Issue 41 - passivehouseplus.ie

This home on the edge of the Cotswolds, built with cross-laminated timber, now holds the distinction of being the UK’s most airtight home, with the client even doing a significant chunk of the airtightness taping himself. What’s more, it demonstrates how passive homes that generate their own renewable power may escape the worst of the energy price crisis.

Rural Ireland has a crisis of dereliction, with numerous government policies aimed at breathing new life into thousands of old, vacant buildings. The careful transformation of one 19th century schoolhouse into a small, beautiful home shows a way forward for the sensitive, climate-conscious renovation of many of these properties.

In the aftermath of COP26, Dr Peter Rickaby asks what is the government’s plan to deliver the deep, whole-house, quality-assured retrofits needed to get us to net zero by 2050?

The energy crises of the 1970s did not prompt a major shift in Europe from foreign oil and gas towards energy efficiency and renewables. Will we learn this time around, wonders Dr Marc O Riain

Our abundance of holiday homes and other vacant dwellings could be used to house Ukrainian refugees, writes Mel Reynolds.

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.

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.

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

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.

Ecological Building Systems has expressed its disappointment with the latest updates to Part L of the building regulations in England.

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.

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.

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 construction of passive house and low energy buildings.

Retrokit, the Irish clean tech start-up whose software platform helps housing professionals to make evidence-based decisions for energy upgrade projects, has tailored its software for one-stop-shops managing retrofits under the national home energy upgrade programme.

Leading precast concrete facade manufacturer Techrete has pledged to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

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 major step for the industry after tackling operational energy.

Some one-stop-shops will not take on projects with new build extensions.

Latest climate report calls for more e cient use of floor space in buildings