Towards Better Sustainable Housing Practices
Posted on January 5th, 2012
If you need to educate yourself on sustainable housing practices, one of the better options is to get hold of the book “Sustainable Housing: Principles and Practice“. The publication comes to you from experts, giving you new perspectives on sustainability by employing case studies.
Another related resource is Sustainable Construction, which means to be a reference point for anyone who is looking for further information on sustainable building and refurbishment methods.
Here are some events from which you will greatly benefit, if you work in the energy efficiency / sustainable housing sector.
8 February 2012, at the Emirates Stadium, London - Whole House Refurbishment – Getting More for Less Seminar
12 to 14 June 2012 at the Manchester Central – The Chartered Institute of Housing Annual Conference and Exhibition
Tags: Sustainability, Sustainable Building, sustainable construction, sustainable housing, Sustainable Housing Principles
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Passivhaus / ‘Passive House’ Standards
Posted on November 8th, 2011
Passive House is an energy performance standard in the context of sustainable housing. In the UK, there are as many as 30,000 buildings built to the Passive House standard till date. What’s special about the Passivhaus Standards, one may well ask. Its main strength is simplicity. This standard enables a ‘totally green’ house to be built – one that has “excellent thermal performance, exceptional airtightness with mechanical ventilation”.
People who are eager to know more about the passive house concept will be happy to access additional information and resources on the Passive House Standard -
‘Passipedia’ – basic Passivhaus information and insight.
The Passivhaus Standard – Basic Principles
Scottish Passive House Centre (SPHC), working on Passivhaus consultancy and certification
Tags: Energy Performance, Green House, Passive House, passivhaus, Performance Standard, sustainable housing, Thermal Performance
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‘Green Infrastructure in Urban Areas’
Posted on October 7th, 2011
This is the title of an information paper published by RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) in June 2011. Green infrastructure includes – trees, green walls, green roofs, open spaces and the systems that arise from interlinking these modules.
The aim of this RICS paper is to “make surveyors aware of the contribution which green infrastructure can make to reducing the impact of climate change”.
There are two related documents published in the UK.
- the UK National Ecosystem Assessment (UK NEA). According to the UK National Ecosystem Assessment Secretariat, this is the first ever analysis of the UK’s natural environment in terms of the benefits it provides to society and continuing economic prosperity.
- the Natural Environment White Paper. In the words of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, this paper is a bold and ambitious statement outlining the Government’s vision for the natural environment over the next 50 years, backed up with practical action to deliver that ambition.
These publications are meant for citizens, local authorities, businesses, environmental organisations, farmers and landowners and schools. As such they are eminently worthy to be bookmarked as informative and reference material.
Tags: contraespeculacion, Ecosystem Assessment, Green Roofs, Green Walls, Institution Of Chartered Surveyors, National Ecosystem
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Code for Sustainable Homes – Updates
Posted on September 9th, 2011
Towards the end of August 2011, The Department for Communities and Local Government released an updated cost review of the costs involved in building to the Code for Sustainable Homes.
The Code for Sustainable Homes is the national standard for assessing the sustainability of new housing in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
This document has been released with the aim of providing guidance on the costs of building housing that adhere to Code standards. What the reader gets are updates over and above the two previous Code cost reports. Note that the recently updated document is based on a much larger availability of market-tested industry data.
Access plenty of other details about the Cost of building to the Code for Sustainable Homes – updated cost review (available free for download as PDF, 136 kb, 90 pages)
Tags: Code for Sustainable Homes, Local Government, Sustainability, sustainable homes
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Nationwide Sustainable Housing Competition 2011
Posted on August 8th, 2011
Nationwide Building Society, a mortgage lender in the UK, has teamed up with architecture students and professionals to organize the Nationwide Sustainable Housing Competition 2011.
“The aim of the competition is to stimulate and reward innovative thinking about how a more sustainable lifestyle can be achieved in an area where neglect and lack of clear direction is compromising future prospects.” The competition’s brief identifies Hillington Square Kings Lynn, as the site for regeneration.
According to the competition managers Riba Competitions, the theme for 2011 is “COMMUNITY REGENERATION – the transformation of homes and the environment”. Prizes to be awarded for “designs and related strategies which creatively improve the fabric and lifestyle opportunities of an existing community in need of care and attention”.
