Stuart O'Brien, Author at Facilities Management Forum | Forum Events Ltd - Page 76 of 87
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Stuart O'Brien

ABM UK wins £2.4m contract with the Museum of London
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ABM UK has secured a four-year contract with the Museum of London’s London Wall, Docklands and Hackney-based sites, worth £2.4m over the term, with the option for both parties to extend the agreement for a further two years.

The contract will see ABM UK supply all three sites with preventative maintenance and reactive works, focusing on mechanical, plumbing, technical building fabric maintenance. An energy manager and apprentice will also be provided by the company, ensuring that all three properties’ energy use remains efficient and cost effective.

Andy Donnell, group managing director of ABM UK, said: “It’s imperative that the Museum of London is continually in optimum operating condition. ABM UK has the necessary technical, mechanical and energy efficiency expertise to ensure that visitors enjoy the museums in comfortable and well-lit surroundings.”

ABM UK will also offer apprenticeship placements during the contract term, supporting the Museum of London’s own education of young talent.

The new contract strengthens ABM UK’s museum portfolio, with the firm counting the London Transport Museum in Convent Garden, the River & Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames and the Honourable Society of Middle Temple as existing clients benefiting from the companies electrical, mechanical and cleaning services.

Energy Management Summit

Last call for the Total Security Summit
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There are now just a handful of delegate places available at the Total Security Summit which takes place on October 16th & 17th at Whittlebury Hall, Northamptonshire – and it’s completely free for you to attend.

Register now as these places will go quickly! By coming along you’ll be able to:

  • Source innovative and budget-saving suppliers
  • Attend educational & inspirational seminar sessions
  • Network with like-minded peers
  • Enjoy full hospitality, including overnight accommodation, lunch, refreshments and an invitation to our gala dinner with entertainment
  • Prepare your business for 2018 and beyond in a non-pressured environment

Find out more by contacting Leanne Webster on 01992 374066 or email leanne.webster@forumevents.co.uk.

Alternatively, if you’re an industry supplier and would like to showcase your products and services at the event, contact Nick Stannard on 01992 374092 / n.stannard@forumevents.co.uk.

FM Xmas Party

Register today for the FM Christmas Party!
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Yes, we know there are still weeks to go until Christmas – despite the arrival of mince pies and Christmas cards on the High Street.

But we would like you to think about the festive season for just one moment…

…because, in association with the FMJ, we’re hosting the FM Industry Christmas Party – an opportunity for you to celebrate a good year done and network with friends and peers.

It takes place on Tuesday, November 28th at Grange St Paul’s Hotel, London – and tickets are just £30, which includes drinks, canapés and entertainment.

Our Event Sponsors include Northland Controls, CEF, Salisbury Group, FSI, ATEC Security and De-Ice.

Register Today for the FM Christmas Party!

Alternatively, contact Paige Aitken for more information on 01992 374079 / p.aitken@forumevents.co.uk.

Renewable Energy

GUEST BLOG: Wind energy sector growth – UK & beyond
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By Hire Torque

Globally, we’re constantly moving towards greener initiatives in order to safeguard valuable resources and protect the planet. In the past, we have been heavily reliant on fossil fuels like coal and gas. Formed over millions of years, our rate of consumption makes these energy sources unsustainable, driving us to develop more environmentally friendly practices.

From wind turbines to wave power, renewables is a buoyant market. However, it’s wind power that has made the most significant impact on how we generate and use energy — and we’re becoming increasingly reliant on it as an energy source.

This is an important trend to track for energy managers.

In 2016, the amount of energy generated through windfarms exceeded the amount created by coal power plants — the first time ever this has happened in the UK. On Christmas Day 2016, more than 40% of all of the energy generated was from renewable sources, with 75% of this figure coming from wind turbines. This was yet another milestone figure, up from 25% in 2015 and just 12% in 2012.

Coal-fuelled electricity has reached its lowest output in some 80 years too, clearly underlining the growth of renewables. So what does the future hold for the wind energy sector in the UK and beyond? Hire Torque, who specialise in Controlled bolting for wind turbines, take a look at the market’s global potential below:

Predictions for the next 5 years

After record-breaking growth in 2014 and 2015, 2016 was a time for the wind energy sector to reconsolidate and consider their next move. In total, the global installed capacity at the end of 2016 was 486,790 MW — an impressive figure by anyone’s standards.

