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News
Poor ventilation a Covid risk in 40 per cent of classrooms, study finds
Coventry University research has found that 40 per cent of primary school classrooms examined in a study did not have an adequate ventilation rate to combat the spread of Covid-19.
COP26 house to showcase fabric first, low carbon build methods
A new demonstration house currently being erected in Glasgow in advance of this year’s COP26 climate conference will showcase build systems and methods for achieving zero carbon housing to the world.
Oil heating sector pivots to biofuels, but green groups raise concern
The UK and Ireland’s oil heating industry says it has taken a “major step forward” in the use of biofuels in domestic oil boilers, with early tests concluding that hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) works in virtually all existing oil boilers.
Architects call for urgent climate action ahead of COP 26
Ahead of the Built Environment Summit (28-29 October) and COP26 (1-12 November), the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and Architects Declare have published a report demonstrating the critical role the sector must play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
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Marketplace
Ecocel supplying English developer Bell Blue
Cork-based cellulose insulation manufacturer Ecocel is now supplying its blown cellulose insulation to English developer Bell Blue.
18-01-2022 Marketplace
Viessmann expands its electric heating range
Viessmann has launched a range of electric heating products to the UK to complement its established line of heat pumps.
18-01-2022 Marketplace
Ecomerchant now stocking Herschel Infrared heating products
Leading sustainable building product supplier Ecomerchant is now supplying Herschel Infrared heating panels, and Ecomerchant’s Will Kirkman says they are an ideal heating solution for passive house projects.
18-01-2022 Marketplace
ECD Architects recruiting for new English office
ECD Architects, based in London and Glasgow and established in 1980, is planning to open an office in the north west of England later this year, and is now advertising for several new roles.
18-01-2022 Marketplace
Manhattan modular apartments feature Wraptite membrane
A new modular apartment building in New York has been fitted out with Wraptite airtight membrane. East Broadway Residences is located on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
Recycled building board now available from Ecomerchant
AM Ecoboard, an Irish-manufactured construction board made from one hundred per cent recycled cardboard, is now available in the UK exclusively from Ecomerchant.
Ecological welcomes new internal insulation guidance
Ecological Building Systems has welcomed the publication of new guidance from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy on internally insulating the external walls of existing buildings.
Ecological launch Inventer decentralised ventilation
Ecological Building Systems has announced that it will exclusively partner with Inventer Germany in the supply and distribution of their innovative range of ventilation systems in Ireland and the UK.
AirMaster’s flagship MVHR awarded passive house certification
SAV Systems has announced that the AirMaster AM 1000 has been awarded passive house component certification in conjunction with the company’s Danish partner, Airmaster A/S.
Building sector must take the lead on embodied carbon
Despite disappointment in the green building sector at the government’s failure to address embodied carbon in the Future Buildings Standard, the industry possesses the knowledge, skills and supply chain to take matters into its…
Ecological Building Systems launch Thermo Hemp Combi Jute insulation
Ecological Building Systems have launched Thermo Hemp Combi Jute insulation in Ireland and the UK.
Efficient ventilation key to healthier indoor spaces – Partel
Partel, specialist in developing sustainable building envelope materials, is aiming to raise awareness of the key role of efficient ventilation for safer and healthier indoor living spaces.
Heat pumps still best way to cut heating emissions – Mitsubishi
Despite recent focus on the launch of the UK’s hydrogen strategy, heat pumps are still the most logical technology for cutting carbon emissions from home heating appliances, according to Mitsubishi…
New Brink Flair 225 MVHR unit launched
The new Brink Flair 225 heat recovery ventilation unit from Brink Climate Systems has officially been released.
Grant heat pumps at centre of NI energy transition project
Leading heating technology manufacturer Grant will be supporting Ulster University and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) in their RULET – Rural-Led Energy Transition – initiative, aimed at reducing or eliminating the risk of low-income households…
Lancaster student wins eco design award
The School of Architecture from Lancaster University and Ecological Building Systems UK formed a partnership in 2021 to award the best eco-design produced by first year students of the BA…
CVC Direct launch MVHR add-on for space heating & cooling
Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) systems are an efficient way of providing the necessary ventilation with very few heat losses for airtight dwellings. However, MVHR systems can also be…
Ecomerchant launches three new eco building products
Leading sustainable product merchant Ecomerchant is offering three new eco building products to the market
Forbo joins World Green Building Council corporate advisory board
Forbo Flooring Systems has joined the World Green Building Council’s (WorldGBC) corporate advisory board.
Partel launches new Euroclass A2 fire-rated vapour control system
Partel’s newly launched Euroclass A2 Izoperm Plus vapour control system, designed for internal applications in energy efficient buildings, has become the first fire-rated solution in this class developed in Ireland.
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From the magazine
Blogs
How will we decarbonise heating?
Insulating our homes is critical and must be our first priority, but how do we get the rest of the way to zero carbon? Dr Peter Rickaby investigates the options…
Why the Green Homes Grant failed
The Green Homes Grant scheme failed because politicians failed to heed more than a decade of lessons about how to do retrofit well, writes Dr Peter Rickaby, and now there will be an even bigger hill to climb.
On the 3D printing of buildings
Building physics expert Toby Cambray finds himself unconvinced by the merits of a new home in the Netherlands that has been 3D printed with concrete.
The emergence of thermal bridging & thermal bypass
In his latest column, Dr Marc Ó Riain takes a look back at the some of the first projects to address the phenomena of thermal bridging and thermal bypass in buildings.
Measuring humidity, the old school way
A chance purchase on eBay leads buildings physics expert Toby Cambray to admire the aesthetics and mechanics of old scientific instruments.
Shooting the moon
The concept of building back better and greener, popular early in the pandemic, is now in danger of being abandoned in the rush to return to ‘normal’ — but we always have the power to shape what normal is, writes Dr Peter Rickaby.
1970s Arkansas & Illinois prototypes: progress towards passive house
In his latest column, Dr Marc O’Riain looks back at two American prototypes for the passive house standard that embraced heat pump technology as well as principles of superinsulation and airtightness.
Is Enerphit the key to decarbonising existing homes?
With increasing attention turning to cutting carbon emissions from existing homes to meet carbon reduction targets, Duncan Smith, housing asset and energy strategy manager at Renfrewshire County Council in Scotland, argues that approaches which improve comfort and dramatically reduce energy bills must be front and centre.
Do your walls behave like a Jaffa Cake?
Toby Cambray writes on the many lessons that the inimitable biscuit cake can teach us about how building materials deal with moisture.
COP 26 & the future of the Glasgow tenements
Duncan Smith reflects on the social and architectural significance of Glasgow's tenement flats, and their potential place in a zero carbon future, as the city prepares to host COP 26.
Green Homes Grants: where did it go wrong, and what comes next?
The Green Homes Grant scheme failed because politicians failed to heed more than a decade of lessons about how to do retrofit well, writes Dr Peter Rickaby, and now there will be an even bigger hill to climb.
The condensation myth
Condensation within the structure of buildings is a lot more complex than condensation in a sweaty pub on a Friday night, writes building physics expert Toby Cambray.
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 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 thermal breaks
Building physics take no prisoners. Anyone designing, constructing or upgrading the thermal envelope of a building to modern energy performance levels is duty bound to understand and minimise thermal bridging, or suffer the consequences. One-man thermal bridging encyclopaedia Andrew Lundberg of Passivate, who teaches thermal bridging analysis at Dublin Institute of Technology, gives some practical advice on why and how to tackle thermal bridging head on, and describes some of the leading innovations in thermally broken components.
19-04-2018 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