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Wednesday, 22 April 2026
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Why Industrial Heat Pumps Are Becoming Big Business
Behind factories, paper mills, chemical plants and large-scale heating networks, vast amounts of energy are still being generated using fossil fuels.
In fact, over 70% of industrial process heat worldwide still relies on traditional carbon-heavy sources.
That, however, is starting to change.
Innomotics is pushing hard into one of the most important areas of industrial decarbonisation: industrial heat pumps.
Unlike the small domestic heat pumps homeowners are becoming familiar with, industrial heat pumps operate on a much larger scale. They recover ambient heat or waste heat from existing processes and upgrade it into usable high-temperature heat — in some cases up to 150°C. That means businesses can recycle energy they would otherwise lose, dramatically improving efficiency while cutting emissions.
The commercial argument is just as strong as the environmental one.
Heat pumps can deliver several times more thermal output than the electrical energy they consume, making them one of the most efficient heating technologies available. When powered by renewable electricity, carbon emissions can be reduced to near zero. At the same time, operators benefit from lower running costs, reduced maintenance, and system availability as high as 99.9%.
That combination of green credentials and financial savings is exactly why major industrial players are paying attention.
One standout example is in the Netherlands, where the country’s largest heat pump system recovers heat daily from 65 million litres of treated wastewater.
Powered by Innomotics drive systems, the project supplies district heating to around 20,000 households, covers roughly 15% of regional heat demand, and cuts CO₂ emissions by around 30,000 tonnes every year.
In Germany, the company is also supplying key technology for what is being described as the world’s most powerful industrial heat pump at BASF’s Ludwigshafen site. The system is expected to generate up to 500,000 tonnes of steam annually, a major step forward for industrial electrification.
Further projects in France and Finland are proving the same point: waste heat is no longer waste if you have the right infrastructure to capture it.
As Michael Reichle, CEO of Innomotics, puts it, industrial heat pumps are becoming “a key technology for the energy transition,” helping businesses become both more efficient and more sustainable.
In short, decarbonisation is no longer just an environmental issue, it is rapidly becoming a competitive business advantage. And for industry, heat pumps may be one of the smartest investments of the decade.
WDM and Metricell Collaborate to Deliver PAS 2161-Compliant Road Condition Surveying
The partnership brings together strategic highway surveying expertise and a proprietary neural network designed to operate on real-time data, to support local authorities with PAS 2161 compliant road condition monitoring reporting.
By combining WDM’s long-established leadership in highway surveying and asset management solutions, with the pioneering SmartVision AI platform, the two organisations will deliver innovative, scalable surveying services.
This collaborative solution will meet the requirements of the new PAS 2161 road condition monitoring standard, helping highway authorities transition confidently to the new national approach whilst retaining the granular objective data collected by WDM’s Road Assessment Vehicles (RAV) which operate to the SCANNER specification.
The introduction of PAS 2161 marks a significant change in how road condition data is collected and reported across English Local Authorities.
Through this collaboration, WDM and SmartVision will provide customers with a comprehensive solution that combines engineering expertise with cutting-edge technology, merging detailed survey expertise with AI Innovation.
WDM demonstrates decades of experience in highway surveying and strategic road management planning. Utilising its modular software platform, Highways Infrastructure Asset Management System, the company has long supported highway authorities with data-driven insights that inform maintenance prioritisation, resource allocation and safety improvements across road networks.
SmartVision’s advanced artificial intelligence capabilities uses computer vision models to analyse road surface conditions and infrastructure assets from captured imagery, delivering the analysed data through the SmartVision platform. The system can automatically detect and classify defects and features across the highway network, providing scalable and efficient inspection capabilities.
By combining these complementary strengths, the collaboration enables an effective approach to PAS 2161 data collection, which pairs engineering principles and survey strategy with automated analytics and digital inspection tools.
As local authorities adapt to the new national standard, reliable and consistent road condition data will be vital to support decision-making and reporting requirements, as well as targeting the most essential works and justifying cost.
The WDM / SmartVision collaboration supports Local Authorities through the transition to PAS 2161 enabling access to PAS 2161 compliant survey data supported by both specialist highway engineering knowledge and advanced AI analysis.
