LJMU hosts low carbon homes summit

LJMU’s Faculty of Engineering and Technology plays host to the major players in the housing and construction industry on January 19-21.

The Low Carbon Homes Liverpool Conference, supported by MCS, goes live for three days of knowledge-sharing to consider how Liverpool can rapidly scale up the retrofitting of housing across the city to meet its net-zero target.

Liverpool City Council plans to make the city carbon neutral by 2030, creating more energy-efficient housing stock, increasing the amount of green space in the city area, and improving air quality.

The Council's vision includes: incentives for the private sector to build more energy-efficient housing; retrofitting 6,000 homes with energy-saving features such as triple glazing, heat pumps and solar panels; and financial incentives for homeowners, including discounted green mortgages.

Industry meets academic

LJMU, host partner of the event, plays an invaluable role in fusing industry and academia together, leading a range of business innovation programmes, including the Low Carbon Eco-Innovatory.

Recently published research by the Faculty’s School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment shows that the use of recycled steel, lightweight brick and other sustainable materials can cut Co2 emissions in a house build by more than a fifth.

Low Carbon Homes Founder Graham Lock said: “We've been working with LJMU for over a year now to deliver this event.

“We're taking a close look at the viability of retrofit in an area of the UK with relatively low property values and high levels of poverty and look forward to achieving positive outcomes that will enable the city to take bigger steps towards their bold net-zero vision."

Debates

Three mornings of presentations and debate have been curated with the assistance of LJMU, Liverpool City Council and an Advisory Board of local stakeholders

Tuesday 19th January – How are we doing?

Professor Mike Riley, Pro-vice Chancellor, LJMU

Cllr Barry Kushner, Cabinet Member, Housing & Regeneration (opening the event)

Ian Rippin – CEO & Alex Hughes – Operations Analyst, MCS

Richard Partington, MD, AceOn

James Hill, Property Strategy Director, Onward Housing

Wednesday 20th January – What else could we be doing?

Charlie Baker, Director, Red Coop

David Lewis, MD, ista

Marianne Heaslip, Associate, Urbed

Thursday 21st January – What's holding us back?

Dave Woods, Director of Operations, Cobalt Housing

Dr Lisa Newson, Programme Leader MSc Health Psychology, LJMU

Professor Andy Ross, Professor of Construction Economics & Management, LMJU

Louise Davies, Head of Housing Delivery, Liverpool City Council

Lucy Pedler, Director, Futureproof

Wendy Osborn, Partnerships Manager, CITB

Low Carbon Homes on 19-21 January, hosted by Liverpool John Moores University, is a free-to-attend online event bringing professionals from inter-related sectors together.