A Goldmine of Free CPD: Why Elemental LONDON & the NHIC Knowledge Hub Should Be on Your Radar

Apologies for the slight delay in sharing this write-up. It’s been a very busy few weeks across the Association, but I didn’t want this one to slip by unnoticed, as it's really worth highlighting.

If you’ve never dipped into Elemental LONDON or the NHIC (National Home Improvement Council) Knowledge Hub at ExCeL, I strongly recommend putting it firmly on your radar for next year.

I attended the event alongside local RPSA members Michael Gibber and Dr Aaran Marriner-Clarke, and the three of us were genuinely struck by the sheer volume and quality of information packed into two full days. You might arrive thinking you’ll just have a quick look around, and suddenly discover it’s mid-afternoon and you’re still jotting down notes from yet another excellent session.

For residential surveyors, retrofit specialists, and anyone involved in building pathology or energy performance, this event is one of the richest and completely free sources of CPD currently available in the UK.

The Scale of the Opportunity

To give you a sense of its scope: this isn’t a small exhibition tucked into a corner of the hall. The programme included:

• Five separate theatres, each running rolling presentations.
• Over 200 expert speakers.
• Contributors from DESNZ, Innovate UK, CIBSE, the HSE Building Safety Regulator, and a wide range of industry and academic bodies.

This isn’t sales patter. These are practitioners, policymakers, engineers, and researchers working at the cutting edge of decarbonisation, building safety, future housing standards, and building science.

Why Surveyors Should Pay Attention

Not every session will relate directly to a Level 2 or Level 3 survey, and that’s precisely why it’s so valuable. Our profession is being shaped by wider forces, including:

• The Future Homes Standard.
• Increasing climate-driven defects and severe weather events.
• A growing focus on healthy homes, including mould, ventilation, acoustics, IAQ, and overheating.
• The expectation that surveyors increasingly understand the practical realities of retrofit.

Sessions explored everything from heat pump integration and MVHR systems to energy modelling, timber innovation, digital tools, and the behaviour of buildings under stress.

These themes are already influencing the advice we give clients and the way we write reports. Staying informed isn’t optional. It’s becoming part of our core competency as modern surveyors.

A True “Goldmine” of Insight

What really stood out to Michael, Aaran, and me was the depth and thoughtfulness of the presentations. This event lets you step outside the boundaries of day-to-day survey work and see the bigger picture shaping the homes we inspect.

We dropped into sessions on:

• The skills gap for the net-zero workforce.
• Diagnosing damp and mould in a changing climate.
• Retrofitting older housing stock.
• Smart building technologies and data-driven decision-making.
• Behaviour change, occupant health, and building performance.

This isn’t box-ticking CPD. It genuinely enhances your understanding of how buildings behave, why certain defects occur, and how future standards will reshape expectations for homeowners, builders, and surveyors alike.

The Value of Being Part of the Conversation

One of the most rewarding parts of the event is simply talking with the people driving change: installers, engineers, architects, regulators, designers, retrofit coordinators, and policymakers.

You walk away with a clearer picture of where housing is heading, what challenges are emerging, and how surveyors can play a pivotal role in improving quality, resilience, and homeowner protection.

Final Thoughts

If you’re serious about staying ahead of the curve on energy efficiency, retrofit, building safety, and the future performance of homes in a warming climate, this event easily ranks among the best CPD opportunities available, free or otherwise.

It is, quite simply, a goldmine of information.

Next time the dates are announced, I highly recommend making space in your diary. It’s very much worth the trip.