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100% Detail and 100% Design

Invotek has developed a straw-based partitioning system called Strawboard as an alternative to plasterboard. The company says the panels and steel framework, which are on show at 100% Detail, can be easily recycled and that Strawboard has excellent insulating and acoustic qualities. It can be coated with any surface.

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Dalsouple is launching a rubber floor covering at 100% Detail called DalNaturel. It is made of wholly renewable raw material but is said to offer the same quality and performance as comparable synthetic products. The manufacturer says DalNaturel is available in a wide range of colours, is anti-slip and burn-resistant, and has good noise absorption properties.

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Also at 100% Detail, Smartglass is launching the expanded range of its photochromatic shading system, EC Smartglass. This is claimed to provide almost entire light blockage for privacy or aesthetic purposes. An electric current is passed through the glass, turning it from clear to opaque.

The glass can be used for windows, rooflights, partitions and advertising screens.

Smartglass

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Futimis Systems is launching a range of polymer cladding sheets called 100 percent at 100% Design. It is made entirely from post-consumer recycled high-density polyethylene waste. The company says 100 percent helps to reduce the environmental footprint and is suitable for challenging environments, such as education, science and healthcare applications.

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100% Detail, 100% Design, 100% Materials and 100% Light are on now at Earls Court exhibition centre in London. The shows end on 24 September.

High-powered wind turbine

FuturEnergy has launched a wind turbine, also called FuturEnergy, that it claims is high-powered and cost-effective. The wind turbine is said to have a typical payback period of about five years and generates up to 1 kW at average wind speeds of 8.5 to 12 m per second. The manufacturer says FuturEnergy is suitable for fixing directly to steel-frame buildings and for pole-mounting away from the building it is serving.

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Ground source heat pumps

Worcester has launched a ground source heat pump system called Greenstore for residential applications. It is compact and is said to be easy to install. The system, which is run by electricity, draws heat from the ground, concentrates it and delivers it to the building. It is said to efficiently heat private homes so that there is no need for other heating sources to supply heating and hot water. It is particularly suitable for underfloor heating. Worcester says Greenstore is eligible for the government’s Clear Skies financial incentive.

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Compact combined heat and power

Baxi Heating UK and Microgen Energy have announced details of their micro combined heat and power appliance for the residential sector, which they claim will reduce energy bills of a typical residence by up to 25%. The joint venture says the microCHP will be wall-mounted, compact and easy to install and will be available in standard and combination variants. The device, which will use Baxi’s condensing boiler technology and Microgen’s Stirling engine, will have two burners to convert natural gas to heat, hot water and electricity. One burner heats the Stirling engine to provide heat and hot water, simultaneously generating electricity. The second burner provides more heat in high-demand periods. The companies say that with outputs of more than 1 kW electricity and 15-36 kW heat output, the microCHP will also be capable

of modulating down to 5 kW of thermal output to optimise efficiency and power generation. The manufacturers say CO₂ emissions could be reduced by up to 1.5 tonnes per household per year. The product will be available in 2008.

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Natural ventilation system

Monodraught has brought out a natural ventilation system called Heat Harvester that has been designed for winter use.

The manufacturer says Heat Harvester sucks in hot air from above when suspended just below ceiling level and blasts that hot air back down to floor level at a distance ranging from 10 to 15 m. The product is made of an arrangement of internal turbine blades that can maintain the airflow in a relatively low column.

The company claims the product is able to cut energy and heating bills by up to 50%. Heat Harvester is intended for schools, leisure venues, offices and industrial buildings.

Monodraught

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Thermal laminates

Lafarge Plasterboard has expanded its Thermalcheck K range of thermal laminates to include 60 mm and 70 mm boards intended to meet the requirements of Part L. The Thermalcheck K comprises a 9.5 mm wallboard bonded to high-performance phenolic foam that is said to provide an overall thickness of 60 or 70 mm. The company says the thicker boards for dylining solid external walls allow U-values as low as 0.2W/m²K to be achieved.

Lafarge Plasterboard

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Bathroom water flow restrictors

Deva has launched a range of flow restrictors for basins and showers that are said to save large amounts of water. The manufacturer says the flow restrictor can be fitted to most new or existing taps and shower heads with threaded outlets. Restrictors in the range include In-Spout, which is said to cut flow by 5 or 8 litres per minute. The shower flow restrictors available cut flow by 7, 12 and 15 litres per minute.

Deva

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