This approach helps ensure that condition assessments remain accurate, repeatable, and scalable across networks while maintaining confidence in results used to inform national statistics and maintenance planning.
Beyond compliance, the partnership reflects a wider focus, ensuring that road condition data delivers genuine value for asset management programmes, enabling highways authorities to access a wide range of additional RCM data from a single survey.
High-quality survey data provides far more than a snapshot of road condition. When collected and interpreted correctly, it becomes a foundation for wider infrastructure insight, supporting the monitoring of additional highway assets, improving maintenance planning, and enabling authorities to move towards more proactive and predictive network management.
By combining WDM’s survey expertise with SmartVision’s AI powered analytics, the collaboration aims to provide local authorities with detailed, more actionable datasets. Ultimately, it is the quality and integrity of this data that enables highway authorities to plan effective maintenance strategies, optimise budgets, and deliver safer, more resilient road networks to benefit the communities they serve.
Developed in the UK, SmartVision’s advanced AI model has been trained on over 11 million images to accurately identify more than 120 road condition criteria.
Combined with a powerful data platform, the solution enables local councils, highway authorities and insurance providers to take a proactive, data-driven approach to maintaining a resilient transport network and improving road safety.
Martin Harrington expands NavVis’ UK business as Managing Director
NavVis has already a strong position in the UK, serving some of the most respected brands and will grow the market further with Martin Harrington as the new Managing Director for the UK business.
As an experienced sales and customer relations specialist he previously was Head of Sales for NavVis UK. In his new role he will be responsible for driving the next phase of growth in a market that is strategically important for NavVis.
Since entering the market four years ago, NavVis has successfully established itself in the United Kingdom.
Thanks to steadily increasing demand, growing market maturity, and targeted investments, NavVis now serves more than 100 British customers, including well-known companies from the construction, manufacturing, infrastructure, and surveying sectors. In addition to NavVis’ international resources, the UK team will continue to expand in line with rapid growth.
Martin Harrington, an experienced, highly respected industry expert and thought leader, is now at the helm of the UK organization; he has been instrumental in building the UK business from the ground up since 2022. Prior to joining NavVis, Harrington worked at Leica Geosystems as a Technical Sales Specialist starting in 2018 and previously as a Senior Land Surveyor at Glanville Consultants.
Before that, the archaeology graduate and trained geomatics specialist worked in surveying at Wardell Armstrong and Plowman Craven.
Harrington’s focus is on leveraging the current momentum, further expanding the company’s presence, and ensuring long-term customer success.
This is a challenging task, as the UK market is considered similarly demanding to the German market, where companies typically make decisions only after careful evaluation. Trust, compelling use cases from well-known companies, and “experienceable technology” are therefore key success factors.
“You simply have to experience NavVis technology through presentations, demos, and real-world applications with existing customers,” Harrington told That's Business.
“That’s how trust is built. By demonstrating innovation and performance live in practical scenarios, we go beyond theoretical promises.”
NavVis technology is used across a wide range of industries and offers potential for numerous applications along the entire value chain – from data capture to the use of digital twins. “Our goal is clear: we want to take a leading role in the UK and consistently continue on this successful path,” Harrington emphasizes.
Commercial Landlords Risk Voiding Insurance by Neglecting Solar Panel Maintenance
Rayotec Limited, a UK-based engineering specialist with over 35 years of experience in electrical safety and renewable technologies, has raised concerns amid clear evidence solar panel fires in UK commercial buildings are on the rise. Incidents are increasingly being linked to improper installation, poor maintenance, and faulty components, particularly inverters and DC isolators.
While the overall risk of fire remains relatively low, recent high-profile incidents and insurer warnings suggest the risk is growing as systems age and environmental pressures increase.
Rising Risk in a Rapidly Expanding Sector
With solar installations accelerating across warehouses, retail parks, offices, and industrial units, many landlords and tenants are unaware that ongoing maintenance is not optional—it is essential. Unlike traditional electrical systems, rooftop solar arrays are continuously energised during daylight hours, making faults harder to isolate and increasing the risk of fire if left unchecked.
