All posts by : Iain Hoey

An investigation by Inside Housing has found that a tower block in London is paying £49,000 a year for a three person Waking Watch.

Residents of Canalside Square block on the Packington Estate in Islington are being charged £1,528 a month to keep the Watch in place, although Hyde, the owner of the block has claimed that the fees cover more costs.

In December the Government announced a £30 million fund to help end the scandal of excessive waking watch costs. The fund will enable residents to replace it with the installation of fire alarm systems in high-rise buildings with cladding.

Commenting on the funding last December, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said: “I’ve heard first-hand from leaseholders the misery that rip-off waking watch costs have been bringing to residents of high-rise buildings with cladding.

“I’m announcing today a £30m Waking Watch Relief Fund to help relieve the financial pressure on those residents and to ensure they are safe. We have continued to prioritise the removal of unsafe ACM cladding throughout the pandemic and expect around 95% of remediation work will have been completed or be underway by the end of this year.”

OGUK have responded to the Scottish Governments proposal to halt the backing of oversea oil and gas activity by COP26.

In a statement on their website, OGUK chief executive Deirdre Michie OBE said: “We are requesting an urgent meeting with Scottish Ministers so that we can highlight the effect this policy may have on members, particularly our SME members, who are still reeling from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the downturn with its volatile commodity prices.

“We welcome the Scottish Government’s offer of consultation, as it’s important that any such policy shift is implemented thoughtfully, in partnership with industry and with appropriate preparation time so that those companies ideally placed to support the energy transition are not undermined.

“In order to ensure our shared Net-Zero objectives become a reality, we will need to deliver a fair and managed transition at pace; one which deals with the realities of a competitive market while at the same time offering exciting new prospects for the future of our industry.”

Power management company Eaton have announced that it has become the latest member of Hydrogen Europe, the leading European association working to make fuel cell and hydrogen (FCH) technologies an everyday reality, as part of curbing carbon emissions.

With more than 200 companies, 80 research organisations and 25 national associations as members, Hydrogen Europe encompasses the entire value chain of the European Hydrogen and fuel cell ecosystem. As well as promoting best practices, helping to formulate effective public policy, and representing the interests of its members, the association also plays a pivotal role in FCH innovation through a unique public-private research partnership with the European Commission, The Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking (FCHJU).

With funding from industry, research organisations, and the EU’s Horizon 2020 program, the FCHJU had a total budget of €1.33 billion for its research, development, and demonstration activities during the past seven years. Additionally, as part of the EU’s upcoming research and innovation program, Horizon Europe, FCHJU projects aim to improve the performance of FCH products while reducing their cost, and to demonstrate the technology’s readiness for use in transportation. Ultimately, the FCHJU intends to accelerate market adoption of these technologies, fulfilling their potential for decarbonisation of the energy system.

As a Hydrogen Europe member from January 2021, Eaton will actively participate in the association’s General Assembly, help to shape the priorities for technical committees, join working groups, and benefit from the association’s expertise and best practices. Eaton is building on its two-decade track record of advanced R&D in vehicle fuel cell controls and is now focusing on efficient and affordable solutions to enable the hydrogen economy.

“We’re delighted to join Hydrogen Europe,” comments Jörgen von Bodenhausen, senior manager, Government Programs, Eaton. “As a member, we can now exchange knowledge and best practices with a vast network of industry and academic experts, as well as policy makers—collaborating on innovation that will enable switching to green hydrogen, decarbonisation, and a more sustainable future.”

As Europe seeks to combat climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, variable and intermittent renewable generation will make up a greater proportion of its energy mix—increasing grid volatility. FCH technologies will play a major role in meeting this challenge, adding flexibility to the system by storing green power for later consumption. Recent studies by Bloomberg New Energy Finance suggest greater flexibility is essential to accelerate the transition to clean power—enabling the efficient integration of 80% or more renewable energy by 2040.

