Powerwall

Well done to all our staff who took part in dressing up for Halloween this year.

I would like to thank them for taking the time to dress up and cheer the entire office up, it was a great day and I must say on behalf of all the boys “Elaine, you have a great pair of legs”  !

Elaine Craw our purchase ledger administrator, Now we know why our suppliers have increased our credit terms to 220 days!!!!

Willie Wonka: is our Commercial Manager, David Gardner who loved the long hair so much he refused to take it off!

Fat American Gangster is Brian Gaw our Estimator/Surveyor normally a very quiet man but in costume got rather gallas and carried away, very scary !

Police Woman is our Company Accountant Lesley Brown who had her own pink fluffy handcuffs !!!  Obviously it’s true the quiet ones are the worst.

The motley  crew altogether including Stephen McCann our Buyer, who is dressed as Little Britains Bubbles Devere!

A great laugh was had by all – thank you!!

SCOTSMAN – Friday 14 October 2011

UNLESS dramatic changes occur in housing supply, the UK will face a waiting list of 2.5 million households by 2015.

Currently in Scotland there are 153,000 on housing waiting lists. By 2015 this could rise to 230,000 – 10 per cent of the household population.

These projections coincide with an increased demand for more sustainable housing stock in the wake of increasing energy costs and carbon-reduction targets. Emerging technology building methods have the potential to help address this huge challenge.

Delivering energy-efficient homes for the 21st century requires a shift away from traditional construction to off-site assembly.

One Scottish company, Powerwall, has already designed a home specifically to address the affordable social housing demand – a complete three-bedroom semi for only £57,000. It exceeds environmental requirements and offers estimated fuel costs of just £76 a year. It also exceeds current standards on airtightness, soundproofing and fire retardation and has a life expectancy of 200 years.

Other companies, such as CCG (Glasgow) and Stewart Milne (Aberdeen), have developed innovative off-site sustainable housing systems.

We should be prioritising such innovation – not least in light of the current energy cost inflation that is having a major impact on all consumers. Homes achieving such standards should be the norm – not the exception.

There is a clear economic case too. The advantages of building such homes off-site are clear – greater control over costs and timings. Because all the main components are manufactured in a factory controlled environment, control of labour is more efficient and no time is lost due to poor weather.

Over the next five years, it is crucial that we respond to the housing demand. It is possible – we just need the powers-that-be to help make it happen. Like compound interest, putting it off now will only involve greater payments and debt later.

• Professor Sean Smith is director of the Institute for Sustainable Construction, Edinburgh Napier University.

SCOTSMAN – Friday 14 October 2011

SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY – Published Date: 09 October 2011

Powerwall, which runs a ten-acre production site in Wishaw and employs about 80 staff, is also locked in talks with potential partners in a string of markets, including Egypt and Syria. The firm’s fabricated structural frames, reaching up to 22 storeys, can be used in housing developments, schools and hospitals and are said to offer major time and cost savings over traditional building techniques. Its concerted push east comes on the back of two deals in the region.

The Scottish company, which began developing its modular building technology in the early 1990s, has just formed a partnership with a Saudi group to form Powerwall Arabia.

It will manufacture and market products under a licensing arrangement in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Powerwall has also entered into a partnering agreement with the Al Badie Group in Abu Dhabi to market its building system in a number of “key locations” in the Middle East.

Global sales director Joe Pacitti said the region in general was in a growth phase, with older infrastructure in need of upgrading or replacement. “The whole of the Middle East is looking to increase investment in quality housing, hospital, schools, hotels and the like,” he said.

“In Saudi and Qatar the drivers are high population growth and a need to improve the quality of buildings – hence the fast solution to this being modular.

“Across the other regions we are seeing the key drivers of post social change and a need to support the population with again better quality accommodation and schools, etc.”

Pacitti, who also pointed to “early stage interest” from several North African countries, said that by licensing the manufacturing of the building system, jobs could be created in the local markets. Powerwall’s global sales director told Scotland on Sunday earlier this year he was confident the firm could build up between £50 million and £100m of international business over the next five to ten years.

