Tap into green construction billions, south coast SMEs urged

BUILDERS will tomorrow be told there are billions in “green construction” at a conference in Southampton.

A free workshop at B&Q House in Chandlers Ford will give smaller and medium sized companies an insight into the potential of the green construction market and which carbon reducing technologies work.

The South East Centre for the Built Environment (SECBE), a not for profit organisation, is urging construction businesses to win a share of the emerging green market with the Government’s Green Deal set to allow households an average of, £10,000 to spend on energy saving home improvements - from building a new extension to adding solar panels, fitting insulation, and putting in a new heating system.

The Institute for Sustainability predicts £500 billion will be spent on retrofitting UK’s domestic buildings over the next 40 years.

The workshop is part of the part European funded £2m FLASH+ programme which gives South East SMEs free business support.

Free conferences, seminars, workshops, case studies, site visits and newsletters are available to businesses eager to up-skill and grow their business.

“FLASH+ is a fantastic opportunity,” said Derek Rees, chief executive of SECBE who are organising the programme on behalf of the Institute for Sustainability.

“It gives participants a great range of knowledge to draw on, so they can choose the topics relevant to their expertise. We all know we have to become green, clean and mean to combat climate change and FLASH+ gives our industry the opportunity.”

The workshop begins at 8am at B&Q House. A highlight will be a site visit to the company’s retrofitted end of terrace Victorian eco-house, showing how to make an old house green.

Visit www.secbe.org.uk or call 0118 9207 204.

Source : Matt Smith - Andover Advertiser
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