Powrmatic Ltd, heating and ventilation specialists are launching a range of high wall splits, cassettes, ceiling floor and multi splits from Midea Air Conditioning next month in the UK.

Paul Greenough will lead their sales team as he has many years of experience selling domestic and commercial air conditioning equipment. He has worked closely with Midea since 1999.

Midea had a group income of over $20 billion and is now recognized as global giants. Considering the economic downturn it is always a pleasure to hear good news.

Phil Brompton, the Managing Director of Powrmatic Ltd said “We are delighted to be partnering Midea in this exciting project of both our companies. The extensive range of Midea commercial air conditioning products will enhance our portfolio offering customers a high quality competitive alternative product.

We are confident that with this excellent product range and the experience Paul brings to us, Powrmatic will make a lasting impression on the UK air conditioning market place for years to come.”

The range is due to be launched next month at the ACR show which we have previously mentioned.

Inverclyde Royal Hospital (IRH) and Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH) has had state of the art refrigeration facilities at the Greenock and Paisley premises by ACE Refrigeration, to help cope with the increased catering demands.

ACE Refrigeration has provided the IRH and RAH with a cooking and freeze production facility, working directly with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and BAM Construction.

The new facilities enable the catering teams at IRH and RAH to produce in excess of 4,000 meals per day and meet patients’ catering need for the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. The brand new state of the art sites have helped GGC centralise its production, saving money, reaping large economies of scale and increasing the consistency and quality of the food created.

The Paisley equipment includes seven chill rooms, four rolling blast freezers, seven freezer rooms and three chilled production rooms and the facilities have a combined floor space of 1200 cubic metres.

Both of the jobs were finished on time.

Sales director of ACE Refrigeration, Shane McKenzie said, “When we were asked to undertake the work, we knew that it was going to be a big job.”

“In order to produce more than 4,000 meals a day, facilities like Inverclyde Royal Hospital and Royal Alexandra Hospital require robust refrigeration equipment because a hospital never sleeps.”

“Staff, patients, visitors you name it, they need looked after, which is why it was crucial for us to finish both jobs on time.”

“We had to import the blast freezers from Italy. The blast freezer we needed had to be able to produce 500 kilograms of frozen produce on two trolleys per hour, which not a lot of other manufacturers could match up to. The Italian equipment meant that we got the best value for money and production efficiency for the sites.”

The company used custom manufactured equipment to suit the unique requirements of IRH and RAH, for example the three specially manufactured compressor packs installed in the Greenock’s site basement, the design of which makes sure there is a maximum possible decrease in power usage.

Facilities Manager, David Macdonald at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said, “The experience brought by ACE Refrigeration was invaluable to the design of the facilities and they met our exact needs.

“They really are the specialists in the area and worked closely with us throughout the entire build to ensure we got what we wanted.”

It has been claimed that the Government is to use the UK’s most unpredictable feature to promote the country by trying to persuade tourists that the weather is not as bad as they think!

Ministers believe that tourists do not realise that the weather in Britain can be pleasant as other cities like New York and Paris and are launching a marketing campaign to tempt tourists away from their air conditioning units in their hot countries and come to visit us in Britain!

Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, announcing the Government’s “Great” advertising campaign in 14 cities, said, “We have lower rainfall than Paris. We have to make sure people understand the reality about the weather.

“It is not always as hot as New York but much more pleasant. Come and get a suntan in St James’s Park — you’ll find that it is much more pleasant than a crowded beach on the Med.”

According to tourist board VisitBritain, London is drier than New York, Brisbane, Rome and Rio de Janerio, and has a higher minimum daily temperature than Dublin, Toronto and Seattle.

However, we all know that it’s probably not the best time to run the campaign, with the snowfall and freezing weather we’re having, as The Times pointed out.

A Met Office forecaster, Dave Britton, said “If you are not happy with the weather one day, you might be the next.”

Among the “Great” adverts and marketing campaign to promote tourism in Britain include a Union Jack livery on a New York subway train and 200 taxis in Delhi, as well as a giant flag projected onto Sugar Loaf mountain in Rio de Janeiro. Union Station in Toronto will also be covered in posters advertising British heritage and culture.

Hunt also added, “Critics will say we’ve gone berserk in terms of austerity. But we say this is the biggest chance we will have to market Britain in our lifetimes. So we are telling the naysayers to get stuffed and are going for it.”

Most of us in the UK have noticed the delayed winter and plummeting temperatures that has been happening this week, but forecasters have predicted that it will become milder over the weekend.

However, even though it will get milder, the weather is still up and down, as it has been expected that the temperature will still fall below -8C.