Talks have also taken place with prospective partners and “interested parties” in Canada, China and the United States.

He explained at the time: “We get an initial licence fee but the key is the royalty for every square metre or foot.

“In Canada, for example, we could have three licensees and between six and ten in the US. I reckon that for every 12-15 million of population there could be a manufacturing plant without encroaching on other operators.

“We could be looking at 100 licensees in ten years, but that may come earlier as we build up a head of steam.As it is based on a royalty system, we are looking at a recurring revenue stream.”

Powerwall’s “volumetric” building system is also said to have attracted interest from oil and gas explorers operating in remote regions.

In addition to its main plant near Glasgow, the company has a facility in Udine, in Italy, and employs up to 40 sub-contractors. It turns over some £15m, but is projecting growth of 60 per cent-plus in the next couple of years as the number of licensees multiplies.

SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY – Published Date: 09 October 2011

Building system firm expanding into the Middle East

Powerwall has signed new licensing agreements for its building systems technology.

The Wishaw business has formed a partnership to form Powerwall Arabia to cater for the Saudi and Qatar markets.

Another partnership with the Al Badie Group in Abu Dhabi will see the Scottish firm’s volumetric building system marketed across the Middle East.

Joe Pacitti, global sales director at Powerwall, said: “Developers and property companies throughout the world are looking for construction methods which save time and money without compromising on quality, design or environmental efficiency.

“Our unique, patented volumetric modular building system enables developers to put up buildings up to 50 per cent faster than using conventional construction methods yet the buildings exceed all the current environmental standards and provide exceptional design and quality.”

BUSINESS 7 – SCOTTISH NEWS

Some of Britain’s leading construction companies are to take part in a unique Fife showcase that could influence the future of affordable housing in Scotland.

The overall aim of the £3.3 million project is to trial different new construction technologies, which can demonstrate the capabilities to be mainstreamed across a larger affordable housing programme in the future. Over 40 firms applied to take part in a scheme which will see 27 new homes built to test and evaluate new construction methods and renewable technologies, aimed at improving standards and cutting costs.

Yesterday Kingdom Housing Association and Fife Council partners in Housing Innovation Showcase 2012, which is also supported by Fife Construction Forum and Green Business Fife, announced the preferred house system partners who have been selected to build the houses at a site on Dunlin Drive in Dunfermline.

Bill Banks, Depute Chief Executive of Kingdom Housing Association, said, “We received an amazing response to the announcement of this unique project. We went through dozens of submissions, which were of a very high standard and demonstrated just how dynamic the construction industry is when it comes to meeting new challenges.

“It was a difficult choice but our final selection of preferred partners is: Assist/Powerwall, Future Affordable; a partnership between Springfield Properties, David Blaikie Architects and Kraft Architects; Bobin Developments / BecoWallform; CCG Scotland; Campion Homes/ Scotframe; Cube Re:treat; Lomond Homes; Metcon and the Stewart Milne Group.”

He added, “We hope that by carefully trialling and evaluating new technologies and construction systems we will learn lessons that can be incorporated into that mainstream of affordable housing construction in Britain. Visitors from across the country will be welcomed at the site and once the homes have been completed they will be showcased in an exhibition complete with seminars to examine the different technologies employed.”

Work on the £3.3 million development is already underway and a framework team, consisting of Campion Homes, Oliver and Robb, SBA and Hardies have developed the proposals and obtained the necessary consents for the project. Campion are currently on site with the major infrasture works to service this site.
A website has been created to allow interested parties to follow the progress of the project and can be accessed at www.housinginnovationshowcase.co.uk.

Housing Minister Keith Brown said: “I would like to congratulate all of the firms that have been selected as preferred partners. This unique project will showcase the best of available technologies that can help us do more for less.

“It is an excellent initiative that will put Fife on the housing map and enable us to learn valuable lessons.
“Despite drastic cuts by the UK Government we are investing to help increase the supply of affordable homes, which remains one our top priorities. We our committed to delivering 30,000 affordable homes during this Parliament.”

