Open Source Content Management

Energy minister Eamon Ryan launched the new BE (Bachelor of Engineering) programme in energy systems engineering on Monday in NUI Galway.
 
The new course, which will be based in the new engineering building currently under construction on the campus, has been developed in partnership with members of the energy industry including ESB, GE Energy, Airtricity, Bord Gáis and Wavebob.

For your reading pleasure:

Open House 2010 Dublin Highlights announced: Irish Architecture Foundation

Solar assisted air conditioning comes to market: Treehugger

Slideshow of the Cooper-Hewitt national design awards in the US: Treehugger (some of the products and buildings are quite green)

Profile of the first legal third party appeal of a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - the leading US environmental rating system for buildings) rating: Green Building Law

Profiles of nine "near carbon neutral" communities: Jetson Green

Solar PV integrated into ceramic roof tiles: Jetson Green

Sustainable Industries' top ten green building products of 2010: Sustainable Industries

Altering clocks in winter "could cut carbon emissions": Energy Savings Trust

Dubbed the Infrax building, this is the new headquarters of the West Flanders Energy Company in Belgium, and I'm posting it for the simple reason that it's quite stunning and reasonably green. I've taken the info that follows on the building's technical features from the website of architects VK.

...The West Flanders Energy Company commissioned the building of a new high-quality office in Torhout, complete with a warehouse and storage space. WVEM wanted its new premises to be sustainable and have low energy consumption to underscore the example the company sets for society…

...The office building has three levels, with ground level extension used as a communal dining hall. The building covers 4800 m2…

…Extensive insulation of the building shell and the use of high-quality insulated glazing gave the entire building an overall insulation level of K35. The building is heated at low temperature by concrete core activation on the upper levels and floor heating at ground level. Small low-temperature convectors are used to fine-tune the temperature in each zone. The offices on the upper levels do not have lowered ceilings. In summer the concrete core activation provides very comfortable and energy-efficient cooling of high temperatures. The calculations for the design were produced using detailed comfort and energy simulations of the office….

...Soil was integrated in the design as a sustainable source of energy. A borehole energy storage (BES) field combined with a high-performance water pump provides basic low-temperature heating in the building in winter…

…At ground level the building has mechanical ventilation, while the upper levels are equipped with a hybrid ventilation concept, because for 60% of the office time a building can be ventilated naturally without compromising on comfort. A hybrid ventilation concept means the building is ventilated mechanically in winter and summer and naturally at other times of the year. The result is a significant saving of energy. Heat recuperation occurs in the central air group…

…The hybrid ventilation system has been integrated in an intelligent facade concept. This concept is a highly integrated design of architecture and engineering. The ventilation facilities have been integrated in a double facade system, comprising an insulated inner shell and a glazed outer skin. The cavity between the two can be drenched with outdoor air. Outside summer and winter, the cavity air heated by the sun is used to deliver fresh air to the offices by manually opening 'viewing windows’. 'Light windows' allow ample daylight to penetrate deep into the offices. The windows are set well back in the intelligent façade to shield them from direct sun radiation. What's more, the double facade structure provides better acoustic insulation between the busy ring road and the offices...

…Photovoltaic solar cells integrated in the facade provide the energy required to drive the primary pump of the BES field. This makes it possible to cool the offices by means of the BES field and concrete core activation without extra energy consumption. The offices have been equipped with energy-efficient lighting fixtures, complete with daylight control and presence detection sensors…

...The office building has been equipped with water-efficient sanitary furniture and plumbing to minimise the demand for water.  Rainwater captured on the roof is reused in the building to flush toilets and urinals. The parking spaces for cars are pervious. Water originating from the metalled surfaces is infiltrated on site in green basins integrated in the car park landscape.

Sorry for the lack of blog updates last week - I had some trouble with our blog software and a blog post I published seemingly disappered. Anyway, here's a quick round up of recent links to get things kick-started again, mostly courtesy of Inhabitat and Treehugger.

Database will detail money saved from green retrofits in New York: Inhabitat

World's fastest train rolls off production line: Inhabitat

Work starts on UK's largest prefabricated straw bale building: Inhabitat

Can we use biomimicry to design cities? Treehugger

Toyota working on electric vehicle with Tesla: Inhabitat

University of Nottingham unveils solar-powered house: Inhabitat

A profile of Finland's entry into Solar Decathlon Europe: GreenBuildingAdvisor.com (Construct Ireland previously profiled the US Solar Decathlon here)

Green roofs now mandatory in Copenhagen: Treehugger

Why Ireland’s failing treatment systems & septic tanks must be tackled

Sligo estate house adds hemp lime extension & renovation with vertical bore-hole heat pump

G rated Limerick semi-d upgraded to A3 with full envelope & heating system upgrade

Foxrock passive development built with externally insulated poroton & aircrete blocks along with timber frame

Cork city split level timber frame house with passive solar design, rainwater harvesting, renewables & green material

Mixing excellent thermal performance with renewable heating, efforts to boost biodiversity and plans for micro-generation, a new timber frame house in rural Cork shows that both appealing design and low environmental impact can be achieved with one-off rural housing.