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News
Plain English book tells story of embodied carbon
Canadian green building writer and architect Lloyd Alter has published a book to explain the importance of embodied carbon in simple terms.
70 per cent grants for passive house training
There may never be a better time for companies to upskill their staff in passive house, Enerphit and net zero construction – thanks to new 70 per cent grants.
Pilot UK net zero carbon buildings standard launched
A pilot version of the UK’s first cross-industry standard for net zero carbon-aligned buildings has been launched.
Green homes a “multi-trillion euros opportunity” – but greenwashing must end
Europe’s burgeoning green homes market is a multi-trillion euros opportunity – but lenders must be wary of facilitating greenwashing, a pan-European consortium has warned.
Study: gas cooking killing 40,000 Europeans per year
Gas cooking is killing 40,000 European people a year in Europe, a major new study has revealed, with an average of almost two years taken off their life in the EU and United Kingdom due to exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emitted during gas cooking.The countries with the highest burden were Italy, Poland, Romania, France and the UK.
£30m passive scheme launched in Down
Multi-award winning Belfast-based property developer, Fraser Millar, has launched Northern Ireland’s second large-scale residential passive house development – a 74-unit scheme of detached and semi-detached homes at a total project value of £30m.
Unilin appoints new general manager for the UK and Ireland
Aidan Doyle has joined insulation manufacturer, Unilin Insulation, as General Manager for both the Ireland and UK businesses.
St Albans passive house scheme launches, promising luxury and energy income
Home buyers seeking sustainable luxury and energy income in a sought-after part of England have a rare opportunity with a newly launched passive house scheme in St Albans.
Scotland committed to continuing passive house journey
Patrick Harvie MSP, the Scottish government’s minister for zero carbon buildings, active travel and tenants' rights, was a keynote speaker at the UK Passivhaus Conference in Edinburgh on 17 October, and shared his vision for energy efficient and low carbon buildings in Scotland.
AECB conference 2023: from edible landscaping to whole life carbon
Delegates at the 2023 AECB Conference heard a wide range of speakers covering everything from guerrilla edible planting to peak oil to detailed discussions on whole life carbon calculation.
Free programme to bring passive house to UK architecture students
A new free-to-access training programme, Design Performance for Climate Action, provides architecture students across the UK with a solid foundation in climate-responsive building design – with passive house at its core.
Sustainable bodies criticise Future Homes lack of ambition
Three leading sustainable building organisations have expressed disappointment with the government’s proposed Future Homes Standard, which went to consultation in December, along with proposals for non-domestic buildings.
AECB conference: building, climate chaos and biodiversity collapse
The AECB 2023 Conference will focus on providing solutions required for building in an age of climate chaos and biodiversity collapse.
Design and performance centre stage at UK Passivhaus Awards
A pioneering co-housing scheme, a cube-shaped self build, a cork and polyester- insulated retrofit to a 1970s house, a glulam timber school, and a curved college building were the winners at the 2023 UK Passivhaus Awards.
UN pushes for radical sustainable building action
The United Nations is pushing for a rapid drive to make the world’s buildings sustainable – aided by an international coalition centred in the Wexford town of Enniscorthy.
New Licence Plus scheme undermines retrofit standards, experts say
TrustMark defends scheme & says it creates a pathway to PAS 2035
Show Me the Bodies: How We Let Grenfell Happen
Simon Jones reviews new book exploring the Grenfell tragedy.
Scotland to mandate passive house for new homes
Scotland’s minister for zero carbon buildings is proposing to make the passive house standard, or a new Scottish equivalent, the minimum energy efficiency standard for new build homes from the end of 2024.
Must listen: Zero Ambitions Podcast
Over the past two years Passive House Plus editor Jeff Colley has been moonlighting as co-host of Zero Ambitions, a weekly podcast that wrestles with the challenge of how to deliver the scale and ambition of decarbonisation and sustainability in buildings required to avoid a hellish future.
WorldGBC launches green building policy principles for governments
The World Green Building Council (WorldGBC) has launched a set of principles aimed at guiding national governments to develop effective building policies and programmes to accelerate a decarbonised future.
