United Kingdom

Mar 10
Kebony wood selected for the world’s first Quiet Mark Treehouse

Posted by in Exhibitions, News, Partnerships, Products | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Unveiled at the 2014 Ideal Home Show, the Quiet Treehouse has been designed by Blue Forest Luxury Treehouses and will be donated for permanent use by Chestnut Tree House, the children’s hospice in Sussex. Kebony has been working with Blue Forest Luxury Treehouses, John Lewis and Quiet Mark to develop an ambitious tree home made […]

Feb 05
University launches innovative hydrogen car in India

Posted by in Low Carbon Vehicles, News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Birmingham City University is set to showcase the concept and design behind what could prove to be the world’s first affordable hydrogen fuel-cell powered mass transport vehicle. In a partnership with UK motorsport entrepreneur and manufacturer Spencer Ashley and the DYPDC centre for automotive research in Pune, the University’s pioneering project will be unveiled in […]

Jan 30
Work starts on UK’s biggest Passive House development

Posted by in Agents & Developers on WhatGreenHome, Design Principles & Certifications, Energy Efficiency | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Work has begun to build the UK’s largest development of energy efficient and virtually air tight homes in the UK, which will help home-owners, reduce their energy bills and cut carbon emissions by up to 90%. Little Kelham, at Kelham Island in the heart of Sheffield will offer 107 Passive Houses built by award winning […]

Jan 27
Construction begins on the UK’s first eco town, North West Bicester

Posted by in Agents & Developers, Development Updates, Microgeneration | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Construction of the UK’s first eco town, North West Bicester (NW Bicester), in Oxfordshire has begun. Lead developer A2Dominion has started preparing the site for building works to commence for the initial phase, which will form part of the long-term vision to provide up to 6,000 sustainable new homes for Bicester. The first phase of […]

Jan 16
Solar farm proposals plan to champion local economy of Somerton in Somerset

Posted by in Agriculture, Suppliers & Service Providers, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

British solar farm developer and operator, Lightsource Renewable Energy, is hoping to submit a proposal for a solar farm which will not only generate clean electricity for 2,000 local homes but also create opportunities for local businesses and employment. The firm has launched a campaign today seeking involvement from the local community in shaping and […]

Nov 14
As winter creeps up, Linden Homes has some tips for energy smart customers

Posted by in Organisations, Tips | Tagged , , , , , , |

With research showing that new homes are up to six times more energy efficient than older second hand ones – it is no wonder more and more house hunters are opting for brand new. And with energy prices on the up, and numerous incentives to help curb the cost of moving, there has never been […]

Nov 06
Half a million pounds injected into new homes research

Posted by in Research | Tagged , , , , , , |

Half a million pounds will be injected into the NHBC Foundation this year to fund cutting-edge research and guidance into new homes, the organisation has announced. As a sign of its long-term commitment to its research arm, NHBC – the UK’s leading insurance and warranty provider for new homes – has nearly trebled its funding […]

Sep 26
Statistics on the roll-out of smart meters in Great Britain, Q2 2013

Posted by in Statistics & Data, Technology | Tagged , , , , , , , , |

This quarterly release [pdf] presents statistics on the roll-out of smart meters in Great Britain. It includes information on the number of smart meters installed by the larger energy suppliers (i.e. British Gas, EDF Energy, E.ON, Npower, Scottish Power and SSE) in properties in the last quarter and the total in operation as of 30 […]

Sep 25
New landmark development in Shanghai achieves BREEAM rating

Posted by in Design Principles & Certifications, Non Residential Property, Organisations | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The new towers that form part of the Shanghai International Shipping Service Centre’s (SISSC) flagship marina development in China’s largest city have used BREEAM, the world’s foremost environmental assessment standard to demonstrate best practice in sustainable building design, construction and operation. The formal certificates were handed over on 25 September by UK Energy Secretary Ed […]

Aug 06
Government poses four zero carbon routes for housebuilders

Posted by in Design Principles & Certifications, Government, Regulation | Tagged , , , |

Consultation also considers extending allowable solutions to non-residential sector The government is seeking industry views on whether allowable solutions – the planned routes to future zero carbon housebuilding – should be extended to non-domestic buildings. It poses the question in its consultation on allowable solutions, which sets out four proposed ways for housebuilders to meet […]

