Gwen Webber writes on the KNX today website about the important role architects have in developing sustainable buildings. Architects: playing a critical role in energy efficient and sustainable buildings Understanding systems such as KNX is now essential for architects if they want to deliver buildings that are not just energy-efficient but future-proof. I have … Continue reading Reimagining architecture: where sustainability meets smart technology
Category: architecture
Energy in Demand News, August 24-25, 2025
Encouragingly, the Financial Times reports that solar power generation in Britain so far this year has surpassed the total for 2024 “as panels are rapidly installed amid favourable weather, underlining renewable energy’s increasing importance to the grid. . . . Some 14.08 terawatt hours of electricity was produced from solar in Great Britain by August … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, August 24-25, 2025
A change in the conception of construction can lead to much less waste
The construction industry is one of the largest producers of waste, generating around 2.2 billion tonnes per year globally. More than 90% of construction waste comes from demolition, but waste is also generated on-site – mainly as leftover or broken materials – and during manufacturing. In an article on The Conversation website, José Manuel Cabrero … Continue reading A change in the conception of construction can lead to much less waste
Blog by Ellie Gabel – Passive cooling strategies: designing buildings for natural temperature regulation
With global temperatures rising and many facing rising energy costs, you may have noticed an increasing demand for buildings featuring passive cooling capabilities. What are some of the essential considerations and tips for creating them? Understand the Effects of the Surrounding Environment Experts know something as seemingly insignificant as a large tree limiting the sunlight … Continue reading Blog by Ellie Gabel – Passive cooling strategies: designing buildings for natural temperature regulation
The need to engage and educate home occupiers about how to live in a more complex and gas-free home of the future
Mike Leonard, Visiting Professor, Manufacturing and the Built Environment, Birmingham City University writes on The Conversation website about the human dimension when it comes to achieve net zero for homes. What are your views? Making homes ready for net zero depends heavily on people’s understanding and habits Forty percent of UK greenhouse gas emissions … Continue reading The need to engage and educate home occupiers about how to live in a more complex and gas-free home of the future
With the right incentives in place by governments and the construction sector, almost all cement produced around the world could be low-carbon
In an article on The Conversation website, Jamie Goggins, Professor of Civil Engineering, College of Science and Engineering at the University of Galway discusses how green cement production is showing real promise. What are your views? Green cement production is scaling up – and it could cut the carbon footprint of construction Aside from … Continue reading With the right incentives in place by governments and the construction sector, almost all cement produced around the world could be low-carbon
The cooling conundrum
Rising temperatures are leading to a surge in demand for cooling. But, ironically, the more we rely on energy-intensive air conditioners, the more the planet warms. What are the other options? Natalie Muller and Neil King discuss in an article on the Deutsche Welle website. Keeping homes cool on a warming planet In many … Continue reading The cooling conundrum
“But what do we know about how people impact energy use in buildings they don’t occupy?”
Recent analysis shows that empty buildings consume more than previously estimated. Buildings consume more energy when empty or partially occupied for extended periods because they are designed to depend on human interactions. Since the pandemic, many buildings are only partially used. There are ways to help reduce consumption. Farzam Kharvari, PhD Candidate, Building Engineering at … Continue reading “But what do we know about how people impact energy use in buildings they don’t occupy?”
New study shows benefits of construction using timber rather than concrete and steel
No doubt globally we need new construction. A new study from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research shows the benefits of timber construction. Environmentalists, however, say replacing natural forests with wood plantations to realise shift in construction practices is ‘bonkers’ In an article on The Guardian website, Arthur Neslen discusses the study and the … Continue reading New study shows benefits of construction using timber rather than concrete and steel
Only by investigating how energy, gender and space intersect can we truly begin to move towards creating sustainable societies
Rihab Khalid, Research Fellow in Sustainable Energy Consumption at the University of Cambridge writes on The Conversation website that energy policies that try to be gender neutral usually leave women’s energy needs marginalised and there is a need to think about how women use energy and space. If we want to build truly sustainable … Continue reading Only by investigating how energy, gender and space intersect can we truly begin to move towards creating sustainable societies
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 