Visitors to The Eco Technology Show in Brighton this June are invited to see the Green Deal in action and at its best by visiting some of the houses that have been upgraded by a local co-operative of builders and consultants. Thanks to the Green Building Partnership, Brighton and Hove is leading the way and showing how the Green Deal can and should work for everyone from individual home owners to local authority and social landlords responsible for dozens or even hundreds of dwellings.
What’s more, the partnership has proved that there is much more to the Green Deal than cavity wall insulation and new boilers, important as they are. Having won grants to first deliver 100 Green Deal assessments (worth over £150 each) and then go on to fully-fund work at 10 houses, it has been able to show that even older, solid-wall properties can achieve massive energy savings by using the right technology.
Eco Technology Show visitors are invited to go to the houses, which are also participants in the City’s Eco Open Houses project. There they will meet owners and volunteers from the co-operative who will explain the changes that have been made to make the properties so energy efficient at no net cost to the owners. This is because, under the Green Deal’s so-called golden rule, repayments cannot exceed the savings occupiers make on their energy bills.
Eco Technology show director Nicola Gunstone said: “This is exactly what the Eco Technology Show is all about: not pipe dreams but the practical steps people can take right now. We are so pleased to be able to encourage more people to go and see what is possible at first hand.”
The Green Building Partnership is a co-operative of companies based in Brighton & Hove whose principle aim is to make Brighton and Hove an exemplar green building city. The Partnership comprises architects, consultants, sustainable homes assessors, project managers and energy consultants to offer the greatest all round set of skills for any energy efficiency project.
Alex Hunt, founding partner at Bright Green Homes and founding member of The Green Building Partnership said “We think our co-operative approach is still unique in the UK, and the Eco Technology Show is helping us to get our message across: collaborative working is the best way for our industry to achieve the outstanding results that will encourage more property owners to install eco technologies. The government has passed the baton, and from now on the success of the Green Deal will be driven from the bottom up.”
“It doesn't necessarily take expensive renovation to cut bills,” says Nicola Gunstone. “Small alterations can also make a big difference, and the Eco Technology show is the place to go and find out about these new technologies and ideas.”
Show visitors can also join in any of the FREE seminar sessions, where speakers including Jonathan Stearn, director of vulnerability and sustainability at Consumer Focus, who will explain the Green Deal in depth. Representatives from DECC and The Energy Saving Trust will also be at the Show and available for FREE 20 min advice sessions.
The Eco Technology Show, is now the UK’s premier event for showcasing sustainable build, energy, transport and technology ideas. The Show opens from 9am-5pm on Friday 14 June and from 10am-5pm on Saturday 15 June. Tickets are £5 and children under 16 go free. Tickets and further details can be found on the website.