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News
Free thermal breaks webinar: architectural expression vs building physics
Passive House Plus is excited to announce that we are hosting our first ever online event, 'Thermal breaks: freedom of architectural expression vs building physics', next Tuesday 8 June at 11am (UK/Ireland time). The webinar is free to attend, and boasts an amazing lineup of speakers.
Women in engineering group launched
Engineers Ireland has announced the launch of a new Women in Engineering group.
#BuildingLife: Addressing the environmental impacts of buildings across their life cycle
In the first of our new #BuildingLife ambassador spotlight series, Passive House Plus is profiling leaders who have endorsed the Irish Green Building Council’s call to address the environmental impacts of buildings across their life cycle, starting with Francis-Noel Duffy TD for Dublin South West and Green Party’s spokesperson on housing.
Green loan rate for new HPI-certified housing
Home Building Finance Ireland (HBFI) has launched a new green loan product offering a discount of up to 0.5 per cent on loans to home builders for developments certified with the Irish Green Building Council's Home Performance Index.
Government announces €45m for social housing retrofit
The government has announced a new €45 million programme of investment in the retrofifit of local authority housing. This includes an initial investment of €35m for the retrofitting of 1,293 homes, plus an additional €10m to be allocated to local authorities who demonstrate an ability to complete additional works this year.
TU Dublin launches timber technology degree
Technological University Dublin has announced the launch of a new four-year degree programme in sustainable timber technology.
Poorly ventilated retrofits can double radon retrofit risk, study finds
Residential retrofits must ensure ventilation is carefully considered in order to avoid an increase in radon gas levels, researchers at NUI Galway in Ireland have found.
Nine out of ten Irish PH+ readers have made decisions based on articles
Nine out of ten readers of Passive House Plus have made decisions on building or upgrading projects in response to articles in the magazine, according to the results of a survey of readers of the magazine’s Irish edition.
BEAM launch new app for easy MVHR control
Industry-leading mechanical ventilation company BEAM Vacuum & Ventilation has launched a new mobile phone app for their award-winning, next generation HERU heat recovery ventilation range.
New book aims to demystify passive house design
The second edition of the book Understanding Passivhaus by Emma Walshaw of First In Architecture is out now. The book is designed to provide a brief, clear and complete guide to building a passive home.
Marketplace news
Daikin streamer technology inactivates 99.9% of SARS-CoV-2
New research has confirmed the effectiveness of Daikin’s patented streamer technology, which successfully inactivated more than 99.9 per cent of SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes Covid-19, after irradiating the virus for three hours.
09-04-2021 Marketplace
WWETB's popular NZEB courses move online
The Waterford and Wexford Education and Training Board (WWETB), one the country’s leading providers of practical construction training for nearly zero energy building (NZEB), has moved most of its NZEB training courses online to facilitate critical upskilling during the Covid-19 pandemic.
09-04-2021 Marketplace
Be aware of your retrofit obligations – BERcerts.ie
Leading energy consultancy BERcerts.ie has advised homeowners considering renovation projects to be aware of their potential obligations under Part L of the building regulations. The regulations set mandatory energy performance targets for dwellings undergoing “major renovation”.
09-04-2021 Marketplace
Waterford Stanley aiming to be big force in heat pump market
Establishing Waterford Stanley as one of the most recognised and popular heat pump brands on the Irish market is the goal of the company’s new business development manager, Donal Reilly.
09-04-2021 Marketplace
Save energy by using Aircrete for the whole inner leaf - Mannok
Mannok’s Aircrete blocks are often specified at the wall-to-floor junction to tackle thermal bridging, but specifying them for the entire inner leaf of a cavity wall can yield significant energy…
Forbo launches new glue-free flooring
Sustainable flooring manufacturer Forbo has launched a new line-up of high traffic acoustic vinyl flooring that includes a new glue free flooring range.
Lidan win National Enterprise Award
Modular timber frame manufacturer Lidan Designs has won the Future Focus Award at the 2021 National Enterprise Awards.
Grant launches online learning academy
Heating technology manufacturer Grant has launched its new eLearning Academy for those working in the plumbing and heating, architectural and construction sectors in Ireland.
Athlone scheme hits NZEB with Firebird heat pumps
Leading Irish heating system manufacturer Firebird has recently completed a full heating installation at a scheme of 16 new build dwellings in Athlone, Co Westmeath, all designed to achieve the NZEB standard and…
Recycled aggregate cuts carbon emissions by 95 per cent, EPD shows
Integrated Materials Solutions (IMS) has published the first environmental product declaration (EPD) in Ireland for an aggregate product, for its Greenstone recycled aggregate, the first construction product of its type…
Partel’s Izoperm Plus achieves passive house ‘A’ cert
Partel’s Izoperm Plus airtightness system has achieved phA certification from the Passive House Institute, the highest level of component certification, following recent testing.
Aereco awarded Agrément cert for demand controlled ventilation
Aereco has become the first company to receive an NSAI Agrément certificate for ventilation, while also achieving a new ISO 9001 quality management standard for its Irish subsidiary.
Calsitherm boards to be rebranded ‘Red Board’
Calsitherm and Redstone, two of the largest providers of calcium silicate based interior insulation and mould prevention products, have joined forces, with the Paderborn-based family business Calsitherm taking a majority stake in Bremen-based Redstone.
