News
New shentonGroup Structure
As regular customers and contacts will know the four companies in our group all operate autonomously from 'Shenton House' here in Andover.
The next stage in the strengthening and growth of the group will be a formal amalgamation of all four into one company. At this time the company name has not been finalised.
This change will be a gradual process over the coming months with a target date of March 2010 for completion of all the necessary legal and commercial paperwork.
All existing brands identities and products will be retained for the foreseeable future.
This change will enable us to provide customers with a single point of contact, as well as increasing our focus and commitment to further improve customer service.
ShentonGroup enjoy 80% energy savings with powertherm™
Leading by example in reducing its carbon footprint, the Shenton Group has installed the innovative and cost effective CHP system, powertherm™ , at its headquarters in Andover in Hampshire. The company’s large workshop is being heated utilising the system by hot water being pumped around the building to unit heaters in the 16,000 square foot area. It has been calculated that powertherm will provide the Shenton Group with energy savings of around 80%.
The Shenton Group has applied to the Carbon Trust for a loan to cover the cost of the installation. The Carbon Trust’s Energy-Efficiency Loans are unsecured and interest free, with no arrangement fees and a straightforward application process. Loans can be repaid over a period of up to four years, and energy savings made from installing powertherm more than cover repayments.
Unique to the European market, powertherm’s engine technology gives 85.5% package efficiency with thermal recovery, enabling the units to provide an outstanding energy output compared to fuel consumption as well as shrink a company’s carbon footprint. Utilising a low emission natural gas engine, powertherm offers a pre-engineered package design, which reduces up-front engineering, site design and installation costs. The package design encompasses all CHP components within an acoustic enclosure thereby providing very low noise output (60 dB(A) @ 7 M) in plant room environments together with neatness of design and ease of access.
Powertherm eliminates the possibility of brown or black outs as well as improving the quality of power delivered to businesses. The system’s synchronising controllers also enables powertherm to run in sync with a standby generator.
With the flexibility to support both inside and outside applications, powertherm’s CHP technology recovers waste heat to provide heating, hot water or even air conditioning. This reduces overall energy consumption and thereby enables commercial and industrial customers to offset gas and electricity consumption. The system’s very low exhaust emissions ensure that powertherm meets total compliance with existing and any known future UK regulations.
Interest in powertherm has been growing substantially due to the pending introduction of the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC), which requires organisations using more than 6,000 MWh of electricity per year to report their total energy use emissions with effect from October 2009. Targeted at large non-energy intensive private and public sector organisations, CRC is a UK mandatory cap and trade scheme proposed to cut carbon emissions by 1.2 million tonnes of carbon per year by 2020. Approximately 5,000 organisations will be obliged to take part and it will cost a business a minimum of £75,000 to purchase their allowances in April 2011. Powertherm CHP has a role to play in reducing the impact of these additional costs.
Also suitable for smaller energy users, particularly those requiring a lot of energy or that operate around the clock such as leisure centres, hotels, hospitals and many others, powertherm from Scorpion Power Systems can considerably enhance the energy profile of a site whilst improving energy costs and reducing its carbon footprint.
Scorpion Power Systems have expanded their range from 17 - 600kVA
Due to the huge success of the Sterling Series Generators Scorpion Power Systems have expanded their range from 17kVA – 600kVA.
These sets are British built to a world-class standard complete with acoustic canopy, auto-start controller, engine heater, battery charger and bunded fuel tank.
These remarkably competitive standby generators will be available on short lead times and provide the most cost-effective solution for ‘standard package’ requirements.
Featuring reliable components from leading manufacturers, these generators are not to be confused with cheap Far Eastern products with no service support in the UK, but are premium products that your company can continue to build its reputation on.
Please contact us on freephone 0800 018 24 54 if you require any further information.
Without CHP you could be out in the cold
Energy costs have risen more than a 100% in the past 12-months while businesses are now bracing themselves for further electricity hikes with the introduction of new legislation to cut the amount of CO2 we omit. CHP is almost twice as efficient as conventional power generation and can save some companies up to 50% in electricity costs.
