Fit for the future
The first Green Home Festival put sustainability under the spotlight – and we were there to play a leading role
Electrical innovation and the sustainable technology of tomorrow were both at the forefront of the first-ever Green Home Festival, thanks to the efforts of SELECT staff.
More than 350 delegates signed up for August’s five-day renewables jamboree organised by the Construction Industry Collective Voice (CICV), of which the association is a key member.
Held as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the festival hosted 12 in-person and online events to help Scotland become a net zero nation, with discussions on a range of topics including switching to sustainable materials and living safely in the home of the future.
SELECT Managing Director Alan Wilson, Director of Technical Services Bob Cairney, Director of Membership & Communications Iain Mason and Specifier & Client Relations Manager Yvonne Wilson were all part of the team who helped organise the event.
As well as assisting with planning, promotion and logistics, SELECT also co-hosted two webinars. The first, Taking the Swedish View, featured a presentation by award-winning Swedish housing company Botkyrkabyggen, which explained how it uses solar panels, wind turbines, artificial intelligence and district heating to improve energy efficiency.
Later in the week a second webinar, Hitting the Road with EVs, saw SELECT Technical Adviser Robert McGoogan join our fleet partners Pike + Bambridge to share tips on choosing an electric vehicle and how to go about installing a domestic charge point.
Bob, Iain and Yvonne were also among delegates who attended the opening ceremony on Monday 8 August at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in central Edinburgh, which saw a speech by Scottish Government Minister Patrick Harvie, the Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights.
Mr Harvie told the assembled audience: “This festival very positively and professionally highlights many of the actions and new ideas needed to support a transformation of our homes and buildings and to make properties warmer, greener and more energy efficient.
“The climate emergency is already here. But if we adopt many of the actions and ideas being discussed here they will stand us in good stead to mitigate its worst consequences.”
As well as the SELECT events, another well-received show saw festivalgoers enjoy a guided tour of a site in Murrayburn, where they saw sustainable practices first-hand and learned how the project used a fabric-first approach to help reduce heating costs.
A mix of professionals and the public also flocked to a discussion on demystifying heat pumps hosted by the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation (SNIPEF).
Other sessions included a webinar on the transformation of the Burrell Collection and an in-person session on building green neighbourhoods, using the Granton D1 project in Edinburgh as a real-life example.
As well as CICV members including SELECT, other guest speakers included representatives from the likes of SEPA, Atelier Ten, Reiach & Hall, Home Energy Scotland, Electrical Safety First and Woolgar Hunter.
Organisers are now gathering feedback as they plan for the 2023 event and have also made the festival presentations available to download online, with all six webinars free to watch again at www.greenhomefestival.co.uk
Good advice and valuable resources are on offer
The Green Home Festival was the latest in a string of practical initiatives rolled out by the CICV since its creation at the start of the pandemic in March 2020. Made up of 28 industry organisations, including SELECT, it has maintained a steady supply of information and practical advice as well as carrying out surveys, producing resources, hosting webinars and maintaining close dialogue with Scottish Government ministers. Find out more at www.cicvforum.co.uk
WATCH OUR WEBINAR AGAIN
Our one-hour introduction to electric vehicles, including what to consider when choosing one, current models and how to go about installing an EV charge point at your home, can be watched again at bit.ly/ghf_hitting
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