Network is free and distributed to members of the Association for Environment Conscious Building and those who have subscribed to it. If it is passed on or reused, acknowledgment should be given to the information sources directly (newspaper and periodical titles, web site owners, events organisers etc.).

Information contained in this mailing does not represent the views or policy of the Association for Environment Conscious Building or the editor, nor does any reference contained herein imply any form of endorsement.

If you have any news, events or courses you would like to publicise in Network then please email details to network@aecb.net, or post to Chris Lord-Smith, y Graig, Llidiart-y-Waen, Llanidloes, SY18 6JT.

EcoBuild 2009

1. Ecobuild 2009 - 3 - 5 March 2009, Earls Court, London

General News

1. Green Awards 2008 Call To Entries Countdown!
2. £40,000 Boost For SMEs With Big Ideas On Climate Change - Shell Springboard Opens For Entries
3. Cities Need To Be Prepared For Climate Change
4. FSC Statement: Forests And Climate Change
5. Measure Your Carbon Footprint With The Fun New Ecological Footprint Calculator.
6. Wave Goodbye To Gas; Sea The Future
7. New Tidal Energy Specific Website From Tidal Today
8. Green Roofs Are Not All The Same, According To Research
9. Research Aims To Cut Carbon Emissions From UK Homes
10. Are The UK's Energy Performance Certificates Working?
11. The Meaning Of Life Cycle Costing
12. Water Efficiency Can Cut Costs And Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Says Report
13. Anaerobic Digestion Is 'Way Forward'
14. CHP Could Help Development Be Zero-Carbon
15. More Use Of CHP Could Dramatically Improve Energy Efficiency, Says Report
16. UK Government Unveils Plans To Set A Green Example

Events

1. Victorian Superhome in Camden - Invitation to Opening - September 8th, Camden, London
2. Eat the Change: a week of local, organic food, free from plastic packaging 6th-21st September 2008
3. Sustainable Cities & Communities, Geneva, Switzerland, 30 September - 1 October 2008
4. Llanidloes Green Fair - 4th & 5th October 2008
5. The Low Carbon Communities Conference, Saturday 4th October 2008, Llangollen
6. HISE 2009 - Glasgow City Centre, January 2009

Courses

1. Amazon Nails Straw Bale Building and Lime & Clay Plastering Courses at Shelf Library, Halifax
2. Green Dragon Energy Courses

Publications

1. New Green Roofs Manual
2. New publications from IHS BRE Press

Misc

1. Earthdome Eco Flats Available To Rent

Green Awards 2008 Call To Entries Countdown!

22 August 2008 London -- Entries are now open for the third annual Green Awards, the industry standard awards for communicating sustainability. The Green Awards recognise excellence in 13 categories ranging from PR to outdoor. This year two new categories have been introduced to acknowledge the expanding breadth and depth of green communications: Campaigner of the year - recognising the individual employing the best use of campaign tactics to make an impact, and; International Campaign - which recognises campaigns reaching across any two or more countries.

The 2008 judging panel will consider design and media along with sustainability of approach and messaging. The panellists' expertise reflects the criteria with judges including: Acclaimed Inventor Trevor Baylis, Rufus Radcliffe Head of Marketing Channel 4 and Ethical designer Katharine Hamnett. 2008 Green Awards will take place on 12 November at a larger City venue, The Brewery. The deadline for Green Awards 2008 entries is 10th September.

For details on categories and submission guidelines visit www.greenawards.co.uk. For more information about entries please contact the Green Awards on 020 7608 5220.

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£40,000 Boost For SMEs With Big Ideas On Climate Change - Shell Springboard Opens For Entries

Small businesses with big ideas to tackle climate change are being urged to compete for awards of up to £40,000 each, as the Shell Springboard programme opens for its fourth year. With the government pledging a million new 'green collar' jobs over the next two decades, Shell Springboard is urging UK SMEs to capitalise on the growing market opportunity by applying for a financial boost from the programme.

