HVCA president looks forward to green business prospects
HVCA president Martin Burton has identified environmental responsibility as a key growth opportunity for building-services contractors in 2011 and further forward. He says, ‘In spite of what has been described as the sharpest and deepest downturn most of us can remember, there is a clear understanding on the part of the Government, clients, end users and all parties to the construction process of the need for a truly sustainable approach to buildings and their services, for the preservation of global resources, and for the harnessing of technologies that are genuinely renewable, energy-efficient and “planet friendly”.’
Meeting those criteria will, he believes, require wholehearted and enthusiastic input from the building services engineering sector. Martin Burton stresses, ‘This is an obligation, and an opportunity, which HVCA members have no intention of missing out on.’
HVCA anticipated these opportunities in the Autumn last year when David Frise was appointed head of sustainability to ensure the HVCA becomes the natural home and partner of choice for all installers of renewable technologies.
David Frise himself believes that greener buildings are becoming more commercially viable and that integrating new technology into existing systems is how to deliver the benefits. He also sees a shift from just installing products to delivering systems that meet performance requirements.
The business environment this year is expected to remain demanding, with margins being tight, questionable conditions of contract prevailing and payment regimes deteriorating.
Martin Burton believes that such demanding business conditions will lead to clients opting for lowest-cost solutions rather than projects that deliver best value.
