Government, industry and NGOs meet to develop Irish retrofit strategy
Written by News Desk
A cross sectoral group of organisations from government, local authorities, industry and charities met on 25 May to develop an ambitious strategy to improve the quality of the Irish existing housing stock
The Irish Green Building Council has launched a voluntary quality labelling scheme for new residential development in Dublin. The label, called the Home Performance Index (HPI), goes well beyond the existing building energy rating (BER) system to look at a wider range of issues that impact the quality and sustainability of new residential construction.
Kore, based in Kilnaleck, Co. Cavan, is the first company in Ireland to obtain integrated ISO certification for both the ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 standards from the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI). ISO 9001 is one of the most widely used management tools worldwide, while ISO 14001 is the standard for environmental management. Both standards are internationally recognised.
SEAI announces 250,000 euro grants for large energy upgrades
Written by News Desk
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has launched the EXEED (Excellence in Energy Efficient Design) certified programme, a new management framework which complements the Irish Energy Efficient Design Standard IS399. Up to €250,000 per applicant has been made available in 2016 for businesses or organisations undertaking a building retrofit, facility or process upgrade which follows the EXEED principles to maximise energy efficiency.
Xtratherm launch thermal bridging solutions for passive masonry construction
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Innovative ventilation supplier Lunos has picked up awards for its decentralised heat recovery ventilation and demand-controlled ventilation systems.
2016 Passivhaus Awards features best in British passive design
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The shortlist of projects for this year’s 2016 UK Passivhaus Awards has been announced. There are just two categories this year, urban and rural, with Rehau being the main sponsor.
Cellulose insulation improves airtightness by 30% — PYC Systems
Written by News Desk
In October 2015, PYC Systems carried out the first of several air tests at the Hilltop project in Richard’s Castle on the Hertfordshire— Shropshire border, Architype’s first small scale residential passive house project. The first blower door test result was 0.59 air changes per hour (ACH), prior to insulating the envelope, which everyone was keen to improve on as it only marginally passed the passive house standard and was prior to fitting services, which are known to increase the risk of air leaks.
UK Centre for Moisture in Buildings launched at UCL
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An initiative aiming to increase knowledge and understanding of the issues moisture can cause in buildings old and new, was launched in London on 26 May. The UK Centre for Moisture in Buildings (UKCMB), backed by University College London and other academic institutions plus the BRE, plans an ambitious programme of research, public engagement, policy work and training to improve moisture safety.
Solar Electric Ireland wins ‘Product of the Show’ at Energy Awards
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The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland’s (SEAI) annual two-day business-to-business event, the Energy Show 2016, was a huge success with visitors up a quarter on last year.
Daikin hosts social housing sustainable heating forum
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On 20 April the Irish arm of the world’s largest heat pump manufacturer, Daikin, hosted a social housing forum at the Mullingar Park Hotel in Westmeath. Attendees primarily included architects, consultants, and representatives of housing bodies and local authority housing departments from all over the country.
Green Building TV, a new community platform that uses video to communicate ideas, products and services between buyers and sellers — all relating to the sustainable construction sector — is set to go live in mid June.
Fixing specialist Ancon has launched a brand new ultra-low thermal conductivity wall tie
Dublin City Council officials defy councillors on passive house vote
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Unelected officials in Dublin City Council have rejected the decision by city councillors to make the passive house standard or equivalent energy performance standards a mandatory planning condition for all new buildings in the city. The council also included a statement to protect the route of the controversial Eastern Bypass, in spite of councillors voting against it.
World-renowned author, environmentalist and advisor to the Democratic Party Bill McKibben has praised the green leadership that Ireland is starting to show through Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and Dublin City Council voting to make the passive house standard or demonstrably equivalent alternatives mandatory for all new buildings.
Study: 75% of housing stock needs A2 upgrade by 2050
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75% of the housing stock will need to be upgraded to A2 BERs by 2050 if Ireland is to hit its 80% CO2 emissions reductions target.
Unipipe launches Smartflower PV & exhaust air heat pump
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Leading renewable technology supplier Unipipe has become the Irish distributors for the Austrian Smartflower – which the company claim is the world’s first self-contained solar PV system.
Schöck offers low thermal bridging alternative to wrapped parapets
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It is well documented that parapets allow conductive materials to transfer energy through the thermal barrier and are therefore just as prone to the problems of thermal bridging as balconies.