Shell Springboard offers a financial boost for UK businesses with compelling ideas for tackling climate change. These must be ideas which:

• Will lead to greenhouse gas reductions
• Are commercially viable
• Are innovative

Up to six awards of between £20,000 and £40,000 are on offer in each of three UK regions. Last year awards of £40,000 were made to five businesses from across the UK. The deadline for 2008 entries is November 7th 2008. Full details and an online application form can be found at www.shellspringboard.org.

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Cities Need To Be Prepared For Climate Change

Cities need to be prepared for climate change Cities and their populations need to be protected from the oncoming climatic changes, according to a new report from the UN and the World Bank. The report, Climate Resilient Cities, provides advice for city managers to follow to minimise the impact on their city in the case of flooding or heavy storms which are an effect of climate change.

According to the report, millions of people living in cities, particularly in east Asia and the Pacific, could be at risk from disasters. Setting up early warning systems and a network of shelters are among the preparations city administrators should make for emergencies. Building on high ground and using resilient materials are also advisable to reduce the human cost.

Salvano Briceño, director of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction said: "Ninety percent of disasters are already weather-related, and more intense and frequent hurricanes and floods are predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change."

A recent report concluded that at current carbon emissions levels there are 100 months before irreversible climatic change occurs changing and intensifying weather patterns.

Source: LowCarbonEconomy.com Weekly Digest

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FSC Statement: Forests And Climate Change

Forest ecosystems play a critical role in regulating the Earth's climate. At the same time most forest ecosystems are also threatened by climate change. To prevent harmful green house gas (GHG) emissions, global deforestation and forest degradation should be reduced immediately and halted by 20151. Additionally, improved management and restoration of degraded forests should be implemented immediately to increase sequestration of atmospheric GHG. Efforts to stop deforestation, stop forest degradation, improve forest management and implement other forest-based mitigation activities should be seen in the context of being additional to, and not a substitute for, necessary reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from other sectors.

All forests and plantations should be managed in an ethical and responsible manner to credible social, environmental and economic standards. As a principle, FSC opposes all deforestation and forest degradation. FSC supports the maintenance and enhancement of carbon stocks in FSC certified forests and plantations as well as recognition being given to carbon stored in protected forests.

There is a need for affordable and credible methodologies and standards for assessing and monitoring avoided deforestation and forest carbon sequestration. Similarly there is the need to address operational issues such as 'additionality', 'permanence', and 'leakage' in forest carbon accounting as an international priority. FSC has a strong role to play in verifying both carbon and biodiversity benefits of responsible forest management. Over the last fifteen years, FSC has developed many of the auditing tools needed for such verifications.

FSC strongly supports recognition of the rights of local communities and Aboriginal and Indigenous Peoples, clarifying land tenure and use rights, participatory and transparent multi-stakeholder governance, and equitable benefit sharing for any carbon financing or trading frameworks or schemes.

FSC aims to promote the use or adoption of FSC's forest stewardship standards and certification system as a means to assure co-benefits and as a pre-requisite for any carbon financing or financial incentives for forest related climate change mitigation approaches, such as Avoided Deforestation (AD) or Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD).

As with any single forest use, carbon management cannot be separated from the many ecosystem services that well managed forests provide. The FSC system provides the context for which carbon management and carbon crediting can be harmonized with other uses and values of the forest.

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Measure Your Carbon Footprint With The Fun New Ecological Footprint Calculator.

Earth Day Network has just released its newest tool to combat climate change: The new, updated, and much more fun Ecological Footprint Calculator. In this new tool created by Global Footprint Network, you can create a three-dimensional avatar of your choosing, and tour your virtual neighbourhood. Then you will be asked a series of questions about your food consumption, energy use, favourite mode of transportation, type of residence, recycling commitment, and spending habits. You can even choose to take a long version or a short version of the quiz!