Tags: Community Regeneration, Hillington, sustainable housing, Sustainable Lifestyle
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SHIFT Index
Posted on July 14th, 2011
If you are in any activity or business related to sustainable housing, it is possible that you have heard of SHIFT (Sustainable Homes Index for Tomorrow). The initiative came about through the efforts of Sustainable Homes in partnership with the Tenants Services Authority, WWF, Bank of Scotland Corporate and the UK Green Building Council.
Basically, the SHIFT Index is claimed to be a ‘sustainability benchmark and best practice learning network’.
Learn more about the SHIFT Index, membership benefits, and how to become a member.
Tags: Accreditation, Benchmark, Membership Benefits, SHIFT Index, sustainable housing
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Sustainable Housing Events
Posted on June 8th, 2011
Mark the following dates for your diary. This is a brief listing of upcoming events related to sustainable housing.
9 June 2011 - Extra Workshop: Sustainable Building Design and Understanding Energy Statements and Carbon Calculations
16 June 2011 - BS8903 Foundation Training (BS 8903 is the world’s first standard for sustainable procurement)
23 June 2011 - Low Carbon / Retrofit / Sustainable Housing Workshop
Tags: BS8903, Energy Statements, Sustainable Building Design, sustainable housing, Understanding Energy
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Greenbuild Expo
Posted on April 25th, 2011
Greenbuild Expo, a sustainable refurbishment and building event is scheduled to be held on 29 and 30 June 2011 at Manchester Central. This expo is termed as “an essential and informative event for the construction industry covering everything from training opportunities and renewable technologies to sustainable materials and legislation updates.”
These are the highlights of the expo
- Ignition11
- Retrofit for Buildings
- Information hub about availability of training courses
- Code Clinic on surface water run-off
Here’s the link for you to register for the expo
Tags: Greenbuild Expo, Manchester Central, Renewable Technologies, sustainable homes, Sustainable Materials
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Towards a Meaningful Sustainability Policy
Posted on March 29th, 2011
In the UK, legislation on sustainable housing has been quite ambitious. But in practice, it appears impossible to implement them meaningfully.
What is apparent is that both industry as well as Government are yet to understand fully the meaning of sustainable housing. Does continuous legislation mean progress? Chairman of the Good Homes Alliance Neil May feels that the housing sector is in need of a sustainability policy that is rooted on “reality and on good science”. At present the policy is based on unrealistic targets.
More significantly, Mr May notes that “The principles for such a policy are simplicity, integrity and learning.” … ”In particular the energy, water, materials, and surface water sections are seriously flawed and have led to the installation of many poor designs and products which do not deliver environmental benefits, but rather cause unnecessary waste and cost. The Zero Carbon Homes policy was also fundamentally misconceived. No-one knew what it meant when it was announced and the Zero Carbon Hub has now spent three years of intense work trying to make the impossible possible.”
You can read the article here.
Tags: Sustainability Policy, sustainable housing, Uk Legislation
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Free solar PV offers – what you should know
Posted on March 3rd, 2011
Mid 2010, several companies began to compete with each other offering to install entire electricity-generating system in homes, for free! Believe it or not – you could get as much as £15,000 worth of solar panels on top of your house at no expense to you, and also get £150 – £230 worth of free electricity for more than two decades.
Sounds too rosy? Where’s the catch? All those firms, and newer ones, plan to put up solar panels in over 100,0000 homes in the next five years. Why are private companies promoting this unbelievable offer? What they may not tell you – there is an official, Government-supported programme of “Feed-in-Tariffs” (FIT) valued at as much as £900 to £1,450 per annum that the companies will be pocket for covering your roof with PV (photo voltaic) panels.
You can get the complete picture of the entire scheme, and also learn if you can yourself benefit directly from the FIT programme. See “What to ask if offered free solar PV” compiled by the UK’ Energy Saving Trust.
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Tags: Energy, Energy Saving Trust, Feed in tariff, Feed-in tariffs, FIT, Free Electricity, Renewable energy, Solar Panels, Solar power, Solar Pv
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