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News
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.
COP26 house to showcase fabric first, low carbon build methods
A new demonstration house currently being erected in Glasgow in advance of this year’s COP26 climate conference will showcase build systems and methods for achieving zero carbon housing to the world.
Oil heating sector pivots to biofuels, but green groups raise concern
The UK and Ireland’s oil heating industry says it has taken a “major step forward” in the use of biofuels in domestic oil boilers, with early tests concluding that hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) works in virtually all existing oil boilers.
Architects call for urgent climate action ahead of COP 26
Ahead of the Built Environment Summit (28-29 October) and COP26 (1-12 November), the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and Architects Declare have published a report demonstrating the critical role the sector must play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
#BuildingLife: “Regulation of whole life carbon is key”, says Steve Murphy of Hines
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 life-cycle..
Draft development plan guidelines a “retrograde step”
The Department of Housing has come under criticism for draft guidelines which would prevent local authorities from setting sustainable building targets for buildings as a planning condition, with the passive house standard and low carbon cement directly referenced.
EPA launches new green procurement guides
The government has launched new guidelines from the Environmental Protection Agency aimed at greening public procurement.
Passive house celebrates 30th birthday at international conference
The Passive House Institute celebrated the low energy standard’s 30th birthday at the 25th International Passive House Conference in September. Around seven hundred participants registered for the conference, which mostly took place online due to Covid.
Window-opening unreliable for ventilation, study finds
A comparison between two pairs of households in Switzerland suggests that people do not reliably compensate for lack of mechanical ventilation with more window opening.
Study confirms “systematic inequalities” in indoor air pollution
A new analysis of the exposure of London households to indoor pollutants highlights “systematic inequalities” in exposure, overwhelmingly driven by factors beyond the control of those people worst affected.
One in four homes failing to meet NZEB
Almost a quarter of new nearly zero energy building (NZEB) homes may be non-compliant with Part L of the regulations, new analysis by Passive House Plus has revealed.
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Marketplace news
Modular Cork school building smashes RIAI carbon target
A new school building in Cork City built by Irish offsite timber specialist Lidan Designs has achieved a remarkably low embodied carbon score, according to an analysis performed by sustainable building consultant John Butler.
18-01-2022 Marketplace
ProAir retooling for the future
Despite the uncertainty created by the global pandemic, Galway based ventilation manufacturer ProAir Systems has been busy optimising its lineup of products and putting in place a number of measures to enhance its business.
18-01-2022 Marketplace
Ecocel supplying English developer Bell Blue
Cork-based cellulose insulation manufacturer Ecocel is now supplying its blown cellulose insulation to English developer Bell Blue.
18-01-2022 Marketplace
Firebird rebrand emphasises sustainability & innovation
Firebird, the leading designer and manufacturer of commercial and domestic boilers, has rebranded with a new logo and tagline to reflect its business strategy and “ambition for growth”.
18-01-2022 Marketplace
Daikin launches new Altherma 3 R heat pumps
Daikin has launched the Altherma 3 R, the world’s first high-capacity R-32 refrigerant split heat pump that offers cooling, along with heating and domestic hot water.
Passive Sills wins product award for insulated threshold
Cork-based manufacturer Passive Sills was highly commended in the exterior product category at the Architects’ Choice Product Awards at the Architecture & Building Expo 2021
Deep retrofit & heat pump transforms Inchicore home
A semi-detached house in Inchicore, Dublin has seen its BER boosted from a G to an A rating thanks to a deep retrofit by Dublinbased retrofit contractor Energlaze and a new Viessmann air-to-water heat…
Offaly self-build features renewable heating designed by Grant
The self-builder of a new NZEB family home in County Offaly is experiencing high comfort and low energy bills with the help of a new renewable heating system from leading Irish home…
Partel commended at the Architects’ Choice Product Awards
Partel’s Alma Vert recycled structural panel and Lunos Silvento ec exhaust system were commended in the ‘best exterior product’, and ‘best renewable product’ categories respectively at the Architects’ Choice Product Awards 2021, as part of…
Manhattan modular apartments feature Wraptite membrane
A new modular apartment building in New York has been fitted out with Wraptite airtight membrane. East Broadway Residences is located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
New Dulux paints 99.9% VOC free
Dulux Trade has launched its Airsure range of paints, which are 99.9 per cent free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), to the Irish market.
