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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

SMET Building Products has advised those specifying floor screed to avoid product failure, particularly in heated screeds, by ensuring their choice of products meets the right standards. “Historically, floor screed failures have regularly resulted from the interaction of heated screed constructions with a wide range of coverings. Failure by the contractor to check on residual moisture and consequent installation of coverings on an overly wet screed may have serious implications for the durability and longevity of the flooring,” said Joris Smet of SMET Building Products. 

Folding attic stairs are a common addition to many homes in Ireland but, like any product that requires cutting a larger aperture in the building fabric, it has the potential to leak air like a sieve. 

Leading external insulation supplier Hammond Roof & Energy has launched a new technical roadshow series promoting the Soltherm external insulation system – at a live passive house construction site in Carlow.

A Galway-based timber frame construction firm established last year that specialises in passive house has committed to using 100 per cent ecological building materials and advanced technologies to keep its environmental footprint to a minimum. 

Investing in heat recovery ventilation units without paying due attention to distribution systems may risk undermining energy performance and indoor air quality, a leading ventilation expert has warned. 

Archers of Ballina has become a licensed Irish stockist of Technopor glass foam aggregate.

Austrian low energy window specialist Internorm has launched two new products: a range of timber alu-clad windows and the company’s first outward opening window, Irish Internorm distributor Ultimate Joinery has revealed. 

In this blog post, David McHugh of Irish heat recovery ventilation manufacturer ProAir recalls the story of the company, from its foundation in his spare bedroom right up to its recent passive house certification 

Heating expert Maurice Falvey of Nilan Ireland has advised that a combination of air-based and underfloor heating may offer the best overall solution for the heating of passive houses in Ireland. 

Sustainable flooring company Forbo’s new Marmoleum Striato collection of contemporary linear linoleum designs has been awarded with the iF Design Award 2016. 

Leading Irish timber frame manufacture Cygum has said that it is possible to tackle the housing crises in the UK and Ireland by mass-producing high quality timber passive houses on a large scale.

Cork City Council has added cellulose to its list of approved insulation products for its social housing attic upgrades. 

Passive house building envelope specialist training is now available at Ecological Building Systems, complementing the array of award-winning training courses Ecological have been delivering for almost 15 years now 

Ecological Building Systems are pleased to announce global leaders in innovative airtightness solutions Pro Clima have added a new range of pre-folded airtightness tapes, Tescon Profect to their array of intelligent airtightness solutions.  

Daikin Europe has become the first manufacturer of HVAC equipment in the world to achieve the BRE’s internationally respected BES 6001 responsible sourcing standard for its VRV air conditioning system, providing the industry with third party verification of its supply chain.

Leading solar PV brand Autarco has announced its entry to the Irish market. Autarco told Passive House Plus that it is the world’s first company to provide complete single brand solar PV systems with an industry unique energy generation guarantee, expressed in kWh.

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.

 With Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown making passive house or equivalent energy efficiency standards mandatory for all new builds in a historic vote, the German-Irish Chamber of Industry & Commerce’s Passive House and Energy Efficiency Conference and trade mission is expected to be more relevant than ever.

This annual two-day business event, which last year saw up to 200 companies exhibit their energy saving products and services, is the premier business energy exhibition in Ireland, and a must for those interested in energy management and innovations in sustainable energy solutions.

A new low energy and airtight extension is currently on site at the TLC Nursing Home in Maynooth, Co Kildare.

Solar Electric Ireland has just completed the largest solar PV installation in a single location in the Republic of Ireland.

Heat pumps from leading manufacturer Daikin have recently been installed in social housing retrofit projects across the country, helping to cut bills and improve comfort for occupants.