Combined Heat and Power (CHP), also known as cogeneration, is a means of generating heat and electric power at the same time from a single packaged unit. CHP is the cogeneration of heat and electricity, in which the "spare" heat produced, is turned into hot water. The principle is that a natural gas or biogas-fuelled engine drives a generator that produces electricity. The heat from the engine block, oil cooler and exhaust, which would normally be wasted, is absorbed by coolant water through a specially developed high efficiency heat exchanger. This energy, stored as hot water, is then usable directly for central heating, hot water, or indirectly for air conditioning. As a rule of thumb, the production of 1 kilowatt of power creates 2 kilowatts of usable heat energy.
The power stations feeding the national grid are only about 35% efficient, waste large amounts of heat and pump out up to 850kg of CO2 for every MW/hr of electricity produced. A further 5% of this is lost in transmitting that power around the country, so by the time the power arrives at your door it's only about 30% efficient. Running a CHP system captures most of the waste heat from its engine and turns it into useful hot water, making it over 85% efficient. It also significantly reduces CO2 emissions.
CHP is an established technology. Its ability to provide a reliable and cost effective supply of energy has been proven. Latest versions of the technology mean that even applications with a relatively small energy requirement can now save significant costs by using CHP. The benefits of smaller installations are that they can be built in a much shorter time span. Hotels, leisure centres, office buildings and apartment blocks often have enough demand for space heating and hot water to be powered by a small CHP plant. CHP's, such as powertherm, offer a clever mix of 70kW electricity, 152 kW hot water, all delivered at 85.5% total package efficiency. Some manufacturers, such as Scorpion, can synchronise multiple units together to create a very efficient on-site power station that can often eliminate large amounts of your electricity bill.
CHP plants are offered in a pre-engineered package design, which reduces up-front engineering, site design and installation costs. The package design encompasses all CHP components within an acoustic enclosure thereby providing very low noise output (60 dB(A) @ 7 M) in plant room environments together with neatness of design and ease of access.
If your annual combined energy costs for electricity and heat are in excess of £50,000 per annum, and you are looking to make a significant reduction in your CO2 footprint, but in a cost effective way, then a natural gas CHP system may be perfect for you.
The cost savings and Return On Investment are impressive. For example, a medium sized hotel can save around £5,000 a month from its electricity bill and a leisure centre open 16 hours a day could recover its investment in CHP units in only 18 months.
CHP equipment like powertherm for instance, reduces your electricity bill, conserves fuel by reducing the demand on your boilers, and also brings protection against power cuts by generating your electricity needs on site.
CHP stabilises the risks associated with rapidly rising electricity prices in your business over a fixed period and minimises the impact of the Climate Change Levy. Good quality CHP schemes, like powertherm can also can benefit from taxation advantages by qualifying for the government's Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme.
Industrial and commercial consumers reap great benefits from operating natural gas CHP plants. For instance, natural gas may be used to generate electricity needed in a particular industrial or commercial setting. The excess heat and produced from this process can be harnessed to fulfil other industrial applications, including space heating, water heating, and powering industrial boilers. Since firms are heavy users of energy, and particularly electricity, providing increased efficiency can save a great deal of money. Businesses are also subject to regulations regarding harmful emissions, and the burning characteristics of natural gas help industry to reduce its emissions.
CHP systems also provide an on site power source capable of keeping critical facilities operating during power outages. When power outages occur resulting in a black out, CHP plants can be 'islanded' from the grid and continue to operate normally. Because they rely on natural gas, CHP plants offer an excellent solution to ensure power continuity in critical infrastructures such as hospitals, schools, airports, military bases and government facilities. In addition CHP plants can improve the power quality during brownouts when computers and other sensitive equipment are affected by deviations in power quality.
Energy industry leaders and Government Ministers have agreed that CHP must play a more prominent role in the United Kingdom's transition to a low-carbon economy and it is an important element in the Government's new energy policy, as set down in the Energy White Paper. It is an integral part of its ambition to set the UK on the path to achieving a 60% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.
Can CHP save you money? It will be fascinating to find out.
