Aspen, fuelling a cleaner campus

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Aspen, fuelling a cleaner campus: As part of an active campaign to reduce their impact on the environment, the grounds department at Chester University have recently made the switch to Aspen Fuel for their remaining petrol-powered equipment.

This is not the first time that Grounds & Gardens Coordinator Dan Cristofoli has used Aspen 2 and 4-Stroke petrol, however for his team, the improvements the fuel makes to both the running of the machinery and their working conditions are now being discovered!

Aspen, fuelling a cleaner campus

Aspen, fuelling a cleaner campus

Sustainability is a big focus across the University campus, with Dan and his team of six grounds technicians overseeing a number of wildlife and biodiversity projects, along with maintaining everything around the site that is green and growing! “We have been progressively switching some of our fleet over to battery powered equipment to reduce our carbon footprint” explains Dan, who has been at the university for three years. “However, there’s some items which are difficult to substitute and that’s where the Aspen product comes in – helping us to reduce pollutants, both for the operator and to the environment.”

Dan first heard about Aspen when he undertook a chainsaw training course in a previous role, with Phil Dunford of chainsawtraining.com. As an Alkylate petrol, Aspen is virtually free from benzene, as well as sulphur and many other harmful hydrocarbons meaning it burns 99% cleaner than ordinary petrol. Also being free from ethanol, Aspen maintains engine performance and preserves the life of component parts which can be susceptible to failure.

“We made the switch at the start of the growing season and straight away discovered the convenience and time-savings associated with having the Aspen fuel delivered by the pallet directly to our site. From a risk assessment perspective, reducing the need to make regular trips to the petrol station is a great plus point. On the ground, the operators have all commented on the reduction in odours when operating the equipment and with the chainsaws, they’ve noticed how much smoother they’re running.”

“As we head towards the winter months, another benefit is Aspen’s extended shelf-life” Dan adds. “We can continue to run equipment and then put it into storage and not have to worry about it clogging up, causing problems when we come to use it again in the new year.”

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Mansfield Sand scoops THREE awards

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Mansfield Sand scoops THREE awards: Mansfield Sand has rounded off a hugely successful year by winning an astonishing three awards.

The first award came at the Nottinghamshire Live Business Awards 2021, where the company picked up the prestigious Company of the Year Award.

Mansfield Sand scoops THREE awards

Mansfield Sand scoops THREE awards

Held at the East Midlands Conference Centre in late October, the awards aim to celebrate success, recognise achievement and highlight the innovative people and companies throughout Nottinghamshire who are putting their region on the map by boosting the economy while making a positive contribution to the local community.

More recently, Mansfield Sand were delighted to win a further two awards at the 2021 MPA & British Precast Health & Safety Awards – ‘The Sir Frank Davies Trophy’ and ‘Maintenance and Housekeeping Award (Brickworks – Safe Kiln Access and inspection project)’, which recognise the industry’s drive to ‘vision zero’.

The prestigious Sir Frank Davies Trophy recognises organisations which have demonstrated an exceptional health and safety performance, while the maintenance and Housekeeping Award is a Topic Award – ‘Helping to make the industry safer for everyone.’

Commenting on the awards, Mansfield Sand Managing Director Richard Abraham said: “I wish to congratulate each and every one of our team as I realise how much hard work and effort goes into making our sites a healthier and safer environment.

“We genuinely are the best version of Mansfield Sand that we’ve ever been. Without them we aren’t who we are today.”

For more information visit www.mansfield-sand.co.uk

You can also follow the company on Twitter – @MansfieldSand and Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/MansfieldSandSportSurfaces/

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Planning the pathway to net zero

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Planning the pathway to net zero: On Thursday, 11 November, representatives from golf and beyond came together at Scotland’s Climate Ambition Zone in Glasgow to discuss several important issues around the sport and climate action.

After opening remarks from Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at Visit Scotland and Jonathan Smith, Executive Director, GEO Foundation for Sustainable Golf, event host David Garrido from Sky Sports teed off the discussion. In-studio guests joined virtual speakers from all areas of the game, including facilities, tournaments, developments and golf tourism.

Planning the pathway to net zero

Planning the pathway to net zero

The opening panel session sparked a wide-ranging discussion with Richard Holland, Director, Operations and Network Development with international NGO Wetlands International, Hugh Salway, Head of Markets with the Gold Standard and Kelli Jerome, Executive Director at GEO Foundation, joined virtually by Sam Barratt, Chief of the Youth, Education and Advocacy Unit in UNEP’s Ecosystems Division, Julie Duffus, Sustainability Senior Manager at the IOC from Lausanne, and, from Oslo, Suzann Pettersen, professional golfer and Sustainable Golf Champion who memorably holed the winning putt in the 2019 Solheim Cup at Gleneagles.

This conversation covered several critical topics focused on how golf and society can come together to take meaningful action. Whether that’s protecting ecosystems and habitats in general, encouraging more athletes to get involved in advocacy or just doing one thing in your role to get the momentum started.

Suzann Pettersen spoke about her commitment to sustainability since retiring from the game, “I feel I’ve got an important role here. Sport is such a great arena to raise awareness. We inspire and influence so many millions of people every day.”

You can watch the entire Driving for Net Zero event below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWwpumQQ-fY

The following session focused on climate action by grassroots facilities at GEO Certified clubs in England, Finland and New Zealand with Jason O’Malley, Managing Director at Woburn Golf Club, Janne Lehto, Course Manager at Hirsala Golf Club and Spencer Cooper, Superintendent at Remuera Golf Club sharing insights into their journeys to reduce carbon emissions.

