Pro Installer February 2020 - Issue 83 | Page 26

26 | FEBRUARY 2020 News Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk REVIVING THE LEISURE HOLIDAY HOME According to Barclays Commercial Banking’s The Great British Staycation re- port, the number of domes- tic tourists in the UK will have surged by a third by the end of 2019. With more holidaymakers expected to unwind closer to home, static holiday home sites are a cost-effective option. To showcase the evolu- tion of the holiday home, leading PVCu windows and doors manufacturer Euramax, has released an infographic that maps the areas that can benefit from SMART technology. A surprising finding from the report is that the millennial generation — those aged 25-34 — are driving the demand for UK holidays, with over half of ‘staycationers’ in this age group. Despite this increase in younger domestic tourists, static holiday homes are often synonymous with the older generation and it is not frequently believed that the homes are equipped to accommodate for the tech-savvy holidaymaker. However, SMART technology is breaking down this perception and reviving the static holiday home. Not only limited to the manufacturing industry, a variety of SMART devices can enhance tourists’ ex- periences in static holiday homes, improve security and make the holiday home-owning business more profitable. “The holiday homes business is booming,” reveals Nick Cowley, man- aging director of Euramax. “With an increase in the number of tourists opting to remain in the UK, lei- sure home sites are finding themselves in competition with other accommodation options, such as hotels. “To keep up with accom- modation that’s typically deemed as more luxurious, a static holiday home site needs to be secure, easily accessible and connectible. This includes implement- ing the latest technology for fast internet access, dig- ital check-ins for a smooth start to a trip and smart locking systems for secure, remote access. “We’ve been in many discussions with leading SMART technology compa- nies, such as Kubu SMART Lock and Hug Technology, as we continue to discover ways that we can bring new technologies to our customers. By bringing SMART technology to the holiday home industry, homeowners will be able to revive their holiday homes and bring them into the 21st century,” Cowley added. “This infographic highlights the areas where features such as remote locking systems, sensors and 5G-enabling transmit- ters can be installed across the static holiday home site, demonstrating that simple and non-invasive actions can help revive an older holiday park. “As more, and younger, people are making the switch to UK holidays, these actions will signif- icantly improve compet- itiveness and boost the image of the static holiday home.” With over 65 years manufacturing experience in the modular build, DIY and holiday home sectors, Euramax has the knowledge and products to support a number of industries. To find out more about Euramax and its range of SMART technology compatible windows and doors, visit www.euramaxuk.com SMART solutions for the British holidaymaker According to a report by Barclay’s Corporate Banking, we’re in the staycation boom. With the number of domestic tourists in the UK expected to increase by a third by the end of 2019, more and more holidaymakers are yearning to unwind in the beauty of Britain’s countryside. Perhaps surprisingly, the driving force behind this staycation golden era is millennials. A popular accommodation option is the static holiday home. However, these holiday homes are often associated with older generations and many don’t believe that static homes can fulfil the needs of the modern-day holidaymaker. Implementing SMART technology breaks down this perception Access all areas Full WiFi access is not only essential for checking maps and streaming films, it also ensures that any integrated SMART technology work seamlessly. With 5G NETWORKS being fired up across the country, making sure a holiday home site is equipped for the faster network connection is a huge selling point. This doesn’t require drilling through walls or buildings — transmitters just need to be scattered across the site for complete connectivity. Ditch the keys Digital locks have become a popular way of transferring access to guests without hassle — and they can do much more than simply opening and closing the door. Guests receive a unique access code via their smartphone, which remains active for the duration of their stay. This technology can also notify property owners when a guest checks in and out of the property, giving greater peace of mind for owners who aren’t located close by. Smart sensors Warmth can be easily wasted if holidaymakers neglect to shut the property’s windows and doors, and poses a major security risk. Installing smart sensors that notify visitors when a window or door has been left open can help reduce this, keeping the property warmer and safer. Smart water sensors can detect issues such as a burst pipe or leaking washing machine, allowing the owner to reach out to maintenance teams no matter where they are in the world. By working with experts like Euramax that specialise in manufacturing windows and doors for holiday home properties, you can collaborate to ensure that any technology you want to incorporate can be done so from the start. www.euramaxuk.com About Euramax: Euramax manufactures PVCu and aluminium windows and doors for the modular, new build, recreational vehicle, holiday home and home improvement markets. Part of the building and leisure products group OmniMax International Inc, the business offers made to measure products and has a state-of-the-art man- ufacturing facility in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. How is REHAU responding to this year’s UN Climate Change Conference agenda? By Martin Hitchin, Chief Executive, REHAU UK “The 25th UN Climate Change Conference ended with a plea for business to do more to combat climate change. We at REHAU welcome the comments made at the conference, having taken this call to action seriously for many years. “REHAU has taken this to heart long ago, having manufactured window profiles from old recy- cled PVC window material since 1988. “By implementing a closed material cycle, we have conserved natural resources and reduced CO2 emissions, with the percent- age of profiles produced using recycled material rising from 25% to over 40% since 2014, and set to increase to 50% next year. “We have set up a Europe-wide network to ensure over 70,000 tonnes of used PVC materials are recovered and funnelled into pro- duction via internal and external processing plants – approximate- ly the weight of the 345-metre long cruise ship Queen Mary II. Since the profiles are extruded from recyclable PVC material, they can pass through this cycle seven times. “We are also investing heavily in in-house and external recycling facilities to close material cycles, having spent over 65 million eu- ros in the past few years. Benefi- ciaries of this investment include the REHAU Group’s two recycling companies DEKURA and PVCR, and our Polish plant in Srem, all of which process large volumes of recyclable PVC and produce new window profiles. “These new profiles are then co-extruded from a mix of this recyclate and new material at our Wittmund, Srem, Blaenau and Morhange sites, with the internal recyclate content paired with REHAU’s HDF surface. Because we have optimised the recycling processes at all these sites, we have been awarded the renowned VinylPlus product label – the first and only window manufacturer to receive this certificate at all our European locations. “Finally, our sustainable win- dow profiles marketed under the new REHAU EcoPuls label save around 90% in carbon emissions when compared to convention- al profiles, due to the use of recycled material. This results in 97,000 tons of CO2 saved per year – approximately the same as a forest of 7,800,000 trees, which is roughly the size of Berlin. These EcoPuls windows are also highly energy-efficient, combining reduced energy loss benefits with their sustainability credentials. “Manufacturers need to take bold, decisive action when it comes to improving sustainability, and initiatives that establish circu- lar economies are a welcome first step. Indeed, companies could do worse than follow REHAU’s lead on this.”