Construction Industry Collective Voice – The NEN

Green Home Festival: WWF poll shows there is “real appetite for change”

Organisers of the upcoming Green Home Festival say the results of a recent survey show that there is “very real appetite for change” among Scottish homeowners looking to make their homes more eco-friendly.

The team behind the week-long renewables jamboree have welcomed a new poll by environment organisation WWF Scotland which says that the majority of Scots support moves to phase out the use of fossil fuel boilers in existing homes.

And the Construction Industry Collective Voice (CICV) says the survey’s other findings demonstrate “an encouraging willingness to commit to a green future ” – and have urged homeowners to convert their enthusiasm into action at its upcoming event.

In the survey published on Monday 31 July by WWF Scotland, more than half of those asked said they would support the introduction of Scottish Government policies to phase out fossil fuel boilers.

In addition, 65% said they believed there should be new rules for better insulation in existing homes at vital moments, such as buying or selling a property. Other findings included:

40% of respondents said they would consider installing a heat pump as an alternative to a fossil fuel boiler within the next five years.
57% would be willing to purchase a heat pump with some or no government support.
71% are aware of the negative impact of oil and gas boilers have on climate change.
80% believe higher oil and gas prices contribute to inflation and higher cost of living.

Green Home Festival co-organiser Fiona Hodgson, who is CEO of plumbing and heating association SNIPEF, said: “These findings show there is a very real appetite for change among homeowners, who are aware of the importance of climate change and want to help Scotland build towards net zero.

“It’s particularly pleasing to see so many people recognising the need to move away from fossil fuels and embrace cleaner energy sources, and also encouraging to see that two-thirds of those polled want better insulation rules enforced.

“The upcoming Green Home Festival supports these ideas wholeheartedly and will be offering practical demonstrations of how we can make them become a reality as we aim to build a more sustainable future, one home at a time.”

Kicking off on Monday 14 August in Edinburgh, the second Green Home Festival will deliver 11 free shows on low-carbon living as part of the official Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Topics will include how to reduce energy bills, preparing for heat pumps, community heating networks, creating sustainable kitchens, green garden rooms and offices, making retrofit projects eco-friendly, converting churches and how the home of the future will be powered.

Live Green Home Festival sessions will once again take place at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) at 10 Charlotte Square in central Edinburgh, with contributions from the likes of Home Energy Scotland, Scottish Water, SNIPEF and SELECT.

John McKinney, co-organiser of the Green Home Festival and Secretary of the National Federation of Roofing Contractors, added: “Scotland has already taken its first steps down the path to a more low-carbon future, but we still have a long way to go. However, the results of this survey show that people are aware of the need to make real and lasting change.

“Attending the Green Home Festival and taking on board the wealth of free advice from our experts will help homeowners take their next steps as we harness the power of renewables and move to a more sustainable way of living.”

The festival is the latest in a string of practical and constructive initiatives launched by the CICV since its creation at the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

Made up of 28 trade associations, professional services bodies and companies, it has maintained a steady supply of information and practical advice to the sector as well as carrying out surveys, producing animations and posters, hosting webinars and maintaining close dialogue with Scottish Government ministers.

Full details, including how to book tickets for each event, are available on the Festival’s website at greenhomefestival.co.uk.

Green Home Festival to urge ‘Be Brave’

The organisers of this year’s Green Home Festival are urging homeowners and the construction industry to “be brave” and embrace innovations like microwave heating to help build a more sustainable future and meet net zero targets.

Scotland’s second renewables jamboree will kick off in less than two weeks, delivering 11 free shows on low-carbon living as part of the official Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

And organisers the Construction Industry Collective Voice (CICV) say its event on the potential of microwave heating is an example of a technology that could offer a real alternative to traditional fossil fuels – but only if we’re brave enough to embrace it.

Co-organiser Gordon Nelson, Scotland Director of the Federation of Master Builders, said: “Our upcoming show on microwave heating is the perfect demonstration of the bravery and innovative thinking that is needed by both the construction industry and homeowners if we are to build a sustainable future for Scotland.

“We know that we’ll need a combination of methods to meet both the retrofit challenge and the new-build heat standard and this new technology is one of the solutions that we should be having the courage to explore now.”

The microwave heating show will be delivered on the first day of the festival by Professor Sean Smith, Director of The Centre for Future Infrastructure and Professor of Future Construction within the School of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh (below).

Starting at 2pm on Monday 14 August, the event will focus on the origin of the new technology, how it works and how it could offer an alternative to traditional heating methods in our homes.

