At the end of 2011, Scolmore (Click Scolmore) announced the launch of an ambitious investment plan that will see its lighting division grow significantly, over the next five years and contribute to the substantial growth that the company is predicting in the period to 2016. At the heart of the new business strategy was the creation of a brand new umbrella brand for lighting solutions - OVIA - under which all lighting ranges will operate, including the Energetic low-energy collection, the aw...

Hitachi Energy and National Grid have successfully energized a pilot project replacing SF6 in installed high-voltage gas-insulated lines with an eco-efficient fluoronitrile based gas mixture. This retrofill solution, in Richborough, UK is part of Hitachi Energy's EconiQ™ portfolio which is designed to deliver superior environmental performance compared to conventional solutions. As one of the world's largest investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities, National Grid has the amb...

NFPA 70E states that an Arc Flash Risk Assessment should be updated every five years or when significant electrical system changes occur. How important is this? Even if all equipment within the electrical distribution system has remained the same, it is still essential to perform an updated risk assessment based on possible changes undertaken outside of the system. This article explores the arc flash impacts to an electrical system based on changes performed by others (i.e., the utility co...

Roger Miesen, CEO of RWE Generation, said "One of the greatest challenges of the energy transition is to ensure a secure CO2-free electricity supply at all times - even when wind and sun are not sufficiently available. Hydrogen-fuelled, gas-fired power plants will make an important contribution to ensuring this in the future." He adds, "In order to gain experience with the operation of such plants, Kawasaki and RWE are planning a pilot project with a hydrogen-powered turbine in Lingen. With thi...

In launching its new subsidiary, Megger has worked in close cooperation with ENPA, with whom it has had a longstanding relationship. Megger Turkey will handle sales and support directly for end-users of Megger cable test products and will provide support via the company’s existing sales partners for all other products in the extensive Megger range. Gürcan Ensari, the founder of ENPA, and Mehmet Demir, Megger’s Regional Sales Director for the Power Cable Infrastructure Division...

The evolution of the smart home gathers pace, with the market witnessing a continued increase in the appetite for smart technology from end-users. While this advancement will bring significant business opportunities for switched-on electrical contractors and installers, there is reluctance on the part of some installers to fully embrace this new technology, as it is deemed too complicated to install and they are, therefore, unwilling to upsell to customers. With a reputation for developing...

Scolmore’s Inceptor Evo Bulkhead Luminaire is a high quality LED bulkhead luminaire that can effectively replace existing 28W fittings for commercial and home applications. The product looks stylish and thanks to the impact-resistant polycarbonate body, doesn’t compromise on toughness. The luminaire is certainly larger than standard bulkheads, but infinitely more manageable than 28W circular fluorescents. Inceptor Evo Bulkhead Luminaire Good quality instructions are provided w...

Scolmore Group looked close to home when considering the product requirements for the expansion and total redesign of the Visitor Center at its Staffordshire headquarters. Originally opened in January 2009, Scolmore’s Visitor Center was designed to cater for groups of up to 24 people and act as a facility to showcase and demonstrate the growing range of products to customers, as well as serving as a venue to host internal meetings and presentations. Scolmore’s Visitor Center A...

With a myriad of styles and finishes available for wiring accessories, Marie Parry, the Group Marketing Director at Scolmore Group looks at what makes simple, white accessories - the bread and butter for the electrical contractor and why wholesalers should be stocking them. There has never been a wider choice of styles and finishes in wiring accessories available in the market, giving end users the opportunity to reflect the latest trends for interior design in the switches and sockets that t...

GridPro from Scolmore is an extensive range of interchangeable mounting plates and modules, available in the most comprehensive choice of finishes – offering contractors the ultimate in flexible, modular grid solutions. The range was developed with speed and ease of installation as key attributes. It provides installers with the flexibility to create multi-function, 1 to 24 gang plates which are styled to seamlessly integrate with Scolmore’s vast range of Click wiring accessories....