The Footprint Calculator will tell you how many "planets" would be necessary to sustain human life- if everyone lived just like you, and how many acres of land and tons of carbon necessary to sustain your lifestyle. You can even revisit your quiz to see where she "went wrong", and find out how to reduce your carbon footprint.

If you are a teacher or professor, encourage your students to take the quiz and experiment with the answers. An interesting, engaging and highly educational way to teach sustainability and inspire change.

Go to www.earthday.net/footprint/index.html

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Wave Goodbye To Gas; Sea The Future

With rising gas and oil prices alternative energy is essential for UK businesses to be able to compete in a global market. We can't just stick a wind turbine on our office though and think that all our problems are solved. We need to think bigger and explore alternative energy on a national scale.

Large scale wind farms, whither you like them or not, have become part of our national landscape, and wind turbines will continue to sprout up across the country. Increasingly offices, and public buildings, will be tiled with solar panels, turning cities into solar collectors. Hydrogen still has a long way to go in its development as an economic fuel, and the side effect subsidised biomass fuel is currently having on food prices makes it limited to small scale production in the UK.

The most promising source of energy for the future is water. Hydro Power has been around for centuries and water turbines have started to reappear in commercial buildings, all be it a much more modern guise than the old water mill wheels. Going off-shore however could be the key. According to the Department of Trade and Industry, the UK coastline could potentially be used to generate around 450 Giga Watts of marine energy. That is about 7 times the current combined generating capacity of all UK power stations.

In Scotland, the Scottish Government has seen this potential and offered grants and prizes to companies that can develop commercially viable marine energy technology, and Westminster is likely to follow suite. However this is not all good news for the environment. Very little research has gone into the impact on biodiversity from marine energy production and it is still unknown how marine wildlife will be affected by large scale use of under water turbines.

We can never entirely abandon coal, gas and oil as fuel sources, but for electricity generation the sea could be a very effective answer to rising energy prices.

If you would like to comment on this article email editor@biggreenbook.com

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New Tidal Energy Specific Website From Tidal Today

Tidal Today aims to create a community of people whose sole focus is to unleash the true potential of Tidal Energy by addressing key challenges the industry faces and ensuring stakeholders harness the opportunities available. Our vision is to provide original, pertinent and independent information to drive forward the industry through blogs, interactive debates, news articles, newsletters, social networking and face-to-face interaction to maintain those all important contacts.

Tidal energy makes sense. Vast resources lie largely untapped. And in contrast with common criticisms of renewable tech - being unreliable and unsightly - tidal is predictable and mostly submerged. The 2007 Tidal Energy Summit united the very best people in the industry to share knowledge, meet and do business with fellow experts. Tidal Today will continue to supply market intelligence to the tidal industry with a clear understanding of how the industry operates and the key issues affecting tidal developers.

Year on year our events will continue to shape and respond to the needs of the tidal industry.

Go to www.tidaltoday.com

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Green Roofs Are Not All The Same, According To Research

Green roofs offer the potential of keeping buildings cooler and reducing rain run-off - but not all green roofs are the same, according to new research carried out at the The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas at Austin. In temperate climates, research has shown that green roofs can offer benefits to both buildings and the environment. But in subtropical climates where weather is more extreme - with higher temperature and frequent flash flooding - green roofs could be even more beneficial.

Until now, though, there has been little or no evidence to support the intrinsic benefits of using green roofs in more extreme environments. So researchers from the Wildflower Centre in Texas set out to compare six different green roofs to see how they cool down the interior of a building and capture rain during a downpour. Using simulated roof conditions, the researchers found that on average maximum green roof temperatures are 38°C cooler at the surface and 18°C cooler inside than conventional tar-based black-top roofs.

That means using a green roof could translate into savings of 21% on air conditioning bills compared to a conventional roof, say the researchers. However, when it comes to run-off retention, there was a big variation in the performance of green roofs from different manufacturers and some showed very little retention of rainwater at all.

