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News
State passive house scheme breaks ground
The Land Development Agency (LDA), in partnership with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, has broken ground on the largest public housing scheme in the state in recent years – a passive house scheme at Shanganagh in Shankill, Co Dublin.
New technology centre to break barriers to construction innovation
The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar, TD, has launched Construct Innovate – a new Enterprise Ireland Technology Centre hosted at University of Galway which may play a key role in the transition to sustainable building in Ireland.
Roadmap targets embodied and operational carbon
The energy used to heat, cool and light our buildings is responsible for almost a quarter of Ireland’s national carbon emissions – with the carbon embodied in the buildings themselves representing over an eighth of the total, a new report has revealed.
IGBC launches updated sustainable homes rating system at Better Homes 2022
The Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) today launched a new version of its Home Performance Index (HPI) sustainable home certification system at its annual residential conference, Better Homes 2022. The focus of the event was on delivering low carbon homes at scale.
New passive house & embodied carbon resources
Do thicker insulated walls, triple glazed windows, & MVHR ventilation systems tip the scales unfavourably for passive house when it comes to embodied carbon?
EU proposes gas demand reduction plan till spring
As Russia weaponises gas exports, the European Commission has proposed a gas demand reduction plan, to cut use in Europe by 15 per cent until next spring.
World’s first passive house hospital completed in Frankfurt
The world’s first passive house hospital has been certified by the Passive House Institute – showing that the standard can be applied to even to the most demanding building types.
AECB conference to showcase timber innovation
The AECB conference 2022 will focus on practical solutions to decarbonising buildings, with a particular emphasis on timber-based approaches with the potential to deliver low energy, healthy buildings at scale while minimising the use of precious resources and impact on the environment.
New digital hub for sustainable building upskilling
A new online hub aimed at upskilling the construction sector is now live.
45,000 more Irish homes face radon risk, new maps reveal
New radon maps, launched by the Environmental Protection Agency today at the National Radon Forum, show an increased risk from radon in Ireland, with 170,000 homes now predicted to be at risk of radon exposure above the national reference level.
Huge demand for new deep retrofit grants
Some one-stop-shops will not take on projects with new build extensions.
‘Sufficiency’ key alongside energy efficiency & renewables, says IPCC
Latest climate report calls for more e cient use of floor space in buildings
New EU law will mandate renovation of inefficient buildings
Green groups criticise lack of focus on embodied carbon. The European Commission is proposing sweeping changes to the way in which energy ratings for buildings are allocated, in a bid to stimulate the retrofit of the worst performing buildings across Europe.
Rebuilt Low Energy Buildings Database to become key international resource
Leading sustainable building association the AECB has secured funding to create an international resource to share detailed information on low energy buildings in the UK, Ireland and, ultimately, internationally, via a rebuild of the Low Energy Buildings Database (LEBD).
TEDx passive house talk now available online
Passive House Plus editor and publisher Jeff Colley’s TEDx talk on the passive house standard is now available to view online.
RIAI launches 2030 climate challenge
The Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI) has launched its 2030 Climate Challenge, calling for urgent action to be taken by architects and the wider construction industry to tackle the climate emergency.
Climate action plan sets embodied carbon targets for construction
Ireland’s new climate action plan, which was published on Thursday 4 November, contains the country’s first official targets for limiting the embodied carbon of construction materials.
Poor ventilation a Covid risk in 40 per cent of classrooms, study finds
Coventry University research has found that 40 per cent of primary school classrooms examined in a study did not have an adequate ventilation rate to combat the spread of Covid-19.
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Marketplace news
BaseTherm liquid floor insulation gets Agrément cert
BaseTherm, a liquid floor insulation system produced and installed using a mobile floor insulation factory, has gained NSAI Agrément certification.
16-01-2023 Marketplace
Partel’s airtight membranes now certified for passive house construction
Two Partel airtight systems, Exoperm Mono SA 250 and Vara Fluid Spray, have been evaluated and certified as Passive House Components by the Passive House Institute in Darmstadt, Germany. Both systems achieved advanced component status, Class phA.
16-01-2023 Marketplace
Xtratherm name changes to Unilin
Leading insulation manufacturer Xtratherm is to be renamed Unilin Insulation from the start of 2023 onwards.
16-01-2023 Marketplace
Ecocem announces cement breakthrough to cut CO2 by 70 per cent
Ecocem, Europe’s leader in low carbon cement technologies, has announced a major step in enabling the global cement industry to decarbonise on a trajectory compliant with the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5 C.
16-01-2023 Marketplace
ProAir pioneers with EPDs for ventilation systems
Irish mechanical ventilation manufacturer ProAir has become one of the first companies in the world to gain Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for mechanical ventilation systems.
Ecological Building Systems launch Retro EcoWall for internal wall insulation
Leading sustainable building product supplier Ecological Building Systems has launched Retro EcoWall, a new quick-to-install internal wall insulation system ideal for traditional buildings, which is designed to meet the requirements of the nearly zero energy building…
Grant launches Spira Pell condensing wood pellet boiler model
Leading heating technology manufacturer Grant has launched its new Spira Pell condensing wood pellet boiler.
Choose cellulose to protect against damp in attics — Ecocel
The government substantially increased the available grant for attic insulation earlier this year, and given the expected boost in attic upgrades this is likely to stimulate, John Egan of Cork-based…
Hevac launches hot water heat pump with green refrigerant
Leading sustainable heating systems provider Hevac Group has launched the De Deitrich Elensio hot water heat pump range onto the Irish market – using a refrigerant with a risibly low…
Low carbon, cement free carbon rooms being built in Cork
A garden room built by Cork-based Blue Mountain Garden Rooms has a significantly lower carbon footprint when compared to an equivalent log cabin with a concrete base, or to a…
Grant joins Octabuild
Grant has announced its membership of Octabuild in a move that will see the company strengthen its relations in the building and construction industry and showcase its award-winning home heating technologies.
