NTI East Midlands

A survey showed that although most companies knew about the energy saving products and methods currently available they were reluctant to adopt them because of uncertainty and a lack of independent and reliable advice.

Sixty five percent said they did not know enough about water management systems, 55% about solar, biomass and mini/micro chip systems and over 50% said they were too uncertain about modern methods of construction to introduce them or recommend them to clients.

Now a unique project has been set up in the East Midlands to help small and medium sized builders, design teams and specialist firms to get independent advice on innovative building products and processes.

Innovation in Sustainable Construction was one of only five of the 132 applications to successfully bid for the Department of Innovation Universities and Skill’s Further Education Specialisation (DIUS) and will enable six colleges to develop a new role as a source of independent and specialist knowledge. Each college is focusing on one specific area and developing a bank of knowledge and to ensure that they are able to offer the right advice.

Currently the specialisms are distributed throughout the East Midlands but easily accessible throughout the Region:

Chesterfield College is researching water management products - including rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling; West Nottinghamshire College is focussing on renewables, electricity and energy and Derby College has a specialist advisor on modern methods of construction, including timber frame and pre cast reinforced concrete products. Lincoln College is collecting information on products and techniques. to maintain a comfortable internal environments during both hot and cold weather with thermal mass products in buildings; Stephenson College is specialising in renewable energy products, while Leicester College is focussing on weather compensating controls and ways of interlinking two or more heat sources such as solar power and electricity, into a heating system.

Specialist advisors will provide consultation, independent advice, and run awareness raising events to encourage small and medium sized businesses to adopt more innovative products and processes at early stages of project development.

Project manager, Professor Roy Morledge of Nottingham Trent University said: “Businesses across the industry are under pressure to adopt innovative products or processes which will create energy efficient, low carbon houses and buildings. There are many affordable construction products and technologies available, but an uncertainty about how to integrate them into existing construction methods is holding busy firms back from introducing them to clients.”

For example, water usage within domestic homes will need to halve by 2016 to comply with the Government’s challenging targets within their Code for Sustainable Homes. It is accepted that about half the water used within a domestic property is not for drinking purposes and therefore does not need to be supplied by the mains water supply. Chesterfield College will support local engineering companies in specialising in this developing market. Chesterfield College is currently developing a specialist facility to demonstrate rainwater harvesting and grey water recycling products where businesses can see systems in a working situation.

Martin Jones of Derby College, the specialist advisor on modern methods of construction at Derby College highlighted new initiatives and legislation such as the Approved Documents of the Building Regulations and BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) assessments which are challenging the construction industry to take on energy efficient practices: “Many manufacturers have the skills, knowledge and capacity to meet the ever increasing demands to have internal comfortable environments, and airtight, thermally efficient carbon neutral buildings. It is now the time for all involved in the construction industry to embrace these new products and processes”.

Professor Morledge added: “This accessibility to independent advice is not available anywhere else in the country and illustrates how further education colleges can adopt an exciting new role supporting designers and construction businesses to innovate in the delivery of efficient and sustainable buildings”