Eco Workshop - Sustainable Heat & Energy - Sat 26th May 2012

Get the answers that the salesmen might not tell you on everything from heat pumps to solar panels; what’s new, what works and what are the practical issues that need to be considered when installing such renewable technologies, including who does what and how it all connects together.

The Experts

David Hilton Expert About David Hilton: David frequently leads seminars, workshops and CPD lectures as well as eco and sustainability training on the Self Build & Renovation Courses at the National Self Build and Renovation Centre in Swindon.

He has completed various self builds in South Africa and renovations in the UK and has been involved in designing and installing Solar and heat pump systems since the early 1980s. On the technical side, he is Gas Safe registered, an accredited installer of Ground Source and Air Source heat pumps and has recently achieved an MSc Architecture: Advanced Energy and Environmental Studies.

David will also be joined by the ‘Green Team’ of eco experts.

The Seminars

10.30 – 11.30	Sustainable Heat & Energy Options	David Hilton
David Hilton kicks off today's Eco Workshop event with an Overview of Sustainable Heat & Energy options - the key topics to consider when assessing eco technologies and how to work out what's right for you and your home.

11.40 – 12.40	Soap Box Session	All Experts & Exhibitors
Hear a quick 10 minute overview from each expert and heat & energy manufacturer on how they can help you with your heat and energy choices.

12.45 – 13.15	Energy Assessments for Meeting Building Regulations	Sue Dewhirst
Sue Dewhirst from Evolved Design takes you through Energy Assessments for meeting Building Regulations. This includes ‘What is a SAP Assessment’ and, Fabric Energy Efficiency (FEE) that now needs to be achieved to get a good SAP rating, and will also explain when this needs to be considered during the design process. In this talk, Sue will be covering the Building Fabric performance of opaque and glazed U values.


13.30 – 14.15	Expert Guided Tours of Heat & Energy Options in the Educational Journey


14.15 – 17.30	One-to-one appointments with panel of Experts & Exhibitors
On a one-to-one basis question the individual Green Team experts and Centre heat & energy partners in more detail to find out answers to your specific queries on the relative merits and benefits of different technologies with regard to sustainability and energy efficiency. Booked with the individual expert on the day (15 min slots).

Permanent Exhibits

The National Self Build & Renovation Centre has been built on a scale previously unseen in the UK. Here you can walk through exhibits that explain - in exploded detail - every step of the self build and renovation processes.

Trade Village

The permanent exhibition area containing over 200 exhibitor stands, covering everything you'll need to undertake your project.

Wolseley Building
The Wolseley Building has four key zones; the Wolseley Theatre, a Bathstore Showroom, a Moores Kitchen Showroom and a builders merchant branch area where visitors can place orders! The house has numerous different products installed for visitors to see in situ; many of these are 'eco' products such as LED lighting, sun scoops, thermowood timber cladding, sheepswool insulation and others.

Educational Journey

A fully guided audio tour taking you round a fantastic selection of life-sized exhibits, featuring cutaways of groundworks, foundations, walls, roofs and more. If you're considering self building then don't miss this!

Renovation House
Take a walk through the front doors of this full-size renovation project and see the house come to life before your eyes. The audio guide explains every step of the process to give you a deeper understanding of what a renovation project entails.

Potton Show House

Full of character and the latest technology, this show home is an inspiration to self builders, no matter what your tastes.

Outdoor Living Zone	New!
Everything you could need to finish off the exterior of your home, from hard landscaping to living roofs, to the Potton Zone Studios.

Design Centre

Browse through hundreds of designs and get ideas for your own home.

Finance Zone

Speak to our specially trained self build & renovation finance advisors to find the best way of funding your project.

PlotSearch

Search thousands of plots and renovation projects across the country, the first step to building your dream home!

TradeCard

Chat to our TradeCard advisors and learn how to save £1000s on materials.

Experts

A selection of experts are based in the Centre on a permanent basis to speak to you about your particular project and answer any questions you may have about self build, renovation, planning, design, project management and so on.