editor’s letter
W
e like to keep ourselves on our toes at Passive House Plus, so readers may notice some editorial changes we’ve introduced with this issue: a new investigative reporting section called Dispatches, and a technical help desk, manned by the irrepressible Simon McGuinness, who has an uncanny knack for stirring up engaging debate on critical yet anoraky subjects that could so easily make the eyes glaze over in the wrong hands.
As we publish separate Irish and UK editions of Passive House Plus, we’re constantly working to achieve a balance between content that’s relevant to both Irish and British audiences, and content that’s tailored for the specific needs of readers in one market. Thankfully, the laws of physics don’t recognise borders, which helps. As does our focus on best practice – and on international standards like passive house – but we also have to pay attention to the issues specific to each market, whether that’s BCAR in Ireland or Brexit in the UK. So we’ve always treated the news sections as discrete to each edition, albeit with some stories overlapping. And advertising is virtually always tailored to one edition or the other. That’s much more important for a publication aiming to serve such specific needs as Passive House Plus does. We’re not just idly pontificating on how, in an ideal world, buildings should be built. We’re actively working to educate and inform readers who are being compelled to choose sustainable building products and services, either through their own volition or the brute force of regulation. So in that regard the advertising in our magazine shouldn’t be irrelevant noise between articles. It’s a showcase of many of the leading solutions providers available to help make sustainable buildings a reality. But changes such as the Brexit vote have forced us to consider the potential future differences between the UK and Irish markets, as well as the similarities. While we have similar cultures, construction traditions, climates and, consequently, similar supply chains with much overlap, a likely consequence of Brexit is more deviation on regulatory matters. That’s part of what our new Dispatches section will aim to serve. So in this issue, Dispatches in the Irish edition focuses on our investigative work over Ireland’s apparent breaches of the EU directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings, both with regard to the imminent nearly zero energy buildings deadline, and with regard to the failure to adequately tackle overheating, indoor air quality, and the performance gap – all of which can be a real issue in NZEBs, without due care. Meanwhile the UK Dispatches article focuses on what opportunities exist for progressive local authorities – or even the likes of the Scottish and Welsh governments – to set truly ambitious sustainable building targets in light of the potential policy vacuum that’s bound to exist during the Brexit negotiation process, and as a consequence of the last Conservative/Lib Dem government’s retrograde decision to remove the powers of English local authorities to set higher energy efficiency standards than building regulations, while curiously U-turning on simultaneous plans to scrap similar powers on councils setting renewable energy requirements. And for Irish or UK edition readers who want to see what the issues are on the other side of the Irish Sea, fear not: all you have to do is subscribe for a risible sum, and you have access to the digital versions of both editions – complete with handy clickable hyperlinks in adverts, and access to galleries of construction details and plans laying bare the anatomy of the buildings we feature in these pages. Regards, The editor
Issue 18 PUBLISHERS: Temple Media Ltd. PO Box 9688, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland T: +353 (0)1 2107513 / +353 (0)1 2107512 Email: info@passivehouseplus.ie www.passivehouseplus.ie
EDITORIAL EDITOR: Jeff Colley E: jeff@passivehouseplus.ie
DEPUTY EDITOR: Lenny Antonelli E: lenny@passivehouseplus.ie
REPORTER: John Hearne E: john@passivehouseplus.ie
REPORTER: Kate de Selincourt E: kate@passivehouseplus.ie
REPORTER: John Cradden E: cradden@passivehouseplus.ie
UK SALES Stephen Molyneux E: stephen@passivehouseplus.co.uk
READER RESPONSE / IT Dudley Colley E: dudley@passivehouseplus.ie
ACCOUNTS Oisin Hart E: oisin@passivehouseplus.ie
ART DIRECTOR Lauren Colley E: lauren@passivehouseplus.ie
CONTRIBUTORS Nessa Duggan, Rightify | Simon McGuinness, Simon McGuinness Architects | Peter Rickaby, Rickaby Thompson Associates Ben Adam-Smith, journalist | David W Smith, journalist Ekaterina Tikhoniouk, journalist
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Creative Box www.creativeboxdesign.com PRINTING: GPS Colour Graphics, T: +44 (0) 28 9070 2020 www.gpscolour.co.uk Publisher’s circulation statement: 9,000 copies of Passive House Plus (Irish edition) are printed and distributed to the leading figures involved in sustainable building in Ireland including architects; consulting, m&e and building services engineers; developers; builders; energy auditors; renewable energy companies; environmental consultants; county, city and town councillors; key local authority personnel; and to newsagents nationwide via Easons. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in Passive House Plus are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. Cover: Mizu Project Photo: David Montigny
ABC Certified Average Net Circulation of 6,468 for the period 01/07/15 to 30/06/16
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