Ecobuild returns to London’s Earls Court on Tuesday 02 – Thursday 04 March 2010.
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The world’s biggest event for sustainable design, construction and the built environment hosts an exhibition of more than 1,000 suppliers of sustainable construction products – more than ever before – plus a series of more than 100 free conference and seminar sessions, and dozens of attractions and special events.

From big names such as Rockwool, Sika, Dimplex, Finnforest, Schueco, Interface, Rehau, ACO Technologies, Kohler Mira and CEMEX, to the smallest new business exhibiting in Ecobuild’s Green Shoots entrepreneurs zone, every conceivable product and service for low and zero carbon construction will be represented.  

The Solar Decathlon Europe competition stops off at Ecobuild too, with the debut of The Nottingham HOUSE (Home Optimising the Use of Solar Energy) at Ecobuild on its way to the final in Madrid in June.  The University of Nottingham’s Department of the Built Environment (SBE) has teamed up with Saint-Gobain to create the HOUSE – an energy efficient, zero carbon solar powered home – which is part of the students’ entry into the competition. 

Bill Dunster’s RuralZED, providers of the first ever Level 6 certified, ‘zero carbon’ house – launched at Ecobuild 2008 – will be offering an on-the-spot real time design and business planning service for plotholders.

Solarcentury’s Solar Hub is well-timed to help visitors understand the implications of the Government’s clean energy cashback scheme planned for April next year.  Using a model city as a backdrop, Solarcentury will demonstrate the ease with which solar solutions can be integrated into the built environment and showcase the very latest in solar PV and solar-thermal technologies.

Ecobuild Installer is a new attraction for 2010, aimed primarily at those involved in providing heating, electrical and plumbing services.  Its aim is to help visitors make sense of the products, the market and the opportunities through a series of practical demonstrations by Plumb Center, as well as over 30 free seminar and training sessions, embracing both the commercial issues and provide practical, hands-on experience of the technologies.  

Always a hugely popular attraction, Ecobuild’s Cityscape takes green infrastructure as its theme for 2010, and looks at the improvements that urban green space can deliver in both social and environmental terms.  The theme will be brought to life through an imposing cube of green walls, designed by Chelsea Flower Show gold medal winner Patrick Collins, in association with Capita Lovejoy, and built to illustrate the different systems available for large-scale urban installations.  The four green walls that make up the cube will be provided by BioTecture, Mobilane, Aldingbourne and MMA.

Futurebuild from Mtech Consult and Galliford Try will showcase the very best in offsite construction, bringing together a broad range of systems to demonstrate the benefits of using offsite products and techniques for complex and challenging projects as well as more straightforward builds.

The timber frame, light steel framing, cladding, room and volumetric modules, insulated render, staircases, balconies used in Futurebuild will be supplied by some of the UK’s foremost offsite manufacturers, including Kingspan Offsite, Elements Europe, Lakesmere, PermaRock, Advanced Panel Systems, Environmental Building Partnership, London Engineering and Architechnik.

Be sure to make time for Ecobuild’s extensive seminar programme which provides practical advice on a huge range of topics clustered into ten themes:

• Future energy
• Getting water wise   
• Regulations revealed           
• Performance matters           
• Simplifying standards, guides & tools       
• Refurbishing Britain           
• Urban planning & public realm            
• Sustainable by design           
• Making the most of markets       
• Beyond construction

See the detailed seminar programme at www.ecobuild.co.uk/seminars

Ecobuild’s conference has a reputation for attracting speakers of the highest calibre and the 2010 event is no exception. 

Joan Ruddock, Minister of State, Department of Energy & Climate Change, Greg Barker, Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Simon Hughes, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Energy & Climate Change, Nick Raynsford MP, Deputy Chairman, Construction Industry Council and former Construction Minister, Stephen Stone, Chief Executive, Crest Nicholson and Paul Drechsler, CEO Wates are amongst the respected figures taking to the stage to tackle pertinent topics such as Copenhagen consequences:  how strong is the political will for a low carbon Britain?, International & green:  learning from around the world and Second generation sustainability:  zero carbon without the bling.

See the full conference programme at www.ecobuild.co.uk/conference

And it just wouldn’t be Ecobuild without      the challenging, thought-provoking and entertaining events in the Arena.  Its eclectic mix of high profile commentators for 2010 include  Andrew Neil, Terry Farrell, Will Alsop, Rosie Boycott, Jonathon Porritt and Alastair McGowan, who will be discussing subjects as diverse as human behaviour, food, architecture and design, science and religion.

Ecobuild is free to attend when you register at www.ecobuild.co.uk including entry to all the seminar and conference sessions, attractions and special events.