However, growth is expected to pick-up once more in 2017, with predictions expecting the global installed capacity to rise to 546,100 MW. By 2018, this figure will hit 607,000 MW before reaching 817,000 MW by 2021. Although the rate of growth is anticipated to slow, it’s clear that wind power will continue to occupy a large energy share on a global scale.

So how does this performance breakdown on a region-specific basis? Asia, North America and Europe are expected to remain the dominant wind power markets. By 2021, it’s anticipated that Asia will create 357,100 GW of energy from wind turbines. Europe is expected to hit 234,800 GW, while North America is likely to generate 159,100 GW.

Emerging markets are also expected to continue their development. For example, Latin America will grow to 40,200 GW by 2021 — up from 15,300 GW in 2016 — while the Middle East and Africa will more than quadruple their output, growing from 3,900 GW in 2016 to 16,100 GW in 2021.

Future investments

Of course, in order to support the sector’s continued growth, additional investments must be made. In 2016, €43 billion was spent on constructing new wind farms, refinancing, fundraising and project acquisitions — an increase of €8 billion compared to 2015.

It seems the sector is increasing its focus on offshore windfarms as oppose to onshore sites. Investments onshore dropped by 5%, while offshore reached a record-breaking €18.2 billion. Impressively, the UK is leading the way, raising €12.7 billion for new wind energy projects. This dwarfs the country in second place, Germany, with €5.3 billion.

Although this investment is expected to slow in 2017, we have already witnessed a €1.8 billion investment into Europe’s new projects in the first quarter of 2017 alone. While the total investment may be less, it’s clear that wind energy will remain vital to the global movement towards greener, more sustainable energy both now and in the future.

Sources

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/dec/29/christmas-day-2016-renewable-energy-uk-green-electricity

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jan/06/uk-wind-power-coal-green-groups-carbon-taxes

http://www.gwec.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/1_Market-Forecast-for-2017-2021.jpg

http://www.gwec.net/global-figures/market-forecast-2012-2016/

http://www.gwec.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/2_Cumulative-Market-Forecast-by-Region-2017-2021.jpg

Serco merges UK & European divisions
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Service specialist Serco has announced a merger of its UK and European operations, creating a single business named Serco UK & Europe.

The international service company will combine its two divisions, UK Central Government and UK & Europe Local & Regional, to improve the efficiency of all operations across the regions.

“The move to an integrated UK & Europe operating division will improve the efficiency and capability of our operations and should be seen in the context of our strategy to transform Serco,” commented Rupert Soames, Serco Group chief executive.

“Over the last three years, our businesses in the UK & Europe have significantly improved their service delivery, customer satisfaction and capability, which now enables us to move to a simpler and more efficient structure. In terms of group organisation, Serco now has four, rather than five, regional businesses serving governments: North America, Middle East, Asia-Pacific and UK & Europe.”

Serco UK & Europe will be headed by Kevin Craven, currently chief executive of UK Central Government. Liz Benison, currently chief executive of UK & Europe Local & Regional Government, will leave the group.

Craven joned Serco in 2014 from Balfour Beatty Services as CEO leading 16,000 employees and revenues of over £1.6 billion.

Government calls for submissions for building regs review
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In the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower tragedy, the Government has published a call for evidence for the independent review of building regulations and fire safety.

Led by Dame Judith Hackitt, the review will examine buildings and fire safety regulations, plus other related compliance enforcement, focussing on multi-occupancy, high-rise residential buildings.

Recommendations will make sure that “we have a sufficiently robust regulatory system for the future and to provide further assurance to residents that the complete system is working to ensure the buildings they live in are safe and remain so”.

Reporting to Communities Secretary Sajid Javid and Home Secretary Amber Rudd, all responses should be submitted by October 13th 2017 to buildingregulationsandfiresafetyreview@communities.gsi.gov.uk

An interim report will be submitted in autumn 2017 and a final report submitted in spring 2018.

PCMG

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT: PCMG
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PCMG is a world-class operating cost consultancy. Many companies are slowly bleeding precious cash through billing errors and hidden contract anomalies. Our job is to restore financial health and maintain it for the future by looking deeper at operational expenditure and thoroughly checking every detail.

