Earth Notes: Kingston's Efficient Homes Show (2023)
Updated 2024-03-19.Event: Kingston's Efficient Homes Show 2023
Kingston’s Efficient Homes Show - building a greener future, together!
- Featuring: Various exhibitors and speakers
- Free
- Date:
- Location: The Hollyfield School
- Surbiton Hill Road
- Surbiton
- UK
- Organiser: Kingston Council
Motivation
To quote from the invitation to businesses (and others) prior to the event:
The Efficient Homes show will bring together accredited retrofit suppliers, industry professionals, educators and residents who are interested in retrofitting their own property or starting a career in the sector.
Businesses covering a diverse range of expertise, products and services will all be under the same roof, offering opportunities to broaden your supply chain and attract more skilled people to the industry.
The event will also help you to reach new customers and discuss the benefits of your services while inspiring confidence in the cost and quality of your work.
We're looking for businesses in the following areas to take part: solar panels, heat pumps, heat recovery systems, heating controls, water recycling, insulation, electric vehicle charging points, retrofit coordination, financing, training on related topics, environmental accreditation schemes and any other industry related to retrofit of houses. Local startups and students are welcome, as well.
Programme
Again, quoted from RBK (a good comms team there!):
- 10.30am: Doors open.
- 10.45am - 10.50am: Welcoming remarks Councillor Ian Manders, Portfolio Holder for Climate Action & Sustainable Transport.
- 10.50am - 11.05am: Keynote speaker Sir Ed Davey, MP for Kingston and Surbiton
- 11.30am - 12.15pm: Panel Discussion: Internal and External Wall Insulation. Panel Members: Liz Crisp, Cave Coop; Kyle Hyams, Company Director, InstaServices LTD; Lillian Lochner, Climate Action, Kingston Council. Facilitator: Councillor Ian Manders, Portfolio Holder for Climate Action and Sustainable Transport.
- 12.30pm - 12.50pm: A talk: ‘A Short Talk about my Low-Carbon Home’ by Michael de Podesta, the author of ‘Protons for Breakfast’.
- 1.15pm - 2pm - Panel Discussion: Green Skills. Panel Members: Prof Maria Chatzichristodoulou, Kingston University; Poly Persechino, South London Green Skills Academy/SLP; Jim Coleman, WSP; Amarjit Dhanjal, OCN London. Facilitator: Forbes Low, CEO, Chamber of Commerce.
- 2.15pm: Closing Remarks: Councillor Andreas Kirsch, Leader of Kingston Council.
- 2.30pm: End of the event
Throughout the day there will be a number of talks and discussions on a range of topics, including: internal and external wall insulation, heat pumps, solar panels and skills and job opportunities construction and other green sectors.
Short Talks
KEF (Kingston Environment Forum) has arranged for TTKEG (Transition Town Kingston Energy Group) to provide three short beginner-level talks:
One-to-Ones
KEF/TTKEG will also be providing one-to-one support chats for the public. For those who do not yet have a clue where to start, and beyond!
Postscript: A Good Day!
By the start of the event 435 people had registered on Eventbrite as I understand it. My guess is that more than half of those attended. (It seems that ~300 attended in total, including exhibitors, speakers, etc.) There was a pleasant busy buzz throughout.
I think a good day was had by all. I was busy with the talks and 1-to-1 sessions. They were more ad hoc and 'organic' than I had anticipated.
Read Michael de Podesta's comment on the day.
Various of the visitors explicitly said that they were happy with their experience. Surveys of visitors and exhibitors were positive too.