What do you get if you cross a quantum physicist, a forensic accountant, a merchant, an engineer and a software-whizz-kid architect? A terrible punchline presumably. But as Jeff Colley discovered on a trip to Sussex, you get something not to be laughed at: a collaborative approach that may be about to unlock a scalable, highly sustainable, circular economy-proof, flat pack build approach.

How flexible can heat pumps be to handle what may be inexactly defined heating demands, asks Toby Cambray?

Actor Ed Begley Junior is one of America’s best-known and longest-standing environmental activists. Fresh from lighting up our screens in the final season of Better Call Saul, Begley spoke to Passive House Plus about the roots of his activism, and what drives him on in the face of such adversity.

The skilful deep retrofit of a red-brick semi on the south side of Dublin has brought an old property into the 21st century in terms of energy performance and living space, while carefully upgrading its century-old façade with breathable materials.

The historic Roman city of York is embarking on an ambitious programme to redefine council housing for the 21st century, building 450 mixed-tenure passive houses across eight sites in the city, and unashamedly prioritising walking and cycling, and shared outdoor green spaces, over cars. It may seem too good to be true, but a cityscape whose architecture still so manifestly displays its extraordinary history is now pointing to the future of urban design.

With emphasis in sustainable building shifting towards reducing embodied carbon, an obvious question comes into focus: is this an existential threat to the concrete industry? One passive house in Claregalway shows that – with a little help from Passive House Plus – concrete product manufacturers can make meaningful moves in the right direction.

In the latest missive in his series on the history of low energy design, Dr Marc Ó'Riain looks to some wacky and wonderful experimentation in a project that aimed to transform public perception of Milton Keynes.

In the first installment of a brand new photo essay feature, in which we profile passive houses and other eco-buildings from around the world, architect Joe Lyth writes about how the aesthetic of simple backcountry cabins inspired the design of his rural home on New Zealand’s North Island.

Low energy building product developer Partel has appointed Dara McGowan as a director of its UK region.

The government substantially increased the available grant for attic insulation earlier this year, and given the expected boost in attic upgrades this is likely to stimulate, John Egan of Cork-based cellulose insulation manufacturer Ecocel says that it’s critical homeowners consider factors such as moisture performance, as well as airtightness and carbon footprint when choosing their insulation material.

Leading sustainable heating systems provider Hevac Group has launched the De Deitrich Elensio hot water heat pump range onto the Irish market – using a refrigerant with a risibly low global warming potential (GWP).

A garden room built by Cork-based Blue Mountain Garden Rooms has a significantly lower carbon footprint when compared to an equivalent log cabin with a concrete base, or to a block-built log cabin with a concrete base, a recent analysis has found.

Leading EPS insulation manufacturer Kore is set to launch Kore Low Carbon EPS onto the Irish market – unlocking dramatic reductions in embodied carbon without affecting performance.

World-renowned Irish moisture meter pioneer Tramex has launched a new cloud-based system for budding building pathologists – to enable users to remotely monitor buildings and detect potential indoor air quality, temperature and interstitial condensation issues.

Viessmann has launched two new monobloc air source heat pumps, the Vitocal 150-A and Vitocal 151-A, which the company said are ideal for replacing boilers in the UK’s existing housing stock.

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

Do thicker insulated walls, triple glazed windows, & MVHR ventilation systems tip the scales unfavourably for passive house when it comes to embodied carbon?

As Russia weaponises gas exports, the European Commission has proposed a gas demand reduction plan, to cut use in Europe by 15 per cent until next spring.

Airflow Developments has launched a compact mechanical heat recovery (MVHR) unit with an integrated cooker hood, designed to combine ventilation and extraction of cooking odours.

Ecological Building Systems welcomes the fact that embodied carbon has at last come into focus in Ireland.

The world’s first passive house hospital has been certified by the Passive House Institute – showing that the standard can be applied to even to the most demanding building types.

The AECB conference 2022 will focus on practical solutions to decarbonising buildings, with a particular emphasis on timber-based approaches with the potential to deliver low energy, healthy buildings at scale while minimising the use of precious resources and impact on the environment.

A new online hub aimed at upskilling the construction sector is now live.