The variation seems to depend upon the type of plant used in the roof. Native plants appear to help green roofs capture more rainwater than sedums alone, the type of succulent traditionally used on most generic green roofs. The researchers can't give a simple recommendation of the best green roof, they say, because there is too much variation between products and their performance under different conditions.

For further information: Simmons, M. T., Gardiner, B., Windhager, S., and Tinsley, J., Green roofs are not created equal: the hydrologic and thermal performance of six different extensive green roofs and reflective and non-reflective roofs in a sub-tropical climate. Urban Ecosystems (2008), doi: 10.1007/s11252-008-0069-4

Source: EEN Building and Design News 12 August 2008

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Research Aims To Cut Carbon Emissions From UK Homes

Researchers at Loughborough University and the University of Reading are launching two new projects that aim to address the carbon emissions from domestic housing in the UK. Currently, CO2 emissions from UK homes account for around a third of the country's total. Of the energy used for UK homes, about 60% goes on space heating and 23% on hot water.

The two projects, which will share £4.2 million in funding from E.ON and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), will focus on the technological and social aspects of the problem. Loughborough and five other universities will look at how energy efficient and low-carbon technologies - such as advanced heat pumps, solid wall insulation and vacuum glazing - can improve the performance and efficiency of a house.

The project aims to develop software that can design and select the most appropriate technologies for a specific house. The other project involving the University of Reading and six other universities will look at how consumers use energy and demonstrate that energy can be saved without affecting individuals' quality of life.

Both projects are part of a joint five-year £10 million programme run by E.ON and the EPSRC.

For further information: www.lboro.ac.uk/, www.reading.ac.uk/, www.eon-uk.com/, www.epsrc.ac.uk/.

Source: EEN Building and Design News 12 August 2008

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Are The UK's Energy Performance Certificates Working?

A new report by the UK Energy Research Centre points to serious shortcomings in the UK Government's Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs). Since December 2007, all domestic properties put up for sale have been required to have an EPC, as part of their Home Information Pack (HIP).

However, the report from the UKERC, Implementation of Energy Performance Certificates in the Domestic Sector, indicates that the scheme is not driving an improvement in energy efficiency as effectively as it could. Although legislation states that the EPC should be made available as soon as a property is marketed, the UKERC report reveals that estate agents are not making the information readily available to potential buyers. In fact, buyers may never even see a copy of the EPC.

Estate agent's particulars are often not including details of the EPC or failing to give a clear indication of a building's energy consumption. The software used to calculate the energy efficiency performance of buildings could also be improved in some places, says the report. In particular, it underestimates the benefits of low-energy lighting, solar water heaters and microgeneration technologies. The EPC also fails to highlight the most inefficient and the most efficient homes adequately, says the UKERC report.

Estate agents and solicitors, in particular, are failing to ensure that homebuyers see and understand the EPC. The UKERC study is calling for additional training for these groups to ensure that the EPCs are working as they should.

For further information: www.ukerc.ac.uk/Downloads/PDF/08/010808EPCsreport.pdf, www.ukerc.ac.uk, http://campaigns.direct.gov.uk/epc/, www.homeinformationpacks.gov.uk/.

Source: EEN Building and Design News 12 August 2008

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The Meaning Of Life Cycle Costing

The benefits of life cycle costing have been promoted for years, with the technique now mandatory, at least in good practice theory, on all larger public sector projects, where the preferred procurement term is whole-life value for money. One of the perceived obstacles to wider take-up has been the lack of an industry-standard approach that would allow for comparison and benchmarking - a gap that BSI hopes to fill with its new life cycle costing standard.

BS ISO 15686-5: Buildings and constructed assets - service life planning, Part 5: life cycle costing lays claim to be the first international standard for life cycle costing and has been adopted in the UK by BSI. It is underpinned by a separate guide, produced jointly by BSI and the RICS Building Cost Information Service, which aims to establish a standard methodology for cost estimation and option appraisal at the outset of a project and at key stages of the procurement process. This is done by bringing together BCIS capital cost analysis, the new ISO 15686-5 standard and UK industry-recognised occupancy cost codes. And it uses the RIBA Plan of Work.

