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News
Ireland joins whole life carbon data initiative
Ireland is to participate in a pioneering European initiative aiming to boost the availability of quality building whole life carbon data, a critical step towards full decarbonisation.
Show Me the Bodies: How We Let Grenfell Happen
Simon Jones reviews new book exploring the Grenfell tragedy.
Scotland to mandate passive house for new homes
Scotland’s minister for zero carbon buildings is proposing to make the passive house standard, or a new Scottish equivalent, the minimum energy efficiency standard for new build homes from the end of 2024.
Must listen: Zero Ambitions Podcast
Over the past two years Passive House Plus editor Jeff Colley has been moonlighting as co-host of Zero Ambitions, a weekly podcast that wrestles with the challenge of how to deliver the scale and ambition of decarbonisation and sustainability in buildings required to avoid a hellish future.
WorldGBC launches green building policy principles for governments
The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) has launched a set of principles aimed at guiding national governments to develop effective building policies and programmes to accelerate a decarbonised future.
Government supported almost 27,200 home energy upgrades through SEAI in 2022
In the first of planned quarterly updates on the government funded SEAI grant schemes, Environment minister Eamonn Ryan and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) have announced that almost 27,200 energy upgrades were completed in 2022, up 80 per cent on 2021, while applications are up 140 per cent.
Passive house isn’t just about efficiency – it’s about social justice
The potential of the passive house standard to change the world isn’t restricted to tackling climate change – it’s about social justice too.
EU votes through EPBD recast
Changes include embodied carbon, zero emission buildings and minimum energy standards
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.
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Marketplace news
Kieran Holohan appointed MD of Saint-Gobain Ireland
Having joined Saint-Gobain in 2007, Holohan has spent the last nine years as Saint-Gobain Ireland’s marketing director. Prior to this, he held the positions of marketing manager with Moy Isover and strategy manager for Saint-Gobain Ireland.
08-05-2023 Marketplace
Offaly new build installs Grant integrated heating package
Leading heating technology manufacturer Grant has sparked the interest of many self-builders throughout Ireland, with its integrated heating packages for new builds, due to the high efficiencies and substantial long-term financial and carbon savings the packages can deliver for the homeowner.
08-05-2023 Marketplace
Medite Smartply makes TU Dublin green building donation
Medite Smartply has announced a donation of €250,000 to Technological University (TU) Dublin, to support the development of Design + Construct, a centre for collaborative, multidisciplinary education that will drive performance in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sector through talent and technology.
08-05-2023 Marketplace
Partel develops two new fire-rated breather membranes
Partel, a leading manufacturer of airtight and windtight membranes, has developed two new fire-rated breather membranes that exceed current fire safety regulation levels for high-rise and high-risk buildings: Exoperm Duro A1 and Exoperm Mono Duro A2.
27-04-2023 Marketplace
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.
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…
Xtratherm name changes to Unilin
Leading insulation manufacturer Xtratherm is to be renamed Unilin Insulation from the start of 2023 onwards.
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…
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…
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From the magazine
Blogs
Is it okay to retrofit heat pumps before building fabric?
How flexible can heat pumps be to handle what may be inexactly defined heating demands, asks Toby Cambray?
Mass timber consultation: have your say by 21 April to change the rules
Mass timber comes into its own in terms of decarbonising tall buildings, which tend to rely on high embodied carbon materials such as steel and reinforced concrete. But regulatory change is needed to enable mass timber to fulfil its potential, as IGBC head of policy and advocacy Marion Jammet explains.
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.
Podcast: what we've learned from 20 years in green building mags
To kick start the new year, have a listen to co-founders Jeff Colley and Dan Hyde on what they've learned in the 20 years since our first issue came out.
“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.
The PH+ 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 greener concrete - reducing the climate impact of cement and concrete in buildings
Cement is responsible for up to 8% of global carbon emissions, and in this guide, sustainable design expert Jay Stuart looks at ways to minimise its environmental impact through good design, and at some of the alternative, lower carbon cement and concrete products on the market.
30-07-2020 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 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