Blogging
Retrofit for the Future Diaries - new Energy Saving in Housing blogging network set up for Enegry Saving Trust by TJWMedia
09/07/10 15:27
About Retrofit for the Future: The Climate Change Act (2008) requires that by 2050, the UK’s annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions should be reduced by 80% compared to 1990 levels. Home energy use is responsible for over a quarter of UK CO2 emissions which contribute to climate change. We must therefore aim to reduce CO2 emissions from all dwellings by an average of 80% to help meet the UK’s long term goal.
The challenge is to develop methods to refurbish UK housing stock to help meet the UK Government target reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and energy use.
In March 2009, the Technology Strategy Board launched an SBRI initiative ‘Retrofit for the Future’ under the Low Impact Building Innovation Platform principally to address this challenge in social housing.
‘Retrofit for the Future’ is the first programme of its kind in the UK, and will see social housing units across the country retrofitted with new, innovative technologies to test low carbon building technology.
Understanding and implementing best practice retrofitting is key to meeting the government’s CO2 reduction target of 80% by 2050. The results of the projects will be shared to help show how the UK’s current housing stock could be made more energy efficient.
In the initial design phase, over 190 organisations – including housing associations, architects and construction companies – received up to £20,000 each to carry out full feasibility studies and devise innovative proposals. From these proposals, 86 have now been awarded development contracts to carry out retrofits on current social houses.
It is intended that the principles established by Retrofit for the Future prototypes can be applied throughout the country and that social housing will continue to take a lead role in terms of energy reduction and CO2 mitigation.
The retrofit prototypes will each receive an average of £142,000 to demonstrate deep cuts in carbon emissions and exemplar energy efficient measures in UK social housing. The level of funding is specifically designed to stimulate the implementation of innovative, proof of concept demonstrator houses that may offer cost effective solutions for wider role out across the UK. The Energy Saving Trust, a leading independent organisation set up to provide energy saving advice for the public, will work in partnership with each of the projects to collect data from each of the retrofitted houses, including internal and external temperature, humidity and CO2 levels. Each demonstrator house will be carefully evaluated by the Energy Saving Trust for at least 2 years. This data will then be assimilated to form a database which will be made available to researchers, social landlords and energy companies to ensure that the most cost effective technologies are employed in future retrofits and the potential for lower cost implementation in volume across the remaining UK social housing stock.
Comments
Blogging like it's 2003, or for 2010 recovery
30/09/09 17:33
So, I have to send off an invoice today, have correspondence to respond to, filing and other housework and and an apparent infinite number of tasks (103 according to THL) in running my business, yet, according to Julie Hall who this morning enthusiastically presented a workshop I attended for small business on Business Blogging, I should be updating my blog/website at least one to three times a week.
Sheesh!
At the event, hosted by Merton Chamber of Commerce, Julie did a fine job in presenting the benefits to a cross section of local businesses in Wimbledon, who at least think thy should be blogging and want to know more. A tough task considering the diversity of expertise and business types.
According to Julie, small businesses should blog at least one to three times per week to:
Or, maybe more so in a depression when other businesses maybe cutting down on promotion, and the cost advantages of the web over other means weighs even more favour of blogging (dread word). Thinking about it, last week I attended a drink product launch where the PR entirely revolved around giving away lots of drink and other freebies to hundreds of self-selected people with an eye for... freebies!
I'd hope the nuggets Julie has passed on maybe of longer term value, and only slightly less intoxicating. Er, note to self, take this foray back on the blogging saddle easy now...
OK - my point is it pays to be smart with budgets and blogging must be a cost-effective tool, and more thoughtful. My personal feeling from talking with other attendees is that sometimes it takes something of a cultural shift to implement, and maybe could be better started not by bolting it on but using it as part of an existing workflow. Julie suggested an easy way in could be by signing up as an anonymous blogger to get the writing bug, advice I'm not so sure about, but she's a writer so one can see her keenness in encouraging a softer launch for those out of practice with the written word.
There were plenty of other business owners and employees in attendance keen to implement blogs or know more - some perhaps feeling overwhelmed by the jargon and culture shift involved. But I found it was refreshing to re-think something I'm so interested in, and spent so many hours getting immersed in and become knowledgeable about, now becoming more mainstream.