“Membership of Hydrogen Europe brings a fantastic chance to be on the cutting-edge of new developments,” adds Mihai Dorobantu, director, Technology Planning and Government Affairs, Vehicle Group, Eaton. “Switching to green hydrogen will play a vital role in the European energy transition. As a member, we can generate greater, more immediate opportunities for ourselves and our customers that will enhance our competitiveness in the FCH space across various Eaton businesses, accelerating the adoption of crucial zero-emission technologies.”

As an innovator in power management solutions, Eaton is dedicated to creating new technologies and services that improve quality of life and the environment for everyone. By leveraging local ecosystems of expertise, such as Hydrogen Europe, Eaton can magnify the impact of its multi-billion dollar investment in R&D—enabling more open innovation worldwide.

Eaton’s mission is to improve the quality of life and the environment through the use of power management technologies and services. We provide sustainable solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic, and mechanical power – more safely, more efficiently, and more reliably. Eaton’s 2019 revenues were $21.4 billion, and we sell products to customers in more than 175 countries. We have approximately 92,000 employees. For more information, visit Eaton.com.

The Membership Application Assessment Panel (MAAP) of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) has determined that the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS) credential will now be recognised as a major component for IFE membership.

The NFPA CFPS Certification program was created in 1971 for the purpose of documenting competency and providing professional recognition for individuals involved in curtailing both physical and financial fire loss.

Members of the CFPS community include engineers, risk managers, loss control specialists, fire officers, fire marshals, fire inspectors, safety managers, fire protection consultants, designers, code enforcers, facility managers and others who are responsible for the application of fire safety, protection, prevention, and suppression technologies.

The IFE will now review and approve applications for membership in North America with three criteria in mind: current certification status, submission of a resume (C.V.), and documentation of formal education beyond secondary school (college or university). The IFE USA Branch has been approved to review and pre-approve applicants with a valid, current CFPS Certification in the United States and Canada, before submitting these to IFE’s MAAP for final consideration.

The new strategy is designed to streamline the IFE membership application process while ensuring that candidates have the high-level fire protection insights, career experience, and educational background that are synonymous with IFE membership. The new membership application benchmarks are as follows:

• For IFE Member Grade status (MIFireE), candidates must have NFPA CFPS Certification plus a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a fire protection-related discipline from an accredited college or university, including degrees in engineering fields that are applied to the practice of fire protection plus FIVE years of verifiable work experience dedicated to protecting people and property.
• For IFE Graduate Grade status (GIFireE), candidates must have NFPA CFPS Certification plus an Associate’s degree in a fire protection-related discipline from an accredited college or university, or a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in any unrelated field; plus THREE years of verifiable work experience dedicated to reducing loss and liability.
• Candidates with CFPS Certification, but without the formal education qualification requirements noted above, will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis at the time of their application. CFPS Certification will be seen as being equivalent to meeting entry-level IFE learning objectives for Technician Grade (TIFireE) or Associate Grade (AIFireE) memberships, depending on the years and type of post-education fire engineering work experience.

“NFPA is thrilled that IFE recognises the strength of our CFPS Certification program and professionals with CFPS designations who have worked hard to grasp and apply industry-leading fire protection principles,” said Chuck Stravin, vice president of business development and operations at NFPA. “The NFPA CFPS Certification has long been regarded as the benchmark for life safety learning, and the decision by IFE to make this credential an essential consideration for membership speaks volumes.”

Steve Hamm, IFE Acting CEO, adds: “The Institution recognises the competency and experience gained via the NFPA CFPS Certification. Thanks to the hard work of the IFE’s Membership Applications Assessment Panel and the staff involved from IFE headquarters, we are pleased to be able to welcome applications from individuals with these credentials.”

The review and approval process for CFPS-qualified IFE applicants may be devolved to include other IFE branches around the world once branch reviewer training and compliance with review process rules have been verified. The IFE Membership Application Assessment Panel, however, retains the right and role of performing a quality assurance process on all applications recommended for IFE membership by an approved IFE Branch.