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A chance to learn about tomorrow’s construction technology

7th February 2010

Local small and medium sized companies that are struggling to adopt new energy efficient technologies as they currently don’t know enough about them according to the East Midlands New Technology Initiative (NTI). On 11 Feb, Chesterfield College is set to address the issue by hosting the ‘Innovation in Sustainable Construction’ road show, providing independent advice and a free two-hour CPD certificate on these technologies, including water recycling, water management and rainwater harvesting.

According to the NTI survey, sixty five per cent of companies said they didn’t know enough about water management systems, fifty five per cent about solar and biomass systems and over fifty per cent said they were too uncertain about modern methods of construction to introduce them or recommend them to clients. At the road show specialist advisors will provide consultation and independent advice to encourage small and medium sized businesses to adopt more innovative products and processes at early stages of project development.

‘Innovation in Sustainable Construction’ is a unique project that aims to link six East Midlands-based Colleges with the local economy by offering their knowledge as an independent source of advice to builders, design teams and local authorities that require it. Current College members include Chesterfield, Derby, Leicester, West Nottinghamshire, Stephenson and Lincoln.

Each College develops a bank of knowledge on a specific area and can then refer companies with queries to whichever College specialises in relevant field. Chesterfield College is currently developing a specialist facility to demonstrate rainwater harvesting and grey water recycling products where businesses can see the systems in a working situation. Specialist technologies covered by the initiative include: Renewable energy, Solar water, Biomass boilers, Modern construction methods, Wind energy, dual fuel systems, rainwater harvesting and weather compensating controls.

Chesterfield College Specialist Advisor, Andy Smith MSc said: “It’s a real problem that those local authorities and companies that are interested in innovative, eco-friendly products, are put off by the fact they don’t completely understand them. Across the industry there is pressure to improve efficiencies in domestic construction and these technologies are key to achieving this.

For example, water usage in domestic dwellings will need to halve by 2016 to comply with the Government’s targets for Sustainable Homes. Half of 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, this is where rainwater harvesting and associated technologies excel.”

To find out more about this project please visit www.eastmidlandsnti.co.uk or contact Andy Smith on 01246 500 715 or smitha@chesterfield.ac.uk