New BER takes effect while ZEB details remain unclear
Ireland's Building Energy Rating system has moved to a simplified eight band scale, with a new A0 rating at the top reserved for zero emission buildings (ZEBs).
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Fabric or heat pumps first? AECB conference heads to Manchester to unpick the debate
Building envelope specialists and energy systems experts will meet in Manchester in September as the AECB's annual conference tackles one of the most contested questions in low-energy construction: how fabric performance and energy supply should work together.
EU Electrification Action Plan to accelerate heat pump transition stars
The EU is set to publish plans to reform how electricity and gas are priced – to drive the widespread uptake of heat pumps and cut heating bills by up to 60 per cent.
A warts-and-all account of a landmark passive house conference stars
World-renowned green building writer Lloyd Alter spills the beans on the first ever combined UK and Ireland passive house conference in Belfast.
Life cycle assessment in construction and retrofit stars
Life cycle assessments are crucial for sustainable building design, but understanding their inherent limitations is key to making better decisions with imperfect data, writes Dr Lois Hurst.
Housing minister calls for faster retrofit to shield homes from energy shocks
Ireland must treat building decarbonisation as critical national infrastructure to protect households from future energy price shocks, according to a new policy scorecard launched today.
Bio-based self-build fuses passive principles and clever shading proves heatwave-proof
Made to look easy on TV, Duncan and Anaya decided to give selfbuilding a go and somehow created the most comfortable house they’ve ever lived in – even in the face of extreme heat events.
Accessible Manchester retrofit delivers comfort and low bills
An award-winning retrofit demonstrates that universal design and ultra-low energy performance are powerful allies, not competing priorities.
Ballymore scheme brings low-cost comfort to private market
With 35,000 homes under their belt, one of the UK and Ireland's most prolific developers has just completed its first passive house scheme - aided by an innovative airtightness approach.
Planning reform will thwart low energy housing, councils say
Britain is failing to address housing as part of the climate emergency, according to a group of 60 local authorities, businesses and civil society groups who say government changes to planning rules could spell the end of zero carbon homes in England.
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One family's response to a bushfire
Big Picture - Forrest Passive House in Spotswood achieves certification while maintaining contemporary family functionality through thoughtful material choices and spatial planning.
Futurebuild goes bigger without losing its soul
The UK's leading sustainable construction event is co-locating with two other shows in May.
Cairn secures passive house certification for three Dublin developments
Major new passive house schemes for Ireland.
Lacuna: thermal modification boosts timber utility
Thermally modified timber has been used in the building industry for years, principally as a durable and sustainable cladding material, but its history stretches back millennia.