Consultants can use the methodology to help define client requirements, using process maps to generate results for a variety of economic approaches. BSI predicts that this approach should be particularly useful in the areas of PFI and PPP projects.
Standardised Method of Life Cycle Costing for Construction Procurement (price £50) is already available direct from BCIS at www.bcis.co.uk/BCISWEB/ProductSearch/ProductSearch.aspx?next=product&productid=171 although the methodology and standard will be officially launched next month at a conference in London on 24 September.

More information on the event is at www.bsigroup.com/lifecyclecosting.

Source: RIBA Practice Bulletin - No. 460 (28 August 2008)

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Water Efficiency Can Cut Costs And Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Says Report

Improving water efficiency in the home can cut costs and greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new report from the Environment Agency. The report, "The greenhouse gas implication of future water resources options", analyses water usage in terms of its carbon footprint and how savings can be made.

The water industry itself is responsible for about 0.8% of the UK's annual greenhouse gas emissions. However, the use of hot water in homes accounts for over 5.5% of the country's emissions. Reducing hot water usage by introducing metering, spray taps and efficient showers could make significant savings, says the report.

For the 23 water companies operating in the UK, the report says it makes more sense to help customers use water more efficiently as a first stage than automatically increase resources by building new desalination plants and reservoirs, which ultimately increase greenhouse gas emissions.

Source: EEN Building and Design News 12 August 2008

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Anaerobic Digestion Is 'Way Forward'

An anaerobic digestion plant in Ludlow, which takes food waste from the town and turns it into electricity and compost, was described as 'the way forward' by Minister for Waste, Joan Ruddock when she visited the site last week.

The plant is part of Defra's £30 million New Technologies Demonstrator Programme which tests innovative technology that could offer alternatives to landfill. The Ludlow partnership attributes some of its success to good communication with the local community, which has led to 70 percent of residents taking part in the voluntary food waste collection scheme which supplies the plant.

Anaerobic digestion breaks down organic matter to produce biogas which can be used as a renewable energy source for heat and power, and as a transport fuel. It produces a nutrient-rich digestate which can be used as fertiliser, and importantly it keeps organic waste out of landfill, which cuts greenhouse gas emissions. At its full potential it is thought anaerobic digestion could produce enough electricity to power 2 million homes.

Defra is now making a further £10 million available for a programme to test the full range of applications and benefits of anaerobic digestion. This will be delivered through a capital grant competition run by the Waste and Resources Action Programme with assistance from the Carbon Trust. Between three and six projects will be selected, and bids will be invited in the autumn. Anyone interested can register for more information at: www.wrap.org.uk/ETF.

Source: Defra news release.

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CHP Could Help Development Be Zero-Carbon

CHP could help development be zero-carbon A combined heat and power (CHP) system powered by gas produced from waste could help make homes at a new Peterborough development "zero-carbon". The new mixed-use seven-hectare development on the city's South Bank will see 344 homes built to the highest level of the Code for Sustainable Homes - six - while commercial units will be built to the BREEAM Excellent standard.

English Partnerships, which together with the East of England Development Agency, Peterborough City Council and Opportunity Peterborough, awarded preferred developer status to the consortium pPod, said a biogas-powered CHP was the preferred option to provide the development with energy.

Programme manager Tracy Gorden told the New Energy Focus that a district heating system powered by a CHP plant would be set up. Though various solutions were being considered, she said that a CHP which burnt the gas produced when bacteria are allowed to feed on food waste in anaerobic digestion tanks was the preferred option.

She added: "The size of the CHP plant will be scaled to the heat demand, but there will also be photovoltaics on every building to provide electricity."

By 2016 all new homes will have to be zero-carbon.