With an influx of products onto the electrical market, contractors need to be more aware now than ever before of the importance of ensuring the quality and provenance of the products that they are using. The UK wiring accessories market is a growing one and the opportunities that this growth and expansion promises can be evidenced in the influx of products onto the market in recent years, from unknown names from outside the market.  Pressures of tight margins Within these constraints...

Marie Parry, the Marketing Director at Scolmore Group, looks at the developments in the lighting sector and how wholesalers can benefit from the smart lighting revolution. Where it used to be considered a luxury and accessible only to the well-off folks, smart lighting is now becoming more widely accessible, thanks to the advancements in technology, which means that smart devices are now being utilized in all areas of life and app-based control is a standard part of everyday lives. Smart l...

Scolmore International continues to grow and expand its electrical accessories and lighting business and has just announced the acquisition of ESP (Elite Security Products Limited) - a specialist supplier of security, fire and intruder protection products - by way of a joint venture between Scolmore International and Andy Clements, the current ESP Managing Director. While the acquisition means ESP will now be part of the Scolmore Group, the company will continue to trade as an independent ent...

An exclusive partnership between Click Scolmore (Scolmore) and Energetic Lighting (Energetic) - the world’s renowned manufacturer of energy-efficient lighting products - will see the most comprehensive range of price-competitive, low energy lamps, being made available to the UK lighting and electrical industries for the first time. With the changes to Part L of the building regulations that will affect lighting installations, due to come into effect next month, the launch is aptly tim...

Scolmore Group is pleased to announce its collaboration with Voltimum, the UK electrical industry’s number one web portal. Providing manufacturing partners with a global communications platform, the association with Voltimum provides Scolmore with the opportunity to share its expertise in wiring accessories and lighting with Voltimum’s community of over 400,000 installers, contractors and wholesalers. Scolmore – Voltimum partnership Scolmore is a brand we are very proud...

Scolmore Group is delighted to have been voted ‘Supplier of the Year’ by Electricbase, one of the UK’s largest electrical wholesalers supplying contractors, installers, commercial and industrial users from its network of nationwide branches. The awards ceremony took place on the evening of the company’s annual conference and trade show which took place before lockdown at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, United Kingdom. Scolmore voted ‘Supplier of the Year&...

It’s now over a year, since Scolmore Group launched its dedicated YouTube channel SGTV, and the mix of interviews, news and tutorials that are hosted has generated regular engagement and great reviews from electricians.   Scolmore understands the time pressures that electricians face, now more than ever as they get back to working after the rigors of lockdown. As a result, they are now making some of the SGTV content available through a brand new series of weekly podcasts, e...

Scolmore is delighted to announce the appointment of Darren Staniforth, one of the electrical industry’s leading technical experts, to the newly created role of Head of Technical Engagement for the Scolmore group of companies. With nearly 30 years’ experience in the industry, Darren Staniforth has amassed a wealth of technical knowledge and expertise, which he will be utilizing in his new position, where he will primarily be responsible for engaging with professional contractors a...

Scolmore has welcomed two new members to its technical team. The appointment of James Hannon as Senior Technical Lighting Engineer and Mark Lagoe as Technical Support Engineer will further strengthen the Technical Support Department of Scolmore, to meet the needs of the company, as it continues to expand its products in all divisions. James Hannon’s experience includes five years working as a qualified electrician and eight years as a senior site services engineer with a globally renown...

The recent expansion and total re-design of the Scolmore Visitor Center has created a state-of-the-art showroom and conference center, which is now double the size and provides an ideal backdrop to showcase an ever-expanding range of Scolmore Group products and solutions. Now, with the ability to accommodate up to 60 guests at any one time, the venue is perfect for hosting a range of events, including product launches and demonstrations, training session for customers, as well as corporate...