Mr Nelson went on: “It’s great for us to have this innovative solution explained this year as part of the Green Home Festival, and this technology could provide the rapid acceleration of low carbon heating for Scotland’s 1.2 million flats, given the short installation time and the fact that it links to existing radiators.

“We just need to be brave, adjust our mindsets and think outside the box when it comes to potential greener solutions like this.

“As well as microwaves, the Green Home Festival will also look at other innovations in home heating, such as hybrid systems, which combine new technology with traditional methods to reduce both costs and carbon footprint for the homeowner.

“And on a larger scale, we’ll be looking at the benefits of community heating networks and exploring how distributing heat to multiple buildings from a central source could do away with the need for individual boilers or electric heaters in every building.

“All this activity is designed to start a conversation about renewable living and to encourage homeowners to start thinking differently about how they will power, heat and run their homes in the years to come.

“It will also help demonstrate how the CICV has its finger on the pulse of future solutions to meet the climate challenge and is determined to help steer the wider construction industry down a more sustainable path.”

Other topics covered at the Green Home Festival will include creating sustainable kitchens, green garden rooms and offices, making retrofit projects eco-friendly, converting churches and how the home of the future will be powered.

Built Environment – Smarter Transformation will also host a webinar that will advise what consumers can do to reduce both their energy consumption and energy bills.

The festival is the latest in a string of practical and constructive initiatives launched by the CICV since its creation at the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

Full details, including how to book tickets for each event, are available on the Festival’s website at greenhomefestival.co.uk.

TV presenter to turn up the heat at Green Home Festival

Award-winning influencer will turn up the heat on ‘fast fashion’ and urge homeowners to be more eco-friendly as part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe

TV presenter and award-winning designer Anna Campbell-Jones will urge Scotland’s homeowners to make their kitchens green as well as clean in a special stage show as part of this year’s Edinburgh Festival.

The Scotland’s Home of the Year judge has been announced as the star guest at the second Green Home Festival, which is being held in Edinburgh as part of this year’s official Fringe.

Running from 14-18 August, and organised by the Construction Industry Collective Voice (CICV), the festival will deliver 11 free in-person and virtual shows to help consumers along the road to low-carbon living.

Anna will take centre stage on the first day of the week-long renewables jamboree in a show entitled Ingredients for a Greener Kitchen, dismissing the trend for ‘fast fashion’ and encouraging homeowners to make their cooking spaces more eco-friendly instead.

The renowned interior designer said: “I am delighted to be taking part in this year’s Green Home Festival and help raise the profile of eco-friendly living for consumers across Scotland.

“Finding greener ways of designing, decorating and renewing our homes will be vital for us all going forward and creating more low-carbon kitchens will be a key part of that.

“In particular, I feel passionately that the era of ‘fast fashion’ for interiors must come to an end. Kitchens are a significant contributor to unrecyclable landfill and I’m going to talk about alternative approaches to the concept of what we mean by ‘getting a new kitchen’.”

Anna starred in the grand finale of Scotland’s Home of the Year last Monday night (26 JUNE) and also won the interiors and design award at the inaugural Scottish Influencer Awards in Glasgow in October 2022.

She will now share a stage alongside experts from Scottish Water, plumbing body SNIPEF, electrical trade association SELECT and James Alan Construction, who will share their first-hand knowledge and advice on what to consider when planning and renovating a kitchen.

Festival co-organiser Gordon Nelson, Scotland Director of the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) said: “We are delighted to welcome Anna to this year’s Green Home Festival and look forward to hearing her invaluable input and expertise on greener living.

“Like all our shows, Ingredients for a Greener Kitchen will deliver a wealth of practical advice, focusing on the vital areas that can make kitchens eco-friendly – water efficiency, electrical efficiency and sustainably sourced materials and units.”

Other topics at the Green Home Festival include green garden rooms and offices, making retrofit projects eco-friendly, the potential of microwave heating, converting churches and how the home of the future will be powered.

The event will also include a dedicated heat pump day, with two separate shows on how to reduce bills, access grants and install the technology, as well as options for hybrid heating.

Plus the experts from Built Environment – Smarter Transformation will host an in-person show on the advantages of community heat networks and an online webinar that will advise what consumers can do to reduce both their energy consumption and energy bills.

Mr Nelson added: “With all the events now confirmed, the second Green Home Festival is shaping up to be as big a success as last year’s inaugural event.

“With a strong focus on accessing funding and saving money, our experts will offer practical demonstrations of low-carbon technology that consumers can put into action as we move towards becoming a net zero nation.”

