The Green Register of Construction Professionals

Householder / Business

• What The Green Register can offer you
• Working with a Green Register professional
• Best practice advice to householders
• Best practice advice to businesses

What The Green Register can offer you

The Green Register can help householders and businesses who:

• are trying to find an architect, engineer or other construction professional that has a commitment to sustainable building practices
• have a refurbishment or new build project and who want to use sustainable building materials and systems
• want to avoid unhealthy building materials in their home or office
• are looking for advice on how to make the best use of low carbon energy sources, such as solar panels and CHP

The Green Register can currently link you to hundreds of construction professionals who have such commitment and who are interested in working with more sustainably minded clients. Please click on ‘The Register’ tab at the top of this page to search for a construction professional in your region.

Working with a Green Register professional

If you have a construction project in mind, whether it is a small residential extension or new offices for your business, you may be considering the impact the work will have on the environment. This may include issues such as impact on the site, the local community, land use, choice of materials, renewable energy technologies and energy efficient heating and cooling systems as examples.

Whilst there are many products and systems now available on the market, it is important to use the services of professionals who have a clear understanding of how to implement sustainable building practices. Green Register members at a minimum have attended the two-day introductory course in Sustainable Building and Services and other Green Register educational events. Many Green Register members have considerable experience and knowledge across the range of sustainable building issues and can provide clients with a thorough knowledge of the subjects listed above and others.

In the following section, we offer some guidance to householders and businesses that can also help to reduce the burden on the environment.

Best practice advice to householders:

• Insulate your building. This can include the loft (hot air rises and escapes through un-insulated roofs, wasting energy and your money), external walls and floor of your home
• Draft-proof doors and windows or better still, consider replacing old windows with double glazed, high performance timber windows
• Install low-flush shower heads and low-flush toilets – if you have a water meter, these devices can save you water and money
• Reduce your household waste by supporting your Local Authority recycling scheme. Many Local Authorities now have kerb side recycling schemes that collect paper, glass, metal and garden waste
• Consider using a composter or wormery to turn organic and kitchen waste into useful compost for your garden
• Purchase ‘A’ rated white goods and compact fluorescent lights to reduce energy consumption – these are readily available. A house built to 2006 Building Regulations will use nearly half of its energy running appliances and lighting
• If you are replacing your boiler, install a gas condensing boiler – they use gas much more efficiently and together with thermostatic radiator valves and draught-proofing, can considerably reduce your fuel bills
• When renovating your property, use natural paints and finishes – better for the environment and healthier for the occupants

Best practice advice to businesses:

Building to green or sustainable principles is an holistic approach that addresses social, environmental and economic issues. It is not a style or fashion but an enduring set of principles that looks at all aspects of construction from site preparation through to reuse, recycling and reclamation. Sustainable building considers how the construction will affect the wellbeing of people and natural ecosystems.

• Get staff on a quality training programme – TGR offers a 2 day core class entitled ‘Sustainable Building & Services’ this was launched in 2000 and is design to give you and your staff all the training you need to get started.
• Before embarking on a construction project, take the time to consider the environmental impact of the project and how it can be minimised. The earlier this is done, the easier it is to incorporate sustainable materials and systems into the project. If you need to make this assessment, consider using the services of a professional who has some sound knowledge in this field so that you can be sure that the advice given is accurate and will ensure the maximum environmental benefit.
• Consider applying for ISO14001 for your organisation. This will ensure your business is operating at optimum environmental efficiency.
• If you are a medium to large organisation, it is worthwhile offering your employees incentives to avoid individual car use. Contributions to travel cards, carpooling schemes and bike rack and shower provision all help to reduce the environmental burden of your organisation.