Our Energy specialism is at the heart of what we do. By employing the leading specialists in this complex area of cost management, we’ll identify and stop cash flow leaks in their tracks, seek to recover your money and optimise future arrangements.

To date we’ve secured over £144m in refunds and savings for our energy clients.

www.pcmg.co.uk/services/energy

FM Xmas Party

Northland Controls joins the FM Christmas Party
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We are delighted to confirm security specialist Northland Controls as an Event Sponsor for the FM Christmas Party, which is being hosted by the team here at the Facilities Management Forum, along with our friends FMJ.

Taking place at London’s stylish Grange St. Paul’s Hotel on Tuesday, 28th November, 200 of the FM industry’s leading buyers and suppliers will gather under one roof for a fun-filled, relaxed evening of networking.

Nicola Thompson of Northland Controls said: “We are excited to be sponsoring this year’s FM Christmas party. Northland Controls designs, installs and manages physical security systems across the globe with unparalleled services. You can manage your physical security regionally or globally using our enterprise-class managed services. Our outsourced GSOC provides round-the-clock, centralized, coordinated operations underpinned by a ‘do whatever it takes’ commitment to your success.”

Register Today for the FM Christmas Party!

Individual tickets are priced at just £35 (+VAT) per head, including drinks, canapes and entertainment.

But grab the early bird offer and you’ll pay just £30 (+VAT) per person!

Don’t miss out! Book here or contact Paige Aitken for more information on 01992 374079 / p.aitken@forumevents.co.uk.

Our Event Sponsors for the FM Christmas Party also include CEF, Salisbury Group, FSI, ATEC Security and De-Ice.

Energy Management Summit

Last chance to attend the Energy Management Summit
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Registration for next month’s Energy Management Summit is closing next week, so act swiftly if you would like to attend this free one-day event.

It takes place on October 3rd at the Radisson Blu Hotel, London Stansted, and will give you the opportunity to meet with new suppliers based on your own upcoming projects and requirements.

You will also be able to attend free seminars and network with like-minded peers representing companies including:

ArelorMittal Mining ARM AstraZeneca AT&T Ballymore B&Q Berkeley Homes Bernard Matthews Best Proactive Bouygues Group Braintree District Council Buckinghamshire County Council CBRE CDK Global CLS Energy Connect Scaffolding Delphi Essex County Fire & Rescue Extracare Charitable Trust Harrow School John Lewis Partnership Keltbray Kimberly-Clark Kingston Hospital NHS Trust London Borough of Ealing Mastercard Procura Consulting Pure Purchasing Consultancy PWC PX St Raphael’s Hospital Sainsbury’s Sentinel Leisure Trust Solid Management Standard Chartered Bank Steinhoff UK Group Property Sunseeker International Thames Valley Police The Cavendish London Hotel The Pearl Hotel The Walt Disney Company

To find out more about attending, contact Jamie Higgs on 01992 374058 or email j.higgs@forumevents.co.uk

Olsson chosen for Google’s Kings Cross campus
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Fire and risk engineering specialist Olsson has been chosen by Google as its consultant for the multinational technology company’s new 1,000,000 sq ft new London HQ.

The new 11-storey development will be the first wholly-owned and designed Google building outside of the US, subject to planning approval by Camden Council.

Fire and risk engineering firm Olsson will provide consultancy services, with work due to commence in 2018.

Speaking about the project, Olsson director, Sam Liptrott, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be a part of this team on such a pioneering project.

“In just 12 months we’ve established a UK-wide team and partnered with some incredible clients to work on exciting projects, so we are perfectly placed to help Google realise its ambitious vision for this landmark project.”

The building was designed by Bjarke Ingels Group and Heatherwick Studio.

Discussing the design of the building, Thomas Heatherwick, founder of Heatherwick Studio, said: “As my home and the home of my studio for more than 15 years, I have a close relationship with King’s Cross.

“The area is a fascinating collision of diverse building types and spaces and I can’t help but love this mix of massive railway stations, roads, canals and other infrastructure all layered up into the most connected point in London.”

“Influenced by these surroundings, we have treated this new building for Google like a piece of infrastructure too, made from a family of interchangeable elements which ensure that the building and its workspace will stay flexible for years to come.”