More than 200 professionals from the construction, architecture and engineering sectors gathered at Hylands House in Chelmsford yesterday [Thursday, 19 September] for the first ever Retrofit Essex: Backing the future event.
Hosted by Essex County Council, this free-to-attend event marked a pivotal moment in the region’s push towards sustainable building and the development of retrofit technologies.
Retrofitting is the process of upgrading existing buildings to make them more sustainable and energy efficient. This can be done by adding solar panels, heat pumps, improved insulation and many other new technologies.
Retrofit Essex: Backing the future brought together a wide audience of industry leaders, policy makers and businesses to explore innovative approaches to retrofit projects aimed at reducing the environmental impact of the built environment. Attendees had the opportunity to learn about the latest technologies, funding options and training programmes to help accelerate their own retrofit journeys.
Retrofitting will play an essential role in helping the county to meet net-zero targets while also offering huge potential for business development and job creation, both in Essex and across the country.
Loretta Hoy, Green Sector Growth Manager for Essex County Council, commented: “We are thrilled with the success of this first Retrofit Essex: Backing the future event. There has been such a high level of interest in the new opportunities presented by retrofitting and it’s clear that Essex businesses are ready to embrace the future.
“This was the first event of its kind in the county to bring together a wide cross section of companies from the construction and design industries with leading innovators in retrofit.
“It was also a chance to learn more around the funding support that is available for skills training, installation projects and the development of new products. We are backing the future through our vision for retrofit in Essex, and this event shows that businesses in the county are ready to join us on that journey.”
You can keep up to date with all their latest information around retrofit and find out about future events and funding opportunities by signing up to the Ambitious Essex e-newsletter here – https://pages.news.essex.gov.uk/pages/essex-in-business.
