A new better energy homes program has now been launched which includes all the home energy saving scheme (insulation grants) and the solar grant from the greener homes scheme. Most of the grants have been cut back and the solar has been reduced to a fixed payment of €800 as opposed to a payment per metre squared of panels fitted.

While on the face of it customers might feel hard done by especially if they were just about to apply for a grant which had been withdrawn a day before the announcement was made. However it should be seen as a positive move for the environment and for the customer.

Take solar panels for example; the old grants payed more if you fitted larger panels. Less efficient panels tend to be larger to try to increase their yield and an extra panel was needed to achieve the kilowatt gain required, therefore sales were made on how large the grant was and not on how efficient the panels were, this idea was also pushed by some installers who were more interested in profit that quality and efficiencies.

At least now these less efficient systems won’t stand up when a euro per watt comparison is made which can only be a benefit to all.

From the start of the renewable heating project to it’s completion John’s approach has been truly professional. Each aspect of the heating system was meticulously planned and completed with the utmost care and attention to detail. Underlying the installation of our renewable heating system was a philosophy that if there were a better, more efficient and environmentally sensible course of action that could be pursued, it should be explored. Care was taken to ensure that, as clients, we felt confident with our renewable energy heating system, many features of which which were new to us. Explanations were clear, practical and useful. We are delighted with the end product and look forward to working with John again on phase ll of the renewable project, with the installation of solar panels.

It must be a first for a building show that the venue its self is to be come a major aspect of the event. With its distinctive tilted glass cylindrical facade the Convention centre in Dublin’s docklands is already an architectural landmark. In the construction of the centre the concrete used was mixed with granulated slag from blast furnaces, it is believed that this will save up to 10′500 tonnes of Co2.

This building technique mirrors the  “Rebuilding Ireland” conference to be held at Plan Expo Green, this conference is to focus on methods of adapting, retrofitting and re-using existing buildings as well as running work shops on new methods in green construction.