Energy Efficiency, Airtightness & The Environment Archives - Page 6 of 8

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in Advice, Energy Efficiency, Airtightness & The Environment, Extension/Renovation Advice, Insulation and airtightness: Watchpoints

Quick guide to energy efficient homes

An energy efficient home is built to be well insulated, airtight and ideally, environmentally friendly. Here’s what you need to know if building in Ireland today. In this article we cover: Your airtightness and insulation strategy will depend on how you build your house, what your overall aim is for energy efficiency, and how you plan […] More

by Patrick Waterfield September 13, 2021, 1:24 pm
in Budget & Financing, Energy Efficiency, Airtightness & The Environment, News, Pre design

More people eligible for grants in NI

The Affordable Warmth grant, which funds energy upgrades in the homes of low income earners, has widened its eligibility criteria. In this article we cover: The income threshold for the Affordable Warmth grants has been increased from £20k to £23k. Some benefits will no longer be included in the calculation of income, including disability living […] More

by Astrid Madsen September 1, 2021, 12:47 pm
in Budget & Financing, Energy Efficiency, Airtightness & The Environment, News, Pre design

Woodlands Grants

If you are self-building in a remote location, and own a large site, a well-managed woodland could be a sustainable solution to all of your fuel needs. Good news comes in the form of the NI Woodland Grant Schemes, which opened in June. To qualify you will need to plant 0.2 hectare (about half an […] More

by Astrid Madsen August 30, 2021, 12:53 pm
in Building methods, Cost savers, Design, Energy Efficiency, Airtightness & The Environment, Heating systems, Insulation and airtightness: Watchpoints, On site, Podcast, Pre design, Renewables & Sustainability, SB+ Podcasts, Ventilation and heating systems: Watchpoints

Ep 41 – Passive House design with PV Panels

Episode 41 – Rodger O’Connor explains how he designed his home to be super energy efficient, including his insulation and airtightness strategy, choice of heating systems, photovoltaic panels and how he managed the build. Read the full article and see the images here. Favourite More

by Astrid Madsen August 24, 2021, 8:35 am
in Building methods, Energy Efficiency, Airtightness & The Environment, Pre design, SB+ TV, Sponsored Content

Meet a self-builder in NI who has built his house from ICF Ballantine Building Solutions

Meet a self-builder in NI who’s built his house from IntegraSPEC insulating concrete formwork (ICF) and who outlines the benefits of this building method, with visuals of the house under construction. Favourite More

by Selfbuild Live June 21, 2021, 8:37 am
in Direct labour tasks, Direct labour vs main contractor, Energy Efficiency, Airtightness & The Environment, Insurance and warranty cover, News

Self-build dreams shattered due to lack of insurance

DIY self-builders who plan to build with anything but blockwork are struggling to get insurance. Síofra Ní Chonluain and Mark McHugh’s decision to self-build was in large part driven by their desire to build themselves an affordable, eco friendly home. “We chose a factory made timber frame system that is exceptionally energy efficient, made by Scandinavian […] More

by Astrid Madsen May 16, 2021, 3:30 pm
in Budget & Financing, Choosing windows and doors, Cost savers, Design, Energy Efficiency, Airtightness & The Environment, Heating systems, Podcast, Pre design, Provisions for on-site electricity, water, SB+ Podcasts

Ep 36 – Budget friendly renovation in Kerry

Episode 36 – Mark Coleman explains how he renovated a tired old bungalow into a stylish family home. His choices were guided by the budget and achieving an affordable home to heat. He chats about:-Wall and roof insulation, and why he didn’t need external wall insulation.-Why he chose an LPG boiler based on payback times.-Turning […] More

by Selfbuild Live May 3, 2021, 4:21 pm
in Energy Efficiency, Airtightness & The Environment, First fix: Watchpoints, Heating systems, News

NSAI Building Services Codes of Practice

The latest Standard Recommendation (S.R.) from the National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) in relation to building services has just been published (26th April 2021), and it deals with the design and installation of heat pumps in homes. This new Standard Recommendation (S.R. 50-4:2021) is one of a suite of measures developed by the NSAI […] More

by Astrid Madsen April 27, 2021, 12:40 pm
in Appointing a main contractor, Budget & Financing, Building methods, Choosing an architectural designer, Energy Efficiency, Airtightness & The Environment, Getting started on site, Pre design, SB+ TV, Sponsored Content, Sponsored Content

Tips on building your own home – concretebuilt.ie

Tips on Building Your Own Home – Quantity surveyor Lisa O’Brien, on behalf of the Irish Concrete Federation, shares her advice and tips before you start building your home. Favourite More

by Selfbuild Live April 26, 2021, 11:41 am
in Advice, Energy Efficiency, Airtightness & The Environment, Extension/Renovation Advice

Energy efficiency requirements in NI

An overview of how they work plus why changes to the energy requirements of the NI building regulations could still be some way away. It seems a very long time since I served my two terms on the NI Building Regulations Advisory Committee (2006-2012). And even longer since the previous three years spent on an […] More

by Patrick Waterfield March 23, 2021, 4:58 pm
in Advice, Building methods, Construction overview, Energy Efficiency, Airtightness & The Environment

Eco building alternatives in Ireland

What do the more esoteric eco building methods look like in Ireland today? We take a look at everything from cob to shipping containers. In this article we cover: DIY earth building, from cob to rammed earth: what they are and how to build with them Shipping containers: pros and cons, and how to build […] More

by Victoria Hunter February 4, 2021, 3:21 pm
in Advice, Basics, Energy Efficiency, Airtightness & The Environment

Is your house design as eco-friendly as you think?

The Irish Green Building Council has launched a campaign to tackle the whole life environmental impact of buildings, in a bid to think beyond the energy we use to heat and light our homes. Building an eco-friendly home can mean different things to different people; in most cases though it has to do with making […] More

by Astrid Madsen January 28, 2021, 10:11 am