Irish Passive House Academy launches in Wicklow
Written by Jeff ColleyEstablished by leading Irish passive house advocate Tomás O'Leary of Mosart, the Wicklow-based Irish Passive House Academy is accredited by the creators of the passive house standard - Darmstadt's Passivhaus Institut - to provide training and the pertinent internationally-accredited qualification of certified European passive house designer.
Short-listed companies for 2010 Green awards announced
Written by Jeff Colley
The finalists have been announced for the 2010 Green Awards, with a shortlist consisting of a diverse range of companies and organisations from across Irish society.
Green tax incentives for Irish businesses extended
Written by News DeskEnergy Minister Eamon Ryan today announced the extension of the Accelerated Capital Allowance Scheme. The Scheme, detailed in the Finance Bill, allows companies to buy energy efficient equipment and write off its full cost against corporation tax in the year of purchase.
Increase in energy use in Irish buildings despite recession
Written by Lenny Antonelli
Rising energy use in buildings contributed to an increase of 1.5% in overall energy demand in 2008, despite the economy contracting by 3% over the same period, a new report from Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) reveals today.
SEI announces 2009 sustainable energy award winners
Written by Lenny Antonelli
The retail and telecoms sectors were the big winners at Sustainable
Energy Ireland's sixth annual awards in Dublin last Friday, with Dunnes
Stores, Heatons, O2 and Eircom each taking awards at the all-island
event.
The awards aim to highlight "excellence in business energy management", and this year included entries from over 100 organisations.
Engineers urge government to act on climate change
Written by News Desk
Ireland risks social and economic disaster from climate change unless the government takes urgent action, according to the Irish Academy of Engineers.
In a new report the group says delivering critical infrastructure must be prioritised, otherwise the country risks polluted drinking water, extensive flood damage and power blackouts.
Think tank: alternative energy can't replace dwindling fossil fuels
Written by News Desk
An alarming new study jointly released by two prominent California-based environmental/economic think tanks concludes that unrelenting energy limits, even among alternative energy systems, will make it impossible for the industrial system to continue operating at its present scale, beyond the next few decades. The report finds that the current race by industries and governments to develop new sustainable energy technologies that can replace ecologically harmful and rapidly depleting fossil fuel and nuclear technologies, will not prove sufficient, and that this will require substantial adjustments in many operating assumptions of modern society.
Ireland's big employers reduce energy costs by E60m
Written by Jeff Colley
Ireland’s largest employers knocked E60 million off their energy costs in 2008 through efficiency measures, energy minister Eamon Ryan announced yesterday at the Sustainable Energy Ireland global conference on energy management in Farmleigh, Dublin.
Construct Ireland nominated for 7 Irish Magazine Awards
Written by Lenny Antonelli
Construct Ireland has received seven nominations for this year's Irish Magazine Awards, the most nominations of any business magazine. Only Hot Press received more nominations across all categories.
The world is much closer to running out of oil than official estimates admit, according to a whistleblower at the International Energy Agency who claims it has been deliberately underplaying a looming shortage for fear of triggering panic buying.
300m annual energy saving potential for Irish businesses
Written by News Desk
Ireland’s small businesses could save €300 million a year through
simple actions to reduce energy costs, Sustainable Energy Ireland has
announced. This follows the completion of 1,500 small business energy
assessments over the past two years, giving SEI the most comprehensive
knowledge of the energy practices and challenges facing small
businesses today.
Construct Ireland policies in programme for government
Written by Jeff Colley
Construct Ireland’s recent lobbying and campaigning work has paid off spectacularly with news that two policy proposals have been adopted into the reneweed programme for government .Editor Jeff Colley made detailed submissions to the Green Party on several issues, with proposals for a pay as you save policy to stimulate national energy upgrade work and a policy to dramatically increase the impact of Building Energy Ratings finding their way into the document agreed between Fianna Fáil and the Greens.
Green shoots at EcoBuild and Plan Expo from 3 to 5 November
Written by News Desk
This year’s Plan Expo, Ireland’s largest building exhibition, will take place at RDS Simmonscourt in Dublin from Tuesday, 3 November to Thursday, 5 November. Green building is at the heart of this year’s event: the EcoBuild exhibition of green building suppliers will take up almost half the floor space, while a first-time conference entitled Rebuilding Ireland will explore the role that green building and architecture can play in Ireland’s economic recovery.
Gormley launches government architecture policy
Written by Lenny Antonelli
Environment minister John Gormley yesterday published the
government's policy on architecture for 2009 to 2015, titled Towards a
Sustainable Future: Delivering Quality Within the Built Environment.