Displaying items by tag: Irish news

Friday, 05 January 2024 14:42

Timber in construction group holds first meeting

Increasing the use of timber in construction is central to the work of a new steering group appointed by the Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Senator Pippa Hackett.

Published in General
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Friday, 05 January 2024 14:40

An Post takes top prize at Energy Awards

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has announced the winners of the 2023 SEAI Energy Awards while celebrating 20 years of the event.
Published in General

A quartet of passive house projects picked up awards at the Towards Net Zero Energy Awards 2023.

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Friday, 05 January 2024 14:32

EPA launches air quality forecast

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a national air quality forecast to provide greater information to the public regarding expected air quality in Ireland for up to three days.

Published in General

The implications of planning on Ireland’s carbon emissions and the importance of building climate-safe homes were discussed at the Irish Green Building Council’s (IGBC) annual residential conference, Better Homes.

Published in General

The next version of the EU Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings (EPBD) has been provisionally agreed – including proposals for zero emission buildings, building renovation passports, a phase out of fossil fuel boilers and the introduction of whole life carbon calculation for buildings.

In this #BuildingLife Ambassador Spotlight Series, Passive House Plus is profiling leaders who have endorsed the Irish Green Building Council’s (IGBC) call to address the environmental impacts of buildings across their lifecycle.

Published in General

Ireland and the European Investment Bank (EIB) today reached an agreement that paves the way for government-backed, low-interest home energy upgrade loans. The agreement marks a major milestone in the development of the loan scheme which will be underpinned by resources from the EIB Group.

Published in Government
The Irish government has been called on to overhaul VAT structure in order to incentivise reuse and refurbishment, by construction industry body The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), who say urgent action is needed to reduce the number of Ireland’s buildings being demolished if the country is to meet net zero targets.
Published in Climate Change

Research, led by Technological University of the Shannon, has identified significant skills and labour shortages in the built environment sector. The study highlights how this challenges Ireland in reaching its climate targets and points out possible solutions.

Published in Climate Change
The real estate industry faces a ‘triple threat’ of climate related issues unless it takes action now, a senior sustainability expert has warned.
Published in Climate Change

The week of live and online events will show how to accelerate our transition to a more sustainable and resource efficient built environment

Published in Events

A pioneering co-housing scheme, a cube-shaped self build, a cork and polyester- insulated retrofit to a 1970s house, a glulam timber school, and a curved college building were the winners at the 2023 UK Passivhaus Awards.

Published in General

Construct Innovate, the University of Galway- hosted national research centre for construction technology and innovation, has announced Technological University Dublin as a new academic member and thirty-five companies as the first associate members.

Published in General
The Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) has launched a new Community of Practice (CoP) on biodiversity and the built environment.
Published in General
Tuesday, 22 August 2023 12:57

NSAI Agrément director suspended

Seán Balfe, director of NSAI Agrément, has been suspended, Passive House Plus understands.

Published in General
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A new European project focussed on accelerating the roll-out of certified green homes – including the development of green mortgages, loans and development finance – has been launched.
Published in Projects
The United Nations is pushing for a rapid drive to make the world’s buildings sustainable – aided by an international coalition centred in the Wexford town of Enniscorthy.
Published in General

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.

Published in General
Tuesday, 25 April 2023 16:13

Show Me the Bodies: How We Let Grenfell Happen

Simon Jones reviews new book exploring the Grenfell tragedy.
Published in General
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.
Published in Government
Tuesday, 25 April 2023 16:06

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.
Published in General
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.
Published in General
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.
Published in Government

The potential of the passive house standard to change the world isn’t restricted to tackling climate change – it’s about social justice too.

Published in Events

In a bid to increase the uptake of solar technology in Ireland as families and businesses continue to negotiate the energy and cost of living challenges, the Irish government has announced they intend to drop the VAT rate on the supply and installation of solar panels to zero.

Published in General
Tuesday, 25 April 2023 15:47

EU votes through EPBD recast

Changes include embodied carbon, zero emission buildings and minimum energy standards
Published in Government
Friday, 06 January 2023 11:44

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.

Published in Government

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.

Published in Government
Friday, 06 January 2023 11:34

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.

Published in General
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