The thermal performance of the Kingspan Optim-R panel has now been independently verified as it became the first vacuum insulation panel to be granted a BDA Agrément certificate.

There are significant savings to be made with a well designed solar thermal installation, using either flat plate or vacuum tube collectors, and Kingspan Solar has taken a major step towards clarifying exactly how much. The company’s new online calculator quickly works out the cost benefits over time based on a few simple pieces of information about the homeowner’s existing heating system.

Smet Building Products, the agents for leading German manufacturer Casea, has introduced the latest in internal moisture regulating plasters: Casea Casucalc Klima and Casea Klimafeinputz KFP breathable fine finishing plaster.

DVS (Daylight & Ventilation Solutions), rooflight supplier to Point6Projects’ outstanding Oyster Falls House in Devon, which is featured in the new issue of Passive House Plus, will be exhibiting at the 2015 UK Passivhaus Conference at the London Design Centre on Tuesday, October 20th.

The thermal performance of the Kingspan Optim-R panel has now been independently verified as it became the first vacuum insulation panel to be granted a BDA Agrément certificate. 

The Passive House Institute has announcd the launch of its two new certification categories, Passive House Plus and Passive House Premium, which recognise on-site renewable energy generation. 

Saint-Gobain has launched its ‘Multi Comfort’ building concept at Ecobuild in London. Click here to see a short video outlining the idea, which is based on passive house principles.

The Burnham Overy Staithe development in North Norfolk picked up a prestigious UK Passivhaus Award in October, and is profiled in depth on page 28 of the new issue of Passive House Plus.

The line-up for the self-contained outdoor units now boasts 5kW, 8.5kW, 11.2kW and 14kW units, to make Ecodan suitable for almost any situation.

JG Speedfit has announced the official market launch of their new underfloor heating controls range, JG Aura, which is designed to allow for a more flexible and efficient remote regulation of any underfloor and central heating system as well as individual radiator control.

Oxfordshire company Green Unit has developed a new prefabricated, modular low rise building built to the passive house standard using natural and sustainable materials. 

Passive House Plus magazine continues to have the highest circulation of any construction magazine in Ireland, and to be the county’s only building magazine with independently audited circulation.

The winners of the first ever Passive House Component Award, with a total of twelve passive house windows set to receive recognition at the International Passive House Conference later this month. The real winners, however, are the building owners, as the results of this international competition demonstrate that it's possible to save money with highly efficient building components. Manufacturers offered their products at retail prices including installation for an example building. For each of the four categories - PVC, wood, wood/aluminium, and aluminium - the overall investment and energy costs saved in comparison with standard windows were the decisive factor. The awards will be presented at the International Passive House Conference taking place from 25 to 26 April in Aachen, Germany.

.A range of newly certified passive house components were presented in January at the Deubaukom trade fair in Essen, Germany, including windows designed for use in the arctic and northern Scandanvia.  

The Passive House Institute has announced the launch of a 3D model interface that allows for the graphic input of energy related design data. 

Ecocem Materials, producer of environmentally friendly cement, has announced that the company has seen an increase in sales and has reached a significant milestone of exceeding one million tonnes of product sold in the last twelve months. Ecocem Ireland is also celebrating its tenth birthday in 2013.

RainWater Harvesting Ltd has announce that both its direct feed and award winning gravity-fed Rain Director system have achieved Water Regulation Advisory Scheme approval, ensuring that they comply to all UK regulations.

Zephair have announced the launched of the Zephair Pre-Pro, an "easy to use and reliable way to perform quality control of your air tight layer by under pressurising a building".

To coincide with the publication of our third issue, we're delighted to announce the launch of an exciting new feature for subscribers to the magazine.

The German version of the new passive house planning software was launched at the International Passive House Conference held in Frankfurt over the weekend, with the English version due to be released this summer.