Green Inspiration

I recently visited the Greenbuild Expo in Manchester which showcased sustainable energy ideas and technology.

Sadly I missed the opening talk by Bill Dunster, the architect behind BedZed due to train issues, but I did manage to talk to lots of different suppliers and attend other useful seminars.

Currently we plan to heat the new Welcome Building using an Air Source Heat Pump which will heat underfloor heating in the toilets and the new interpretation room. This basically works like an air conditioning unit on reverse. I also attended seminars on rainwater harvesting and designing buildings using Glulam (strips of timber glues together to form curves, like the front of the Welcome Building.)

I am now going to follow up discussions regarding rainwater harvesting, sewage treatment and woodfuel to find out if they are suitable for the Welcome Building.

I also hope to hear soon from a company who produce floor slabs which power schools and shopping centres to see if we can utilise the 300,000 visitors we have each year as a power source!