March 28, 2010 – 12:25 pm
HeatSaver Shades UK is an offshoot of HeatSaver Shades US, owned by HeatSaver Energy Systems, which was set up to provide blinds (’shades’ in the US) in the aftermath of the last oil crisis. The UK company was formed after a chance meeting between Peter Lundquist (US) & Katy Duke (UK) in the virtual world of Second Life, on the island of Etopia. This is an educational location showing how low-carbon living could be achieved by 2040. Peter had a virtual showroom there & Katy was giving a talk & creating a display on peak oil. More on this on Rob Hopkins’ Transition Culture blog. Read More »
Detail showing fabric folds
This gallery shows details of the blinds….
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Conservation Areas & Listed Buildings
The UK has a glorious range of beautiful and protected old buildings, many of which are difficult to heat. The target for C02 reductions in the UK are ambitious and organizations such as the National Trust are beginning to identify a strategy to deal with heat loss & energy efficiency in their buildings.
Listing currently protects 500,000 or so buildings. Many of these have windows which cannot be altered and HeatSaver thermal blinds may be a good solution to some of the heat loss and thermal comfort issues. Katy has worked as a Conservation Officer in local government and also as a Conservation Architectural Assistant working on Listed Buildings, churches and houses. She has a clear understanding of the needs of not only the buildings but also the conservation officers, and can offer practical assistance with solutions for your problematic old building. Read More »
STOP PRESS – latest from Grand Designs Live
Our display text from Kevin
A surprise email arrived in my in-box from Kevin McCloud in mid March 2010.
… You may have heard of Grand Designs Live, the exhibition that runs for nine days every Spring at Excel in London and which reflects the values of the television series. We attract over 100,000 visitors, host over 500 exhibitors, run a packed seminar series and show finished houses and examples of new, sustainable construction.
I’m delighted to say that this year we are ramping up the ecological side even more. One new event, which has been monikered ‘Kevin’s Green Heroes‘, is an exhibition, running up the central aisle, of ten products and ideas that are on the market but which have not yet received the recognition they deserve.
… I would very much like your insulated blinds to be included this year and I’m hoping you’ll allow them to be shown.
Read More »
We are collaborating with Dr Steve Lo at Bath University and Mark Elton at ECD Architects on the Retrofit for the Future project run by the Technology Strategy Board and will be fitting the blinds in five properties in summer 2010. The blinds will be tested by the National Physics Lab in their hot-box test and the five homes will be monitored for performance by the Energy Saving Trust over a two year period. Read More »
March 29, 2010 – 11:23 pm
HeatSaver blinds are based in Frome, Somerset, the home of the fantastic Frome Festival. The UK business was launched on 5th July 2009 at the Festival’s Green Fair, an event organised by Sustainable Frome and opened by local celebrity Kevin McCloud. His reputation for having a keen yet critical eye and his passion for good design is well known. He was shown around the fair by Katy’s friend, Festival founder & past mayor, Martin Bax, and as they passed Katy’s stall she managed to discuss the blinds with Kevin. He took a good look at the photos & samples & nodded, saying, “they are really clever, I like them, you’ve got something there…” she reported.
Read Kevins’ comments on the Green Fair here.
