Ecobuild claims to be the world’s biggest event for sustainable design, construction and the built environment – although that claim doesn’t sound very ‘eco’. Bigger? I though Small is Beautiful. Anyway…

Ecobuild show Excel London 2012 solar display

This show is focussing on “new eco thinking and challenging designs“. Although Eco is still outside the mainstream. New Building Regulations are very good for insul;ation – which is the main factor for an eco home. Other things tend to be a bit expensive, so stay in the luxury or niche market. Such as grey water recycling, sustainable materials (like hempcrete – hemp to make building blocks), straw, recycled materials, etc.

Ecobuild is at London’s ExCeL on Tuesday 20 – Thursday 22 March 2012. This is over in Canary Wharl to the east of LOndon, and is quite an interesting place, makes a change for Earl’s Court. Grand Designs is in ExCel, it is a very good venue for this sort of thing (vast consumer show).

Ecobuild show Excel London 2012 big crowds

So what’s on?

• more than 1,500 exhibitors – more! bigger! sustainable construction systems and products
• conference – with Sir John Beddington, Angela Brady, Greg Dyke, Monty Don, Stephen Bayley and others
• over 130 free seminars – these are promos by companies so be prepared, select with care
• many interactive displays which are fun – including Solar hub, Fabric first, Renewable heat and Natural, traditional and sustainable

Important
Before you go, make a list of what you want to do and see, or you will get swamped by the diversity and volume of things there.

To get a free ticket, register at:

Ecobuild 2012 at London ExCel tickets >

Where and When is it?

Tuesday 20 March 2012 10.00 – 17.00
Wednesday 21 March 10.00 – 18.00
Thursday 22 March 10.00 – 16.00

ExCeL London
One Western Gateway
Royal Victoria Dock
London
E16 1XL

See also our Building DIY pages on Green Building advice >

and

Building DIY pages on Solar power, solar thermal advice >

Apart from cancelled schemes, this government reversal of strategy “because it is too successful” creates uncertainty for investors – who will then ethically invest abroad.

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (a misnomer if ever there was one) say they have to more than halve the FOT subsidy to “protect” it.

That is assuming a relatively tiny pot of money that can never be increased, only decreased. Since all governments of whatever stripe proclaim their green-ness these days, the proof of the pudding is in the eating (to mix metaphors). Both Labour and Conservative (and by extension the Lib-Dems) are not green at all, it is just a fashionable con, with a reluctant obedience to targets set in the EC.

We here used to build eco houses, before the crash of 2007. Then, we fitted Solar PV panels, which used to get a 50% government subsidy on the installation and hardware costs, with a complex application process of course, but there was no FIT (feed-in tariffs, payment for excess energy produced into the grid).

FIT is used in Europe a lot, but was ignored over here even though the entire alternative energy industry wanted it – because too successful.

Anyway that 50% subsidy for installation was also cancelled as too popular. In that system, there was always a rush at the start of the month, as applications had to get in before they maxed out.

What an appallingly stupid system – so the Conservatives are only carrying on a grand UK tradition of loud pro-green noises and quiet cancellations and downward revisions.

FAIL!

Note: we will be adding a DIY Solar Photovoltaic panel section soon – how to make your own panel and save a huge amout of money.

See our sections on:

Solar Energy and Power Advice and Tips>

Green Building advice and Tips >

The Conservative Government is reducing the FIT rate by half from December 12th 2011. Any solar PV panels installed and also registered with an energy company will qualify. So it is no good booking it in as the waiting times are long, as there is now a rush to sign up. There is always a delay in physically fitting the panels (6 weeks is very short time).

Also the energy companies ar ein no hurry to register your panels for the increased FIT rate – as they have to subsidise it as part of some energy reduction deal.

Comment
This is typical of the start-stop approach to anything green by both the recent Labour and current Conservative governments. They don’t really have any interest in green issues, it is just a lot of noise to fool the public. Plenty of money can be found for almost anything else – current spending cuts are a drop in the ocean of UK debt.

If a green initiate is successful, it has to scaled back or stopped, in case it is… too successful. So what is the point of that?

Friday and Saturday it is open 10am to 6pm, Sunday is 10am to 5pm.

Main sections are:

Interiors - furnishing, furniture, lighting, carpets, wallpaper, paint etc – but grand
Build - for self builders and DIY buildings and DIY builders
Kitchens - your dream kitchens and mastering the culineray arts – chefs available – sponsored by Miele
Bathrooms - styles, fittings and finishes, all the latest energy and water saving devices
Gardens - big and small – grow your won
Food - kitchens live!
Village - full size buildings to explore
Technology - home tech including AV audio visual, security, 3D and more

Crest roofing and tiling display at the Grand Designs 2009 show

Eco Heat underfloor heating at the above show

British Eco wind turbine at the above Grand Designs show.

See Grand Design 2011 NEC >

The New Products section of the show is based on three main themes with a ‘path’ or ‘trail’ to guide a visitor through the vast show. This is a great idea as these shows can be like going to disorganised shopping malls, with no shops just hundreds of stands.:

• Design trail
• Innovation trail
• Eco trail

Where?

NEC (National Exhibition Centre)
Birmingham
West Midlands
B40 1NT

DIY Building went to the 2009 show, here are some Grand Designs Show photo pages >

This is a big show with a focus on saving energy – hardly surprising as energy prices have increased so much. This having the green effect as saving money is a bigger motivator than saving the planet.

There are big areas devoted to:

Insulation
Real Homes Live Seminar sessions from various experts.

Underfloor heating
In the Real Homes Live! Theatres.
Underfloor heating used to seem very glamorous and expensive, but it is more energy efficient. Simply, the heat is distributed where it is needed – your feet – to make you feel warmer. Rather than ending up at the ceiling level like conventional radiators which work (badly) by convection.

