Bourne-based builder FE Peacock Construction (www.fepeacock.co.uk) has been handed top honours in a scheme celebrating conservation in Rutland.

 The prestigious George Phillips Design Award, organised by Rutland Local History Society and supported by Rutland County Council, is given to the project that is considered to have contributed to the conservation of the character of the built environment in Rutland.

 FE Peacock Construction built the winning development, located in Drift Close, Barrowden, on behalf of Peterborough-based housing association Accent Nene. 

The Government has announced the final details of its Feed-in Tariff (FIT) scheme.  Baxi Group welcomes the Government’s recognition that micro-combined heat and power (mCHP) technology will play an important role in reducing the carbon footprint of homes.  However Baxi Group is disappointed that the generation tariff for mCHP is set at a lower level than expected, 10p/kWh*.  While this is a valuable contribution, it will not generate the same level of take up as the industry has been hoping for.

 Sarah Brook, Marketing Director, Baxi Group, commented on the FIT scheme Government announcement: “The UK is currently leading the world in terms of mCHP development and today’s news will help to promote growth in the mCHP market.  However, it will not deliver the scale of market growth or economic benefits that would have been achieved if the requested 15p generation tariff level had been awarded.”

Insulation products specialist Dow Building Solutions has expanded its range of ROOFMATE SL-A STYROFOAM in response to industry demands.

 The famous blue extruded polystyrene insulation foam – manufactured in the UK at Dow’s STYROFOAM plant in King’s Lynn - is now available in thicknesses up to 200mm as roofing contractors aim to support developers in meeting increasing thermal efficiency targets.

 ROOFMATE SL-A - which is only available from Dow Building Solutions and its distributors - has high compressive strength, excellent water resistance and long term durability, making it the first choice of some of the UK’s biggest names in roofing.

Mr Parry, highly regarded for his experience and commitment to the environment, will succeed the present chair Mr John Lloyd Jones when he retires on 28 February 2010.

His term of appointment is for three years beginning on 1 March 2010 and his annual salary will be £43,810.00

Transition Cambridge Launches Eco Story Writing Competition

Transition Cambridge, part of Transition Towns which promotes community action to increase our resilience to peak oil (1.) and climate change, has just launched an innovative, eco story writing competition for the local community. They are calling on children and adults alike to send in their stories set in Cambridge in 2050, happily adapted to a new, low carbon society and environment. The competition aims to get local people to think beyond the current oil and climate crises in a positive way.

 This competition is open to everyone who lives, works or studies in Cambridge, or within 20 miles of Cambridge. Stories will be judged in three age groups: under 14 (maximum word count 1500); 14 to 17 (maximum word count 2500) and 18 and over (maximum word count 2500). They must be sent in on or before 30 April 2010. Visit www.transitioncambridge.org for competition entry details, entry form and ideas!

Schneider Electric has enhanced its measuring and monitoring solutions with the introduction of PowerView – a power and energy monitoring software, suitable for small system applications to help businesses save money and energy.

The PowerView software works with Schneider Electric’s PowerLogic EGX100 integrated gateway and comprehensive range of meters. It allows users to track real time power conditions and remotely monitor electrical equipment and installations across an entire electrical network.  Through the system, users can measure the energy consumption of specific applications or circuits by day and hour, analyse and compare total harmonic distortion, produce reports and plot trends.