Shaping a Greener Tomorrow
Podcast Description
Shaping a Greener Tomorrow, the podcast that dives into the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the built environment. Hosted by UPOWA Managing Director, Paul Terry, this series brings together industry-leading voices – from sustainability consultants, housebuilders and developers to product and technology manufacturers. Together, we’ll be tackling the biggest topics and trends shaping the industry, from the transition to net-zero and implications of new legislation and standards, to the challenges of skills shortages and the integration of smart tech and sustainable innovation.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers a range of critical topics within the built environment, including the transition to net-zero, implications of the Future Homes Standard, strategies for skills shortage challenges, and the integration of smart technologies. For instance, the inaugural episode examines sustainable home design and construction practices, highlighting case studies such as Barratt Redrow’s innovative approaches to housing challenges like decarbonization and affordability.
Shaping a Greener Tomorrow, the podcast that dives into the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the built environment. Hosted by UPOWA Managing Director, Paul Terry, this series brings together industry-leading voices – from sustainability consultants, housebuilders and developers to product and technology manufacturers. Together, we’ll be tackling the biggest topics and trends shaping the industry, from the transition to net-zero and implications of new legislation and standards, to the challenges of skills shortages and the integration of smart tech and sustainable innovation.
The Future Homes Standard is set to reshape the future of UK housebuilding, with solar panels becoming a standard feature on new build homes from 2027.
In this episode of Shaping a Greener Tomorrow, David Cowdrey, Director of External Affairs at the MCS Foundation, joins host and UPOWA Managing Director Paul Terry to discuss the policy journey behind the Future Homes Standard, the campaign for rooftop solar, and why solar on new homes became inevitable.
The conversation explores the MCS Foundation's role in championing rooftop solar, the growing consumer demand for energy-efficient homes, and why standards, quality and consumer confidence will be essential as solar becomes a standard feature of new build housing.
David also shares his perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing the industry as it prepares for 2027, including the importance of integrated clean energy systems, homeowner education and collaboration across the supply chain.
Tune in for insights on:
- How the MCS Foundation helped champion the solar mandate for new homes
- Why the Future Homes Standard represents a landmark moment for UK housebuilding
- What changing consumer expectations mean for developers and policymakers
- The importance of standards, safety and quality assurance as deployment scales
- How solar PV, battery storage, heat pumps and EV charging can work together as integrated home energy systems
- Why homeowner education is critical to achieving positive consumer outcomes
- The role of collaboration in delivering the Future Homes Standard successfully
- What the future may hold for battery storage and other clean technologies in housing
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