Kore launches low carbon EPS
Leading EPS insulation manufacturer Kore is set to launch Kore Low Carbon EPS onto the Irish market – unlocking dramatic reductions in embodied carbon without affecting performance.
Tramex launches remote environmental monitoring system
World-renowned Irish moisture meter pioneer Tramex has launched a new cloud-based system for budding building pathologists – to enable users to remotely monitor buildings and detect potential indoor air quality…
Firebird offer renewable heating design
Leading heating expert Firebird is now offering full service design for renewable heating systems.
Partel obtains EPDs for airtight membranes
Partel has become the first manufacturer of building envelope systems in Ireland to publish Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for airtight and windtight membranes.
Kilsaran gets NSAI cert for EWI to steel frame
Kilsaran is the first company to be awarded NSAI Agrément certification for external wall insulation to lightweight gauge steel (LGS) frame substrates. KEWI (Kilsaran External Wall Insulation) can be applied to LGS walls, for both infill…
Airflow launches MVHR cooker hood
Airflow Developments has launched a compact mechanical heat recovery (MVHR) unit with an integrated cooker hood, designed to combine ventilation and extraction of cooking odours.
Ecological launches Passive EcoWall to tackle embodied carbon ‘blind spot’
Ecological Building Systems welcomes the fact that embodied carbon has at last come into focus in Ireland.
Partel approved as Engineers Ireland CPD provider
Partel has received recognition, and accreditation as a registered training provider for Engineers Ireland for two CPD (continuing professional development) seminars: ‘Methods and applications to improve air and wind-tightness, thermal…
Partel launches new Acraline Roll adhesive
Partel has upgraded the performance and functionality of its Acraline Roll adhesive with new technical features. The company said that Acraline offers a “unique sealing solution for membranes” in the…
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From the magazine
Blogs
Paul Doran remembered
Editor Jeff Colley remembers Paul Doran, one of Ireland's foremost builders, who has tragically passed away.
Why we wrote Designing for the Climate Emergency
Over the last century architects have unwittingly played a key role in terms of climate collapse and a slew of linked catastrophic environmental and social harms. A new book aims to change that.
HomeWorld 1981: car engine-driven houses & low energy ideas that stuck
In the latest missive in his series on the history of low energy design, Dr Marc Ó'Riain looks to some wacky and wonderful experimentation in a project that aimed to transform public perception of Milton Keynes.
“Addressing embodied carbon is a no brainer” says Eoin Ó Broin TD
In the #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 lifecycle.
Punk retrofit: fighting the lack of vision on energy upgrades
In the aftermath of COP26, Dr Peter Rickaby asks what is the government’s plan to deliver the deep, whole-house, quality-assured retrofits needed to get us to net zero by 2050?
The world energy crisis 2022
The energy crises of the 1970s did not prompt a major shift in Europe from foreign oil and gas towards energy efficiency and renewables. Will we learn this time around, wonders Dr Marc O Riain
Housing: turning problems into solutions for Ukrainian refugees
Our abundance of holiday homes and other vacant dwellings could be used to house Ukrainian refugees, writes Mel Reynolds.
The 1980s: A renewable revolution undermined
Marc O Riain explores how policy on both side of the Atlantic in the 1980s sabotaged a nascent revolution in renewables and energy conservation.
Let’s bring ventilation in from the cold
Why is there is such antipathy towards putting ventilation at the forefront of our Covid prevention strategy, asks Residential Ventilation Association of Ireland chair and co-founder David McHugh.
“Sustainability must be embedded at all stages of a building’s life,” says David Browne of RKD
In the #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 lifecycle.
ESG: a game changer for sustainable building?
With signs that the corporate world may be starting to move from greenwashing to genuinely grappling with sustainability via environmental, social and governance reporting (ESG), will this create opportunities for the widespread adoption of evidence-based sustainable building? Archie O’Donnell, Passive House Association of Ireland board member and environmental manager with i3PT, finds reasons for optimism.
We must take radical action on whole life carbon
Addressing building life cycle emissions requires much deeper action than is currently planned, says Marion Jammet of the Irish Green Building Council.
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 insulating foundations
While understanding wall and roof insulation is relatively straightforward, insulation under the ground floor can be a bit of a mystery by comparison. Not only is it buried in the ground, but there are notoriously tricky spots like the wall-floor junction that need to be detailed and insulated properly. And the design of your foundation often depends on site conditions and the type of structure you’re going to build, too. In this guide, we explain some different ways of insulating one of the most challenging parts of the building envelope.
10-06-2019 Guides
The PH+ guide to external insulation
In the first in a new series of technical articles on some of the key technologies in sustainable building, John Hearne makes the case for wrapping buildings in an external insulation layer, and describes some of the main issues to watch out for.
07-02-2018 Guides
The PH+ guide to air source heat pumps
As electricity supply from renewable sources continues to grow, and electricity grids gradually decarbonise as dirtier fossil fuels are phased out, heating homes with electrical technologies like heat pumps starts to make more sense. And in the mild, temperate climate of Britain and Ireland, air source heat pumps are particularly suitable — especially as new build standards of energy efficiency continue to tighten, meaning new homes need less and less energy to achieve comfortable indoor temperatures. But how do air source heat pumps work, what types are there, and how much do they cost to run? Our in-depth guide attempts...
08-05-2018 Guides