It’s been a busy, busy couple of weeks here at Terra Infirma Towers and around the country as we’ve delivered four half day workshops as well as the usual round of desk work, workshop prep, tendering and responding to potential clients – I even just sat in the audience and listened at an event last night, a rare role for me these days.
As regular readers will know, I periodically feedback on what I have picked up during these sessions as there are always useful perspectives. So here are the key points:

• Don’t get too fascinated by shiny technology – culture change is more important;
• Participation reaps rewards – if it is done right;
• Visual stimulus is very powerful – mind maps, realia (aka physical objects) and drawings trump Powerpoint for impact;
• Celebrate each success, then strive for more – the job is never done;
• Competitive advantage for green business is now sourced from “we have done x” rather than “we will do x”;
• The construction industry is the latest to start really tackling its supply chain – joining the public sector and big retailers;
• The rise in the ‘floor carbon price’ is likely to revolutionise the energy market;
• There is a lot of enthusiasm from all types of organisation for “rent a roof” deals on Solar PV;
• The cutting edge companies have set the pace, now the pursuing pack is trying hard to catch up.

I also drove an electric vehicle on the public highway for the first time yesterday. I wasn’t very good at it – I kept instinctively reaching for the clutch and hitting the brake instead – regenerative braking is not the most sympathetic system in the world, so my ride was a tad jerky. Anyone used to an automatic gearbox would handle it much better, but I’ve got some practising to do.