New embodied carbon rules for large London projects
Building life cycle assessment (LCA) experts Bionova have advised architects, developers and contractors to be aware of their LCA obligations under the Greater London Authority’s new London Plan, which came into effect on…
Strong demand for GGBS from Irish market
There is strong and growing demand for GGBS on the Irish market, according to leading Irish supplier Ecocem, as the company gears up to respond to a market and regulatory…
Get up to NZEB with Grant heat pumps
High efficiency is a hugely important factor in choosing a heating system and this is a key priority for industry leading manufacturer Grant, whose wide portfolio of heating technologies has…
Passive Sills cut thermal bridging & mould risk — new analysis
A thermal bridging analysis of Passive Sills’s insulated window sills has revealed how they can significantly reduce thermal bridging at this crucial junction.
Earth Cycle expands into PH education & training
Leading passive house expert Robert (Bob) Ryan is now offering certification, consultancy and training once again through his company, Earth Cycle Technologies, after a year-long career break.
Learn about wastewater heat recovery remotely
Leading wastewater heat recovery (WWHR) supplier Showersave has moved its certified CPD presentation, ‘An introduction to wastewater heat recovery’, online due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ecocel insulation has tiny carbon footprint, EPD reveals
Cork-based insulation manufacturer Ecocel has published an environmental product declaration (EPD) for its cellulose insulation which reveals the product has a remarkably low carbon footprint.
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Blogs
Is affordable housing a policy blind spot?
Dublin City Council built just 45 social housing units in 2019. In his latest column, Mel Reynolds analyses the state’s surprising reluctance to build its own homes.
The condensation myth
Condensation within the structure of buildings is a lot more complex than condensation in a sweaty pub on a Friday night, writes building physics expert Toby Cambray.
Will we really build back better?
As governments rush to jump-start their economies, there is a danger that important lessons for how to retrofit homes will be lost in the rush to build. But there is a better way, writes Dr Peter Rickaby.
The world’s first ‘zero energy’ house
Returning to his regular series on the evolution of sustainable building during the 20th century, Dr Marc Ó Riain takes a look at the first serious attempt to build a house with net zero energy use.
The science of filters
How do ventilation filters work, and can they help to protect us against Covid-19? Toby Cambray weighs in on the physics of a subject that is more complex and interesting than you might expect.
Are we the virus?
Taking a temporary detour from his series of columns on the history of sustainable building and renewable energy, Dr Marc Ó Riain takes a look at Covid-19 from the perspective of Gaia theory, and at the relationship between collapsing ecosystems and the emergence of new infectious diseases.
Are lower land values the silver lining of the crisis?
While the Covid-19 crisis has undoubtedly caused a huge amount of human suffering and economic damage, it has brought some upsides too. Mel Reynolds speculates on how much land prices may fall, and what the positive and negative impacts may be.
Environmental activism - tracing the roots of today's climate activism
While the green wave visible at ballot boxes and street marches in 2019 reflects an apparent escalation in public consciousness on the need for urgent, decisive environmental action, the roots of today’s environmental consciousness stretch back over half a century, explains Dr Marc Ó Riain.
How humanity can save itself from itself
We are in the grip of a global emergency. The science is clear, and thousands of lives have already been lost. The public are demanding firm and bold leadership, but a laissez-faire attitude on the part of western governments has delayed and watered down our response, with calamitous consequences.
Are you sexist? Creating a building site culture where we can all thrive
What forms does sexism take in the construction industry, asks builder Em Appleton, and what can we do about it?
Culture shock & knowledge transfer
What are the consequences for the built environment, and the climate, of the lack of communication between research and industry, asks Dr Peter Rickaby – and what can be done about it?
The first oil crisis
In the latest instalment of his series on the development of energy efficiency and renewable energy in the 20th century, Dr Marc Ó Riain reports on the seismic impact caused by the 1973 oil crisis.
The PH+ guides
The PH+ guide to overheating
As awareness of the urgency of the climate crisis grows, efforts to kickstart en masse deep energy efficiency interventions are gathering apace. But poorly conceived low energy building efforts can lead to unintended consequences including overheating – a risk that’s bound to grow as the world warms up. Phi Architecture co-founder Claire Jamieson details the risks and offers some solutions on how to create low energy buildings that are comfortable in summer and winter.
09-04-2021 Guides
The PH+ guide to airtightness
Once poorly understood by the mainstream building industry, airtightness is now increasingly seen as one of the most crucial objectives on any building project. Not only is it vital for energy efficiency, it’s also key for thermal comfort and for protecting a building’s structure from dampness and mould. In this comprehensive guide to airtightness, we look at why it’s so important, how exactly it’s measured, and most importantly, how to achieve it on site.
04-02-2019 Guides
The PH+ guide to insulating concrete formwork
As demand for super-insulated and airtight building structures grows, insulating concrete formwork (ICF) is rapidly gaining popularity as a method of construction. But what exactly is ICF, what are its key advantages, and why is it so well suited to passive house and low energy construction?
16-10-2018 Guides
The PH+ guide to heat recovery ventilation
Heat recovery ventilation is an invaluable way to maintain indoor air quality in low energy buildings and minimise the loss of precious heat, but there are several issues to address to ensure optimal performance. Ventilation expert Ian Mawditt, a technical advisor on Part F of England’s building regulations, has decades of experience in field investigations of indoor air quality and ventilation effectiveness. His guide, which focuses on centralised or ducted whole house heat recovery systems, is essential reading to anyone considering such a system.
10-06-2019 Guides
Building or upgrading?
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