Better Building to mix green architecture, policy debate & networking
Written by Jeff Colley
The Better Building Conference returns for a 3rd year on 9 April at Croke Park Dublin with a genuinely exciting line up of inspiring case studies of future innovations and essential information on the new building control regulations. This full day conference is packed with presentations and panel discussions in three parallel streams and has plenty of important networking opportunities. Don't miss out on what has genuinely become one of the key events in Ireland's construction calendar. Click here to view the full programme, and click here to register now.
Finalists announced for 2014 passive house awards
Written by Lenny Antonelli
The Passive House Institute has announced the finalists for this year’s Passive House Award. The winners, across six categories, will be announced on 25 April at the International Passive House Conference in Aachen, Germany.
Glasgow to host conference on passive house at scale
Written by Lenny Antonelli
The UK’s Passivhaus Trust will hold a conference on large scale passive house developments on 30 April in Glasgow.
Energy Show 2014 to showcase innovations in efficiency and renewables
Written by Jeff Colley
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland Energy Show 2014 takes place at the RDS in Dublin on 12 and 13 March.
Lord Taylor to chair award winning Kensa Heat Pumps
Written by Jeff Colley
Kensa Heat Pumps has announced Lord Taylor of Goss Moor as its new chairman. According to Kensa the peer's appointment will be instrumental in the Cornish company’s growth as the UK’s leading supplier of ground source heat pumps.
Accredited Passivhaus Design to show affordable housing at Ecobuild
Written by Jeff Colley
Low energy design specialists Accredited Passivhaus Design (APD) are promoting the design of affordable housing to the passive house standard at Ecobuild from 4 to 6 March. According to APD, the passive house approach can reduce rent arrears while reducing the need for off-site allowable solutions as part of compliance with the UK's zero-carbon homes target in 2016. Part of the UK government's proposal for zero carbon homes, allowable solutions permits the counting of carbon credits as a carbon reduction strategy for buildings.
Passive House Institute to launch energy positive passive house ratings
Written by Jeff Colley
The Passive House Institute is set to launch details of Passive House Plus and Passive House Premium - two new categories of building certification designed to add microgeneration of energy into the world's leading low energy standard.
Retrofit buildings instead of building pylons?
Written by Lenny Antonelli
In the new issue of Passive House Plus, architect David Hughes argues that instead of investing tens of billions of euro upgrading its electricity infrastructure and building wind farms, Ireland should instead invest the money in the energy retrofit of its building stock.
Ecobuild-bound Optiwin seeks UK manufacturing partners
Written by Jeff Colley
Leading passive house and low energy glazing brand Optiwin has announced that it is looking for small to medium sized manufacturing partners in the UK via Berkana Green, its exclusive licenced sales agent for England, Scotland and Wales.
Lindum focuses on biodiverse green roofs at Ecobuild
Written by Jeff Colley
Leading green roof and turf specialist, Lindum, will be focussing on pollinators and biodiversity at this year’s Ecobuild exhibition which takes place on March 4-6 at ExCel, London. At the forefront of green roof technology relevant to UK climate conditions, Lindum has developed pre-grown vegetation mats containing mixtures of wildflowers, herbs, perennials and sedums can provide a wonderful flowering display and encourage biodiversity.
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Passive house will be represented stronger than ever at this year’s Ecobuild on 4 to 6 March, with a series of events throughout the exhibition focused on the world’s leading ultra low energy building standard. Passive House Plus will also be at this year’s exhibition — come find us at stand S800.
Viessmann to showcase pioneering fuel cell system at Ecobuild
Written by Jeff Colley
Leading international heating systems manufacturer, Viessmann, will unveil the first mass-produced, commercially available, domestic fuel cell in Europe at Ecobuild on 4-6 March. Viessmann and Panasonic have jointly developed the Vitovalor 300-P polymer electrolyte fuel cell-based micro combined heat and power system (mCHP), which goes on sale in Germany this April. By 2020, Panasonic and Viessmann expect a five-digit number of systems to be installed in Europe.
Windhager to launch new BioWin 2 pellet boiler at Ecobuild
Written by Jeff Colley
Windhager will launch its latest development, the BioWin 2 wood pellet boiler, at Ecobuild
2014.
Have energy ratings become an afterthought?
Written by Lenny Antonelli
That’s the question I want to ask today. I’m talking mostly about the situation in Ireland, because it’s the one I’m more familiar with things over here — particularly with regards to building regulations. But the same might apply to the UK.