Source: LowCarbonEconomy.com Weekly Digest - 15th August 2008

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More Use Of CHP Could Dramatically Improve Energy Efficiency, Says Report

Combined heat and power (CHP) is a proven, reliable, efficient and cost-effective technology - but is not being made full use of by all countries, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA). CHP, which uses internal combustion energy to generate electricity while capturing excess heat for water and space heating in buildings, is enjoying something of a renaissance in some parts of Europe.

Denmark, for example, generates 40% of its power from CHP, while Finland, Russia, Latvia and the Netherlands also generate a third to a half of their energy in this way. Germany is aiming to double its CHP energy component to 25% by 2020 with new legislation from 1 January 2009 that will pay CHP owners €0.11-0.13 for every excess kWh they generate and sell back to the grid. Germany's CHP Act guarantees these incentives until 2016.

Although the amount of CHP generated in the UK has almost doubled in recent years from 3.68 GW in 1998 to 5.55 GW in 2006, it is still a largely neglected energy source. The UK could potentially generate 17% of its power requirements using CHP by 2010. Greater use of CHP globally could improve efficiency dramatically in the heat and electricity sectors, according to the IEA report. The result could be a 4% reduction in CO2 emissions arising from new generation by 2015, a reduction in transmission and distribution investment of around $795 billion over the next 20 years and reduced electricity costs for end users.

For further information: www.iea.org/Textbase/Papers/2008/CHP_report.pdf

Source: EEN Power Generation News 19 August 2008

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UK Government Unveils Plans To Set A Green Example

Following the UK Government's recent pledge to make its IT operations carbon neutral by 2013, Cabinet Office Minister Tom Watson has released a delivery plan to encourage sustainable procurement and reduce carbon emission across Whitehall operations. As well as carbon-neutral IT, the Government has promised to cut carbon emissions from its department by 12.5% by 2010/11. But it has come in for recent criticism for lagging behind in its efforts to increase energy efficiency and reduce energy usage.

The new plan outlines measures to ensure that government departments consider environmental issues when making procurement decisions and find ways to cut waste and water use at their facilities. Initiatives include IT management systems that automatically switch off PCs when not in use and rationalisation programmes to make the most efficient use of workspace.

The newly formed Centre of Expertise in Sustainable Procurement (CESP) will monitor the performance of departments and report back every four months to ministers. The Sustainable Development Commission has welcomed the move, commending the Government for putting the plan together quickly. However, the SDC cautions that there is much work to do before it will be fully satisfied that the plan will bring about all the changes needed for the Government to reach its targets.

Source: EEN Policy News 19 August 2008

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Victorian Superhome in Camden - Invitation to Opening - September 8th, Camden, London.

You are invited to the opening of the Low Energy Victorian House at 17 St Augustine's Road, Camden, NW1 9XB at 2pm on Monday Sept 8th. The house has been transformed to save 80% of its carbon emissions, with similar fuel bill savings too, showing the way to meeting the needs of the individual householder, the country and the world too.

This exciting exemplar has been developed by the London Borough of Camden, and is open every Sunday from 2 - 5pm, for visitors to learn and be inspired.

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Eat the Change: a week of local, organic food, free from plastic packaging 6th-21st September 2008

Transition Bristol, The Hub, Bristol, BS1 4DQ. 0117 370 1362

Join us for a week of eating only local organic food, free from plastic packaging, to demonstrate to Government that urgent action is needed to transform our food system. Most of us would love to eat more locally grown food that is good for us and the environment.

But how many of us feel we could actually do it in our current globalised food system? Between Saturday 6th and Sunday 21st September, during Organic food Fortnight - when food is at its most abundant in the UK - join us for one week eating only food from the following sources:

• Organic food, grown and produced in the UK, free from plastic packaging
• Foraged food-free food growing wild and abundantly all over the UK
• Home grown food-food you, your friends or family have grown

1. Sign up to our pledge at www.pledgebank.com/eatthechange
2. Visit www.eatthechange.org for more information, advice and support and to share your experiences during the week to highlight to Government that urgent action is needed to transform our food system.