Passive house isn’t just about efficiency – it’s about social justice
The potential of the passive house standard to change the world isn’t restricted to tackling climate change – it’s about social justice too.
EU votes through EPBD recast
Changes include embodied carbon, zero emission buildings and minimum energy standards
Thermal bypass paper published
The Passivhaus Trust has published a new technical paper on thermal bypass – the phenomenon where air movement across, within and behind insulation increases heat loss, causes discomfort and enables mould growth.
Exeter's leading-edge leisure centre provided inspiration for UK Conference
This year’s UK Passivhaus Conference was held in Exeter, reflecting Exeter City Council’s record for developing buildings to the passive house standard over the last decade.
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Marketplace
Lung disease patient: Zehnder MVHR “the best thing I’ve ever had”
A Scottish lung disease patient has credited a Zehnder heat recovery ventilation system with causing such a significant improvement in his respiratory health that he’s been taken off a lung transplant list.
06-12-2024 Marketplace
Proctor creates head of global sales for modular offsite sector
A. Proctor Group has announced the promotion of Adam Salt to the position of head of global sales modular offsite, effective immediately.
06-12-2024 Marketplace
Why airtightness, moisture and ventilation matter for passive house
Ecological Building Systems technical specification advisor Dave Judd looks at airtightness, active moisture control and effective ventilation in passive house properties.
06-12-2024 Marketplace
Ireland’s first 3D printed homes insulated with clay foam
Ireland’s first 3D printed housing project has been delivered in Dundalk – integrating Firetite aerated clay cavity wall insulation.
20-11-2024 Marketplace
Sisk-led consortium secures £500,000 fund from Innovate UK
Sisk, in collaboration with a consortium of leading low carbon industry experts, has announced that it has been successful in securing £500,000 from Innovate UK funding as part of the…
Unilin UK launches embodied carbon report
Leading insulation manufacturer Unilin has produced a report on calculating and reducing embodied carbon while using the company’s products.
Zehnder launches MVHR system for tight spaces
Zehnder Group UK has launched the Zehnder ComfoAir Flex – a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery (MVHR) specifically designed for tight spaces and challenging installation environments.
Tackling UK carbon emissions with Passive Ecowall
Carbon emissions originating from the construction and operation of buildings in the UK constitute a sizeable portion of the country’s overall emissions, amounting to 40 per cent.
Beattie Passive appoints self-build manager
Passive house pioneer and offsite modular construction specialist Beattie Passive is delighted to announce the appointment of Simon Clarke to the newly created role of client solutions manager.
Partel launches paper-based membranes
Galway-based sustainable building product supplier Partel has launched two new paper-based membrane products, Izoperm Plus Eco and Vara Plus Eco.
Beattie Passive announces appointments
Passive house pioneer and modular construction specialist Beattie Passive has made a series of appointments to strengthen its project management, HR, and architectural design teams.
Partel launches range of airtight grommets and accessories
Leading manufacturer of air and windtight systems Partel has announced the launch of the Kabseal line of airtight solutions for detail sealing, in addition to its new airtight electrical back…
Daikin sustainable solutions on display in BBC Earth Experience
Heat pump giant Daikin has sponsored a groundbreaking sustainable building in London, for the BBC Earth Experience.
Avoid thermal bridging with Bosig Phonotherm 200 (RG550)
Thermal bridges will most likely occur where one building element meets another, for example a wall meeting a window.
Proctor opts for PV to cut emissions
The A. Proctor Group factory in Blairgowrie has recently been upgraded with solar PV panels to provide a significant part of its energy from renewable sources and substantially reduce its…
Eco Slate boost circularity credentials with UK production
Sustainable roof product supplier Ecoroofing Systems Ltd has boosted its circularity credentials – by opening a UK-based processing plant.
