Professional Builders Merchant

Firstly, there was ecobuild. Transplanted from its conveniently-located home at Earls Court to the slightly more hard-to-reach Excel centre in Docklands, there were fears that the show may have surrendered some of the momentum it had built up in recent years. Such concerns couldn’t really have been wider of the mark.

Ecobuild was a thriving exhibition; visitors streamed from the DLR stations and packed out the cavernous twin halls for the three-day duration of the show. The proliferation of PV and the array of air source heat pumps clearly demonstrated just how far the green agenda has moved into mainstream building practice already, serving up a lesson that the tide of sustainability is unrelenting.

Equally, we are not just talking about new — or indeed renewable — technologies. Brick and block was virtually as prevalent as timber frame, whilst humble mineral wool insulation has evolved into a sexy eco essential. Furthermore, the merchant presence at ecobuild — with national chains exhibiting and many independents visiting — has firmly laid down a marker for the sector’s willingness to adapt and serve an evolving supply chain that now encompasses a broader selection of building products. From PV to heat pumps, the potential for merchants is enormous.

It is no coincidence, therefore, that in recent issues and on this website we have described Saint Gobain’s commitment to green building with initiatives such as Jewson’s Sustainable Building Guide and the launch of its Greenworks Academy. We have also discussed Unimer’s investment in the Green Energy Centre franchise concept, offering independents a distinct route into the market. In PBM’s April issue, we put Wolseley UK in the spotlight with its reimagining of its Sustainable Building Center as a practical training facility to support Plumb Center customers develop the skills they will need to compete.

Finally, we have recently had the announcement of the Renewable Heat Incentive. Long awaited, the news came sadly as something of a damp squib as its initial focus on the commercial sector can be viewed as potentially endangering some of the progress already made within housing. In addition, concerns have been expressed that the announcement arguably gives an unfair advantage to larger contractors — and possibly even utilities companies, who have a track record of sweeping up such things — thereby moving away from merchants and their core customer base before they’ve even had the chance to claim a tangible foothold.

However, the wider context of the RHI isn’t limited to biomass boilers, heat pumps and PV panels alone. With its ‘domestic phase’ being linked to the Government’s Green Deal initiative, an array of measures will be implemented to encourage homeowners — and the new build sector to a degree — to upgrade the energy efficiency performance of properties across the board. Whilst it terms of the RHI specifically, the framework may not be ideal it does still present a major opportunity and it is incumbent on the industry to make it a success.

To return to the initial point, the green tide will not be held back. The days of dismissing it as a passing fad are long gone and whilst it is right to be wary of the green washing and spurious claims of some, we must recognise this for what it is — a huge opportunity to capitalise on a market that is growing and a means to differentiate your business from slower moving competitors. If that also helps the planet as well, who can argue?