A greener build

The 2013 event takes place at Manchester Central on 8th and 9th May, and offers a packed schedule of debates, workshops, seminars and organisations showcasing the latest environmental building solutions. For the first time the 2013 event will also be home to CO2t, an event sustainable transport seminar

Greenbuild Expo launched in 2009 and has grown to be the biggest sustainable building event in the north of England, attracting all sectors of the built environment from all over the UK.

This year, the event provides over 100 free workshops, seminars and debates on all aspects of sustainable buildings, as well as a packed exhibition hall with 150 exhibitors showcasing the latest products and services. Over the two days, visitors can find out the latest updates to green legislation, try out taster training sessions, take part in interactive Green Deal debates, attend CPD-accredited seminars and simply discover what’s new in sustainability.

There are also two other events taking part alongside Greenbuild Expo – Ignition2013 is all about biomass, and CO2t is a sustainable transport event looking at low-carbon vehicles.

Green Deal Arena
The Green Deal Arena will be at the heart of Greenbuild Expo, giving visitors the chance to hear from key organisations and government departments, including DECC and GSA, on what Green Deal means for the built environment and how we can all make the most of this flagship green policy. The area will also give Green Deal providers a platform to explain how the low-carbon retrofit model works, with everyone from installers to local authorities getting involved.

Lord Redesdale will be delivering two talks. The former Liberal Democrat energy spokesman for the House of Lords is vice chair for the All Party Parliamentary Climate Change Group and will be speaking in his role as chairman of the Energy Managers Association (EMA) and CEO of the Carbon Management Association (CMA).

His first session will introduce the CMA-approved education scheme that will allow employees to transfer an energy-saving skill set across different sectors and jobs. The second session will cover the concept of low-energy companies.

In 2011, Redesdale was been named as ‘environmental parliamentarian of the year’ by the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management in recognition of his outstanding contribution to promoting environmental understanding.

The chief executive of the Federation of Master Builders, Brian Berry, will be taking part in a debate entitled Bridging the green skills gap alongside DECC’s Joanna Warner and Phil Stott from Green Skills Alliance. The panel will be discussing where the current green skills gaps are and how the Green Deal and ECO supply chain can raise standards through training.

Simon Woodward of the UK District Energy Authority (UKDEA) will deliver a session entitled Developing district energy in the UK which will feature a practial talk focusing on the technologies, pitfalls, key issues and benefits by way of case studies of various UKDEA members.

Through collaboration, co-location and open innovation, a pioneering partnership is developing game-changing materials that can turn new and existing buildings in to power stations that generate, store and release energy. The session Turning buildings into power stations presented by Professor Dave Worsley and Paul Jones, SPECIFIC (Sustainable Product Engineering Centre for Innovative Functional Industrial Coatings) at Swansea University, will force us to think very differently about harvesting solar energy to cut carbon emissions, create jobs and address global concerns about the future security of energy supply.

Show organiser Lucy Young states: “With energy prices soaring and the economy stalling there has never been a better time for people to look at ways to save energy, for all building stock from social housing and leisure centres to hospitals and schools. Reducing our impact on the environment is obviously important, but the key message at Greenbuild Expo is that most sustainability initiatives, if carried out correctly, can actually reduce bills too. So at a time when budgets are being squeezed and slashed, it really does make good business sense to look at ways to make our buildings run more efficiently – and you could be helping to bring local residents out of fuel poverty.

Plenty for LA's
Lucy Young elaborated about what’s to see at the event from a local authority perspective: “There’s plenty going on that is relevant to local authorities, starting with a session in the main arena from the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) team behind the Green Deal Go Early pilot project, which will provide lots of tips and ideas for your own green refurb programmes. There’s also sessions on implementing successful community energy-saving schemes, domestic energy monitoring, climate change adaptation, encouraging the creation of low-energy companies and biomass fuel procurement. There are some great speakers presenting case studies from other local authorities – including Bristol City Council.”

Biomass
After a successful debut at Greenbuild Expo in 2011, Ignition grew again in 2012 with an expanded format. For 2013 its relevance at the event is further enhanced by the promise of the RHI for domestic finally coming to fruition and of course with biomass being one of the allowable measures under Green Deal it will benefit from this new initiative too.

Producing heat to warm homes, offices and factories uses about 40 per cent of the energy we consume in the UK, yet to date, and unlike electricity production, there has been no sustained attempt to reduce this or shift to renewable sources. With the rising cost of oil and gas, concerns over supply and the realisation from the non-domestic and domestic markets that there are cost effective alternatives, this is about to all change and Ignition13 will focus on a heat source that has great potential in the UK – woodfuel. Ignition13 couldn’t be coming at a better time for woodfuel and there won’t be a better place to find out about what it can do for you.

A dedicated seminar programme and exhibition area, Ignition13 will include advice on the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), the various fuel types available and more. There will also be sessions on how woodfuel will work as part of Green Deal.

Green transport conference
Co2t have developed a conference which will give factual advice and support to all businesses and business professionals within the transport industry, and information on how they can reduce their carbon footprint by using and integrating innovative technologies whilst potentially saving not only organisations  but also individuals money.

Co2t aims to to educate all transport professionals from public sector, commercial business professionals, manufacturers and suppliers within the transport system that CO2 Reduction is an engine for economic growth, but one that is also greener and safer and improves quality of life for communities. The conference will discuss the latest Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation Legislation for the regulation of bio-fuels used for transport in the UK, as well as well as the financial benefits of using Green transport for individuals as well as businesses.

Other highlights of Green Build Expo include Sustainable Cities, which features green solutions for commercial buildings from schools to hospitals, as well as high-density housing, focusing on smart buildings, and the Greenbuild Awards – all the finalists of the second awards will be on display, and many will be presenting their shortlisted projects, explaining how they have achieved impressive energy savings.

Lucy Young explains the benefits of visiting Greenbuild Expo. She says: “Visitors can access lots of expert advice all under one roof – that’s the sort of information that would take weeks to collate if you were searching online. If green technology and sustainable buildings are a new area for you, simply come along and speak to exhibitors, conference speakers and other visitors as a way of carrying out research in a speedy fashion. It’s a great place to make new contacts and kickstart a sustainability plan, whether you are looking for something specific – such as training in energy monitoring – or simply looking for ideas about general green issues. Our speakers this year include DECC’s Joanna Warner, Martin Walker from Warm Up North and Catherine Monaghan from the Energy Saving Trust – and that’s just three of the leading industry figures signed up to present and answer your questions.”

Offering advice to those planning a visit, Young says: “My advice would be to go with a plan – check out the conference schedule and list of exhibitors on the website and decide which ones are of interest in advance.

There’s so much going on you want to make sure you don’t miss anything. And then talk to people when you’re there. We’re a friendly bunch at Greenbuild Expo and everyone – from exhibitors to speakers – will be happy to discuss any questions you have.”

Further information
Greenbuild Expo is free to attend. To register visit www.greenbuildexpo.co.uk and follow @greenbuildexpo on Twitter for show updates