“Solar is a fantastic technology, but it is not ‘fit and forget’,” Reza Sabba for Rayotec Limited told THat;s Business.
“We’re seeing cases where systems installed years ago have never been inspected since commissioning. That’s a serious risk—not just to the building, but to the businesses operating inside.”
Experts are also warning that ageing systems, poor ventilation, debris build-up, and damage caused by extreme weather are all contributing to a heightened risk profile across the UK’s commercial rooftop solar estate.
Key Causes of Commercial Solar Fires
Industry research and insurer data highlight several recurring causes:
Improper Installation: A study by the BRE National Solar Centre found that 36% of solar-related fire incidents were linked to poor installation practices, including loose electrical connections and damaged cabling.
Inverter Failures: Solar inverters operate under high electrical load and can become a primary ignition source if they overheat, lack adequate ventilation, or accumulate dust.
DC Isolators: Widely recognised as a significant fire risk, faulty or degraded DC isolators are responsible for a substantial proportion of system failures.
Maintenance Failures: Lack of routine inspection allows small faults—such as cable degradation or debris accumulation—to escalate into serious hazards.
Real-World Incidents Highlight the Danger
Recent UK incidents underline the potential consequences of neglect:
In 2024, a fire at a Lidl warehouse in Peterborough caused significant damage and disruption, prompting wider safety reviews.
Shanklea Primary School in Cramlington also experienced a solar-related fire, prompting inspections of similar public-sector buildings.
Earlier incidents, including warehouse and retail fires across the West Midlands, Kent, and Essex, have been linked to faults in solar PV systems, particularly involving isolators and cabling.
Fire services have repeatedly noted the additional risks solar systems pose during incidents, as panels remain live during daylight hours, complicating firefighting efforts.
Insurance Implications: A Hidden Threat
Most commercial insurance policies now include strict conditions regarding electrical safety and maintenance. Solar PV systems fall under these requirements, yet many policyholders fail to recognise this.
Insurers are increasingly demanding higher safety standards, including documented maintenance regimes.
“If you cannot demonstrate that your solar installation has been regularly inspected and maintained in line with industry standards, your insurer may argue that you’ve not met your obligations,” Rayotec warns. “That can mean partial payouts, or none at all.”
Standards such as periodic inspection under BS 7671 and post-weather event checks are becoming essential expectations.
Landlords and Tenants Both at Risk
Responsibility for solar panel maintenance is often unclear in lease agreements, creating dangerous gaps in accountability. Landlords may assume tenants are managing the system, while tenants believe it remains the landlord’s obligation.
“This grey area is where problems start,” said Rayotec. “We strongly advise both parties to clearly define responsibilities and ensure regular inspections are carried out by qualified specialists.”
Simple Steps to Reduce Risk
Rayotec Limited recommends the following actions for commercial property stakeholders:
Schedule regular inspections of solar PV systems, including electrical testing by a qualified company
Use accredited installers, such as those certified under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS)
Conduct additional inspections following extreme weather events
Ensure inverters and isolators are properly ventilated and free from debris
Keep detailed maintenance records for insurance compliance
Review lease agreements to clarify responsibility for solar assets
Act immediately on any signs of system faults, such as inverter errors or visible damage
A Call to Action
As solar adoption continues to grow, so too does the importance of proper lifecycle management. Rayotec Limited urges landlords, managing agents, and tenants to treat solar maintenance with the same seriousness as any other critical electrical infrastructure.
“Neglecting your solar system doesn’t just risk a fault, it risks a fire, business interruption, and potentially your insurance protection,” the company concluded. “The cost of prevention is minimal compared to the cost of failure.”
Rayotec Limited is a UK-based engineering company with over 35 years of experience in electrical safety, compliance, and renewable energy systems.
The company specialises in inspection, testing, and maintenance services for commercial and industrial clients in London, the South East, and the Midlands. Learn more about commercial solar PV safety, maintenance, and compliance at https://www.rayotec.com/solar/solar-pv
Amico Design Secures Planning Approval for £3m Sikh Community Gurdwara in Kettering
Commissioned by the Sri Guru Sabha Sikh Temple, the £2.8–£3.5 million development will deliver a landmark religious and community space, blending traditional Sikh architecture with modern design.
