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Towards greener homes — the role of green finance
For anyone interested in climate action, the government’s commitment to halve Ireland’s emissions by 2030 and to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 was one of the highlights of the year. But we won’t reach this objective focusing exclusively on energy efficiency — we must turn our attention to cutting embodied carbon too, and this wil be a major focus of the Irish Green Building Council's Better Homes conference next Friday, 27 November.
Pilot light - Pioneering Donegal deep retrofit a roaring success
A rundown 1970s scheme of one-bedroom, single storey social housing units in Ballyshannon, Co Donegal, has been transformed into a pioneering development of cosy, A-rated, NZEB-busting homes. The pioneering project – the first completed under Ireland’s deep retrofit pilot scheme – also breathed new life into an unloved green area and is expected to help fuel a regeneration project in the town.
News
Deep retrofit plans: the current state of play
The need for decisive movement on deep retrofit has never been more pronounced, given the twin needs for urgent, radical action to tackle the climate crisis and jobs-intensive stimulus at a time of great uncertainty caused by the pandemic. In the following statement, the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment sheds light on its progress in delivering on the government’s deep retrofit pledges.
Why join the PHAI?
Simon Bell of the Passive House Association of Ireland outlines how the organisation can help clients, professionals and suppliers to deliver the passive house standard.
Ballymore to deliver mooted zero carbon Guinness Quarter
Diageo has chosen developer Ballymore as its partner to deliver the transformation of 12.6 acres of its iconic St James’s Gate site into the first “zero carbon” district in Dublin.
Energy Awards finalists include NZEB & retrofit projects
The Cosgrave Group, ESB and SSE Airtricity Energy Services, are among the finalists in the SEAI Energy Awards 2020.
Landmark case may empower tenants on radon
A landmark legal case may give tenants the chance to discover if their building poses a lung cancer risk, Passive House Plus can exclusively reveal.
New retrofit plans to ensure no more ‘downtime’ for industry
The government is building cross-party retrofit commitments to ensure a long-term and continuous programme of retrofit work, Passive House Plus has learned.
Dún Laoghaire passive house scheme will be one of world’s largest
ABK Architects has received planning permission for 597 homes at Shanganagh, Co Dublin, the overwhelming majority of which will be passive houses. The project has been developed in partnership with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and the Land Development Agency.
Quinn Building Products rebrands as Mannok
'Mannok' has been unveiled as the new identity for Quinn Industrial Holdings, a name which the company’s familiar brands Quinn Building Products and Quinn Packaging will transition to in the coming weeks.
Experts call for CO2 sensors as tool in Covid fight
CO2 levels in rooms and other enclosed spaces should be used as a proxy for Covid transmission risk, a number of leading experts have said, as the evidence increasingly points towards airborne transmission being a major factor in the spread of the virus.
Time to move to life cycle assessment of our buildings
New regulations over the last decade have substantially cut operational energy use in buildings, and with more building product manufacturers now publishing environmental data on their products, now is the time to move towards in-depth life cycle assessment to reveal the full environmental footprint of our buildings, Pat Barry of the Irish Green Building Council tells Passive House Plus.
Supporting green building’s upskilling
Over the past couple of months, the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) has been focusing on helping those in the industry to upskill during the lockdown.
Covid may delay Part F competency & validation rules
The Department of Housing is considering short-term changes to ventilation requirements under building regulations due to the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the construction sector, Passive House Plus has learned.
Marketplace news
John Reddy appointed as Ecocem Group Quality and Innovation Application Manager
The Ecocem Group, Europe’s premier producer of high performance, low carbon cement, have announced the appointment of John Reddy as Group Quality and Innovation Application Manager.
28-10-2020 Marketplace
Small is beautiful for Ecocel
Cork-based cellulose insulation manufacturer Ecocel continues to grow its business as the company aims to deliver on its mission of producing sustainable, low carbon, natural insulation for the Irish market and beyond.
26-10-2020 Marketplace
Expert, impartial advice key to quality ventilation — AerHaus
A well-designed, well-installed ventilation system is one that your ear will not tell you is running, but your nose will tell you when it’s not. This is the belief of Stephen Walsh, managing director of AerHaus Ventilation, and he says that having access to a broad range of ventilation solutions is key to achieving this.
26-10-2020 Marketplace
NIBE celebrates 20 years in Ireland
Leading Swedish heat pump maker NIBE is celebrating its 20th anniversary in Ireland this year, with the news that two NIBE heat pumps that were installed in Cork at the turn of the millennium are still in excellent working condition.
26-10-2020 Marketplace
Kilsaran publishes EPDs as part of green journey
Leading cement products manufacturer Kilsaran has become the latest Irish building materials company to publish Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for some of its key products.