Beattie Passive lands frameworks and ISO certification
Pioneering passive house modular housing provider Beattie Passive has had a busy start to 2023: being named a supplier on two multibillion pound frameworks for new build and retrofit, achieving…
Proctor launches range of online services
Sustainable building product supplier A. Proctor Group has introduced a new online U-value calculator, condensation risk analysis software, and members area with a range of technical supports available to architects…
Partel develops two new fire-rated breather membranes
Partel, a leading manufacturer of airtight and windtight membranes, has developed two new fire-rated breather membranes that exceed current fire safety regulation levels for high-rise and high-risk buildings: Exoperm Duro…
Triotherm+ thermal brackets enter UK market
Specialist thermal break manufacturer Meesenburg Group has entered the UK market, introducing the Triotherm+ range of thermal brackets to prevent heat loss and mould risk at window and door reveals…
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From the magazine
Blogs
In defense of fabric
As the grid gets greener and the case for heat pumps as a decarbonisation silver bullet becomes increasingly compelling, questions are starting to be asked about how far we need to go with retrofitting building fabric – or whether we need improve fabric at all. We ignore fabric at our peril, warns Toby Cambray.
Out of the blue - a passive revolution
Near the peak of the Celtic Tiger – at a time when developers were throwing up often sub-standard homes at a record pace, one self-build project pointed to a different approach, writes Dr Marc Ó Riain.
Buy, hold or sell
Recent analysis has suggested a slowdown in the property sector for 2024, but what impact might a drop in inflation have? Mel Reynolds runs the numbers.
An early green building in a changing Ireland
It’s fair to say that green building wasn’t a thing in early 90s Ireland, which makes one extraordinary Dublin project from 1994 all the more remarkable, as Dr. Marc O Riain writes.
Bedding sustainability into British buildings: Bioregional’s BedZed
Shortlisted for the Stirling Prize in 2003, BedZed was a prominent example of architecture starting to pay attention to sustainability. But how well did it work? In the latest part of his series on the history of low energy architecture, Dr. Marc O Riain looks back at a landmark project.
Awaab Ishak’s death shows that building physics are a life and death matter
Advances in building physics in recent years are leading to an ever-increasing understanding among experts of the risks that a litany of pollutants can pose to building occupants. But this has not stopped vulnerable people from living – and dying - in substandard buildings that exacerbate these risks. Urgent action is needed, Toby Cambray explains, to better communicate and decisively tackle the risks buildings can pose to their occupants.
Mainstreaming retrofit – a massive missed opportunity
The scale of the retrofit challenge facing the UK and Ireland will require an army of tradespeople to upgrade homes – leading many to the conclusion that a new retrofit industry needs to be built from scratch. But is a more realistic answer staring us in the face – a thriving existing industry of trusted local tradespeople, asks Dr Catrin Maby OBE.
Does nuclear have a role to play in decarbonising energy?
One zero carbon energy source has historically been vehemently opposed by environmentalists. But can nuclear power overcome the high-profile failures of its past, asks Dr. Marc O Riain, or has the technology missed the boat?
Is it okay to retrofit heat pumps before building fabric?
How flexible can heat pumps be to handle what may be inexactly defined heating demands, asks Toby Cambray?
Enniskillen passive house camp attracts international audience
The passive house camp recently took place from 26-29 September at South West College's passive house premium-certified Erne Campus and the Centre for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technologies (CREST).
Why we wrote Designing for the Climate Emergency
Over the last century architects have unwittingly played a key role in terms of climate collapse and a slew of linked catastrophic environmental and social harms. A new book aims to change that.
Bad retrofit is worse than no retrofit
But doing retrofit well and at scale remains an enormous technical and financial challenge, writes Dr Peter Rickaby.
The PH+ 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 overheating
As awareness of the urgency of the climate crisis grows, efforts to kickstart en masse deep energy efficiency interventions are gathering apace. But poorly conceived low energy building efforts can lead to unintended consequences including overheating – a risk that’s bound to grow as the world warms up. Phi Architecture co-founder Claire Jamieson details the risks and offers some solutions on how to create low energy buildings that are comfortable in summer and winter.
09-04-2021 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
The PH+ guide to insulating foundations
While understanding wall and roof insulation is relatively straightforward, insulation under the ground floor can be a bit of a mystery by comparison. Not only is it buried in the ground, but there are notoriously tricky spots like the wall-floor junction that need to be detailed and insulated properly. And the design of your foundation often depends on site conditions and the type of structure you’re going to build, too. In this guide, we explain some different ways of insulating one of the most challenging parts of the building envelope.
10-06-2019 Guides