I started with the ACR Show in Birmingham, spent three days at Ecobuild and another three at Mostra Milan. On my return I spent a weekend at a home building show in Swindon and now, finally, I am finished.

My lasting impression of all of these shows is one thing - renewables are ugly. I've seen every solar panel, solar thermal array, heat pump, biomass boiler etc and they are all monstrosities. There wasn't a single piece of equipment on anyone's stand worthy of a photo.

Admittedly, in Italy there wasa bevy of scantily clad beauties draped over some condensing units, but no one was taking photos of the units.

It appears that if you are a designer and you are any good you avoid our sector like the plague. Design in renewables means trying to make your unit square and dull, all designs must be completed using only an Etch a Sketch (Google it) and have to be painted grey or white. If anyone actually buys all this stuff their house will look like the back end of an industrial estate.

I'm not an advertising guru, but I do know that sex sells. I bring you back to the beauties in Italy... the stand was packed. I think it's time some flair was injected into our industry. Come on design teams let's have something which actually looks nice that we can be proud of.