AECB News

AECB is putting on two seminars in the Ecobuild Fringe (www.ecobuild.co.uk/fringe). Other AECB members are also giving talks and seminars, and our experts will be on the AECB stand throughout the show, so come and have a chat, ask your questions or just rest your feet!

Ventilation and MVHR Workshop, Ecobuild Fringe, March 4th, pm
Building design legislation and guidance are moving towards requirements for lower energy design, better fabric performance and lower levels of air-permeability. These requirements start to significantly impact on the issues of ventilation and indoor air quality.
The AECB will be hosting a workshop on the specific theme of ventilation for Passivhaus design.  This two-hour session includes presentations about some of the key issues by Andrew Farr and Chris Herring from the Green Building Store, and an interactive, hands-on discussion about the principles of MVHR (Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery). This will include a chance to look up close at an MVHR unit.

Passivhaus in the UK Workshop, Ecobuild Fringe, March 2nd, am  explores the uptake of Passivhaus design in the UK. It will be run for the AECB by Henrietta Lynch, who is undertaking research into the uptake of Passivhaus design in the UK, at University College London. The session will include a presentation of this research, and an interactive workshop that will allow participants to contribute their views and experiences.

Other Ecobuild highlights involving AECB members include Howard Liddell of Gaia Architects discussing 'Zero Carbon without the Bling', and 'Living within Environmental Limits', Judith Thornton, Alan Clarke and John Cantor on tackling the carbon footprint of hot water, and Liz Reason on 'Is SAP fit for purpose now and in the future?'

Full programme for the whole event at www.ecobuild.co.uk/

Any AECB members who would like to share details of their contributions at Ecobuild – please do post a mention on the events board of the AECB forum.

AECB  has set up a Twitter account at http://twitter.com/AECBnet (no need to have a Twitter account yourself in order to view it).

The idea is to pass on items about sustainable building likely to be of interest to AECB members and others.

Early highlights include links to a simple, clear paper from the Passivhaus Institute explaining why they recommend heat recovery ventilation; Bill Butcher's Denby Dale Passivhaus blog, and some photos. The "tweets" will also flag up some of the current discussions taking place on the AECB forum, and give updates on AECB news (for example, information about regional meetings or new downloads).

If you have (or create) a Twitter account (its free), and then opt to follow AECBnet, you will receive the updates automatically. Otherwise simply click on the link above, and you can see the "tweets".

A direct link will be added to the main AECB.net pages in due course.

This is new, and we want to know if it's useful -- so please do feel free to feed back on this service on the forum (you can use the general public board) – or of course, direct to the Twitter account.

Kate de S

Passivhaus Schools
The Route to Low Energy Schools in the UK?
11 December 2009 | RIBA, London

This very succesful one-day conference explored how the German low energy Passivhaus standard could provide a solution to achieving low energy buildings and improved air quality in UK schools.

Click on "Conferences" in the aecb.net menu, or go straight to http://www.aecb.net/phschools2009.php. to view presentations.

All posts for the eleven groups are now up in the networking section (Near the bottom!), though some don't contain definite dates yet we've got some fascinating talks and venues in January already lined up. Brighton's however is going to be in the pub  Please feel free to contact local leaders to find out more.

Jo

The AECB 2010 Annual Conference will be held on 10-11 June 2010 in Milton Keynes.

More details will be available shortly.

Whet your appetite by finding out what a great event we had in 2009, at
www.aecb.net/conference.php

AECB, the sustainable building association, is now able to offer a Passivhaus Certification service, accredited by the Passivhaus Institut in Darmstadt, Germany

Passivhaus is the leading European low energy standard for building construction: the European Parliament is pressing for it to be a requirement for new buildings by 2011.  Passivhaus is based on reducing the energy demand of buildings at source, principally by advanced insulation and airtightness methods.

AECB is now one of four organisations in Britain and Ireland able to offer certification to this leading European low energy standard.

This means that the AECB can support the efforts of existing certifiers to increase the number of Passivhaus certified buildings in the UK.  Currently there are over 1000 buildings certified across Europe, but the UK has only two, both recent certifications.

The AECB also now offers certification of AECB Silver Standard buildings (performance version).
  
To find out more about Passivhaus certification, download our FAQ sheet at
http://www.carbonlite.org.uk/carbonlite/accreditation.php

To enquire about certification services please phone 0845 456 9773 or email sally@aecb.net

AECB has signed up to the 10:10 Campaign and we are aiming to cut our carbon emissions by 10% in 2010. The AECB's administration is very low-carbon as we have no offices, and the board have minimised their use of private vehicles, and travel by public transport wherever possible. We are now recording what we do use, and aim to cut a further 10% next year. Take on the challenge yourself – more information at http://www.1010uk.org/  

New course dates for your diary

The Essentials of Passivhaus Design & Delivery -  London: 14 December 2009
book now at www.carbonlite.org.uk/carbonlite/training.php

Calculating psi Values for Thermal Bridging - London: 17 December 2009
SORRY SOLD OUT


For information on other CarbonLite courses see www.carbonlite.org.uk/carbonlite/events.php

New PHPP courses: ONLINE BOOKING NOW OPEN

Birmingham: 30 November 1 December 2009

London: 15-16 December 2009

Part of the CarbonLite Training Programme, this practical hands-on course will provide energy consultants, technical building designers and architects with the skills necessary to design low energy and CO2 buildings to AECB standards using the PassivHaus Planning Package (PHPP).

There is limited availability on the Birmingham course and delegates are advised to book early for this venue. Go to http://www.carbonlite.org.uk/carbonlite/training.php.

The first two in a set of four short guides on the process of delivering low energy buildings are now available to download from www.carbonlite.net.

The simple and readable leaflets work as a set to help everyone involved -- clients, design teams, builders and building  occupants -- through the process of delivering a truly low energy building.  The leaflets guide all four parties through the whys  and hows of this process, and help the teams to work together constructively and effectively, to get a building that delivers for everyone.

The first two guides, "Delivering the Vision", for  clients, and a guidance leaflet for design teams, are issued as Volumes 7 and 8 of the CarbonLite Programme, see link above.

The  foldable A5 leaflets print on a single sheet for easy reproduction and sharing with colleages and clients. If you are interested in receiving larger numbers pre-printed for wider distribution, please contact CarbonLite director Liz Reason at liz.reason@r2bc.co.uk.