Gritting teams, hospitals and emergency services are on maximum alert, with the Meteorological Office predicting “a 100% probability of severe conditions across most of England this week”.

The chillier weather follows the stalling of rain from the west and the Atlantic. An area of high pressure over western Russia and Scandinavia has chilled them and started to move them back on easterly winds.

Forecaster with MeteoGroup, Clare Allen, said, “The easterlies are bringing snow showers off the North Sea, and even London is likely to have a maximum temperature no higher than 4C, so it’s going to be pretty cold.”
There has been severe weather warnings for ice, issued by the Met Office, which are likely to stay in force until Saturday. Allen said, “If people aren’t careful driving, then it could cause disruption. Anywhere that is wet, ice is expected to form.”

The UK has reacted in its traditional way by shopping for cold weather equipment last minute.
Debenhams has reported an increase in thermal underwear by 17%, 16% rise in electric blankets, high tog duvets by 40% and slippers by 49%. However, it seems people in the UK are either going on holiday or expecting the sun to come back out soon as there has also been an 18% rise in demand for swimwear and bikinis. The demand of air conditioning units and fans has remained stable.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health asked for people to keep an eye on their older neighbours. He said, “During this period of cold weather we would advise people to check local weather forecasts for the latest information on weather conditions and staying safe when outdoors.

“We are working closely with the NHS and local authorities to ensure vulnerable people stay well during cold weather and get the help they need within their communities.”

With the weather being so cold and wet at the moment, it may seem like an odd time to consider getting your air conditioning checked out. However, it may actually be the perfect time to start thinking about it, as if you take care of your air con units before there’s a problem, you will stand a much better chance of not only saving time and inconvenience, but also a great deal of money, as preventive care is always less more expensive than repair work.

Another good reason to have your air conditioning units checked out by a professional is because of the demand in the summer. The summer is when people realise that their air conditioning system isn’t working properly. In some cases, you may be stuck in a situation where all the repairmen are busy with emergency jobs and cannot come out to check yours out for a few hours or even days.

Get in contact with GT Refrigeration for maintenance on your air conditioning units, it will make your system more efficient which can save you money on air conditioning bills.

John Elfreth Watkins, an American civil engineer, wrote an article in the year 1990 making predictions about what the world would be like 100 years later and some of them, in fact, have actually come true.

The article was published by the relatively unknown engineer in an American women’s magazine, which was titled, “What May Happen in The Next Hundred Years”. Many of his predictions were accurate including, air conditioning, mobile phones and digital colour photography.

His visions and prediction for the future would seem almost unreachable at the start of the 20th century. Watkins anticipated ready meals, for the average life expectancy to rise to 50 years old and the innovation of television.

Although many households have digital thermostats, the visionary predicted the concept of air-con which would regulate the temperature of the house by turning on hot or cold air.

Not all of Watkin’s predictions and prophecies were correct though, as he thought that flies and mosquitoes would be exterminated, that there would be no more C, Q or X letters in the alphabet and that everybody will walk 10 miles a day.

It has been announced that top industry specialists will give their opinions on the future of air conditioning, cooling technology and important business issues at this year’s Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Show (ACR) 2012, which will be held at the NEC Birmingham between 13th -15th March.

The exhibition is the only national showcase for networking, innovation and knowledge transfer for the business.

The seminar programme will focus on key issues facing the industry, including training needs, changing legislations, new business opportunities and the latest technology solutions available.

Expert speakers will give insightful updates to allow businesses who rely on air conditioning and refrigeration equipment to run more profitably and effectively, while making sure they are falling in line with the most up to date legalisations.

The show will feature the latest products from over 100 top companies from the UK and abroad.
A few of the companies that have registered to attend include, Tesco, DHL, Boots, British Gas, Gatwick airport and John Lewis partnership.

The event is being sponsored by six big name companies including Climate Center, the Business Intelligence Theatre, LG, Panasonic, Mitsubishi and Gram and Hoshizaki.

The show’s sales manager says, “With a top-notch seminar programme addressing the industry’s burning issues, a comprehensive exhibitor list, and hands-on access to the latest design trends and
technology, the show is set to be a must-attend event for everyone whose livelihoods
depend on cooling, air conditioning or heat pumps,”

The sessions are free for visitors attending the show, but places are offered on a first com first served basis.
Will you be attending this year’s Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Show?

This week, LG Electronics revealed their new lineup of air conditioners, targeting an increase in sales of more than 10% this year.

LG revealed about 40 air con models that feature a technology named the “Real 4-D” cooling system that according to LG officials, sends cool air out in four different directions.