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Sustainable Cities & Communities, Geneva, Switzerland, 30 September - 1 October 2008

In cooperation with WWF's One Planet Living this event will focus on how cities and communities can tackle rising greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption and congestion.

This two day high profile business congress will bring together key players involved in planning, developing and managing new and existing urban infrastructure. Financial challenges, risk management as well as architecture and urban planning will be discussed to draw comprehensive conclusions across all sectors involved.

For further information please visit www.greenpowerconferences.com or contact Simon Neill, simon.neill@greenpowerconferences.com or phone 0207 099 0600

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Llanidloes Green Fair - 4th & 5th October 2008

A focus on sustainable lifestyles & Renewable Energy.

Following on from the success of last year, this festival of events focuses on the positive and practical solutions available to communities and individuals to live more sustainable and carbon light lives. The weekend includes:- talks, exhibitions, workshops, tasty cookery demonstrations, fashion show, music, art, film, children's activities, renewable energy systems, outdoor Saturday market, local food, star-gazing and much more. A fun, family event.

Speakers include: Sir John Houghton, Andy Klom, Craig Sams, Jane Davidson AM, George Monbiot, Mark Edwards, Peter Harper, George Marshall, Penney Poyzer, Mark Lynas

Full details at www.lles.co.uk

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The Low Carbon Communities Conference, Saturday 4th October 2008, Llangollen

The Low Carbon Communities Conference will be held on Saturday 4th October 2008 at The Royal International Pavilion, Llangollen, Denbighshire LL20 8SW. Funded by Artists Project Earth and The Converging World we are able to provide free places to individuals and community groups working on carbon reduction projects.

Founded by and for community groups working on carbon reduction projects earlier this year, the organising committee is supported by some of the most inspiring and committed organisations and individuals working on this issue. We invite you to join us and share stories of inspiration and action from Wales, Scotland and England. Pre registration is essential as places are limited.

Full details are at www.low.communitycarbon.net

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HISE 2009 - Glasgow City Centre, January 2009

HISE (Housing Innovation & Solutions Expo), now in its 3rd year, is once again running in response to feedback from our Building, Construction and Refurbishment contacts within the Scottish Housing Sector who are looking for a cost effective & efficient way to target prime, lucrative markets across the country. HISE also provides an opportunity to gain access to, and engage with some of Scotland's top manufacturers of housing products and their cutting edge solutions to specification needs.

The HISE Exhibition 2009 will focus on best practice and innovative, high quality products and materials across the spectrum of house building, meeting specifiers' urgent needs for new and inventive ways to achieve better housing design and comply with challenging legislation, whilst providing suppliers with a unique showcase for their innovative housing solutions.

HISE will run over one day and will include a fully accredited CPD programme of seminars, including speakers such as Masa Nagouchi, Glasgow School of Art and Robin Harper, MSP. With over 7,000 hand picked personnel being targeted by personal invitation ONLY, we can ensure that attendance is restricted to those with specification and purchasing responsibility within the building and construction market.

For more information go to www.hise.co.uk

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Ecobuild 2009 - 3 - 5 March 2009, Earls Court, London

The AECB will be back at Ecobuild for 2009, promoting our members and highlighting the very successful AECB CarbonLite programme. With more stands, more speakers, and better coffee, it really is the must go to environmental show.

All the talks will be free this year including those in the main hall. As Ecobuild always attracts experts in their particular field, talking across the widest range of environmental issues, it really is a CPD treat.

Pre-register at www.ecobuild.co.uk

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Amazon Nails Straw Bale Building and Lime & Clay Plastering Courses at Shelf Library, Halifax

13th, 14th 15th September 2008 - Straw Bale Building, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th September 2008 - Lime & Clay Plastering, 20th, 21st September 2008 - Lime & Clay Plastering

New Library Extension, Shelf Village Hall, Halifax Road, Shelf, HX3 7NT

Join us to help build and plaster a new strawbale library extension to Shelf Village Hall, Halifax. This build is the first of its kind in this area and will be a unique type of load bearing structure with a roof that lowers down to create compression! These courses are intended for people of all experience and abilities, and you will receive full training on site for each of the courses, as well as receiving Health and Safety and tool use training. Learn and have fun on this exciting build where you will be helping to construct a much needed public facility for the people of Shelf!

