Building Briefs – March 9th

• Glasgow building performance company scoops two national awards

The prestigious innovation award is run by tech publication BusinessCloud Media, and recognises the companies in the UK that are leading the drive to build a smarter world. All 100 companies on the list are utilising data and sensor technology to power businesses and smart cities. 

arbnco came 37th in the ranking, which was decided on by a combination of an expert judging panel and public votes. It is one of only eight Scottish companies to make the top 100. 

arbnco’s technology is designed to optimise the built environment and reduce energy waste. Its suite of software solutions are used to improve energy efficiency, manage building compliance, monitor the indoor and outdoor environment, and forecast the impact of climate change on buildings.

The SmartTech Innovators accolade is arbnco’s second national award win in two months, after arbn well, its indoor environment monitoring technology, picked up one of the UK’s most sought-after building performance awards in February.

arbn well was named ‘Product/Innovation of the Year for Wellbeing’ at the CIBSE Building Performance Awards in February. The awards, run by the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers, recognise engineering excellence in the built environment. 

• Aberdeenshire backs ‘nationally-significant’ energy development near St Fergus

Councillors have given their full support for a nationally-significant development near St Fergus Gas Terminal.

Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks will install a new electricity substation featuring a platform area, control building and associated plant and infrastructure on the western side of the A90 trunk road opposite the existing terminal.

At a full meeting of Aberdeenshire Council on Thursday, elected members heard that the development forms part of a wider electricity transmission infrastructure upgrade within the North-east of Scotland.

A number of substations and transmission lines are currently being upgraded or improved - in part to accommodate a number of large-scale renewable energy projects connecting into the region.

The development had already been approved by the local authority’s Buchan Area Committee earlier this year.

The proposal is the latest in a series of large-scale national and international energy developments proposed within the wider Peterhead area which have included a new substation at Boddam, the Hywind Offshore Wind Farm and linked battery storage facility as well as the North Connect Interconnector Station and associated interconnection to Norway. 

Councillors were told that these recent proposals and developments sit alongside long-standing energy sites such as the St Fergus Gas Terminal and Peterhead Power Station and reinforced the status of the wider Buchan area as a national and international energy hub of significant strategic importance.

• New traffic system works to begin in Aberdeen

Aberdeen City Council has announced that work will start next month on the installation of a new traffic light system on the Kingswells south roundabout on the city bypass (AWPR/B-T) to improve safety of the junction.

The £360,000 cost of the installation would be funded by Transport Scotland which was also the principle funder of the new trunk road, along with Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council. The cost of the ongoing maintenance of the traffic lights would be met by Aberdeen City Council.

Aberdeen City Council is the Roads Authority for the junction, and is arranging for the work to be carried out.

• Call for new voices to have their say on land reform

The Scottish Land Commission is seeking input from new voices and those of the tech savvy, environmentally aware and entrepreneurially minded Generation Z to help shape its strategy for the way land is owned and used in Scotland.

The views of young people, especially those still at school or studying, are a vital part of the Commission’s long-term planning for a fair, inclusive and valuable system of land ownership and use that delivers greater benefit for Scotland’s people. It is a vision that covers issues that young people care about or which will directly affect them, such as affordable housing, health and wellbeing, the climate crisis or enterprise opportunities.

The Commission is working with icecream architecture to carry out focus groups with young people in both rural and urban Scotland, and promoting an interactive (and fun) online survey that will test assumptions, measure attitudes and encourage young people to share their aspirations for the future of Scotland’s land.

The Commission is driving a programme of land reform to improve the productivity, diversity and accountability of the way Scotland’s land is owned and used. Views of young people and the many other groups and sectors who are regularly consulted will all shape the Commission’s next strategic plan.

The online survey is open for anyone to take part and can be found at myland.scot

• Sunamp wins place on public sector agreement with potential £800m spend

Sunamp has been named as a supplier on the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Heat Networks and Electricity Generation Assets (HELGA) agreement.

Using its patented phase change material, Sunlamp’s game-changing heat battery technology is already replacing hot water cylinders to cut fuel costs and carbon emissions in thousands of homes across the UK and Europe.

The manufacturer’s super compact, high energy density reserves store energy from renewable and other sources and release it as heat to deliver hot water and space heating when required. As well as residential use, the heat batteries have large scale commercial and industrial applications to drive down energy consumption and carbon emissions for heating and cooling.

CCS supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. The HELGA Agreement, which uses a Dynamic Purchasing System will help public bodies find the right suppliers for solar panels, wind turbines, heat networks, battery storage and more to increase the uptake of renewable energy and reduce the environmental impact of the public sector.

Sunamp is offering services in the Commoditised Products (Electricity) service area for the supply of battery storage packs and charge controllers.

• Berwickshire Housing Association begins Ayton development

Berwickshire Housing Association (BHA) has started work on phase 1 of its new housing development at Beanburn in Ayton.

A temporary site compound has been set up and early works include the removal of soil and road upgrading works to improve local access. House construction work will follow once this site preparation has been completed.

The proposed housing is a mix of houses types and sizes aimed at meeting local demand as identified in the recent local housing needs assessment. The family housing will help support the local primary school and local amenities.

The range of properties proposed also takes account of existing BHA stock and aims to fill unmet demand by providing more housing choice for applicants in the Ayton area.