Scolmore Group has announced two new appointments to their Marketing Team, as the company invests in high caliber candidates, in order to strengthen its market-renowned position within the electrical industry. Katie Plumstead joins the company – Scolmore, as a Marketing Assistant and will work with the Marketing Director, in order to develop and implement marketing campaigns, across all traditional, digital and social platforms. Vast industry experience Chris Mair joins the Design D...

Lighting and wiring accessories manufacturer, Scolmore Group, has added to its popular Inceptor range of integrated LED Downlights, with a non-fire-rated version that provides contractors with a high-quality, cost-saving LED solution for lighting projects.  The new Inceptor Pico Fixed Integrated LED Downlight is being positioned as the ideal alternative for those applications where there isn’t the requirement for a fire-rated fitting and therefore, no need to incur the additional exp...

Scolmore’s collaboration with globally renowned low energy lighting solutions manufacturer, Energetic, continues to produce new products, and the latest addition is a range of FlameGuard fittings that are designed to fit a wide variety of GU10 and E27 lamps. Energy efficient lamps The energy efficient lamps are fully compliant with Part L1 Building Regulations and incorporate the high protection FlameGuard system, which provides a fire and acoustic barrier. The new range includes a fi...

Simon Brown, the trainer facilitator for electrical installation at South Devon College, was delighted to receive a recent visit from Scolmore Sales Manager, Matt Cooves, who arrived at the college laden with products from the company’s vast electrical accessories ranges. As the college where the winner of this year’s NICEIC and ELECSA Apprentice of the Year competition studied, South Devon College benefited from the prize of £1000 worth of products offered by the competition&...

If rising prices for oil and gas, combined with COP26 sounding the “death knell for carbon” weren’t already enough for fossil-fuel-based companies, a new survey has found that 56% of those working in oil and gas want to pursue jobs in renewable energy in the coming years.  Energy companies such as Shell, BP and a range of smaller firms cut tens of thousands of jobs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic as they tightened budgets. Now, even as energy demand recovers, many co...

Siemens Smart Infrastructure’s building products KNX/DALI gateway N 141 and the switch/dim actuator 2x DALI Broadcast N 525D11, as well as the Desigo PXC3 controller, were recently certified under the new DALI-2 communication protocol standard for lighting in buildings. DALI-2 is an update to the original Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) protocol and facilitates interoperability and control for LED drivers. Application integration Customers can choose between soluti...

Steve Hughes, the Managing Director of REO UK, said "It is impossible to deny the reality of electric vehicles (EVs). With the sale of petrol and diesel cars to be banned from 2030, EVs will soon be the main cars on the market." He adds, "There has already been a shift in public mentality, with 186 percent more EVs sold in 2020 than in 2019, showing a clear increase in consumer interest. However, there are still problems that EVs can bring that we must consider now." EV adoption The increase...

As the number of people owning a smart phone increases year-on-year, the popularity and use of apps continue to rise. Marie Parry, the Group Marketing Director of Scolmore Group, looks at some of the statistics and how apps are making life easier for contractors and installers. mobile phone population and apps In 2015, 52.7 percent of the global mobile phone population accessed the internet from their mobile phone. This figure is expected to grow to 61.2 percent in 2018. In 2020, the number...

With an influx of budget products from hitherto unknown names hitting the UK electrical accessories market, Marie Parry, the Group Marketing Director at Scolmore, outlines the value of investing in a trusted brand. wiring accessories market growth According to AMA Research, the UK wiring accessories market is expected to be worth £1.8bn by the end of 2018, while the market for home automation products, including intelligent wiring accessories, is described as a rapidly growing market...

In the light of the Grenfell tragedy, the spotlight has been shone on fire safety with the result that building regulations are becoming much more stringent, and building products are coming under more scrutiny. As the first manufacturer to launch fire-rated downlights back in 2005, with the award-wining FlameGuard fire protected and acoustic rated products Scolmore has had years of experience in developing, modifying, and improving the range of products to ensure they meet the latest requi...