Fife Council is playing an active role in supporting Housing Showcase 2012. Councillor Brian Goodall, Chair of Fife Council’s Housing & Communities Committee and Fife Housing Partnership added: “It’s great to see Fife at the forefront of innovation in affordable housing and it is incredibly encouraging to see such an impressive range of partners coming on board to help deliver this unique project. I look forward to seeing things develop on site and am confident that the initiative will deliver great results which will help shape the way future affordable housing is delivered across the country.”

POWERWALL IS FIRST UK FIRM TO ACHIEVE 60 YEAR CERTIFICATE FOR EXTERNAL INSULATION SYSTEM

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Powerwall, a leading developer of modular building systems and high tech building materials, is the first UK firm to achieve a 60 year life expectancy certificate for its external insulation materials from the British Board of Agrément (BBA).

This follows on from the previous 60 year life expectancy certificate Powerwall holds for its polymer renders.

The Powerwall external wall insulation systems under Agrément Certificate (number 11/4846) have been assessed as remaining effective for at least 60 years provided a planned inspection and maintenance programme is applied.

The BBA is an independent body which subjects construction materials and systems to rigorous testing, evaluation and on-going monitoring in-situ.

Alan Thomas, sales and communications director of the BBA said: “I am delighted that Powerwallhas added a further BBA Certificate to its portfolio of approvals.  We have worked with Powerwall over many years and look forward to further BBA approvals as the company continues its impressive programme of new product development.”

He added: “There is no doubt that external wall insulation is a key element as the insulation industry addresses the problem of thermal upgrades to solid wall and other hard-to-treat buildings.”

Domenic Tedesco, managing director of Powerwall Space Frame Systems commented: “The BBA Agrément Certificate is considered the ‘gold standard’ accreditation in the construction industry so I am very pleased that our external insulation systems are the first in the UK to be granted a life expectancy of 60 years.”

He added: “The certificate pays testament to the extensive research and development effort which has gone into producing our external insulation systems which can dramatically reduce heat loss in any type of building.”

Powerwall has production, development and manufacturing facilities near Glasgow and in Udine, Italy and the company employs 80 people including engineers, technicians and architects. In addition, the company employs up to 40 sub-contractors.  The company has developed its unique Volumetric Building System which offers a quicker and more cost-effective method of building than traditional construction yet exceeds all the current energy efficiency and environmental building standards and delivers exceptional build and design quality.

For further information please visit www.powerwall.co.uk, call +44(0)1698 373305 or email cfolksman@powerwall.co.uk

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A LANARKSHIRE manufacturer of prefabricated buildings is planning a £100 million global assault after signing up a string of licensees.

Powerwall, which runs a ten-acre production site in Wishaw and employs about 80 staff, said it was seeing “significant interest” in its building technology from across the world. The firms’s fabricated structural frames, reaching up to 22 storeys, can be used in housing developments, schools and hotels and are said to offer major time and cost savings over traditional building techniques.

Focus has been on the domestic market but the company is planning a major UK and international expansion.

It has signed up five partners who will be able to use Powerwall’s patented “volumetric” building system on either side of the Irish border, in the south-east of England, Saudi Arabia and Qatar and is currently eyeing other areas of the Middle East, mainland Europe and North America.

Joe Pacitti, who was brought in to head up the licensee division ten months ago, said there was the potential to sign up 100 partners within the next ten years, providing the Scots firm with a global footprint.

There would be manufacturing in each local market, with Powerwall pocketing an up- front licence fee.

Pacitti said the major revenue would come from a royalty payment for every square metre of module constructed.

“Over the next five to ten years, we could be looking at £50m to £100m of business,” he said. “We get an initial licence fee but the key is the royalty for every square metre or foot.

“In Canada, for example, we could have three licensees and between six and ten in the US. I reckon that for every 12-15 million of population there could be a manufacturing plant without encroaching on other operators.

“We could be looking at 100 licensees in ten years, but that could come earlier as we build up a head of steam. As it is based on a royalty system, we are looking at a recurring revenue stream.”