Let's hope so since Julie's advice, although perhaps only partially suited to some is well worth paying attention to for businesses and brands to promote themselves profitably. But then as a promoter Julie looks like she has the ability to effectively communicate her enthusiasm for whatever she is enthused about. Strangely, however, Julie hasn’t linked to her blog from her business website
So, I feel renewed with some fresh arguments for promoting blogging as a tool for small business, and have hopefully renewed the habit myself
Hey, I've got plenty to write about and promote.... I'm due to have an article published tomorrow, I'm off the Spain at the end of the week to visit the Nou Camp, Lloret de Mar and photograph the Challenge in Calella, plus the art and other meterials I’m selling to raise funds for Nightingale House Trust. Perhaps of more important and long term interest I should mention Peter Winters of Haddock Research has started a blog on Global warming issues.
Yes, that wasn’t so hard...
Julie did a great job in dusting off my jadedness and encouraged me to think of ideas to promote my business. This space could do with a springclean, so with Julie from Springmedia's help hopefully I'll post here more often from now onwards.
Sheesh!
At the event, hosted by Merton Chamber of Commerce, Julie did a fine job in presenting the benefits to a cross section of local businesses in Wimbledon, who at least think thy should be blogging and want to know more. A tough task considering the diversity of expertise and business types.
According to Julie, small businesses should blog at least one to three times per week to:
- Become the expert in your field
- Build your personal Brand
- Become the thought leader
- Create conversations
- Provide fresh content
- Build presence online
- Keep people coming back
- Lead the pack
- Enhance search engine optimisation
Or, maybe more so in a depression when other businesses maybe cutting down on promotion, and the cost advantages of the web over other means weighs even more favour of blogging (dread word). Thinking about it, last week I attended a drink product launch where the PR entirely revolved around giving away lots of drink and other freebies to hundreds of self-selected people with an eye for... freebies!
I'd hope the nuggets Julie has passed on maybe of longer term value, and only slightly less intoxicating. Er, note to self, take this foray back on the blogging saddle easy now...
OK - my point is it pays to be smart with budgets and blogging must be a cost-effective tool, and more thoughtful. My personal feeling from talking with other attendees is that sometimes it takes something of a cultural shift to implement, and maybe could be better started not by bolting it on but using it as part of an existing workflow. Julie suggested an easy way in could be by signing up as an anonymous blogger to get the writing bug, advice I'm not so sure about, but she's a writer so one can see her keenness in encouraging a softer launch for those out of practice with the written word.
There were plenty of other business owners and employees in attendance keen to implement blogs or know more - some perhaps feeling overwhelmed by the jargon and culture shift involved. But I found it was refreshing to re-think something I'm so interested in, and spent so many hours getting immersed in and become knowledgeable about, now becoming more mainstream.
Let's hope so since Julie's advice, although perhaps only partially suited to some is well worth paying attention to for businesses and brands to promote themselves profitably. But then as a promoter Julie looks like she has the ability to effectively communicate her enthusiasm for whatever she is enthused about. Strangely, however, Julie hasn’t linked to her blog from her business website
So, I feel renewed with some fresh arguments for promoting blogging as a tool for small business, and have hopefully renewed the habit myself
Hey, I've got plenty to write about and promote.... I'm due to have an article published tomorrow, I'm off the Spain at the end of the week to visit the Nou Camp, Lloret de Mar and photograph the Challenge in Calella, plus the art and other meterials I’m selling to raise funds for Nightingale House Trust. Perhaps of more important and long term interest I should mention Peter Winters of Haddock Research has started a blog on Global warming issues.
Yes, that wasn’t so hard...
Julie did a great job in dusting off my jadedness and encouraged me to think of ideas to promote my business. This space could do with a springclean, so with Julie from Springmedia's help hopefully I'll post here more often from now onwards.
Blowing customers' minds - with personalised business cards
11/06/07 10:17
Commenting on the BT Business Blog has produced some nice publicity ...
I've passed out almost all my Moo Cards now, so I'd better get some more - and if any others would like some, just get in contact.
I've passed out almost all my Moo Cards now, so I'd better get some more - and if any others would like some, just get in contact.