Jul 14
Energy saving measures boost house prices

Posted by in Design Principles & Certifications, Energy Efficiency, Grants, Incentives & Schemes, Microgeneration, Property Market, Survey, Zero Energy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , |

Making energy saving improvements to your property could increase its value by 14 per cent on average – and up to 38 per cent in some parts of England – new research released today by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) reveals. For an average home in the country, improving its EPC (Energy […]

BRE’s INSITE13 event focuses on people

Posted by in Events, Exhibitions, Experts | Tagged , , , , , , |

BRE’s INSITE13 conference, which takes place on the 2 to 3 October at its head office site in Watford, will examine how we make buildings meet the needs of people and communities. Everything that the industry does should be about creating sustainable places for people to live, work, learn and thrive in, whether it’s building […]

Jul 01
npower offers free boilers nationwide under Government scheme

Posted by in Freebies, Grants, Incentives & Schemes, Organisations, Suppliers & Service Providers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , |

npower today announced it will be offering free boilers to select UK households under the Government’s Energy Company Obligation scheme (ECO). From 1 July, UK residents who own their own home, or rent it from a private landlord, could be eligible to receive a brand new energy efficient boiler from npower. The scheme is available […]

Jun 28
Enthusiasts flock to Eco Technology Show

Posted by in Exhibitions, Suppliers & Service Providers | Tagged , , , , , |

Nearly 4,500 people flocked to Brighton earlier this month for the annual Eco Technology Show. Attendance was up sharply compared to last year’s event with the number of trade visitors alone increasing by more than 40%, indicating strong growth and firmly establishing the show as a hub for the public & private sector, suppliers, distributors, […]

Jun 26
Help shape the future of sustainable refurbishment

Posted by in Design Principles & Certifications, Grants, Incentives & Schemes, Training | Tagged , , , , , , , , |

BRE launched a new founding member’s initiative for users of the BREEAM Domestic Refurbishment scheme at the Chartered Institute of Housing’s annual conference in Manchester yesterday. Introduced in 2012, BREEAM Domestic Refurbishment Scheme provides a robust design and assessment method for refurbishment projects, helping to cost effectively improve the sustainability and environmental performance of existing dwellings. […]

Jun 25
Code for Sustainable Homes Awards recognises green housing pioneers

Posted by in Awards, Grants, Incentives & Schemes, Organisations | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

St Edmunds Developments was one of nine organisations awarded for their efforts in delivering homes under the Government’s Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) scheme at a BRE event in Westminster yesterday. The developer built the 100,000 home to the Code which when introduced in 2007 challenged the sector to design and build with significantly lower […]

TIPS: Top tips when considering auction to sell your home

Posted by in Property Market, Tips | Tagged , , , |

Auction as a method of home selling is becoming more popular in a tough market. Traditionally considered a route for distressed sales, auction is now attracting a broad range of properties when sellers weigh up the factors of time, price and publicity. The National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) has today urged sellers to speak […]

Jun 24
Desco embarks on innovative new project with Rathfinny Estate

Posted by in Agriculture, Energy Efficiency, Microgeneration, Non Residential Property | Tagged , , , , , , , , , |

Award-winning mechanical and electrical building services engineering consultancy, Desco, has started work on the development of a specialist accommodation project at England’s largest and most environmentally friendly winery, the Rathfinny Estate. As work on the 1,200 ton winery in the South Downs moves further forward, the estate is preparing to welcome the first round of […]

Pioneering ReallySmartHouse Reduces Carbon Emissions in Social Housing and Empowers SMEs

Posted by in Energy Efficiency, Microgeneration, Organisations, Seminars, Training, Zero Energy | Tagged , , , , , , , |

Free workshops will inform and educate on cutting-edge sustainability techniques and technologies ReallySmartHouse, a pioneering and award-winning project aiming to stimulate low-carbon economic growth, has announced a series of free-to-attend workshops on a variety of sustainability topics for built-environment SMEs in the East of England. With the aim of reducing carbon emissions from new and […]

Jun 11
Work begins on BRE refurbished house

Posted by in Organisations, Property Market | Tagged , , , , , , , , |

Scottish building contractor Cruden Building & Renewals will start work today on the BRE Refurbished House, one of ten demonstration homes being built on the BRE Innovation Park @ Ravenscraig that will be used to shape future housing in the country. Using historical design information and traditional materials, the builders will recreate a full-scale four-in-a-block […]