Ireland - passivehouseplus.co.uk

GMS Insulations Ltd, the Irish distributor for Icynene spray foam insulations, has announced the launch of a range of new Icynene products to the Irish and UK markets. 

Low energy building contractor and developer Linham Construction is currently on site with a new five-unit development in Fairview, Co Dublin. The project will feature five ultra low energy houses, all of which have already been sold to a housing association to provide for social housing needs in the area. 

Low energy building and airtightness specialists Partel have warned of the importance of ensuring any flat roof construction is properly designed to prevent interstitial condensation and the accumulation of moisture. 

As part of the Passive House Association of Ireland southern region programme of CPD in passive house building knowledge, members have kindly agreed to open their passive building projects for site visits as a learning resource for builders, architects, students, systems installers and potential clients.

SuperHomes, a groundbreaking project designed to help homeowners to upgrade their homes to an A3 BER is open for applications. 

Leading low energy and passive house builder Pat Doran Construction Ltd recently picked up two leading construction industry awards for its Enerphit-standard upgrade to an early 20th century house in Rathgar, Co Dublin.

Passive house indeed works everywhere was the core message at the second annual South Pacific Passive House Conference, writes Andrew Michler. The conference was held in Melbourne on 12-13 February. While just a handful of passive houses have been completed in Australia so far, a sizable contingent from New Zealand came to the conference armed with multiple examples of how even warm climate buildings benefit from the energy savings, comfort and critically the health of a passive house. With a major spike in asthma from damp and mouldy homes, the principles such as airtightness, controlled air exchange, and thermal bridge free design are finally being accepted as the best solution in this part of the world. 

Two leading Irish manufacturers of passive house components have both received passive house certification for their systems. 

A cross sectoral group of organisations from government, local authorities, industry and charities met on 25 May to develop an ambitious strategy to improve the quality of the Irish existing housing stock 

The Irish Green Building Council has launched a voluntary quality labelling scheme for new residential development in Dublin. The label, called the Home Performance Index (HPI), goes well beyond the existing building energy rating (BER) system to look at a wider range of issues that impact the quality and sustainability of new residential construction. 

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has launched the EXEED (Excellence in Energy Efficient Design) certified programme, a new management framework which complements the Irish Energy Efficient Design Standard IS399. Up to €250,000 per applicant has been made available in 2016 for businesses or organisations undertaking a building retrofit, facility or process upgrade which follows the EXEED principles to maximise energy efficiency. 

As part of the CavityTherm built-in full fill insulation system, Xtratherm have developed CavityTherm Flex, a continuous wall insulation system delivering “ultimate thermal performance” with the addition of a flexible 25mm fibre to accept uneven surfaces 

Innovative ventilation supplier Lunos has picked up awards for its decentralised heat recovery ventilation and demand-controlled ventilation systems. 

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland’s (SEAI) annual two-day business-to-business event, the Energy Show 2016, was a huge success with visitors up a quarter on last year. 

Green Building TV, a new community platform that uses video to communicate ideas, products and services between buyers and sellers — all relating to the sustainable construction sector — is set to go live in mid June. 

Unelected officials in Dublin City Council have rejected the decision by city councillors to make the passive house standard or equivalent energy performance standards a mandatory planning condition for all new buildings in the city. The council also included a statement to protect the route of the controversial Eastern Bypass, in spite of councillors voting against it. 

World-renowned author, environmentalist and advisor to the Democratic Party Bill McKibben has praised the green leadership that Ireland is starting to show through Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and Dublin City Council voting to make the passive house standard or demonstrably equivalent alternatives mandatory for all new buildings. 

75% of the housing stock will need to be upgraded to A2 BERs by 2050 if Ireland is to hit its 80% CO2 emissions reductions target. 

The prestigious Red Dot Design award for 2016 has been given to Fakro for the DEF DU6 flat roof window 

Leading renewable technology supplier Unipipe has become the Irish distributors for the Austrian Smartflower – which the company claim is the world’s first self-contained solar PV system. 

Ecological Building Systems has extended its innovative range of thermal solutions to include Bosig Phonotherm 200, a compressive resistant thermal insulation. Bosig, the manufacturer of Phonotherm 200 was founded in Germany over 35 years ago. 

It is well documented that parapets allow conductive materials to transfer energy through the thermal barrier and are therefore just as prone to the problems of thermal bridging as balconies. 

SMET Building Products has advised those specifying floor screed to avoid product failure, particularly in heated screeds, by ensuring their choice of products meets the right standards. “Historically, floor screed failures have regularly resulted from the interaction of heated screed constructions with a wide range of coverings. Failure by the contractor to check on residual moisture and consequent installation of coverings on an overly wet screed may have serious implications for the durability and longevity of the flooring,” said Joris Smet of SMET Building Products. 

Folding attic stairs are a common addition to many homes in Ireland but, like any product that requires cutting a larger aperture in the building fabric, it has the potential to leak air like a sieve. 

Leading external insulation supplier Hammond Roof & Energy has launched a new technical roadshow series promoting the Soltherm external insulation system – at a live passive house construction site in Carlow.

More buyers are opting for cheaper windows which meet or come close to passive house requirements rather than fully certified ones in a bid to keep costs down, according to Stephen Harmon of Harmon Vinduer. 

A Galway-based timber frame construction firm established last year that specialises in passive house has committed to using 100 per cent ecological building materials and advanced technologies to keep its environmental footprint to a minimum. 

Lintels may be the most important thermal bridge to tackle in a building, a leading lintel supplier has claimed. 

Investing in heat recovery ventilation units without paying due attention to distribution systems may risk undermining energy performance and indoor air quality, a leading ventilation expert has warned. 

Archers of Ballina has become a licensed Irish stockist of Technopor glass foam aggregate.