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News
Denmark sets out phased embodied carbon targets for buildings
Denmark is set to introduce embodied carbon targets into the country’s building regulations, a policy which has been backed with cross-parliamentary support.
AECB launches new retrofit standard
The Association for Environment Conscious Building has announced the launch of the new AECB Retrofit Standard, which like its AECB Building Standard, is based on the passive house standard and designed to promote a whole-house, fabric first approach.
Green groups critical of latest budget
Leading environmental and green building charities have criticised the government’s lack of ambition on retrofit, upskilling and a green economic recovery in its latest budget.
Poorly ventilated retrofits can double radon retrofit risk, study finds
Residential retrofits must ensure ventilation is carefully considered in order to avoid an increase in radon gas levels, researchers at NUI Galway in Ireland have found.
Marketplace
A Proctor Group call for consideration of moisture balance issues
A Proctor Group (APG) have stressed the importance of taking account of the HAMM (heat, air, moisture movement) principles when designing buildings, taking account of the effect of insulation type and placement along with the vapour permeability of the various layers.
29-03-2021 Marketplace
Good design key to heating & cooling via MVHR – CVC Direct
A big part of a comfortable household is having good indoor air quality and a comfortable air temperature. Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) is an efficient way of providing the necessary ventilation with little heat loss.
29-03-2021 Marketplace
Partel’s Izoperm Plus achieves passive house ‘A’ cert
Partel’s Izoperm Plus airtightness system has achieved phA certification from the Passive House Institute, the highest level of component certification, following recent testing.
29-03-2021 Marketplace
Manchester passive ICF house gets 0.31 ACH
A new passive house in Manchester, built by Passive Building Structures, has achieved an airtightness test result of 0.31 air changes per hour at 50 Pascals on its final blower door test, easily beating the passive house airtightness standard of 0.6.
29-03-2021 Marketplace
Aereco awarded Agrément cert for demand controlled ventilation
Aereco has become the first company to receive an NSAI Agrément certificate for ventilation, while also achieving a new ISO 9001 quality management standard for its Irish subsidiary.
Calsitherm boards to be rebranded ‘Red Board’
Calsitherm and Redstone, two of the largest providers of calcium silicate based interior insulation and mould prevention products, have joined forces, with the Paderborn-based family business Calsitherm taking a majority stake in Bremen-based Redstone.
New embodied carbon rules for large London projects
Building life cycle assessment (LCA) experts Bionova have advised architects, developers and contractors to be aware of their LCA obligations under the Greater London Authority’s new London Plan, which came into effect on…
Viessmann launch ventilation system to tackle covid in schools
Viessmann has launched a new ventilation solution to combat the spread of Covid-19 in schools. The company’s new hybrid ventilation unit, the Vitovent 200-P, provides closed rooms with constant air circulation of filtered air.
New profile Progression window gets passive certification
The new profile Progression passive-certified range of triple glazed timber windows, with glass reinforced plastic (GRP) cladding, recently received its A-rated passive house component certification.
Liquid membranes transforming airtightness work — Blowerproof UK
Liquid airtight membranes are revolutionising airtightness works in public and commercial buildings, according to leading supplier Blowerproof UK, because of their ease and speed of application especially direct to block…
Passive Sills cut thermal bridging & mould risk — new analysis
A thermal bridging analysis of Passive Sills’s insulated window sills has revealed how they can significantly reduce thermal bridging at this crucial junction.
Pro clima launch spray applicator for airtight paints
Pro clima have launched Aerofixx, an innovative handheld spray applicator for the Aerosana Visconn range of airtightness liquid paints.
Passive Building Structures aims to cut carbon both on & off site
Building envelope specialist Passive Building Structures is aiming to substantially cut the carbon footprint of its projects in 2021 both by increasing the thermal performance of its builds and cutting…
Why shading will be critical in the age of Covid
Over the coming years there will be growing demand for openable windows in our office buildings to help prevent virus transmission — which is why high-quality solar shading will be…
Ecological launch new airtight vapour boards
Ecological Building Systems have added FINSA superPan VapourStop passive house certified boards to their range of products.
Partel announces RIBA accredited airtightness CPD
Partel, a leading specialist in high-performance building envelopes, is currently running a new RIBA-approved CPD programme titled ‘Best Practice for Air and Windtight Structures’.
Panasonic welcomes new Green Homes Grant
Leading heat pump manufacturer Panasonic has welcomed the announcement of £2 billion in funding for the UK government's new Green Homes Grant scheme.