The Green Home Festival is the latest in a string of practical and constructive initiatives launched by the CICV since its creation as the Construction Industry Coronavirus (CICV) Forum in March 2020.

Made up of 28 trade associations, professional services bodies and companies, it has maintained a steady supply of information and practical advice to the sector as well as carrying out surveys, producing animations and posters, hosting webinars and maintaining close dialogue with Scottish Government ministers.

Tickets for all Green Home Festival events are free and can be reserved here. The series finale of Scotland’s Home of the Year can be viewed again here.

Harvie to open Green Home Festival

A week-long series of events delivering practical assistance and advice to help Scotland become a net zero nation will be officially opened on Monday 8 August 2022 by Patrick Harvie as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights will be the keynote speaker at the launch of the Green Home Festival, which has been organised by the Construction Industry Collective Voice (CICV).

The five-day event will see the delivery of 12 in-person and virtual presentations on green topics, targeting homeowners, professionals, housing associations and local authorities.

Mr Harvie said: “This inaugural Green Home Festival is greatly to be welcomed and its organisers, the members of the CICV, warmly congratulated on the initiative.

“The climate emergency is already upon us, and if we’re to stand a chance of preventing its worst consequences we need both government and industry to support a transformation of our homes and buildings.

“Many of the actions and new ideas needed are being advocated by the expert speakers and presenters over the week-long Green Home Festival programme.”

Live Green Home Festival sessions will take place at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) at 10 Charlotte Square in central Edinburgh. Each will offer demonstrations and hands-on guidance to help people reduce their carbon footprint and become more energy efficient.

With contributions from the likes of SEPA, Home Energy Scotland, Woolgar Hunter and Pike + Bambridge, the range of topics covered by the week of events will include:

· Retrofitting tenements

· Building sustainable neighbourhoods

· Using sustainable materials

· Protecting from flood risk

· Demystifying heat pumps

· An introduction to electric vehicles (EVs).

In addition, one session, Taking the Swedish View, will see a presentation by award-winning Swedish construction company, Botkyrkabyggen, who use solar panels, windmills, artificial intelligence and district heating to improve energy efficiency and promote fossil-free operations and environmental sustainability.

In another event, Living Safely in the Future, experts from Electrical Safety First will outline what householders can do to ensure their homes are protected properly when installing the innovation and technology that is already becoming a part of everyday life.

Members of the CICV are now aiming to build the week-long green jamboree into an annual event.

One of the organisers, Gordon Nelson, Scotland Director of the Federation of Master Builders, said: “This event will highlight the important role that construction will play for Scotland to achieve its net zero target in the years ahead, and also help householders understand the new technology and ways of doing things that will be involved.

“Delivered via collaboration across the Scottish construction industry through CICV, we are aiming to make this inaugural event an annual occasion that will help to build a long-term legacy and demonstrate our commitment to greener, low-carbon solutions.”

Full details, including how to book tickets for each event, are available on the Festival’s website at greenhomefestival.co.uk.

The festival is the latest in a string of practical and constructive initiatives launched by the CICV since its creation at the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

Made up of 29 trade associations, professional services bodies and companies, it has maintained a steady supply of information and practical advice to the sector as well as carrying out surveys, producing animations and posters, hosting webinars and maintaining close dialogue with Scottish Government ministers.

Patrick Harvie to launch Edinburgh’s first Green Home Festival

The five-day event will see the delivery of 12 in-person and virtual presentations on green topics, targeting homeowners, professionals, housing associations and local authorities.

Mr Harvie said: “This inaugural Green Home Festival is greatly to be welcomed and its organisers, the members of the CICV, warmly congratulated on the initiative.

“Many of the actions and new ideas needed are being advocated by the expert speakers and presenters over the week-long Green Home Festival programme.”

Live Green Home Festival sessions will take place at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) at 10 Charlotte Square in central Edinburgh.

Each will offer demonstrations and hands-on guidance to help people reduce their carbon footprint and become more energy efficient.

With contributions from the likes of SEPA, Home Energy Scotland, Woolgar Hunter and Pike + Bambridge, the range of topics covered by the week of events will include:

· Retrofitting tenements

· Building sustainable neighbourhoods

· Using sustainable materials

· Protecting from flood risk

· Demystifying heat pumps

· An introduction to electric vehicles (EVs).

Members of the CICV are now aiming to build the week-long green jamboree into an annual event.

Full details, including how to book tickets for each event, are available on the Festival’s website at greenhomefestival.co.uk.

The festival is the latest in a string of practical and constructive initiatives launched by the CICV since its creation at the start of the pandemic in March 2020.