” said Bernard Markstein, chief economist at Reed Construction Data (RCD) during the Oct. 13, 2011, “Economic Forecast Webcast: Flat, Down or Up? Where is Construction Heading?” Markstein also cautioned that large percentage increases in various construction sectors in 2011 look nice on paper but are easy to reach when coming from such a low point. Again, tame your excitement until we see sustained growth over a longer time frame. “We’re not really getting back to where we were [prerecession],” he said during the RCD webcast. Single-family According to Standard & Poor’s Bovino, housing was affordable, interest rates were at record lows and demand increased sharply in 2005. Consumers bought bigger houses, rates went up and some signed up for adjustable-rate mortgages. When those monthly payments increased on the adjustable-rate mortgages, affordability went down, housing dried up and demand fell, thus leaving a huge overstock of available housing in the single-family market. Bovino said there is an eight-and-a-half month excess supply of available homes, which has led builders to pull back on new construction plans. Housing starts, which peaked at 2 million in 2005, dipped below 500,000 in 2011. When you add in the “shadow inventory” of distressed homes—those in foreclosure or on the verge—you can add a couple more months to the inventory-depletion timeline. Other leading economists agree. According to Kermit Baker, the American Institute of Architects’ chief economist, the 2 million units built in 2005 slumped dramatically to 500,000 in 2009 and rose to about 510,000 in 2010. Housing starts were projected to reach 600,000 units for 2011 and should reach 800,000 units in 2012. The number of housing starts is not expected to reach more than 1 million units until sometime in 2013, he suggested, but even that is considered subpar. The 2011–2013 projects are consensus projects, according to Baker. During his presentation at the Outlook 2012 Conference, Baker said there is a dramatic scaling back of new home construction because, “potential homebuyers are nervous about getting back in.” He added that, “we are still sitting on a huge amount of vacant units.” Despite a few years of growth, the industry is not back to normal yet in terms of household formations. “What started out as a problem of oversupply has become a problem of low demand,” Baker said. He added that the under-30 population is doubling up, tripling up or living with their parents, instead of jumping into the housing market. The focus in recent years has been on inventory reduction. That has now shifted toward household formations. According to CoreLogic, Baker said during the McGraw-Hill conference, 20 percent of homeowners with mortgages are “under water.” He said during his webcast presentation that there are a lot of homeowners sitting on the sidelines who want to move but can’t until the housing market improves. If they are sitting on the sidelines and cannot sell or upgrade, what are they doing? Are they improving their existing properties? Remodeling and alterations Despite home-improvement spending dropping by 20 percent during the economic downturn, the remodeling market still accounted for $300 billion in construction, Baker said. The remodeling market peaked in 2007, as growth came from homeowner improvement projects. It hit its trough in mid-2010 with a 15 to 20 percent drop from that 2007 peak. That slump, he said, pales in comparison to the one endured in the home-building arena. Traditionally, remodeling and alterations account for about 40 to 45 percent of the residential construction market. However, remodeling is now growing to more than 70 percent of the residential market—clearly a sign of the times. In the last five years, Baker said, there has been an uptick in discretionary spending on additions, kitchens and bathrooms due to a lack of mobility. Instead of moving to larger residences, homeowners are improving the ones in which they reside, waiting for market prices to improve. Distressed properties also are contributing to the remodeling and alterations category, Baker said. About a third of remodeling construction, he said, is done on distressed properties—those in foreclosure or on the verge of it. These projects account for 20 percent of the remodeling revenue, which is a very significant amount, compared to previous years. This distressed property market will fuel remodeling work for years to come, Baker said. It is perhaps sad that one of the few bright spots in the residential construction market is that distressed properties are contributing to the overall construction market because banks and homeowners are getting properties ready for foreclosure sales or short sales. In addition to distressed properties, energy-efficiency upgrades have also emerged as a leading sector for the residential remodeling market—one that electrical contractors, in particular, can take advantage of. In the third quarter of 2009, green projects made up 25.5 percent of the remodeling market share; a year later, during the height of the stimulus program, that percentage grew to 29 percent. In the third quarter of 2011, in a post-stimulus environment, the percentage fell back to 24.9 percent. Multifamily According to the AIA’s Baker, the single-family home market directly impacts the multifamily market. “Renters went up 1.5 million per year, and home ownership went down as a result,” he said. “One affects the other.” McGraw-Hill’s Murray said multifamily housing is one of the few bright spots in construction that could deliver growth in the near future. “Perhaps the best bet right now is multifamily,” he said. The sector enjoyed 15 percent growth in 2011 and is projected to grow by another 17 percent in 2012. As foreclosures and distressed properties increase, the opportunities for multifamily housing increase. People forced to leave their homes—whether due to affordability issues or unemployment—tend to roll into apartments as a result. In his presentation, Harvey M. Bernstein, McGraw-Hill vice president, Industry Insights & Alliances, said there would be a greater demand for apartments due to downsizing, foreclosures, job