The Construction Industry Collective Voice (CICV) is celebrating the success of its third Green Home Festival, which saw record audiences attend a week of shows about sustainability and low-carbon living.
Held in Charlotte Square Gardens as part of the official Edinburgh Festival Fringe, more than 500 delegates attended the five-day celebration of renewables, which combined advice with hands-on demonstrations of products and technology.
The festival, which ran from 12-16 August, hosted discussions on a wide range of topical subjects, including heat pump myth-busting, renewables funding, the future of retrofit, an introduction to Passivhaus and the future of community heat networks.
Gordon Nelson, co-organiser and Scotland Director of the Federation of Master Builders, said: “Once again, the Green Home Festival was a massive success and we were delighted to welcome more delegates than ever before as we delivered a wealth of practical advice that will be crucial for all our futures.
“The groundswell in delegates and the questions we received during the week demonstrate the growing consumer appetite for greener solutions and the ongoing need for advice and assistance from professional tradespeople, surveyors and installers.”
This year’s festival included a hands-on demonstration of sustainable construction materials
Previous Green Home Festivals in 2022 and 2023 were held in the offices of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in Charlotte Square, but this year’s event was moved to a marquee in the neighbouring gardens to accommodate the demand for tickets.
Fellow organiser Fiona Hodgson, who is CEO of the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation (SNIPEF), added: “The Green Home Festival plays a vital role in informing and empowering people to make sustainable choices as they make the journey to more eco-friendly homes.
“As well as householder and community groups, we were also delighted to welcome so many construction industry experts to this year’s festival and it is heartening to see the sector so willing to share proactive solutions to a wider audience.”
The festival was officially launched on Monday 12 August by Acting Minister for Climate Action, Dr Alasdair Allan MSP, who told the assembled audience: “The climate crisis is among the greatest global challenges of our time.
“We know that our homes and workplaces account for around a fifth of Scotland’s emissions. Our building stock is relatively old, and the legacy of poor energy efficiency contributes both to emissions and fuel poverty.
The FMB’s Gordon Nelson with Dr Allan and RICS President-Elect Justin Sullivan
“We are at a pivotal point right now in the heat transition. We must improve the efficiency of existing buildings and switch to clean heating systems, such as heat pumps and heat networks, and do so in a way that is in line with a just transition.”
The launch was followed by the first presentation of the week, Retrofit Explained: The Right Way to Deliver Retrofit, which was followed by further shows on sustainable materials, the power of electric heating and the value of using multiple energy-efficient technologies.
A mobile heat pump van was also one of the star attractions of the week, with experts on hand to answer consumer questions about the technology.
Details of all shows are now available on the Green Home Festival website, along with presentations from selected events, which are free to download.
The festival was 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 advice and guidance, hosting webinars, and maintaining close dialogue with Scottish Government ministers.
Visitors to the festival were treated to a tour of the mobile heat pump van