Daikin heat pumps chosen for Clay Farm NZEB scheme
A new housing development in Leopardstown, County Dublin is just the latest scheme to hit NZEB with the help of Daikin Altherma air-to-water heat pumps.
Beam announces next-generation HRV
Beam Vacuum & Ventilation have launched their new range of HERU heat recovery ventilation systems, combining a sleek new design with award-winning rotating heat exchanger technology.
Offsite and modular: The future of construction
New Cork school built and finished in 4 weeks
Why shading will be critical in the age of Covid
Over the coming years there will be growing demand for openable windows in our office buildings to help prevent virus transmission — which is why high-quality solar shading will be…
Ecological launch new airtight vapour boards
Ecological Building Systems have added FINSA superPan VapourStop passive house certified boards to their range of products.
Passive Building Structures delivers bespoke Manchester passive house
Leading ICF building envelope specialist Passive Building Structures is currently on site completing a large new passive house in Didsbury, Manchester. The project offers a contemporary take on the surrounding traditional architecture.
KORE gets NSAI cert for insulated foundation
KORE has announced that its insulated foundation system has received full certification from the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) under Irish Agrément Board certificate number 20/0424.
Aereco joins Renovate Europe campaign
Leading ventilation manufacturer Aereco has become the latest company to join the Renovate Europe campaign, which seeks to reduce the energy demand of the EU’s building stock by 80% by 2050…
Glavloc awarded Agrément certificate
Glavloc Building Technology has been awarded NSAI Agrément certification for their award-winning, high performance off site building system.
New government must support home working - Lidan designs
Roscommon-based modular offsite building manufacturer Lidan Designs has called on the next government to introduce effective financial incentives for companies to provide home office facilities to their employees.
Ecological launch new website and online training
Ecological Building Systems have announced the launch of a new website, aiming to support professionals and homeowners alike to achieve better results from their next project.
Xtratherm secures EPD for Thin-R boards
Leading insulation manufacturer Xtratherm has become the latest company to receive an environmental product declaration (EPD) under the Irish EPD programme. Xtratherm’s EPD is for its Thin-R range of PIR…
Partel fire-rated membrane contributes to new hospital extensions
Leading low energy building product supplier Partel is currently involved in the construction of two rapid build hospital extensions in Limerick. On both projects, the company has supplied an external breather membrane that meets…
Why shading is a major issue in our hospitals
Daylighting, overheating, glare and lack of natural, insect-free ventilation remain significant issues in UK hospitals and may be hampering the ability of patients to recover, and hospital staff to properly…
Daikin Ireland launches new CPD webinars
Daikin Ireland is running a new regular series of online CPD webinars to enable remote learning during the Covid-19 pandemic. The latest dates for June webinars have just been announced.
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Blogs
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.
Higher costs, less benefits - Why the enhanced social housing leasing model is a bad deal
The outgoing Fine Gael government devised an off balance sheet scheme to deliver social housing, but will it deliver value for money? Mel Reynolds crunches the numbers and finds the scheme may almost double the cost compared to a direct build – with no asset left once the lease ends.
Is it too late for sustainability?
Despite the urgency with which radical action is required to transform our built environment, Dr Peter Rickaby says he has never been more optimistic about the possibility of change.
The schism in solar energy
In his latest column on the evolution of solar energy, Dr Marc Ó Riain looks at how the design approaches of architects and engineers diverged in the middle of the century.
Is the O’Devaney Gardens deal social vandalism?
The redevelopment of O’Devaney Gardens in Dublin City has grabbed headlines. Commentary has focused on the low levels of social housing proposed, high prices for private homes, and developer profit. But what is the cost to the state, asks Mel Reynolds, and is this sustainable?
Managing moisture: why we must learn the four Cs
Moisture problems are the Achilles heel of many new builds and retrofits, explains Dr Peter Rickaby – problems that can be exacerbated with poorly-conceived energy efficiency efforts, and which may become more prevalent due to climate breakdown.
The PH+ guides
The PH+ guide to thermal breaks
Building physics take no prisoners. Anyone designing, constructing or upgrading the thermal envelope of a building to modern energy performance levels is duty bound to understand and minimise thermal bridging, or suffer the consequences. One-man thermal bridging encyclopaedia Andrew Lundberg of Passivate, who teaches thermal bridging analysis at Dublin Institute of Technology, gives some practical advice on why and how to tackle thermal bridging head on, and describes some of the leading innovations in thermally broken components.
19-04-2018 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 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
Timber frame & mass timber: the Passive House Plus guide to structural timber construction
Fuelled by the need to build quickly and to increasingly tight sustainability standards, the market for timber frame and mass timber construction is growing rapidly. This detailed guide covers many of the main established and emerging techniques, and looks at key issues to address if you’re considering a timber-based build.
05-07-2019 Guides
Building or upgrading?
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