In trickier housing markets, the instincts of house builders have often tended towards building to the worst legal standards required – or worse. One award-winning new project in Belfast’s suburbs is showing that it doesn’t have to be this way – and that developers can thrive by pitching homes designed to ensure comfort and low bills at increasingly energy-conscious consumers.

Where basements are present in low energy buildings, they can prove a weak spot without particular care and attention, as Passive House Association of Ireland board member John Morehead of Wain Morehead Architects Ltd explains.

All of the recordings from the recent Energy Efficient Building Seminar series are now available to watch on Partel’s YouTube channel. 

This large family home in south Dublin proves that big homes don’t need to be cold and draughty, comfortably beating Ireland’s planned nearly zero energy building standard for 2021 — even though it was finished in 2015.

Leading passive and low energy building contractor Bow Tie Construction is looking to recruit site supervisors and builders in the Dorset and Hampshire areas.

Achieving building regulations compliance and a good energy rating is one thing. Delivering a genuinely low energy building is quite another. A new scheme by one of Ireland’s most decorated developers may help show the market a way forward.

Swegon has launched its new generation WISE demand controlled ventilation system, which “represents over 15 years’ experience and the latest pioneering technology in demand controlled ventilation”.

Cork-based renewable heating, ventilation and electrical specialists Energywise Ireland has advised anyone undertaking a low energy build or upgrade project of the value of choosing a single M&E design, supply, installation and commissioning company to ensure smooth integration of all building services. 

In this blog post, Devyn Olsen-Sawyer of the Irish Green Building Council reviews Ireland's recently complete QualiBuild programme, which upskilled Irish construction workers in low energy building techniques.

Trunk Low Energy Building has announced a brand new venture, Trunk CLT, which provides a specialist structural engineering, fabrication and erection service for any client or architect who desires an inherently low energy cross laminated timber shell solution for their project 

Cork-based passive house window supplier Amberline Ireland has emphasised the importance of quality workmanship in the installation of low energy and passive house windows. The company was borne out of a firm that previously specialised in low energy building, giving it ample practical experience on site.

The digital versions of all previous issues of Passive House Plus are now freely available online.  The magazine is available in entirety in digital form, while many of the feature articles are also now available in HTML form - or in other words as regular web articles. The digital editions use the Issuu pageflipper software, which was chosen for its functionality, simplicity and the ability for readers to interact with magazine content - for instance by sharing links to articles in the magazine via social media or email, or by clicking links to websites contained in articles and adverts.

How can a house embrace passive solar principles when all the sun’s heat and light is to the south — but all the best views are to the north? This striking home on the Connemara coast employed some clever solutions.

In this blog post, Paul Doran recalls the challenges and lessons of building a low energy home on a tight budget for his family.