Passive Building Structures delivers bespoke Manchester passive house
Leading ICF building envelope specialist Passive Building Structures is currently on site completing a large new passive house in Didsbury, Manchester. The project offers a contemporary take on the surrounding…
Viessmann launches new compact heat pump
Viessmann has introduced the new Vitocal 100-A air source heat pump, the most compact and affordable model in its range. Designed for ease of installation in the standard British heating…
Iso Chemie Winframer gets BBA approval
ISO CHEMIE’s WINFRAMER thermal insulating and load bearing bracket support system for the rapid installation of windows, has gained British Board of Agrement (BBA) certification.
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Blogs
Will we really build back better?
As governments rush to jump-start their economies, there is a danger that important lessons for how to retrofit homes will be lost in the rush to build. But there is a better way, writes Dr Peter Rickaby.
The world’s first ‘zero energy’ house
Returning to his regular series on the evolution of sustainable building during the 20th century, Dr Marc Ó Riain takes a look at the first serious attempt to build a house with net zero energy use.
The science of filters
How do ventilation filters work, and can they help to protect us against Covid-19? Toby Cambray weighs in on the physics of a subject that is more complex and interesting than you might expect.
Are we the virus?
Taking a temporary detour from his series of columns on the history of sustainable building and renewable energy, Dr Marc Ó Riain takes a look at Covid-19 from the perspective of Gaia theory, and at the relationship between collapsing ecosystems and the emergence of new infectious diseases.
Getting to net zero carbon
The UK government has committed to a legally binding target of being “net zero carbon” by 2050. Peter Rickaby ponders the steps needed to get there, and what the goal means for our homes, offices and other buildings.
Environmental activism - tracing the roots of today's climate activism
While the green wave visible at ballot boxes and street marches in 2019 reflects an apparent escalation in public consciousness on the need for urgent, decisive environmental action, the roots of today’s environmental consciousness stretch back over half a century, explains Dr Marc Ó Riain.
How humanity can save itself from itself
We are in the grip of a global emergency. The science is clear, and thousands of lives have already been lost. The public are demanding firm and bold leadership, but a laissez-faire attitude on the part of western governments has delayed and watered down our response, with calamitous consequences.
Are you sexist? Creating a building site culture where we can all thrive
What forms does sexism take in the construction industry, asks builder Em Appleton, and what can we do about it?
Culture shock & knowledge transfer
What are the consequences for the built environment, and the climate, of the lack of communication between research and industry, asks Dr Peter Rickaby – and what can be done about it?
The first oil crisis
In the latest instalment of his series on the development of energy efficiency and renewable energy in the 20th century, Dr Marc Ó Riain reports on the seismic impact caused by the 1973 oil crisis.
Is it too late for sustainability?
Despite the urgency with which radical action is required to transform our built environment, Dr Peter Rickaby says he has never been more optimistic about the possibility of change.
The schism in solar energy
In his latest column on the evolution of solar energy, Dr Marc Ó Riain looks at how the design approaches of architects and engineers diverged in the middle of the century.
The PH+ guides
The PH+ guide to greener concrete - reducing the climate impact of cement and concrete in buildings
Cement is responsible for up to 8% of global carbon emissions, and in this guide, sustainable design expert Jay Stuart looks at ways to minimise its environmental impact through good design, and at some of the alternative, lower carbon cement and concrete products on the market.
30-07-2020 Guides
The PH+ guide to external insulation
In the first in a new series of technical articles on some of the key technologies in sustainable building, John Hearne makes the case for wrapping buildings in an external insulation layer, and describes some of the main issues to watch out for.
07-02-2018 Guides
The PH+ guide to heat recovery ventilation
Heat recovery ventilation is an invaluable way to maintain indoor air quality in low energy buildings and minimise the loss of precious heat, but there are several issues to address to ensure optimal performance. Ventilation expert Ian Mawditt, a technical advisor on Part F of England’s building regulations, has decades of experience in field investigations of indoor air quality and ventilation effectiveness. His guide, which focuses on centralised or ducted whole house heat recovery systems, is essential reading to anyone considering such a system.
10-06-2019 Guides
The PH+ guide to air source heat pumps
As electricity supply from renewable sources continues to grow, and electricity grids gradually decarbonise as dirtier fossil fuels are phased out, heating homes with electrical technologies like heat pumps starts to make more sense. And in the mild, temperate climate of Britain and Ireland, air source heat pumps are particularly suitable — especially as new build standards of energy efficiency continue to tighten, meaning new homes need less and less energy to achieve comfortable indoor temperatures. But how do air source heat pumps work, what types are there, and how much do they cost to run? Our in-depth guide attempts...
08-05-2018 Guides
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