See our sections on:

Introduction to Underfloor heating >

Hot water underfloor heating >

and Electric underfloor heating >

Eco lighting
In the Home Entertainment & Technology Zone.
Much improved now, can get decent lighting levels out of energy efficient tubes.

See our section on Lighting technology explained >

Secondary glazing
Also known as double glazing or even triple glazing (which adds a sound and heat loss reducing third layer).
Check out advice for windows, conservatories, etc.

Green finishes
This is at Julia Kendell’s Interior’s Pavilion.
See eco paints, eco flooring, eco furnitures. Basically it is about sustainable matericla (bamboo, hemp, etc) and using natural solvents rather than dangerous ones. All the main paint manufacturers are into this now, in premium ranges (ie, people still mainly buy traditional paints).

See our section on Building and DIY Paint >

Heat pumps
See the Masterclass sessions.
Alternative off-grid heat and energy is the way forward, but one little used in the UK, unlike say Germany. UK prefers huge projects like the Severn barge, massive wind farms… is that to do with the vast bureaucracies needed to organise such projects?
What happened to all that about Britain leading the way for green tech?
The Sustainable Development Commission SDC has just been closed down…

We have a lot of pages on renewable energy, have a look around the site.

Solar heating
Solar panels, PV, thermal, costs and benefits.

See our section on Solar Energy >

Boilers
See our sections on Eco Green Homes > and use the navigation.

Water recycling
Go to The Advice Centre on how to save up to half of your water needs from grey water recycling. Expensive to install but saves money over the long term.

See Water use in houses >

There are also big section on Gardens, Design, Kitchens, Home Entertainment, Layout, etc.

To get tickets (£8 advance, £12 on door) go to The National Home Improvement Show site >

Ecobuild 2011

Attraction in the lecture series are:

• Human rights campaigner – Bianca Jagger
• Professor Brian Cox
• Tim Smit of the Eden Project
• Baroness Susan Greenfield
• Many others

Taking a look at the built environment from a different perspective, Ecobuild’s lectures are inspiring, provocative and entertaining and consider

• The age of unreason: the psychology of climate change
• Socially Big
• the role of social enterprise in the regeneration of civil society
• Can science save us?
• Many others

And there is even more:

• Very large exhibition – over 1,300 exhibitors – with many experts to answer practical questions
• Beyond Construction and Design
• Architecture and sustainability
• More than 130 free seminars
• Special attractions:
• Cool workspace
• NaturalZED
• Solar hub
• Many others

For Ecobuild tickets click here >

Dates are Tuesday 01 March to Thursday 03 March 2011.

There are 1300 exhibitors, all sorts and sizes, since everyone does green certified materials and processes these days. This is a fun show and well worth traveling to.

It has over 130 seminars on:

• Future energy
• Energy in buildings
• Sustainable architecture
• Regulations
• Many more

Also installations on Solar, Water, Refurbishment and Remodeling etc.

It says 600 speakers – which seems amazing – with Professor Brian Cox, human rights campaigner Bianca Jagger,
Baroness Susan Greenfield, Construction Advisor, Paul Morrell.

Plus 596 others!

Get your tickets for Ecobuild here >

Eco Technologies Workshop – Retrofit Your Home – 10am – 5pm

95% – 99% of housing is old not new – so green and sustainable technology has to be added to OLD homes and office snot just glamorous new housing.

• solar panels
• solar thermal
• insulation – all types natural, synthetic
• costs – very important!
• effectiveness
• ease of installation
• project planning for maximum effect

Tickets from the Buildstore website >

Many seminars.
11.00 – 11.30 Eco Technologies – What’s Available?
12.00 – 12.30 New Tricks for Old Bricks
13.00 – 13.30 Question Time – All Experts
14.00 – 14.30 What To Install & Where To Start

See our Green DIY and building index advice >

And Solar technology index advice >

Eco Show DIY building

And an Eco Incentives event has lots of advice on Feed-In Tariffs and Renewable Heat Incentives in the UK. There are also ‘walking seminars‘ where you get to traipse around the life-size exhibits there with an expert chatting,, this is a great way to ask questions and have a bit of fun. There is also an Eco Village setup. Quite ironic really – a village inside a vast exhibition hanger next to a motorway.

Basically a whole lot of DIY and building advice is there with a green angle – which is pretty mainstream these days.

The Big Green Home Show is on at National Self Build & Renovation Centre, which is in Swindon, off the M4, tomorrow, Fri 29th October to Sun 31st October 2010. The exhibition opens from 9.30am-5pm each day.

Tickets from here >

They say green goods (energy efficiency, glazing, insulation, solar powered gadgets etc) should have a lower rate to encourage take-up. This is a good idea, since cost is a major factor in going green.

As builders, and architects specifying jobs, clients are often interested in green approaches, but stop short when they realise it will add substantially to the cost.

Incidentally, B&Q stands for Bill and Quentin, who set up a DIY shop for home enthusiasts, and latterly builders, in 1972.

The DIY market was new then; DIY (do it yourself) was a sign of lack of funds for a ‘proper’ builder; whereas now it is a hobby as much as anything; perhaps working at the computer all day causes this reaction – get you hands dirty, many pursuits, etc.

DIY building green - VAT reduction?

Anyway, B&Q have a box in store where you leave your details, with a pretty green piggy bank symbol, then the parent company Kingfisher will lobby government for a reduction in VAT. (That’s a good way of getting lots of people’s details!).

B&Q have also dropped the VAT themselves (absorbed it) on energy monitors. Some items such as solar panels, insulation,etc, already have a reduced rate.

So all you DIY and building fans, let’s see if Wickes, et al, also start a green campaign.

See this DIY store campaigning >

And our own Green DIY building pages >

and

DIY building section >