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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