The project highlights how UK architects are successfully navigating planning processes to create culturally significant buildings that foster community engagement.
Tradition Meets Contemporary Design
The two-storey Gurdwara reinterprets traditional Sikh architectural elements in a modern form. Its symmetrical red brick façade, double-height glazed entrance, and central arch featuring the Khanda emblem create a welcoming and powerful identity.
Gold-toned domed finials and a flag mast celebrate cultural heritage, while lighter stone detailing adds visual refinement.
This demonstrates how places of worship design in the UK can combine heritage with modern functionality.
"This project allowed us to explore how traditional Sikh design elements can be expressed in a contemporary building while maintaining a strong connection to the community," Guv Bhangal, Operations Director at Amico Design, told That's Business.
Planning Permission & Site Integration
Amico Design guided the project through the UK planning process for community buildings and places of worship, ensuring landscaping, accessibility, and on-site parking were integrated. The design enhances the Gurdwara’s civic presence in Kettering while supporting practical functionality. The project serves as a strong example of community-focused architecture in the East Midlands.
Natural Light & Community Wellbeing
Large, evenly spaced windows maximise daylight, creating a calm and uplifting environment for worshippers. The design demonstrates how thoughtful architecture can positively impact social well-being, foster community engagement, and support spiritual practice.
A Landmark For Kettering
With a construction value of £2.8–£3.5 million, the Gurdwara will serve as a cultural and civic landmark. The project highlights Amico Design’s expertise in culturally sensitive architecture and reinforces their portfolio of high-quality, community-focused buildings in Northamptonshire and beyond.
"Delivering spaces that respect heritage while meeting modern needs is at the heart of what we do," adds Guv.
Thursday, 16 April 2026
UK Fleets Are Taking Their Eye Off the Ball. Just as Cargo Theft Explodes
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New research from Geotab reveals over half of UK fleet managers (55%) say they’re less concerned about cargo theft than they were a year ago.
On the surface, that might suggest improving conditions.
The reality? It’s the exact opposite.
UK fleets are still experiencing an average of 32 theft-related incidents per year, and industry-wide losses have surged by a staggering 438% since 2022. That’s not a marginal increase, it’s a full-blown escalation.
So why the complacency?
A False Sense of Security
Many operators appear to be relying on outdated assumptions and reactive strategies. Around 22% of fleet managers admit they depend solely on insurance to deal with losses, effectively accepting theft as a cost of doing business rather than something to prevent.
That approach is short-sighted.
Insurance doesn’t protect your drivers. It doesn’t preserve customer trust. And it certainly doesn’t stop organised criminals from striking again.
The Growing “Tech Gap”
Cargo theft isn’t what it used to be. Criminal networks are becoming more sophisticated, using fraud, deception, insider access, and tech-based exploits to bypass traditional security.
Yet fleet defences haven’t kept pace.
Basic measures like cameras are the most commonly used tools, but only by 27% of operators. Meanwhile, more advanced protections such as real-time tracking, sensor alerts, and verified driver ID systems remain underused.
This creates a widening “tech gap” one that criminals are all too happy to exploit.
Bigger Fleets, Bigger Blind Spots
Perhaps most concerning is the contradiction at the heart of the data: larger fleets report more incidents, yet express less concern.
That’s a dangerous mindset.
Because cargo theft isn’t just about stolen goods, it’s about operational disruption, reputational damage, rising insurance premiums, and ultimately higher costs passed down to customers.
2026: A Tipping Point
The warning signs are clear. Organised crime is scaling up. Margins across logistics are tightening. Insurers and regulators are paying closer attention.
This isn’t the moment to relax, it’s the moment to act.
Fleet operators need to shift from reactive thinking to data-led, proactive security strategies. That means investing in modern technology, strengthening internal processes, and ensuring drivers are properly trained and supported.
Because the cost of complacency is rising, and in 2026, it could become unsustainable.
Ignore this trend, and you’re not just risking cargo.
You’re risking your entire operation.
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