Green guru
Eco-towns: Back to the garden city
Strategically planned large-scale development is back on the government agenda, but this time it’s less eco-town, more leafy suburb. Building reports
Closing the energy performance gap
The government’s proposal to accredit housebuilders as part of its Part L consultation should raise standards
Energy Act, Green Deal and EPCs: Key legal points to remember
From April 2012 new regulations relating to the energy performance of buildings come into play, ahead of the roll-out of the Green Deal in October
Carillion's purchase of Eaga: Blinded by the sun
In April, Carillion bought Eaga - a company with big plans to install PV panels on 30,000 homes - and rebranded it as Carillion Energy Services. Seven months later, government feed-in tariffs have been cut in half, and all 4,500 jobs are on the line. So was the £298m purchase a catastrophic error? Building reports
Green Deal proposals: Deal or no deal?
The government wants to reduce our utility bills and cut emissions at no cost to itself. Its answer is the Green Deal, published last week: get private investors to offer loans to pay for insulation. So what kind of reaction have the proposals received?
Life for BioRegional after Quintain
Co-founder of BioRegional disappointed by end of Quintain joint venture but says valuable lessons can be learnt
Feed-in tariff cuts: No solar gain
The dramatic and sudden cut to the feed-in tariff has put the solar power industry in fear of its future, and led many to doubt the government’s commitment to the wider sustainability agenda. Vern Pitt talks to those affected by the perceived U-turns, delays and climbdowns
New feed-in tariffs: The impact for the construction industry
As feed-in tariffs for PVs continue to hit the headlines, what are the key changes are being proposed, and what is their potential impact?
Delivering low carbon buildings in practice
We’re very good at delivering low-carbon buildings on paper, but when it comes to actual performance, we’re where we were 20 years ago. Richard Guy says it’s time to get serious
Who's to blame for our lack of zero-carbon homes?
Are housebuilders failing to build to zero-carbon standards - as suggested by minister Andrew Stunell - or is the failure to build due to a flaw in the targets?
Suppliers won't invest in Green Deal without consumer demand
Only 31% of UK manufacturers have products suited to the Green Deal according to a Chartered Institute of Marketing report
All mapped out
Open mike The UK is in danger of losing its way when it comes to local energy generation projects. But an energy map can guide councils and landowners to a low-carbon future, says Robert Shaw
Job losses threaten Green Deal
The industry needs skilled workers In order to meet the targets set out in the Green Deal
Presumption in favour: All those in favour?
The government’s presumption in favour of development could be a boon for developers. But which schemes could benefit?
Taking the measure of it
If we don’t know how a building is performing, how can we know if we are reducing its energy use? Display energy certificates for commercial buildings are a start
Tesco and M&S go head-to-head over sustainability
At last week’s conference, delegates from major supermarkets discussed the challenges they faced going green
Incentives key for Passivhaus in UK
Market forces alone won’t raise standards says consultant behind the Passivhaus Diary
Town and country
Protecting the green belt from redevlopment is not the same as protecting the English countryside. If we work sustainably, we can create a better, greener future
Green cheers as Carbon Plan commits to commercial DECs
The Carbon Plan brings clarity to green policy including a commitment to make display energy certificates mandatory in commercial buildings
Passivhaus at Ecobuild: separating the hits from the hype
The voice behind our original Passivhaus Diary picks out his 2011 exhibition highlights
Green Deal needs both carrot and stick
Requirement for landlords to improve housing performance at the tenants request shows government is serious about on green policy
The land of the Dachdeckermeister
Germany’s technical and political approach to sustainable construction is much more advanced than the UK’s. So why don’t we steal a few ideas from them
Green refurbishment won't happen without cash incentives
The government must bring in financial incentives in its Green Deal to encourage homeowners to upgrade their homes
Passivhaus: What's in a name?
A lot actually, if you are claiming that a building meets a certain standard without the certification to verify it
Not so fast
The dash towards wind power will undermine UK's ability to meet 2050 carbon targets, says the author of Parsons Brinckerhoff's Powering the Future report
Green paper: Eco-ratings in contracts
Clients and buyers have come to expect a high sustainability rating for their property, but where does that leave the contractor?
