03 March 2014

Sustainable building at Ecobuild, new jobs for more money, and 3D accessible washrooms

Buildingtalk Editor, Howard Chapman: the best and the latest in sustainable building will be showcased at Ecobuild over the next 3 days at ExCel in London. I will be there to check out the new products, drop in on the conference arenas, take in a key seminar or two, and perhaps catch up with some[…]

  • 03 March 2014

25 February 2014

Is future-proofing our towns and cities against climate change a national security issue?

Paul Toyne, Sustainability Director, Balfour Beatty CSUK will be speaking at Ecobuild 2014 Is future-proofing our towns and cities against climate change a national security issue? What do the following have in common? Future cities, green energy, design, retrofit and refurbishment, water, waste and materials, building performance and BIM? Answer: They are the topic themes[…]

  • 25 February 2014

  • 06 January 2014

05 December 2013

Why building for the future means thinking green

Debates about sustainability do not occur in a vacuum. Population growth is one variable that can put huge pressure on the environment and, if the figures from the Office for National Statistics are anything to go by, then that pressure is only going to increase in the UK. According to the ONS’s latest figures, the[…]

  • 05 December 2013

03 December 2013

Stroma Certification’s ECO Engine approved by Ofgem for all measures

The software carries out the approved methodology for ECO scoring by using an automated process for quick and simple calculations and features an online tool and web interface that are compatible with existing CRM systems. The ECO Engine programme forms part of Stroma Certification’s existing Green Deal and ECO software, with multiple solutions available to[…]

  • 03 December 2013

29 November 2013

Future proofing MRF design crucial for improving quality of products

Director of resource recovery specialist Axion Consulting, Keith Freegard, advised industry representatives that the need for the design concept is vital if managers want to improve the quality of products and gain more profit from multi-million pound investments. Key ideas put forward at the conference included the benefits of installing effective management information systems to[…]

  • 29 November 2013

22 November 2013

Energy Performance Contracting

What is an Energy Performance Contract (EPC)? An Energy Performance Contract (EPC) is a contractual and funding mechanism which provides energy efficiency retrofit to a building to improve its energy performance while minimising risk to the building’s owner. Any upfront capital investment is recouped through energy cost savings over a period of time, usually between[…]

  • 22 November 2013

13 August 2013

Should the Code for Sustainable Homes and BREEAM become mandatory?

Those involved with new residential and non-residential buildings will be all too aware of the amount of paperwork and legislation that accompanies projects of all sizes, and of the number of different organisations that are required to be involved on even the smallest scheme. As well as creating additional costs and delays, such red tape[…]

  • 13 August 2013