Scotland’s first-ever Green Home Festival saw 350 delegates sign up for the five-day renewables jamboree this month.
It was organised by the Construction Industry Collective Voice (CICV), with a series of in-person and online events that delivered practical assistance to help Scotland become net zero.
The festival, held from 8-12 August as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, saw CICV members host discussions on a range of topical subjects, including protecting against floods, using sustainable materials, switching to electric vehicles and living safely in the home of the future.
Co-organiser Gordon Nelson, Scotland director of the Federation of Master Builders, said: “It was heartening to see such a huge interest from both the public and the construction industry, who are clearly aware of the urgency we all face in trying to tackle some of today’s pressing environmental issues.
“Many visitors expressed a keen desire to know more about how to make our homes safe and energy efficient for the future and how to deploy technologies such as heat pumps and sustainable building materials. Satisfying such interest will be our ongoing challenge and we are already planning next year’s event, which we hope will reach an even wider audience.”
One of the most popular of the festival’s 12 events saw a mix of professionals and the public flock to a discussion on demystifying heat pumps by SNIPEF at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), central Edinburgh, a statement said.
Another well-received show saw festivalgoers enjoy a guided tour of a site in Murrayburn, where they saw sustainable practices first-hand and learned how the project used a fabric-first approach to help reduce heating costs.