Ecological launch Inventer decentralised ventilation
Ecological Building Systems has announced that it will exclusively partner with Inventer Germany in the supply and distribution of their innovative range of ventilation systems in Ireland and the UK.
Grant invests in biofuel tech for oil boilers
Leading Irish heating appliance manufacturer Grant has invested over €250,000 in enabling the use of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) in traditional oil boilers.
Tackling the retrofit skills shortage head on
The National Construction Training Centre in County Laois is aiming to meet the challenge of training the huge number of skilled workers needed for Ireland’s planned housebuilding and deep retrofitting…
Waterford Stanley launch monobloc heat pumps
Waterford Stanley will launch a new range of monobloc air-to-water heat pumps this November.
Mannok named one of Ireland’s best managed companies
Mannok was named as one of Ireland’s best managed companies at a virtual awards ceremony on Wednesday, 8 September.
Zyle Fenster now using Triotherm thermal brackets
Waterford-based high-performance window supplier and installer Zyle Fenster Ireland is now offering Triotherm thermal brackets from Prodomo Ireland as standard under door thresholds on all of its projects.
Pat Cox appointed chair of Ecocem
Low carbon cement company Ecocem has announced the appointment of Pat Cox, former TD and president of the European Parliament, as chair of Ecocem Group.
Aluclad windows offer numerous advantages: Prestige Aluclad
Anyone looking to purchase new windows could easily be overwhelmed by the sheer choice on the market, and nowhere is this more evident that when it comes to choice of materials.
Ecological Building Systems launch Thermo Hemp Combi Jute insulation
Ecological Building Systems have launched Thermo Hemp Combi Jute insulation in Ireland and the UK.
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From the magazine
Blogs
The Saskatchewan House, 1977
In his latest column on the history of low energy building during the 20th century, Dr Marc Ó Riain looks back at the Saskatchewan House, which was built in Canada in 1977, and established the principle of prioritising energy demand reduction over active systems.
When is an A-rated home really A-rated?
Does the energy rating of homes actually reflect their real-world performance? Dr Shane Colclough, vice chair of the Passive House Association of Ireland, outlines the growing importance of post-occupancy analysis.
Housing for all: a plan in need of a story
Under its new housing plan, the government wants the state to acquire more land for housebuilding. But why has it failed to use the vast land banks it already owns? Mel Reynolds runs the rule over the figures.
On the 3D printing of buildings
Building physics expert Toby Cambray finds himself unconvinced by the merits of a new home in the Netherlands that has been 3D printed with concrete.
The emergence of thermal bridging & thermal bypass
In his latest column, Dr Marc Ó Riain takes a look back at the some of the first projects to address the phenomena of thermal bridging and thermal bypass in buildings.
How to scale up energy renovation
The government’s target of retrofitting half a million homes by 2030 may seem daunting, but the Irish Green Building Council is working on a series of initiatives to help make it a reality, as the group’s Marion Jammet reports.
What’s to show from four years of Rebuilding Ireland?
In 2017 the government promised it would deliver 50,000 homes over the next five years as part of its Rebuilding Ireland programme. But figures from the first four years show it has fallen well short, writes Mel Reynolds.
Measuring humidity, the old school way
A chance purchase on eBay leads buildings physics expert Toby Cambray to admire the aesthetics and mechanics of old scientific instruments.
Shooting the moon
The concept of building back better and greener, popular early in the pandemic, is now in danger of being abandoned in the rush to return to ‘normal’ — but we always have the power to shape what normal is, writes Dr Peter Rickaby.
1970s Arkansas & Illinois prototypes: progress towards passive house
In his latest column, Dr Marc O’Riain looks back at two American prototypes for the passive house standard that embraced heat pump technology as well as principles of superinsulation and airtightness.
Is Enerphit the key to decarbonising existing homes?
With increasing attention turning to cutting carbon emissions from existing homes to meet carbon reduction targets, Duncan Smith, housing asset and energy strategy manager at Renfrewshire County Council in Scotland, argues that approaches which improve comfort and dramatically reduce energy bills must be front and centre.
Planning for passive
It’s time to make the passive house standard a requirement of local development plans across Ireland, says Mel Reynolds.
The PH+ 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
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 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 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