Burning questions: Waste disposal strategies
Paul Mansouri and Mark Berry As Costain’s £398m waste project in Manchester confirmed, muck and brass are as linked as ever. The link between muck and renewable fuel is more recent
Farming today: The logistics of building wind farms
Developers might be keen to jump on the renewable energy bandwagon but building a wind farm has its own logistical, commercial and legal challenges
Energy saving in existing stock: Energy junkies
Government consultations on improving the performance of our existing stock are welcome. But it will mean nothing if the public can’t kick the carbon habit
Green Tape: Sustainability regulation
To keep up with environmental regulations, contractors must build sustainability into their contracts
The Green Deal: Sustainability suspended
The government’s half-hearted approach to the Green Construction Board and now the Green Deal suggests a worrying lack of commitment to the eco agenda, says Richard Steer
The Green Deal: We're not getting insulation pre-assessments right
Insulation pre-assessments are key to the success of the Green Deal - but most are being carried out using completely the wrong method, warns sustainable building expert Neil May
What skills will SMEs need to prepare for the Green Deal?
The first report has been published on the skills needed for Green Deal retrofits, and Mark Farrar explains what this means for SMEs
Solar industry lobbies MPs overs FITs cuts
Campaigners prepare to lobby MPs over the 50% cut in solar feed-in tariffs. Read live coverage here
How can we make the most of the public estate?
New structures for property management and ways of working can lead to leaner and greener public assets
FITs: Time for a rational response
Feed-in tariffs should have been brought down gradually over a period of time instead of the knee-jerk reaction we’ve seen
FITs due a haircut but government has butchered PVs
There is some merit in cutting subsidies for a technology with falling costs but a sudden U-turn seriously harms sector
Right to renewable energy: Solar eclipse
There is no law guaranteeing a right to energy from renewable sources, meaning that users could have their work undone by a developer plonking a building in their sunlight
Monitoring is answer to Stunell's green fears
Monitoring buildings’ energy performance is essential to achieve our low carbon goal – if we fail in reducing emissions it will have serious consequences
Why PV panel installations fail
The feed-in tariff will see an explosion in solar PV installations but no current standard can mean a wrong specification and a leaking roof
Complexity risks short-circuiting energy reforms
Reforms in the Electricity Market Reform White Paper could hamper investment in energy if they become confused
Failing eco-buildings: how to tackle the gas guzzlers
Post-occupancy evaluations show our buildings are not as green as design predictions – something needs to change
Low-carbon plan a reality with Prisk on board
With Mark Prisk co-chairing new Green Construction Board there are high hopes for a cross-industry low-carbon action plan
The Green Deal needs more incentives to work
The Green Deal has lots off potential, but more improvements need to made to Energy Bill before it will work
What's missing from the Energy Bill
UK’s energy targets won’t be met if Ministers fail to provide more detail on energy targets and time scale
Has cavity wall got a future in low energy building projects?
One year on from the completion of the UK’s first cavity wall, the International Passivhaus conference takes place this Saturday (28 May 2011) in Innsbuck. Green Building Store’s Bill Butcher, project leader on the Denby Dale Passivhaus, will be speaking on the subject ’Passivhaus and cavity wall construction’. Here he looks at how cavity wall is playing a role in other low energy projects in the UK and ponders the future of the cavity wall in sustainable construction.
Why WWF had to leave the Carbon Taskforce
Groundbreaking green policy has been undermined by government says WWF campaign manager Darren Shirley
David Strong: 'The Green Deal won't just be for insulation"
The former managing director of BRE Environment on the rise of Ecobuild and how the government will push the green agenda
BuildingTV: Paul Morrell's five-low carbon challenges for construction
After publishing his Innovation and Growth Team report Paul Morrell spells out the changes needed to create a low-carbon economy
It will take a joint effort to improve BREEAM
If we want an effective way to rate refurbs and fit-outs we need the BRE and the RICS to work together, argues RICS head of policy
Green 2012 expertise in danger of being lost
Government departments must harness the sustainable expertise gained from building the 2012 London Olympics
Passivhaus: the power of shared ideas
A road trip to Dresden reinforces the Passivhaus ethos – and provides an ego boost
10 changes to Part L for 2010
Our energy expert runs through the parts of the new rules that will have the biggest impact
The three Rs: retrofitting, ratings and renewables
The key themes emerge at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi
EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive: The writing on the wall
The EU will soon be changing its directive on the energy performance of buildings. All well and good, says David Strong, but its plans for display certificates make no sense at all
Part L: a comprehensive guide to the major changes
Exploring the implications of alternations proposed in the government’s consultation on energy use rules
10 ways that SAP 2009 will affect you
The new SAP 2009 methodology was published in draft for consultation last week – which changes will most affect builders and designers?
What would Taiichi Ohno do?
As the Japanese say, waste is futility and failure. But, in the form of overconsumption, it has also been the bedrock of our industrialised economies. Here’s how we can do without it
Why renewables dominated World Future Energy Summit
Checking out the latest technology in renewable power at the World Future Energy Summit
