The Construction Industry Collective Voice (CICV) said its event on the potential of microwave heating is an example of a technology that could offer a real alternative to traditional fossil fuels, but only if homeowners and developers are ‘brave’ enough to embrace it.

The statement comes two weeks before the second instalment of the festival, which will be delivering 11 free shows on low-carbon living, as part of the official Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The microwave heating show will be delivered on the first day of the festival by professor Sean Smith, director of The Centre for Future Infrastructure and professor of future construction within the School of Engineering at the University of Edinburgh.

Starting at 2.00pm on Monday 14th August, the five-day event will focus on the origin of the new technology, how it works, and how it could offer an alternative to traditional home heating methods.

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Gordon Nelson, Scotland director of the Federation of Master Builders and co-organiser of the festival (pictured above), said: “Our upcoming show on microwave heating is the perfect demonstration of the bravery and innovative thinking that is needed by both the construction industry and homeowners if we are to build a sustainable future for Scotland.

“We know that we’ll need a combination of methods to meet both the retrofit challenge and the new-build heat standard, and this technology is one of the solutions that we should be having the courage to explore now.

“[It] could provide the rapid acceleration of low carbon heating given the short installation time and the fact that it links to existing radiators.

“We just need to be brave, adjust our mindsets and think outside the box when it comes to potential greener solutions like this.”

The festival is being held at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in central Edinburgh with contributions from the likes of Home Energy Scotland, Scottish Water, SNIPEF and SELECT.

Other topics covered at the event include creating sustainable kitchens, green garden rooms and offices, making retrofit projects eco-friendly, converting churches, and how the home of the future will be powered.