Burning wood might not be as environmentally friendly as you think. In fact, burning solid fuels of all kinds is making us sick. The environmental world has come a long way since I wrote an article for this magazine on heating/energy choices for both new builds and occupied homes. In 2015 I did not mention […] More
Making your home cheaper to run this coming winter is likely to be on your radar and if so, chances are you’ve been thinking about replacing your boiler with a heat pump. In this article we cover: The first question to ask is whether an insulation upgrade alone, which you would need to do anyway […] More
Changes to the ventilation and energy efficiency requirements come into force on the 1st of November in ROI for new and existing homes; here’s what you need to know. In this article we cover: There has been a continuing ramping up of minimum energy standards in buildings over the past 15 years as a response […] More
Biomass is organic matter used as a fuel. It covers everything from fish oil and bone meal to wood and energy crops; for your home it’s likely to mean a log, wood chip or a wood pellet burning boiler or stove as other fuel sources are not yet feasible on a small scale. Almost everyone […] More
Your guide to installing PV panels in Ireland including types of systems, sizing, installation and battery options. This article covers: Benefits of PV What a PV system looks like Finding the right size PV system for your home Storing excess electricity Battery types, ratings and capacity, lifetime and AC DC coupling The ROI Department of […] More
How Denise and Matt Donoghue’s research led them to devise an innovative heating and hot water system. When Denise and Matt got married over a decade ago they set up their base on Matt’s family agricultural holdings, and lived in the farmhouse that had been on the land for over 100 years. The couple carried […] More
A boiler is a device that heats water for space heating and hot water. The most common fuel for a boiler is natural gas. But diesel oil, liquid petroleum gas (LPG), electricity, biomass, heat from the air or the ground, and even logs or coal can be used as fuels. This article covers: For safety […] More
The most widespread standard to building a house that doesn’t require a centralised heating system comes from the Passive House Institute in Germany. Here are the basic precepts. This article covers: To qualify as a passive house from the Passive House Institute in Germany, you need to heat your home with very little energy, roughly […] More
Daire Bracken is an accomplished musician, architect, and yes, self-builder! For his own house renovation project he tapped into all five of his senses to deliver a unique family home. “To match the neighbouring buildings, I had to choose between brick and render. I chose brick,” explains Daire, whose terraced home is sandwiched between buff […] More
Is the Coefficient of Performance (COP) the best way to compare heat pumps? In this article we cover: What COP is What other factors to consider when comparing heat pumps Factors that determine operating efficiency Importance of system sizing and installation COP or the Coefficient of Performance is a measure designed to show how many […] More
Emmanuelle Quinlivan of Co Cork had to juggle tricky soil conditions with her desire to build a passive house. Overview House size: 360 sqmSite size: 1 acreBuild cost: €367,000House value: €420,000BER: A2Airtightness: 0.4 ACH @50Pa Four years ago Emmanuelle was looking for an antidote to the damp, draughty and hard to heat home she was living in. It was only when […] More
Ireland actually enjoys a very healthy amount of solar radiation, not unlike that of the South of England, so what do you need to know to retrofit a solar thermal system in your home? With passive houses becoming ever more popular and a greatly increased awareness of the value of ‘free’ energy, as well as […] More
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