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News
Max Fordham House verified as UK’s first net zero carbon home
Max Fordham House in North London has become the first residential building in the UK to be verified as net zero carbon. Located in the London Borough of Camden, this certified passive house was designed for, and lived in by, the late legendary engineer Max Fordham.
Renfrewshire aims for 3,500 whole-house deep retrofits
A major new social housing retrofit programme by Renfrewshire Council will see up to 3,500 local authority dwellings renovated to either Enerphit or the AECB Retrofit Standard.
UK’s first passive leisure centre nears completion
St Sidwell’s Point Leisure Centre in Exeter, the first passive-certified leisure centre in the UK, is set to open to the public on 29 April
New EU law will mandate renovation of inefficient buildings
Green groups criticise lack of focus on embodied carbon. The European Commission is proposing sweeping changes to the way in which energy ratings for buildings are allocated, in a bid to stimulate the retrofit of the worst performing buildings across Europe.
Rebuilt Low Energy Buildings Database to become key international resource
Leading sustainable building association the AECB has secured funding to create an international resource to share detailed information on low energy buildings in the UK, Ireland and, ultimately, internationally, via a rebuild of the Low Energy Buildings Database (LEBD).
Disappointment at new building energy standards
Review finds that SAP is not fit for purpose, by Kate de Selincourt.
TEDx passive house talk now available online
Passive House Plus editor and publisher Jeff Colley’s TEDx talk on the passive house standard is now available to view online.
Welsh social housing to embrace passive house, timber & life cycle assessment
The Welsh government has issued a new standard for social housing that requires an embodied carbon assessment, favours timber-based offsite construction, and bans fossil fuel boilers.
UK sustainable building groups become UN centres of excellence
At COP26, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) recognised the UK’s Sustainable Development Foundation (SDF), along with South West College in Northern Ireland and the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre, as international centres of excellence for high performance buildings.
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.
Passive house celebrates 30th birthday at international conference
The Passive House Institute celebrated the low energy standard’s 30th birthday at the 25th International Passive House Conference in September. Around seven hundred participants registered for the conference, which mostly took place online due to Covid.
Window-opening unreliable for ventilation, study finds
A comparison between two pairs of households in Switzerland suggests that people do not reliably compensate for lack of mechanical ventilation with more window opening.
Study confirms “systematic inequalities” in indoor air pollution
A new analysis of the exposure of London households to indoor pollutants highlights “systematic inequalities” in exposure, overwhelmingly driven by factors beyond the control of those people worst affected.
International passive house conference kicks off
The winners of the international Passive House Award will be announced on Friday 10 September as part of the 25th International Passive House Conference, which is fully available online. Tickets to the conference are still available.
Growing use of CO2 monitors to slow Covid spread
While the Irish government is delivering CO2 monitors to schools to help prevent the spread of Covid-19, and some European regions have mandated the use of such monitors in all buildings open to the public, the UK has yet to introduce such measures and has removed the requirement for mask-wearing in schools.
Agar Grove, Larch Corner & Cranmer Road win at Passivhaus Awards
The redevelopment of Agar Grove by Camden Council in London was the winner of the large project award at this year’s UK Passivhaus Awards, which were held on 30 June.
Passive House Plus editor to speak at TEDx
Passive House Plus editor Jeff Colley will be speaking at the TEDx Tralee event on 15 October.
Erne Campus is world’s largest passive house premium building
South West College’s new Erne Campus building in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, is the world’s largest, and the first educational building, to be certified to the passive house premium standard, the Passive House Institute has confirmed.
Cavity wall builds can meet RIBA carbon targets, new analysis suggests
A detailed analysis of the embodied carbon of six common build types has indicated that dwellings built with business-as-usual build specs of cavity wall construction and strip foundations may be able to meet the revised embodied carbon targets for dwellings in RIBA’s 2030 Climate Challenge.
Passive house turns 30
The passive house standard is celebrating its 30th birthday this year. The world’s first passive houses were built in Darmstadt, Germany in 1991.
Thermal breaks webinar - watch online
On June 8, 2021 Passive House Plus, in association with Farrat, chaired a hugely informative roundtable on thermal breaks. If you missed it, the video can now be viewed online.
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Marketplace
Mitsubishi heat pumps 6-7 times lower CO2 than condensing gas boilers
Leading sustainable heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems manufacturer Mitsubishi Electric has produced analysis showing the whole life carbon calculations of its heat pumps may be six to seven times lower than comparable condensing gas boilers.
13-05-2022 Marketplace
Ecological disappointed at ‘unambitious’ Part L
Ecological Building Systems has expressed its disappointment with the latest updates to Part L of the building regulations in England.
13-05-2022 Marketplace
Andy Mitchell appointed CEO of Green Building Store
Green Building Store has announced the appointment of Andy Mitchell as its new managing director, helping to build on the company’s established position at the forefront of the low energy and passive house building market.
13-05-2022 Marketplace
Steico offering free wood fibre insulation samples
Leading German wood fibre manufacturer Steico is now offering free samples of its Steicoflex wood fibre insulation to anyone in the UK or Ireland who requests it.
13-05-2022 Marketplace
Partel launches new Acraline Roll adhesive
Partel has upgraded the performance and functionality of its Acraline Roll adhesive with new technical features. The company said that Acraline offers a “unique sealing solution for membranes” in the…
EPDs key to reducing embodied carbon – Munster Joinery
Leading Irish window manufacturer Munster Joinery has emphasised the importance of environmental product declarations (EPDs) for reducing embodied carbon in buildings. The company sees reducing embodied carbon as the next…
Top 5 questions about specifying structural thermal breaks
Read Farrat's guide to specifying structural thermal breaks
Dulux Decorator Centre launches carbon reduction plan
Dulux Decorator Centre has committed to an ambitious carbon reduction plan to help specifiers reduce their environmental impact and provide a more attractive offering for climate-conscious clients.
Kilsaran launch lower carbon cement with CarbonCure
Kilsaran has announced the signing of a new partnership agreement with CarbonCure Technologies to bring a lower carbon cement to its clients. The project represents a €1m investment by Kilsaran and…
Ecocel supplying English developer Bell Blue
Cork-based cellulose insulation manufacturer Ecocel is now supplying its blown cellulose insulation to English developer Bell Blue.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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From the magazine
Blogs
Lifting retrofit out of its silo
There has been a sleuth of recent reports on how to retrofit Britain’s existing homes, but we must think deeper than the practical matter of reducing energy and carbon, to how we create beautiful places to live, writes Peter Rickaby.
The 1980s: A renewable revolution undermined
Marc O Riain explores how policy on both side of the Atlantic in the 1980s sabotaged a nascent revolution in renewables and energy conservation.
How do breather membranes work?
How do underlays manage to let water vapour through while keeping the rain out? Toby Cambray delves into the physics…
Let’s get decarbonisation done
While there is much debate about whether we should prioritise retrofitting homes or installing heat pumps, the climate crisis means we may not have a choice but to do both as fast as possible, writes Toby Cambray.
The Saskatchewan House, 1977
In his latest column on the history of low energy building during the 20th century, Dr Marc Ó Riain looks back at the Saskatchewan House, which was built in Canada in 1977, and established the principle of prioritising energy demand reduction over active systems.
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.
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 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 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
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