The unreliability of power
In 2006, thousands of businesses were blacked out in Central London for several hours due to a fault at a power sub-station. In California blackouts were experienced across the State caused by an unprecedented usage of air-conditioning units.
It used to be thought that winter was the most vulnerable time for powercuts, and indeed this is still the case. However, now with the increasing use of air conditioning equipment and alterations in the weather due to climate change combined with a growing demand for electricity Britain’s businesses are now facing a greater number of powercuts throughout the year.
Critics of the government’s overhaul of the wholesale power market in 2001 have argued that the market has failed to encourage sufficient investment in new power stations, raising further doubts about future security of supply. In a doom-laden report in 2003 the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), stated that Britain will become completely reliant upon energy sources supplied via pipelines from politically unstable countries thousands of miles away. The ‘State of the Nation 2003’ report highlighted a potential 80% shortfall in meeting the country’s energy demands from current supplies by 2020, and points to the possible cataclysmic effect of becoming too reliant upon unsecured, imported fuel supplies.
The prospect of blackouts combined with shrinking IT budgets, growing quantities of online data and tough legislation all combine to put pressure on business managers to put into effect a robust business continuity strategy and disaster recovery strategy in the event of prolonged power outages. On average a computer site experiences around 20 blackouts each year and generally, are far more common in rural areas. Most blackouts arise in the local, low voltage distribution network. In order to mitigate the risk of national and local power outages, businesses should ensure a secure, climate-controlled environment with backup power supplies, hands on support and equipment monitoring.
For business managers who have adopted a ‘crossed fingers’ strategy towards potential disaster for blackouts and outages, its time to take action against the distinct probability of potential IT disasters. It is the smaller companies that are reluctant to provide the wherewithal to protect themselves against the economic impact of such disasters whether natural or man-made. This is in fact a shortsighted approach which could result in financial ruin should a blackout last several days or even weeks.
The potential catastrophe caused by a black out or power surge to a company’s IT networks has resulted in a need for standby power. Over the past few years, standby generators have been transformed. Now, it is possible to obtain small units that can power up a single appliance or large systems that are suitable for all major standby power applications including the server, security and telecom markets.
Combined With UPS
Standby generators provide additional backup to a conventional UPS. Installed as part of a SPS (standby power system) the generator takes over before the batteries of the UPS run out, smoothly transferring the network over as part of the SPS. When mains power returns, the software will automatically switch back to conventional power after it has ensured that the power will remain constant.
Auto Mains Failure
Installing an AMF panel provides complete automation of the starting and stopping of a generator supplying power during mains failure. Nowadays seen as an essential part of any power support package, the AMF utilises state-of-the-art electronic controllers to monitor for phase loss, partial voltage loss, over-voltage and under and over frequency.
When a generator is in automatic mode, the AMF continuously monitors the incoming mains. If the mains voltage falls outside the preset limits, an outage or ‘mains failure’ has occurred and the process of starting the generator set begins. Once the mains failure is recognised, the contacts are released to disconnect the load from the mains. There is a pre-set and adjustable time delay before the generator is started. This avoids unnecessary starting of the generator when very short duration mains break of say 2 or 3 seconds occur.
The AMF then starts the generator and its output is connected to the load. (The load being essential equipment such as computers, appliances, lights, lifts, etc for offices factories and complexes). The generator continues to supply the building until the mains supply returns. The AMF then monitors the mains for a pre-set time to ensure the supply is stable, then automatically disconnects the generator and reconnects the load to the mains. The generator is ‘run-on’ for a cooling down period before the fuel solenoid/ignition is de-energised and the engine stops. The operational cycle is then complete and the generator returns to a standby condition. During this time the starter battery is maintained in a charged condition by a ‘trickle’ charger supplied from the mains.
A programmable control module, mounted in the enclosure, manages the generator starting and stopping and can be programmed for start delay, crank period, warm-up time, and mains return and run on. It also includes a full engine protection system for under-speed, over-speed, low battery volts, high battery volts and emergency stop. Low oil and high temperature monitoring is carried out by the generator’s own system. An LCD details faults should they occur including a “gen fault” display in the event of a problem with the generator’s engine. The interface panel is mounted next to the generator and connected via a remote start lead and terminated into a row of din terminals inside the interface panel. The panel houses an emergency stop button, which will disable the system when activated.