LG spokesperson said that the new air conditioners have also amplified the number of turbo fans located within the air conditioner for enhanced performance and slimmed down the width of the product by up to 30%.

The installation of a power-saving super inverter decreases electricity prices by up to one third of what was paid with other models. The air conditioner can also be controlled by smart phone app, Whisen app 2.0.

President of the air conditioning and energy solution unit at LG Electronics, Nho Hwan-yong, said “We’ve grown more than 10 percent in global terms and we tend to reach a growth rate of over 10 percent in total sales in 2012 even though we know some advanced nations are expected to see a sluggish economy this year.”

LG officials also emphasised the air conditioners with their liquid-crystal display screen that shows management features as well as user selected photos.

LG officials added that it is also equipped with a lighting function which could add to the interior design for some customers. The prices will range for around £500 up to around £1,500 but are not yet available in the UK.

Nho said, “We plan to continue increasing our market share (in global markets) by developing models that are a match to that particular market,

“I can’t talk about the specific differences compared to our rival’s models but we expect to grow together by continuously competing with each other.”

When I think of shrimpers, the first thing that comes to my mind is Forest Gump. However, the Anna Marie probably isn’t your typical shrimp boat. It has boat air-conditioning, a full sized kitchen and satellite television. Lance Nacio, the boat’s captain, can check water depth, plot his course and test tidal flows, all from his captain’s chair and a slick gadget. However, the most unusual addition to the Anna Marie, is a set of high-tech plate freezers on the deck. Compared to a traditional shrimp boat, the Anna Marie can stay out at sea up to three times longer, pulling in as much as 16,000 pounds on each journey.

Nacio, grew up shrimping the traditional way that southern Louisianians have for generations; he caught what he could with his net and sold it fresh on the dock to middlemen at the market price. Today, he catches and processes the shrimp himself and sets his own price. He also negotiates prices himself and offers samples to celebrity food chefs while he’s out on the water. His customers include various restaurants and Whole Food Markets and he has set up a sustainable business for the environment and his family.

A customer and chef-owner, Frank Brigsten, said “The shrimping industry in America has been struggling for a long while. Lance saw the writing on the wall,

“He is a visionary in his profession.”

Nacio’s family, made a living from the land, like others on the bayou. They trapped furs, grew their food in the garden and shrimped. After leaving school, Nacio worked in the oil business for almost 10 years, but he didn’t find it as satisfying as shrimping. He said “When you are working in the oil fields, you have a boss, and you’re under pressure all the time,

“When you’re shrimping, you’re your own boss, and you create your own destiny.”

However, it seems that for the last decade, destiny has seemed bleak for many Louisiana shrimpers, though not necessarily for the reasons most consumers might imagine. Of course, hurricanes Rita and Katrina and last year’s BP oil spill affected the predominantly small, family run fisheries. But the real danger is farmed, imported shrimp from South America and Southeast Asia, the shrimp can be produced and shipped cheap enough to transform the product, which was once considered a luxury is now on the all you can eat buffet.

Shrimp is the United States’ number one-seafood import and about 90% of the market, around 1.2 billion pounds is imported yearly.

International competition ramped up in 2001, when there was millions of cheap shrimp into the American market. While shrimper’s main operational cost rose sky high, prices for domestic shrimpers on the dock plummeted.

Nacio says, “A few years earlier, we were paying 60 cents a gallon [for diesel] and we were getting $3 a pound for shrimp,

“Then, all of a sudden, we’re paying $3.10 a gallon and getting just $1.50. A lot of the fishermen worked themselves out of business.”

2010 saw many huge wind power projects in the UK being completed and by mid-2011, the UK was ranked as the world’s 8th largest producer of wind power. Within the UK, wind power is the 2nd source of renewable energy after biomass and is expected to continue growing in the future.

A wind turbine has been installed by the St Eval Candle Company near its base in Wadebridge.

The 10kw Aircon wine turbine measures 18 metres high and was installed at the end of November, at the company’s Great Engollan Farm premises.

The wind turbine, which was installed by company, Natural Generation, is believed to be the first of its kind that has been installed in the UK,

Mike Field, Natural Generation Managing Director, said, “This is the quietest most technologically advance MCS approved turbine in its class, we are very happy with the longevity of this turbine, which has been in operation on the continent since 2004.”

The wind turbine is part of a wider conservation plan, being put into place by the St Eval Candle Company.
Managing Director of St Eval Candle Company, said “We are delighted to see the wind turbine up and working so well,

“We are looking forward to continuing with the project with the next phase seeing tree planting and the restoration of the old Mill pond which dates back to the 17th Century.”