The large virtual audience then heard from golf tournaments and tours. This session began with comments from Alex Armas, CEO of the Ladies European Tour, and Mollie Marcoux Samaan, Commissioner of the LPGA Tour and how they are working together on shared goals. Philip Russell, Assistant Director of Sustainability at The R&A, outlined many practical examples of how the organization embraced sustainable tournament staging through initiatives such as The Open Water and increasing renewable energy use on-site.

Lee Spivak, Managing Principal, Sports and Entertainment at WM, sponsors of the WM Phoenix Open, shared a glimpse into the principles and practices which have resulted in the event becoming the first-ever to achieve GEO Certified status five times.

Further contributions came from Ben Cowen, Chief Tournament Business Officer of the European Tour and Chris Chandler, Head of Sports at Dow, who runs the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational on the LPGA – also a GEO Certified tournament in the US.

The penultimate session honed in on manufacturing, tourism and golf development. This included Toro’s Andy Brown discussing electric mowers and sustainable irrigation. Jeremy Slessor at European Golf Design highlighted the importance of sustainable golf developments and their path to net zero, and Peter Walton, Founder and Chief Executive of IAGTO, provided insights into the world of golf tourism and carbon emissions.

A final discussion between Maggie Kim, CEO, The Gold Standard and GEO Foundation’s Jonathan Smith explored the importance of credible carbon mitigation. It showcased some of the sustainable golf tools available to the sport to help individuals and organizations take climate action.

Jonathan Smith, Executive Director, GEO Foundation, said: “The team at GEO Foundation were pleased to be able to pull this important conversation together – to enable such a large audience to hear the perspectives from within and outside golf. We’d like to thank the Scottish Government, all speakers and the audience, plus those that have helped promote and share the event. Now we look to the post-COP26 landscape to see what we can do best with partners and programme participants to help accelerate climate action in and through golf.”

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Rain Bird launches new golf solenoid valves

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Rain Bird launches new golf solenoid valves: Golf courses in lightning-prone regions, those that use reclaimed water and those that need water pressure regulation, now have a new valve solution. Rain Bird Golf’s new GSV Series plastic and brass valves include numerous advanced features designed to enhance durability even under the most challenging conditions.

“Valves are the heart of any irrigation system,” said Altan Tolan, product manager for Rain Bird Golf. “On a golf course, valve failure can have significant repercussions and require additional money and labour to repair. That’s why we built our new GSV Series Valves with a collection of upgrades that optimise reliability, performance and peace of mind.”

Rain Bird launches new golf solenoid valves

Rain Bird launches new golf solenoid valves

Rain Bird’s new GSV Series Valves feature unmatched protection to withstand up to 25kV of surge. A pre-installed PRS-DIAL regulates and maintains constant outlet pressure between 15 and 100 psi while reducing the affects of water hammer. A waterproof dial cartridge eliminates fogging and binding.

The GSV Series includes three plastic models with NPT or BSP thread options and one red brass model with BSP threads only. All GSV models feature a chlorine-resistant diaphragm that protects the valves against harsh chemicals and reclaimed water.

The scrubber mechanism on plastic models encapsulates a stainless steel screen to dislodge grit and plant material protecting the valve from debris. Built-in filtration on the GBS25 solenoid and the adapter offer two additional levels of debris protection. An extra purple flow-control handle (handle cover for brass model) is included for use with non-potable water.

“Irrigation system valves aren’t often thought of as particularly ‘innovative’,” Tolan said. “With the new GSV Series, we’re changing that by incorporating unique features that will enhance irrigation system performance and reliability, year after year.”

For more information about Rain Bird Golf’s new GSV Series Valves or the division’s many other water-efficient products for golf course irrigation, visit rainbird.com/golf.

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STIHL updates HSA 94 range

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STIHL updates HSA 94 range: STIHL has updated its HSA 94 R and HSA 94 T hedge trimmers, now offering professional users reduced vibration and sound levels, as well as a new EC motor and the ability to connect to STIHL’s new Smart Connector 2 A.

STIHL’s most powerful cordless hedge trimmers are available for professional users, where both models boast a new EC motor featuring embedded magnets, leading to improved durability. The new motor also has an automatic motor rotation reversal feature, meaning the blades can be released if they become jammed in an extreme application, preventing blade damage and downtime.

STIHL updates HSA 94 range

STIHL updates HSA 94 range

The HSA 94 R delivers a lower blade speed for cutting thicker growth and managing tougher hedges, while the HSA 94 T offers a faster blade speed more suited to trimming ornamental hedges neatly and efficiently to leave a fine finish. Both tools feature 3 blade speed settings, allowing users to choose the ideal blade speed for any task; up to 3,200 rpm on the R version and 5,000 rpm on the T version.

As well as the tool’s impressive performance, the hedge trimmers also provide high levels of operator comfort, as both models include rotating multi-function control handles for side and top cutting that are quick and easy to adjust, allowing for improved user comfort and reduced wrist strain when working for long durations.

With a low weight of just 3.9kg for the T version and 4.1kg for the R version, the hedge trimmer is perfectly balanced, allowing for easy handling and operation. In addition, both hedge trimmers have a loop handle with an inner switch that prevents one handed operation and improves safety levels.

STIHL’s AP batteries and AR backpack batteries can power both tools – and for optimal performance, both trimmers will be ready for use with STIHL’s Smart Connector 2 A, plugging directly into the machines control unit where valuable data can be transmitted to any smartphone or tablet within range via Bluetooth. More information on STIHL’s Smart Connector 2 A coming soon.

For more information on STIHL’s HSA 94 hedge trimmer models or its extensive range of cordless machinery, please visit www.stihl.co.uk

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