Breedon Roof Tiles developed a new Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for four types of roof tiles: Flat Tile, Square Top Tile, Elite Tile, and Ridge Tiles. This comprehensive EPD evaluates the impact of 1 kilogram of installed precast concrete tile from its source to disposal, including its potential for reuse, recovery, and recycling. This is […]
IGBChats #17: Careers to make an impact: the 2023 ESG & Sustainability Salary Guide & Market Insight
By Jake Scully, Director & Managing Consultant, Lumen Search 2022 was a significant period across the Irish market when it comes to Sustainability & the Built Environment. In a year where the profound effects of climate change became more and more apparent, the pressure on available talent with regards to ESG & Sustainability in the […]
IGBChats #16: The benefits of living in an A-Rated new home
By Rachael O’Leary Living in an A-Rated energy efficient home has many benefits. Not only will you experience a warmer, cosier home but you will also reap the benefits of reduced energy bills and more. If you are unsure if a more sustainable and healthy home is for you, here are some of the benefits […]
IGBChats #15: Vacancy and Dereliction Opportunities in Time of Crises
By Francis Doherty, Director of Housing Development and Communications at Peter McVerry Trust At Peter McVerry Trust we are focused on finding pragmatic, effective and sustainable solutions to the homeless crisis. Since 2013 we have developed a reputation as an agency that takes on challenging derelict sites and vacant building renewal projects. By doing so, […]
IGBChats #14: Housing 4.0 Energy project
In this IGBChats blog post, we talk to Colin Healy, EU Communications Officer for 3cea about their Housing 4.0 Energy project. 3cea is a non-profit energy agency based in the southeast of Ireland. The Housing 4.0E (or H4.0E) project is an Interreg NWE funded project that brings together partners from across the northwest region of Europe to […]
IGBChats #13: 3D Construction Printing increasing affordability and reducing carbon embodiment in the construction industry
by Justin Kinsella – Director of Harcourt Architects and Harcourt Technologies Ltd How did you get into 3D Construction Printing (3DCP)? HTL.tech is a team of architects, engineers and materials scientists interested in modern construction methods. Working as architects, we were first introduced to 3DCP when tasked with analyzing construction methods suitable for delivering […]
IGBChats #12: LEED fellow – how to achieve this status
In this IGBChats blog post, we talk to Patrick Field, Managing Director of O’Connor Sutton Cronin M&E Ltd who achieved LEED Fellow status in the latter half of last year. Patrick is one of only 2 people in Ireland to achieve the LEED Fellow title and we are interested to find out more about what […]
IGBChats #11: Achieving WELL Health-Safety Rating
by Neil Menzies, Director of Sustainability at Hibernia REIT plc In Hibernia’s view the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated changes in occupier expectations for office space that were already happening pre-pandemic, with occupiers and their staff increasingly seeking flexible, efficient, amenity-rich office space with strong wellness and ESG credentials. Hibernia’s strategy is focused on office clusters and […]
IGBChats #10: High-Quality Data, a Key Enabler to Unlocking Housing Energy Upgrade at Scale
by Xavier Dubuisson (RetroKit) Using high-quality data to plan a successful home energy upgrade can be likened to having the right tools in the toolbox to get the job done! However, with so many variables and so much data, identifying the starting point can be a challenge.
IGBChats #9: Commercial retrofit – out with the new, in with the old
By Lisa Downey, KORE Commercial buildings in Ireland are diverse with varying forms such as factories, offices, supermarkets, farms and more, and although it seems challenging from the outset with such diversity, all of these buildings can upgrade their energy efficiency with measures such as insulation, heating, ventilation, lighting, refrigeration, and more. KORE Retrofit have […]
IGBChats #8: Community Pathways to Sustainable Energy
By ORS Energy Master Plans (EMP) are methods for Sustainable Energy Communities to understand and identify their current situation and projected destination in relation to energy use. EMPs can be used as road maps for communities to achieve significant savings on energy expenditure and waste, focusing on a targeted approach. Communities often have a […]
IGBChats #7: Eco-friendly Street Art
Our members Marlet Property Group and Graphenstone Ireland partnered with Dublin based artist, Kinmx to create a spectacular environmental-friendly mural in the heart of the south docks, in the site of Marlet’s future commercial development, the Shipping Office. A vast majority of murals these days are created using spray paint, but for this piece, a […]
IGBChats #6: DEEP [Retrofit] Mindset
By James Walsh After many years of lone voices championing the need to aim high and undertake deep retrofits, it has gained support at Government and Industry despite the many challenges. Like many aspects of society, there is scientific evidence, particularly in the Passive House field, of deep retrofits or EnerPHit achieving significant savings of […]
IGBChats #5: Timber Design – It’s not just about Sustainability
by Canice Clooney (Finsa) The case for designing our built environment with timber has been made by many people more qualified than me when it comes to a sustainability standpoint; there can be no doubt that timber is one of the few truly sustainable building materials. So, is sustainability the only advantage timber has? Are […]
#IGBChats 4: Green Infrastructure
A Case Study by Daibhi Mac Domhnaill (Cairn Homes plc) What we do as a house builder has a profound and permanent impact on the land we develop and as Ireland’s largest house builder it is not something we can ignore. Biodiversity is something our stakeholders increasingly understand and value and we have been proactive […]
IGBChats #3: Net Zero Carbon Buildings, Not Zero Energy Buildings
By Alan Fogarty (Cundall) The proposed amendment to the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development, will set a demanding trajectory for Ireland in order to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. When considering this, it’s important to remember that zero carbon does not mean zero energy, so it is inevitable that a net zero […]
IGBChats #2: Circular Thinking in Construction
by Integrated Materials Solutions (IMS) Circular thinking has been gaining considerable traction over the past 10 years. Ellen McArthur’s 2015 TED talk “the surprising thing I learnt sailing solo around the world” explains the key principles that underpin the concept. She became convinced of the need for a system change from the linear model of […]
IGBChats #1 – Green Finance Regulatory Change: Its Impact on the Construction Sector
By Ciaran O’Leary, Head of Sustainability at i3PT Money, money, money …… money makes the world go around. That’s an old saying, which is really applicable to the financial markets. Unfortunately for the sustainability sector, this wasn’t a saying which seemed to apply to them. But along came the ICMA and the Green Bond Principles […]
