Eco Homes Zone
Create a more efficient & greener home
The Eco Homes Zone will show you how to make your home more energy efficient and greener. You will meet exhibitors displaying a wide range of ecological building solutions that you will help make your home more eco-friendly.
Homes must be greener - Whatever happens, the fact that our homes account for 27% of the UK's CO2 emissions makes looking at how to improve energy efficiency in the home a high priority. Here are some examples of how the Eco Homes Zone can help you make your home greener.
Invest in a rainwater harvesting system that allows you to make the most of the significant amount of rainfall the UK gets. A system costs around £1500 which includes underground storage tanks, filters and a pump to take water back into the house. A large tank can supply enough water for the whole house but at the very least you could use it for flushing toilets and watering the garden. A cheaper alternative is to invest in a few water butts and a pump to allow 100% of saved rainwater to be hosed onto the garden. Hosepipe bans will no longer be a problem! Visit the following exhibitors for more information:
British Eco on stand 1039 and East Midlands Water Company on stand 1037
Underfloor heating
An underfloor heating system is energy efficient because the emitter (the floor) has a larger surface area than the standard radiator and so the water can be heated to a lower temperature than normal. Running costs tend to be 10-30% cheaper.
Thermo-Floor Underfloor heating on stand 955 and Step Warmfloor on stand 945
Heat pump
The ground source heat pump is one of the darlings of the green movement. It works like a fridge, using electricity to power water through pipes below the surface (you will need to excavate part of your garden to lay the pipes) where the temperature remains at a constant 10degreesc. A secondary process raises the temperature further, enough to power an underfloor heating system. Installation costs tend to be between £8-12,000. Payback times range between 8 and 22 years.
British Eco on stand 1039 and Thermo-Floor Underfloor heating on stand 955.
Solar power
Using the sun to provide energy, solar panels are used for heating water and PV cells, for creating electricity. A heating system will cost around £2,000 to install and can usually provide enough hot water all year round - the problem from a value point of view is that it only costs around £100 a year to provide this anyway. PV cells create a more significant amount of electricity which may allow you to sell some of the energy you've created back to the grid.
Sunslates on stand 959
Heat recovery passive ventilation
A heat recovery system takes the moist, stale air from bathrooms and kitchens (through extractor fans) to a heat recovery unit (usually situated in the loft), and pass it through a heat exchanger to recover some 65-70% of the heat usually lost through standard ventilation. They run continuously, are up to 95% efficient and can easily be fitted to additional heating and cooling systems. Payback time for a system of this sort is estimated to be around five years. An HR unit is quiet and provides filtered air - perfect for asthma and hayfever sufferers.
British Eco on stand 1039
Natural building materials
The choice of materials used in building projects can have a big impact on the environment. Materials that need manufacturing require high levels of energy to produce workable products and may give out pollutants as a by-product of the process. Naturally occurring materials such as lime, sand, stone, slate and timber enjoy very low production costs and produce far less pollutants in this process.
Longlyf Timber Products on stand 1040 and Reflex Glass on stand 951.
Dedicated seminar programme
Don't miss out on valuable information and advice on all aspects and benefits of environmentally friendly products and services. Why not attend the following sessions: Eco Homebuilding: A guide to the zero carbon house, A guide to ecological heating, plumbing, ventilation and micro generation: wind, solar and renewables.
For more information click here.
FREE unique Masterclasses
These specialist masterclasses are presented by selected exhibitors daily so take the opportunity to get your questions answered. Friday 21 September will be dedicated to Eco Day so all masterclasses will be based on The Eco Home.
For more information click here.
Expert advice
It can be hard deciding which of the many green technologies to choose from so why not come and get 1-1 advice from the key experts in the industry. Tim Pullen, the Homebuilding & Renovating magazine's eco expert will be on hand to answer your questions on stand 753 and will be presenting the Eco Homebuilding sessions in the Seminar Programme.