The company, which turns over some £15m, began developing its modular building technology about 20 years ago but admits to having faced a “very conservative” construction sector at the time, with limited uptake.

Having “quietly worked away in the background” on more conventional areas such as rendering, the firm has recently benefited from market changes.

An increasing number of developers, housebuilders and architects are opting for structures that are fabricated off-site and under cover before being trucked in and assembled on location.

The Volumetric Space Frame System comprises an engineered structural steel frame, factory-produced from high quality grade S355 steel, which compares to that used in high-rise steel-framed/site-erected buildings, such as housing , detached, semi detached, flatted development, multi storey residential/commercial, hotel developments.

Off-site fabrication ensures that all welding and fabrication is monitored, under the Powerwall ISO9001:2008 Quality Management System, which is audited annually. The Volumetric Space Frame System is not to be confused with pod-*+ type construction, as “pod” construction does not offer the benefit of independently designed and fabricated structural frames, which therefore sets Powerwall aside from this analogy.

In short the system produces a structural steel-framed building, built off-site as opposed to traditional steel-erection methods usually employed on site.
The benefits of this are primarily quality, cost and health & safety aspects are highly controlled.

Due to the inherent structural integrity of the system there are no issues normally associated with traditional settlement or shrinkage.

The design life of the Volumetric Space Frame System is 60 years, offering it ‘robust’ status in terms of any paralleled traditional buildings, whereas the structural steel space-frames themselves have a lifespan of 200 years. All materials used in the construction of the Volumetric Space-Frames are currently utilised throughout the UK and are common to most traditional building sites, and it is merely the innovative manner in which these materials are brought together to form the system that makes it ‘unique’.

The Volumetric Space Frame System is accredited by BBA, BRE, NHBC and the Council of Mortgage Lenders and has been awarded BPS 2020 certification (Standard for Innovative Systems for Dwellings). Due to the quality and accuracy of build, the Volumetric Space Frames provide an extremely energy-efficient and air-tight building envelope which exceeds all current U.K. Building Legislation (2.18m2/m3/hr @ 50Pa).

The system can provide a range of ‘U’ values, depending on the level of insulation required and a value as low as 0.113W/m2K has been provided for a social housing project.

The Volumetric Space Frame System can partner all types of technologies and Edinburgh University are currently assisting with the research and development of new SMART systems for future-proof home-automation and management.

The fire-resistance of the system is such that it currently exceeds all current building legislation with independent testing exceeding 62mins.

Acoustic performance is also a key factor in choosing the Volumetric Space Frame System as it’s ability to attenuate direct, indirect and flanking sound transmission is due to the innovative design and construction features. In modular and traditional type buildings it is necessary to introduce an increased mass density of material, particularly in party floors, to achieve compliant levels of sound reduction. In the Volumetric System, the ‘compartments’ are inherently separated and this allows the mass of materials and costs to be reduced, as well as sound transmission.

The Volumetric Space Frame System is already ahead of the proposed October 2010 Building Standards in terms of sound attenuation, energy-efficiency and carbon reduction and provides a successful platform to integrate renewable, micro-energy provision, increased insulation levels, reduced CO2 and carbon indices. In terms of design, the system is already at an advanced stage of developing a ‘carbon-negative’ concept building.

The Volumetric Space Frame System is a contemporary, cutting-edge and visionary system that provides a quick. Safe and cost-effective building solution that will be future-proof, energy-efficient and will certainly outlast many of it’s traditionally constructed rivals.

The Powerwall Volumetric Space Frame Building System comprises an engineered structural steel frame, factory-produced utilising the highest quality grade S355 steel, similar to that used in traditional methods of construction.  However, the ‘Off-site’ Modern Method of Construction (MMC) ensures that all welding and fabrication is monitored, under the Powerwall ISO9001:2008 Quality Management System.

The Volumetric Space Frame System sets aside any analogies with “pod” type construction, as  the buildings are independently designed and fabricated structural frames with no constraint on architectural form. Continue reading…