Impact of climate change on our buildings

Ran Boydell, Visiting Lecturer in Sustainable Development at Heriot-Watt University discusses in an article on The Conversation website about the fragility of our existing buildings as we cope with significant climate changes. Most buildings were designed for an earlier climate – here’s what will happen as global warming accelerates Climate change will affect every aspect … Continue reading Impact of climate change on our buildings →

Need to improve energy performance certificates for buildings

Freya Wise, PhD Candidate in Sustainability and the Built Environment at The Open University in the UK writes on The Conversation website about the shortcomings of energy performance certificates (EPCs) and the need to improve them, especially for pre-1945 homes in Britain. What is the experience in your country? How we measure energy efficiency in … Continue reading Need to improve energy performance certificates for buildings →

Wide disparity of national nZEB standards undermines EU climate goals, finds BPIE

A new assessment of national nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEBs) standards, released this week by the Buildings Performance Institute Europe (BPIE), finds a wide degree of disparity in how these are implemented across the EU-27, highlighting a misalignment with EU climate targets. Since the beginning of 2021, all new buildings constructed in the EU must be nZEBs, … Continue reading Wide disparity of national nZEB standards undermines EU climate goals, finds BPIE →

COVID-19 crisis shows the need to optimise the hygiene, safety and energy efficiency of buildings

Education facilities have had to adapt to the COVID-19 crisis with a combination of on-site and study from home. Making buildings smart allows this flexibility – whether from the perspective of hot-desking, agile changes of use, security and safety, or enhanced ability to morph to volatile circumstances. Mark McLoughlin discusses the benefits of going smaart … Continue reading COVID-19 crisis shows the need to optimise the hygiene, safety and energy efficiency of buildings →

How can historic buildings become more energy efficient while conserving their heritage values?

Renovating to improve energy efficiency of historic buildings while also preserving them for the future is not easy. Petra Eriksson in a collaboration between the University of Gothenburg and Uppsala University did her doctoral thesis presented a method taking a holistic approach to the assessment of both potential energy savings and management of the buildings' … Continue reading How can historic buildings become more energy efficient while conserving their heritage values? →

Sustainability in the building industry gaining momentum in the US

Ben Ikenson writes on the Washington Post website discussing developments to ensure buildings in the US become more sustainable. Are you seeing the same developments in your country? 'Cool’ roofs, cooler designs as the building industry embraces energy sustainability The southwestern New Mexico town of Columbus, site of a 1916 raid by Pancho Villa, … Continue reading Sustainability in the building industry gaining momentum in the US →

An alternative white paint for buildings containing barium sulphate could be more effective at reflecting the solar radiation than traditional gypsum paint

We are always interested in new innovations. Andrew Parnell, Research Fellow in Physics and Astronomy at the University of Sheffield discusses the impact of using an alternative white paint containing barium sulphate (BaSO₄) that could be even more effective at reflecting the solar radiation hitting buildings back into space. The article is on The Conversation … Continue reading An alternative white paint for buildings containing barium sulphate could be more effective at reflecting the solar radiation than traditional gypsum paint →

Irish renewable energy experts designing “next generation” smart buildings

Lorna Siggins writes on The Times website about a project in Ireland that is focusing on smart buildings where different technologies “talk” to each other. This is part of a larger IDEAS Horizon 2020 project Experts develop new wave of smart buildings Irish renewable energy experts are designing “next generation” smart buildings where different … Continue reading Irish renewable energy experts designing “next generation” smart buildings →

Carbon performance a necessary complement to energy performance: EU buildings’ policy should address the carbon footprint of construction, says BPIE

The EU’s forthcoming revision of legislation for buildings and construction is a critical opportunity to create policy and investment certainty on how energy performance requirements will be supported by carbon performance rules, says BPIE. New research from BPIE shows that while some EU Member States have introduced comprehensive policy action to reduce the carbon footprint of buildings … Continue reading Carbon performance a necessary complement to energy performance: EU buildings’ policy should address the carbon footprint of construction, says BPIE →

Many buildings could be transformed or redeployed through adaptive reuse for much-needed housing

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the way we use buildings has changed. Many have been working from home. Shops and other buildings have closed or become unused for one reason or another. Norman Day, Lecturer in Architecture, Practice and Design, At Australia’s Swinburne University of Technology writes on The Conversation website about how these buildings can … Continue reading Many buildings could be transformed or redeployed through adaptive reuse for much-needed housing →