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News
BEAM launch new app for easy MVHR control
Industry-leading mechanical ventilation company BEAM Vacuum & Ventilation has launched a new mobile phone app for their award-winning, next generation HERU heat recovery ventilation range.
New book aims to demystify passive house design
The second edition of the book Understanding Passivhaus by Emma Walshaw of First In Architecture is out now. The book is designed to provide a brief, clear and complete guide to building a passive home.
Grenfell inquiry hears of damning test culture
Before it was halted until January 2021, the Grenfell Tower inquiry heard a series of damning testimonies on the culture towards fire safety within leading building material manufacturers and certification bodies in the years leading up to the fire.
Marketplace
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.
12-01-2021 Marketplace
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.
08-01-2021 Marketplace
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 their embodied energy.
08-01-2021 Marketplace
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 more important than ever, says Smartlouvre managing director Andrew Cooper.
14-10-2020 Marketplace
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.
Remote home monitoring can help in Covid fight – iOpt Assets
Glasgow-based remote home sensing provider iOpt Assets believes its digital monitoring service can help to significantly limit maintenance visits by local authority and housing association staff, reducing one potential avenue…
New passive vet centre opens in Wigan
Veterinarian and passive house enthusiast Chris Copeman, whose £60,000 passive house retrofit was featured in Passive House Plus issue 29, has built a new veterinary practice in Wigan that is…
Built Environment completes ‘mammoth’ MVHR installation
Built Environment Technology Ltd are supplying an innovative MVHR system with geothermal intake ducts at a luxury new-build home for a private client and his family, in Surrey.
Partel launches new fire-rated breather membrane
Low energy building product supplier Partel has launched a new premium class of protective flame-retardant breather membrane to the UK market. EXOPERM MONO DURO 200, with a Euroclass B fire rating, is designed…
Size is key for MVHR — CVC Direct
When it comes to MVHR, size does matter, according to leading system designer and supplier CVC Direct.
Ecological launch new website and online training
Ecological Building Systems have announced the launch of a new website, aiming to support professionals and homeowners alike to achieve better results from their next project.
Xtratherm secures EPD for Thin-R boards
Leading insulation manufacturer Xtratherm has become the latest company to receive an environmental product declaration (EPD) under the Irish EPD programme. Xtratherm’s EPD is for its Thin-R range of PIR…
Why shading is a major issue in our hospitals
Daylighting, overheating, glare and lack of natural, insect-free ventilation remain significant issues in UK hospitals and may be hampering the ability of patients to recover, and hospital staff to properly…
Future Homes is “all talk no action” — George Clarke
Leading TV architect George Clarke has slammed plans for the government’s Future Homes Standard as “all talk no action” and being “too little and taking too much time”.
Design your MVHR for a pollution-free home — Solarcrest
Leading ventilation supplier Solarcrest has advised anyone specifying a mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) system to ensure it is properly designed to deal with local air pollution issues.
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Blogs
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.
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 PH+ guides
Timber frame & mass timber: the Passive House Plus guide to structural timber construction
Fuelled by the need to build quickly and to increasingly tight sustainability standards, the market for timber frame and mass timber construction is growing rapidly. This detailed guide covers many of the main established and emerging techniques, and looks at key issues to address if you’re considering a timber-based build.
05-07-2019 Guides
The PH+ guide to airtightness
Once poorly understood by the mainstream building industry, airtightness is now increasingly seen as one of the most crucial objectives on any building project. Not only is it vital for energy efficiency, it’s also key for thermal comfort and for protecting a building’s structure from dampness and mould. In this comprehensive guide to airtightness, we look at why it’s so important, how exactly it’s measured, and most importantly, how to achieve it on site.
04-02-2019 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
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
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