Energy Efficiency in Focus Industry Seminar A Resounding Success

With representatives from systems companies, sealed unit manufacturers, fabricators, installers and the trade press, the day proved to be the forum for some heated discussions, as well as a good networking opportunity and an informative resource for attendees. Andy Jones, Managing Director of Edgetech and host of the day, gives his thoughts on the event: "We knew the issues we would be discussing would be of interest to the industry, but we were thrilled with the number of people that took time out of their busy schedules to attend the day. As companies are fighting even harder to maintain or hopefully grow their sales, taking a day out is a testament to the commitment some forward thinking companies are making to their own, and the industry’s, future. Following the first ‘Energy Efficiency in Focus’seminar Edgetech organised in 2006, many of the companies that attended are now benefiting from the commercial advantage it offered them. Listening to feedback from this year’s event and talking to the companies there on the day, delegates of this event will almost certainly be able to exploit market changes to their own commercial advantage."



The seminar this year was kicked off by Andy Jones giving an overview of the industry and highlighting that if things are tough today and we don’t do anything to change it, why do we think it will be any different tomorrow" All of the window or energy industry experts talking on the day agreed that Window Energy Ratings offered the industry one of the most powerful opportunities it has ever seen. They also looked at whether to gain the commercial advantage now, or get ahead of the up and coming legislation companies throughout the supply chain should act now.



Sara Pearce from the Energy Saving Trust, Simon Beer from BM Trada, Giles Willson from the British Fenestration Ratings Council, Andrew Scott from Purplex Business Consulting, Andy McDowell from Pilkington Glass and Alan Fielder of Edgetech UK all spoke on the day and inspired the audience to get involved in the question and answer session at the end of the day. With many questions focussing around the issue and use of BFRC and Energy Saving Recommended logos, both organisations promised to look into making this area more clear in new or updated guidelines, to make the entire process as easy as possible for the industry to understand and use.



Andy concludes: "We will be producing a DVD of highlights from the day which will include sound bites from some of the delegates, for companies wanting to refer back to information they were supplied on the day. On completion the DVD will also be available online on our website."