switches and unemployment. According to the Engineering News-Record’s Construction Industry Confidence Index (CICI), multiunit residential was the only category that showed increased confidence in recent quarters. Healthcare, higher education, K–12 and office (commercial), showed declines over the same time period. Again, these figures show a growing multifamily sector at the expense of the single-family market. In this tumultuous housing market, home ownership is risky for many Americans. Renting has become the necessary fall-back plan that many of the unemployed or underemployed have embraced—at least until they get above water again. It will be a long, slow process, just like this economic recovery. In his final analysis of the residential market, Baker said the industry would see slightly more demand for housing, as we “climb back on this ladder, gradually.” He added that there is still too much housing inventory that needs to be sold off before we can start a recovery with new home construction. Standard & Poor’s Bovino is in complete agreement on that point. The distressed home market has been, and will continue to be, the wild card in that equation. Now that we have examined the residential market, let’s take a closer look at nonresidential construction. For many electrical contractors, the commercial/industrial/institutional (CII) market is the bulk of their business, and it is vital to keep abreast of the growth opportunities. Nonresidential (CII): flat or down? According to McGraw-Hill’s Murray, the U.S. nonresidential building market, which free-fell in 2009 by more than 30 percent, was down a mere 6 percent in 2011 and is projected for a modest 2 percent increase in 2012. The total nonresidential market includes the $92 billion institutional market, the $47 billion commercial market and $13 billion in manufacturing. Let’s dissect each market to uncover obstacles and opportunities. Commercial Construction in the U.S. commercial buildings sector (stores and shopping centers) peaked in 2007 with 314 million square feet. Over the next four years, the amount of square footage plummeted by an alarming 75 percent to 81 million square feet in both 2010 and 2011. McGraw-Hill projects a slight 2 percent up-tick for 2012. When you consider the 75 percent drop, a 2 percent increase seems insignificant, but at least it is not falling further. McGraw-Hill’s Murray said the commercial market suffered from slow retail sales that led to reduced store openings and more store closings. He cited the Borders book chain as a major example. The only retailers expanding right now are “extreme discounters,” such as Family Dollar and Dollar General. A look at who is building stores in this economic downturn shows that Walmart outpaces every other competitor. All other major retailers paled in comparison to the number of projects Walmart started between January 2009 and January 2011. In terms of warehouses, construction fell sharply from 2008 to 2010 but is now experiencing some modest growth. Some of that growth is coming from Amazon.com, which is constructing several large distribution facilities. Warehouse construction fell from 254 million square feet at its peak in 2007 to 48 million at the trough in 2010. Since then, there has been an 18 percent increase in 2011 and a projected 17 percent increase on top of that in 2012. However, reaching 67 million square feet in 2012, while growing, is still far away from that 2007 peak. Growth will be slow and steady, experts concede. A sluggish economy, reduced business travel and hotel/casino overbuilding led to substantial losses in the hospitality sector in 2009 and 2010, according to Murray. Just as in other commercial areas, hotel construction endured a major collapse during the recession and is now creeping back up again. Murray projected 34 percent growth in 2011 and another 17 percent growth in 2012 in hotel construction. In 2011, business travel improved, industry financials strengthened and occupancy rates improved. In addition, a look at major hotel/casino projects indicates that casino construction is still a good bet for contractors. Of the largest 12 hospitality projects underway, four of them involve casinos. Incidentally, among the largest amusement and recreation projects in the institutional sector, six of them involve casinos. Following all the other sectors of the U.S. commercial market, office construction endured the same precipitous drop following a 2007 peak, from 218 million square feet to a 2011 low of 55 million square feet. Murray predicts a modest 4 percent increase in office construction in 2012. Tight credit conditions, he said, contributed to project deferrals in 2008 and 2009. Those deferrals are now easing. Industrial/manufacturing After peaking at 91 million square feet in 2007, manufacturing buildings slumped to 37 million square feet in 2009 before beginning to climb again. Increases in 2010 (25 percent), 2011 (5 percent) and a projected increase in 2012 (6 percent) should get this sector back to about 51 million square feet—still far short of the 2007 peak. In terms of dollars, the industrial/-manufacturing market fell from $31 billion in 2008 to $9.2 billion in 2010. It is now creeping up to between $12 billion and $13 billion (projected for 2012). The sharp decline in recent years was caused mostly by closings of automotive plants across the country, particularly in Detroit. The modest growth coming now is a result of large-scale projects in both the automotive and energy sectors—ethanol, biofuel and solar manufacturing plants. Institutional The institutional market comprises education buildings, healthcare facilities, public buildings, amusement and recreation projects and airports. Let’s examine each area briefly. School construction continues to lose momentum, down from 224 million square feet at its 2008 peak to 127 million square feet in 2011. That number is expected to drop further in 2012 to 115 million square feet, a 9 percent decline. Leading this trend is a tightening of state budgets, a scaling back on capital expenditures by universities and colleges and shrinking endowments. In 2010, K–12 construction