About Us
THE BACKGROUND
At Keeping Blue we don’t believe in ‘greenwash’, we aren’t parading ourselves as eco-warriors trying to solve the world’s energy problems overnight. We can see that the global approach to energy use needs to change, that is for certain. An imbalance in nature always corrects itself over time, we as humans have the ability to interfere with and to some extent control the smoothness and effectiveness of transition periods. The energy dilemma is no different, either we as humans collectively act to restore balance to global energy production and demand, or we carry on with ‘business as normal’ and endure an elongated period of suffering whilst being forced to adapt. That is the reality and also the privilege of being human, we have the ability (and responsibility) to decide which course we take.
On a practical level, steps have already been taken in line with this paradigm shift, and the UK is well on it’s way towards a low carbon future. However, there is much work to be done and time is of the essence. The urgency to act increases with each passing year, each new set of climate data, each increase in oil price.
Buildings in the UK are responsible for over 40% of total energy consumption, and thereby represent the single largest potential for energy saving. The government requires the UK to cut carbon emissions by 80% in 2050 (compared to 1990 levels), with an interim target of 34% by 2020. This early milestone is crucial in reaching the overall objective, meeting or surpassing this target will instil confidence that the 80% reduction can be achieved.
An estimated 80% of buildings in 2050 have already been built, thus sustainable retrofit and on-site generation are key to reaching the objectives. In terms of new buildings, the future has been brought forward for the construction industry.Targets are in place for domestic properties to be ‘zero carbon’ by 2016 and for commercial buildings by 2019.
This certainly outlines an exciting picture of change and innovation, with technologies emerging almost daily to enable these goals to become a reality.
OUR POSITION
CONSULTING ENGINEERING
Chris established Keeping Blue Ltd in 2010 in order to see his lifelong dream of designing low carbon buildings become a reality.
Prior to this Chris was employed as a Sustainability Consultant, and later as Technical Team Leader for a Low Carbon Consultancy based in London. There he was able to gather the skills and knowledge necessary to become an independent adviser, and quickly established himself as a competent engineer.
Chris also excelled whilst at university, graduating with 1st-Class Honours and being placed second overall in his engineering class. For his final year thesis, Chris developed a passive solar tracking device which he was invited to present to industry experts. Chris also gained valuable engineering experience on two in-depth optimisation projects on diamond mines in South Africa, whilst still a student.
WHY KEEPING BLUE?
“Blue represents many things to our planet, in essence our planet is merely a blue dot floating in space. However this dot will remain our home for years to come, and we have a responsibility to steward that which we have been given with due care. The sky and the seas, which give our planet this perceived colour, are the sources of wind and wave energy which are being harnessed in increasingly clever and efficient ways. Scientists are currently developing a way of capturing the blue wavelength of light from the sun to improve the efficiency of solar panels from 34% up to 44%.
Whilst going ‘green’ may prove to be a passing trend, Keeping Blue represents a broader, lasting view towards a sustainable future. The magnitude of the task at hand has been compared to the scale of the Industrial Revolution. The time to take action has arrived!”
– Christopher Collier, Director, Keeping Blue Ltd