Full details from Rachel Hammond 0845 458 2173 or email rachel@amazonails.org.uk, or visit www.amazonails.org.uk

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Green Dragon Energy Courses

Introduction to Renewable Energy (3 days), University of Wales, September 26, 27 & 28 and October 3, 4 & 5

Introduction to Renewable Energy (2 days), Sustainability Centre, Hampshire, September 22 & 23 2008

Wind & Solar Electricity Course (2 days), Low Impact Living Initiative, near Milton Keynes, 19-21 September 2008

Solar Electricity Installation Course - Off-grid Applications (5 days), Berlin, 13-17 October 2008

Renewable Energy Course (2 days), Poland, 12 & 13 September 2008

Renewable Energy in the Urban Environment (5 days), Berlin

Full details on these courses can be downloaded at www.greendragonenergy.co.uk/courses.htm

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New Green Roofs Manual

This is a new guide to building small scale green roofs, aimed at the small building contractor or enthusiast. Packed with photographs and drawings this guide is about practical installation and can be purchased for £11.65 from the Living Roofs web site: www.livingroofs.org/

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New publications from IHS BRE Press

Applying the code for sustainable homes on the BRE innovation park - Part 1: Lessons learnt about building fabric

This Information Paper is the first in a four-part series that looks at the lessons learnt from four houses designed and constructed on the BRE Innovation Park that aimed to comply with the Code for Sustainable Homes. This first part deals with building fabric, and discusses the factors taken into account in selecting the fabric and materials for the houses, and the challenges faced in limiting thermal bridging and achieving airtightness. The second part covers energy sources, overheating and ventilation. Part 3 deals with water use, harvesting, recycling and drainage, and the final part covers architecture, construction and sourcing.

IHS July 2008, ISBN 978-1-84806-055-5

Hemp lime construction

Hemp lime is a composite construction material that can be used for walls, insulation of roofs and floors and as part of timber-framed buildings. It provides very good thermal and acoustic performance, and offers a genuinely zero-carbon contribution to sustainable construction. Hemp masonry is breathable and is able to absorb and emit moisture, leading to much healthier buildings. Comprehensive guidance on using this novel material for housing and low-rise buildings is given for the first time in this book, which is full of practical information on materials, design and construction.

IHS September 2008, ISBN 978-1-84806-033-3

Harnessing fibres for concrete construction

Fibres can improve the toughness and ductility of concrete in industrial floors, tunnels, mining, security structures and heavy duty pavements, where conventional reinforcement systems are often impractical. There are a large number of fibre types available, so it is important to understand how these fibres work and to predict the resulting behaviour through models and design-based approaches. Best practice is tending towards hybrid fibre systems which provide additive and complementary forms of reinforcement.

HIS July 2008, ISBN 978-1-84806-042-5

Telephone 01344 328038, email brepress@ihs.com or visit www.brepress.com

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Earthdome Eco Flats Available To Rent

Would you like to live in a newly built healthy eco flats designed in harmony with the spiritual aspects of the planet?
Join us in this award winning energy efficient development situated in Norbury South London. (Eighteen minutes by train to central London)

One Bedroom & Two Bed Flat Unfurnished with en suite bathroom available at the end August 2008.

Includes: Washing machine, cooker, fridge freezer, energy efficient heating hot water system, blinds, built in wardrobes, Sky TV availability. Under floor heating and tiled floor finishes, rear patio - one bed, Office area in the two bed.

Rent One Bed £725.00 Two bed £1000.00 Per calendar month ex council tax and utilities (Landlord references available)

Contact: Robert Harris on 07956341578, email Robert@earthdomes.plus.com or visit www.earthdomes.co.uk

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