Recent News | Green Building Store

The 'Tea cosy' effect!

Dated: 06/01/2009

Green Building Store launches new Passivhaus range

Leading environmental construction products supplier Green Building Store is today (Tuesday 6th January 2009) launching an extensive range of Passivhaus products and services which it hopes will help facilitate the uptake of Passivhaus design and construction in the UK. Green Building Store's new Passivhaus range can help the UK construction industry create buildings which use 90% less energy for space heating than standard UK buildings.

Green Building Store believes Passivhaus design offers the most effective - and cost-effective - strategy for 'low carbon' construction in the UK. Passivhaus design is based on the principle that reducing heating loss to the minimum is the most cost-effective way of creating a low carbon building. Instead of complicated design and expensive bolt-on renewables, Passivhaus design relies on a simple 'tea cosy' effect maximising the use of super insulation and stringent airtightness. By combining this with passive solar gain and mechanical ventilation and heat recovery systems, Passivhaus design can create healthy and comfortable buildings that require minimal heating.*

Green Building Store's Passivhaus range brings together under one roof many of Europe's leading Passivhaus products, introducing a number of them for the first time to the UK market.

The new Passivhaus products and services include:

Passivhaus windows/ doors: Among the most thermally-efficient windows/ doors available in the UK, with whole U values as low as 0.65 W/m²K. Available in FSC 100% timber or timber/ fibreglass composite.

Pro Clima airtightness membranes and tapes: Can help buildings achieve the high levels of airtightness required for Passivhaus buildings, as well as protecting building structures from condensation, mould, rot and damp through use of 'intelligent' vapour checks.

PAUL Comfort Ventilation (MVHR) systems: Comfort Ventilation (also known as Mechanical Ventilation Heat Recovery) is an essential part of Passivhaus building design and helps circulate air and keeps heat in the building, through use of a heat exchanger. PAUL's heat exchanger is one of the most efficient on the market and can offer exceptional heat recovery of up to 99%.

Design & Build: Green Building Store's sister company Green Building Co. now offers a Passivhaus and 'low carbon' design and build service in the West Yorkshire and the North-West regions.

Green Building Store's Passivhaus products will be showcased at this year's Ecobuild (Stand 1833). Green Building Store Director Chris Herring will be speaking at this year's Ecobuild on the urgent need for Passivhaus design in the UK (Ecobuild 'road to zero carbon' seminar 'Creating a Passivhaus culture' Tuesday 3rd March 2009 10.30am).

For more information on Green Building Store's new Passivhaus products and services go to: www.passivhausproducts.co.uk or ring: 01484 461705.

Notes for the Editor

Green Building Store believes the UK Government's strategy on 'low carbon' building needs to be urgently revised to put greater emphasis on energy efficiency, airtightness and other Passivhaus design principles and away from 'eco-bling' and expensive bolt-on renewables.

"We have introduced our new Passivhaus range to accelerate the adoption of Passivhaus design and construction in the UK. Passivhaus building design is proven to deliver cost-effective low carbon buildings. It has been widely adopted in Europe and has recently had high level support from the European Parliament. The UK urgently needs to embrace the Passivhaus approach if we are to respond to the threat of climate change effectively and cost-effectively."
Chris Herring, Director, Green Building Store

Green Building Store is a member of the AECB (sustainable building association) and actively supports its promotion of Passivhaus design standards through the CarbonLite Programme. www.carbonlite.org.uk

* Passivhaus buildings require minimal heating input, often relying on incidental gains from occupants' body heat and cooking/ showering activities.

Also available

Photographic images

Quirky tea cosy !
Ecopassiv Passivhaus window section
Passivhaus windows/ doors in situ
Passivhaus air flow (MVHR systems)
Pro Clima airtightness membranes & tapes images

High-res jpegs available to download from:
www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk/press.php

Feature articles

Outlining main features of Passivhaus design and looking at construction products needed. Generic/ non-advertorial - can be tailored to any audience and word length requirements.

Opinion articles

Making the case for Passivhaus design and criticising current UK approach to low carbon buildings. Generic/ non-advertorial - can be tailored to any audience and word length requirements.

More information about Green Building Store

Launched in 1995, Green Building Store is a specialist manufacturer/ supplier of: FSC timber windows and doors; water-efficient toilets and sanitaryware; Passivhaus products; and natural building materials. www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk

For more information on this press release please ring Chayley Collis on 01484 461705 or email chayley@greenbuildingstore.co.uk