was 3.6 times the size of colleges, universities and community colleges in terms of square footage; however, in dollar terms, K–12 school construction was 2.3 times the size of higher education construction. Despite an ongoing need to replace aging facilities and a growing elderly population, healthcare facilities construction has been flat since 2009. After a 2008 peak at 109 million square feet, the sector dropped to 67 million square feet in 2009 and grew only to 71 million square feet in 2011. McGraw-Hill projects a 1 percent decline in 2012. There is a long-term need for healthcare construction because of an aging population and Veterans Administration future needs, but time will tell how that plays out. Public buildings (detention centers, armories/military, courthouses, police and fire stations and post offices) have also fallen on hard times, particularly post offices. Overall, public building construction fell by about 50 percent from 51 million square feet in 2007 to 24 million in 2011. Murray expects a further decline in 2012 by 9 percent. Wearing off of Stimulus Act support and diminished federal spending will continue to erode public building construction. Post office construction—one of the hardest hit areas—was up by 76 percent in 2010 but collapsed by almost 100 percent in 2011. According to McGraw-Hill’s data, airport terminal work jumped in 2009 by 49 percent to 4.4 million square feet, only to retreat by 45 percent in 2010 to 2.4 million square feet. The 2012 projection is another 5 percent decline to 1.8 million square feet. Nonbuilding: stimulus dried up Nonbuilding construction accounts for $127 billion of the $412 billion construction industry, or about 30 percent. With the impact of stimulus funding now waning, though, many of the federal public works projects that stimulus funds assisted in 2009 and 2010 are no longer feeling the lift. What peaked in 2010 with $58.8 billion in highway and bridge construction, slipped in 2011 to $54 billion. McGraw-Hill predicts another 7 percent decline in highways and bridges in 2012. Likewise, budget cuts affected rail and mass transit projects. From a $7.1 billion peak in 2010, the sector plummeted by 55 percent to $3.2 billion in 2011 and is expected to dip further in 2012. There was a 48 percent surge in electric utility construction in 2011, which followed a 34 percent jump in 2010. After peaking at $42 billion in construction, experts predict a 24 percent decline for 2012 to $32 billion simply because the amount of growth couldn’t be sustained much longer. Either way, this utility work is great news for electrical contractors. Let’s dissect this category a bit more for the electrical industry. Energy bills provided tax incentives for electric utility and transmission line construction. The stimulus act delivered another boost for alternative sources of electricity generation. Alternative-energy power plants now appear to be very strong, according to Murray. In 2010, alternative-energy power plant construction jumped by 111 percent and was up 85 percent (as of October 2011, year to date). Power line construction also remains strong with a 52 percent increase in 2010 and a 100 percent increase (as of October 2011, year to date). Of the top 12 large projects in the electric utilities category, five are major solar plants, one is a new wind farm, and nuclear and gas plants round out the top group. Other trends: opportunities and concerns LEED specification rate It is interesting to note that the nonresidential LEED specification rate has increased steadily since 2004. Since then, when the LEED spec rate was about 17 percent, it has grown to about 58 percent in terms of dollars in 2010. In terms of the percentage of projects, the LEED spec rate grew from about 7 percent in 2004 to about 28 percent in 2010. This trend is expected to continue to grow. Institutional construction, particularly in the education construction sector, is driving this trend. Labor concerns still loom In 2010, retirees made up 25 percent of the labor force, said Standard & Poor’s Bovino. By the year 2030, retirees will make up 50 percent (half) of the entire labor force. This indicates a serious labor issue for the next couple decades, as aging baby boomers head into retirement. In addition, as construction jobs dried up and employees were laid off, a sizable chunk left the industry altogether out of necessity. They might not return when the economy turns again. A shortage of younger, trained electrical workers and an aging baby boomer population spell problems for the labor force in the future. This issue will only get bigger in time. Conclusion Now that we have examined the construction markets and looked at economic and other trends, what’s the bottom line? The housing demand, Baker said, will follow the jobs. RCD’s Markstein summed up what has to come first for construction to creep out of this valley: “Jobs. Jobs. Jobs.” McGraw-Hill’s Murray concurs as well, saying, “The key is what is going to happen with jobs.” Between February 2008 and February 2010, 8.8 million Americans lost their jobs. Some of those unemployed Americans are back to work, but far too many are still on the shelf. Until the unemployment rate drops, don’t expect strong construction activity. Standard & Poor’s Bovino predicts that the unemployment rate won’t dip to 8 percent until 2013. That’s bad news when you consider that most economists point to jobs as the catalyst for just about everything in construction. With continued volatility in the labor force and unprecedented levels of unemployment, 2012 is not only uncertain, but growth will be modest if it exists at all. “It’s a long process, and I don’t think anyone is calling for a lot of improvement in 2012,” said the AIA’s Baker during his RCD webcast presentation. “And I think it will be touch-and-go in 2013.” --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ensuring Safe Homes: The Imperative of Electrical Testing, Qualified Electricians, and EICRs for Landlords in Glasgow

https://g.co/kgs/Fsif6i Introduction Renting out a property comes with significant responsibilities, particularly when it comes to the safet...