ACR Journal

RSK ACQUIRES GROUND HEAT INSTALLATIONS RSK Group has acquired Ground Heat Installations, one of the UK’s largest providers of ground source heat pumps. Ground Heat is based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, and employs 15 people. “This is a hugely important acquisition for RSK,” said RSK Chief Executive O… cer and founder Alan Ryder, pictured left . “We believe that ground source heat will play a vital role in our drive to Net Zero emissions and help bring an end to fuel poverty. "Although Covid-19 has taken over recent news, we must continue to focus on the impacts of climate change and ensure that organisations and communities are supported as we move towards a greener future.” Dave Thompson, pictured right , Ground Heat Managing Director, said: “Delivering heat to both domestic and commercial properties is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and will undergo transformative change as we move to a low-carbon future. Ground source heating is an important part of the solution, so I am excited to be joining RSK, a business that shares our values to drive development in this sector.” NEWS 06 REFCOM issues warning as illegal refrigerant is seized from contractor August | September 2020 Volume 6 No.5 F-Gas certification body REFCOM has issued a warning to ‘rogue’ refrigeration and air conditioning contractors following the confiscation of illegal refrigerant being used by a firm in Derbyshire. Following a tip-o—, REFCOM alerted local trading standards o… cers who along with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), seized and disposed of the dangerous gases contained in non-refillable cylinders. It later emerged that the gas was counterfeit as the cylinder advertised the contents as R134a, which is not flammable, but the gas used was seen to catch fire. Head of REFCOM Graeme Fox said: “This is a fantastic stride forward and hopefully shows that things have been going on behind the scenes. The continued use of these illegal imported refrigerants by unscrupulous contractors is a very serious problem. Not only do they damage the environment and atmosphere, but are an extreme danger to life and property. “As if the actions of this firm were not bad enough, they were also seen to use an illegal cylinder in an ambulance bay. The consequences of using flammable refrigerant in equipment not designed to work with this type of gas in such a critical environment hardly bear thinking about. “We need contractors to be aware that, if people are prepared to break the law to bring in refrigerant illegally, they won’t be too concerned about the contents.’’ Despite the outcome, Fox is concerned that the enforcement of the F-Gas Regulation remains “patchy and inadequate”. He said: “Authorities need to raise their game to enforce existing legislation because there are still far too many ‘cowboy operators’ using illegal products that they buy online. REFCOM members are audited to ensure safety and legal compliance so they are rightly sick of being undercut by uncertified firms using dangerous practices and dodgy products.” Genfrost reveals £2m investment Commercial refrigeration specialist Genfrost has announced plans to invest close to £2million in new product development and plant, with 27 new jobs planned over the next two years. Founder and Managing Director Lewis Bourne bought out the business just over a year ago and the management team decided to move its base from Peterborough to Boston, Lincolnshire. The investment saw Genfrost acquire freehold premises which increased warehouse space from 40,000sqft to 47,000sqft and stacking height from 7m to 11m. The new premises allow for future development as adjoining land was also purchased. Bourne said: “We have been planning a large-scale expansion for the last 9 months and we have decided to continue those plans despite Covid-19. We have announced a near-£2m investment in new product development and plant, to assist in the future build and assembly of some very exciting new products here in Boston.’’ Genfrost has already increasedwarehouse space