The loss of power in a stadium or arena can be catastrophic. Every year adverse weather conditions result in powercuts across the country as local power lines are hit by trees or simply collapse under heavy snowfall resulting in disruption to domestic users and businesses alike. Powercuts are no longer a seasonal phenomenon. Any business with critical processes or essential facilities which cannot accommodate electricity supply interruptions should, if they have not already done so, look to invest in back up generation facilities which can be triggered when there is an interruption to the mains electricity supply.
Scorpion has launched powertherm
Scorpion has launched powertherm, an innovative and cost effective Combined Heat & Power (CHP) system that reduces energy costs and increases power reliability and quality. Unique to the European market, powertherm’s engine technology gives high efficiency with thermal recovery, enabling the units to provide an outstanding energy output compared to fuel consumption.
Utilising a low emission engine, powertherm offers a pre-engineered package design, which reduces up-front engineering, site design and installation costs. The package design encompasses all CHP components within an acoustic enclosure thereby providing very low noise output in plant room environments together with neatness of design and ease of access. Powertherm can eliminate the possibility of brown or black outs as well as improve the quality of power delivered to businesses. The system’s synchronising controllers also enables the powertherm to run in sync with a standby Generator.
With the flexibility to support both inside and outside applications, powertherm’s CHP technology recovers waste heat to provide heating, hot water, or even air conditioning. This reduces overall energy consumption and thereby enables commercial and industrial customers to reduce their energy costs.
Powertherm is supplied with a unique maintenance package that includes Scorpion Hawkeye remote monitoring system, which provides an immediate reaction to faults or any decline in efficiency. The true cost of the entire product life can therefore be defined right at the start. Accountants will love this feature, which is unique to powertherm... and while we’re mentioning finances, take a look at the significant benefits of powertherm –
- Save a fortune on your Energy Bill
- Drastically cut your Carbon Footprint
- Guarantee your savings
- Protect from Power Failure
- Secure your heating supply
- Carbon Trust funding (for qualifying clients)
Electricity and hot water are two essential components for most businesses to function. How do you get yours? With our new range of powertherm CHPs you could make both on site, independent of the mains, and save money into the bargain! Powertherm may be the most energy efficient move you could make, and can add significant amounts of money to your bottom line.
Are you a qualifying client? – There’s only one way to find out: Call our specialist CHP division on 01264 349 403, or e-mail
Read More about powertherm
The RAF Lossiemouth story
LTH Industrial Solutions has a wide & scope of capabilities, and serves a number of clients with critical activities to support. LTH has been acquired by the shentongroup and is now the Technical Services Division of Scorpion Power Systems.
An example is the Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 simulators at RAF Lossiemouth.
The 2 simulators are located in a dedicated ground school training building, run by Thales for the RAF. This facility is responsible for type conversion onto the GR4, front line squadron emergency drills, and mission rehearsal.
The simulators are capable of replicating any event that could be experienced for real. Our divisional manager Marcus Dodsworth has frequently flown these simulators, and can tell scary stories involving bird strikes at takeoff, missile threats at low-level, and engine fires while trying to land in the dark!
The computer equipment operating the simulators is large and complex. The power supply and cooling requirements are critical to keeping the computers ‘up’ and the simulators on line. When Thales needed a reliable power supply, they turned to LTH (now Scorpion Power Systems) for an interruptible power supply, with the following mission objectives-
- Examine the Tornado Simulator electrical characteristics by data analysis during actual missions.
- Develop UPS criteria based on site findings.
- Design, manufacture, install, and commission a twin UPS facility, together with all civil works, cooling equipment and data links and software.
- Post commissioning, carry out reactive testing during live training for proof of UPS support level.
- Provide 24/7 live health monitoring, reactive engineering support, and planned preventative maintenance on an ongoing basis.