EeBGuide

Posted on: 9 July 2012
By: mackene
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The European Commission’s EeBGuide, the next-generation Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) online guide for buildings and building materials, has been published for consultation. The European research project Energy Efficient Buildings Public Private Partnership develops methods and operational guidance for the preparation of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies for energy-efficient buildings and building products. Comments are requested by 31 July 2012.

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Impact of the Energy efficient Buildings PPP. Brussels, 14-15 March 2012

Posted on: 9 July 2012
By: mackene
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Through the Energy Efficient Buildings Public Private Partnership (EeB PPP), the European Commission works with industry to drive a research and demonstration programme aiming to design, build or renovate all European buildings to high energy efficiency standards by 2050. EC representatives, E2BA and projects funded in the 2010 and 2011 call of the EeB PPP met at this workshop. The overall objective of the sessions was to assess the impact of the PPP not only as a funding instrument but also as a mechanism that can help to achieve the European Commission targets for carbon, energy and economic development. Thirty nine projects presented on their objectives and achievements to date. They presented innovations on new technologies in energy efficient buildings and their integration in buildings and districts. Other projects focused on ICT integration for effective energy management and decision making from buildings to neighbourhoods and cities. Another set of projects presented on large scale demonstration of the most promising solutions and their contribution to future smart cities. Presentations and a report of the workshop are available online.

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Handbook of Constructive Details

Posted on: 2 July 2012
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The British Board of Agrément and Robust Details have formed a joint venture, Constructive Details (CDL), working with the industry to provide solutions for linear thermal bridging. Linear thermal bridging, described by a psi-value, can contribute to up to 30% of heat loss in a building. To combat this, CDL has launched the first Constructive Details handbook of masonry detail junctions developed for the Aircrete Products Association. The handbook follows the principles of the Robust Details Part E scheme handbook and contains 16 details for partial fill external wall and five details for full fill party wall. CDL said that the details had been designed to provide “significantly lower” psi values than those featuring in Accredited Construction Details (ACDs), resulting in a 60% improvement of the overall y-value.  The handbook can be downloaded for free on the CDL website.

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Meeting Carbon Budgets: 2012 Progress Report to Parliament

Posted on: 29 June 2012
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This report from the Committee on Climate Change looks at emissions trends over the past year and evaluates underlying progress in implementing carbon-reduction measures and policies in the UK.  It assesses performance of government policies in driving down emissions, including in areas such as Electricity Market Reform, the Green Deal and Carbon Capture & Storage.  The report finds that greenhouse gas emissions fell by 7%. But only 0.8% of this can be linked directly to implementation of proactive carbon lowering measures. This means the rate of underlying progress is only a quarter of what’s needed to meet future carbon budgets. The report also highlights challenges which remain across key issue areas namely: lack of investment in renewable energy and low carbon power; energy efficiency and renewable heat in buildings; and cleaner transport and travel.

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Conference on Green Homes. Pune, India, 15-16 March 2012

Posted on: 27 June 2012
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The Confederation of Indian Industry and the Indian Green Building Council organised this conference, focusing on: architects’ perspective on green homes; green homes design, materials and appliances; Net-Zero homes, sustainable water and sanitation; landscaping and terrace gardening; and waste management. Presentations are available online.

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Are zero energy buildings really zero? From operational efficiency to embodied energy and carbon. Brussels, 21 June 2012

Posted on: 27 June 2012
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This RICS half-day conference, with guest speakers and experts from the construction and building sector, real estate, policy and academia, highlighted the importance of embodied energy and carbon in the built environment and their relative importance to achieving the EU’s energy saving and carbon reduction targets.

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Zoom in on your roof: Raising awareness of loft insulation

Posted on: 21 June 2012
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Using a thermographic satellite image, the city of Antwerp allows its residents to, literally, ‘zoom in on your roof’. The idea behind the project is to raise awareness of the importance of roof insulation for household energy efficiency. However, raising awareness is just the first step. The city, in partnership with the regional government, offers grants to residents interested in installing loft insulation. They also offer advice on green loans, designed to finance energy saving initiatives. Details of the scheme are set out in this 2-page case study.

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A survey of low and zero carbon technologies in new housing

Posted on: 21 June 2012
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The recently published Today’s attitudes to low and zero carbon homes: views of occupiers, house builders and housing associations highlighted the need for low and zero carbon (LZC) technologies that are reliable, perform to expectations and are capable of being used by home occupiers to achieve their design potential. To provide further guidance on these issues, this report investigates LZC technologies currently being used and likely to become dominant in the market. Through in-depth interviews with homeowners, carried out by the School of Construction Management and Engineering at the University of Reading, this research reports on their day-to-day use and attitudes towards these technologies. Additional findings from the study of occupiers living in homes fitted with low and zero carbon technologies will be presented in a report once the research is concluded later this year.

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Low carbon transitions: Relevant lessons from the 1970s crisis?

Posted on: 21 June 2012
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The purpose of this paper is to provide orientation for participants in the workshop, Low Carbon Transitions: Relevant Lessons from the 1970s Crisis? held in Manchester on 25 April 2012.

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Renewables 2012 Global Status Report (REN21)

Posted on: 20 June 2012
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The 2012 edition of the Global Status Report covers recent developments and identifies trends, such as the rapidly growing global share of renewable energy supply in the power, heating / cooling and transport sectors. The document provides testimony of the steady growth trend in renewable energy markets, supportive policies and investment, highlighting the increasing role renewables are playing in mainstream energy markets and sustainable economic development. A section on the local community level is included.

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