All Comment articles – Page 33
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Closing the performance gap is crucial
Careful monitoring post-construction can shrink the difference between modelled and actual energy performance
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The heat pump grant is welcome – but £5,000 is not enough
The government has set a bold target, but it may need to do more to persuade homeowners and industry that it is worth the investment, says Darren Snaith
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An annual carbon budget
If a developer cannot achieve net zero targets, then they should have to reduce what is built or pay for offsetting
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Local information centres to advise on greener homes
Every small town and borough should have one
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We need to keep a closer eye on prices
Better tracking and forecasting will help us ride the materials cost rodeo. But don’t forget that prices are just one factor in project success
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Compulsory energy audits by bathroom and kitchen fitters
Those would ensure a new kitchen or bathroom does not preclude the changes that will be needed by 2030 – or make a bad situation worse, says Robin Nicholson, fellow at Cullinan Studio
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We need financial support for green innovation
Grants or tax breaks would incentivise those leading the quest to do things differently, says Paul Hamer
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Time to accept some personal restrictions?
Looking outside, the streets are relatively car free; people just don’t own them. Instead they walk around a world whose day to day boundaries are prescribed by the limitations of human propulsion. Their homes are colder than might be considered comfortable and energy blackouts are more frequent than is ...
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Construction industry gossip: Looney tunes
From a moon-obsessed cladding talk to a council publishing some “proper whack” planning decisions, it’s been an interesting month
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Climate emergency: are you part of the problem or part of the solution?
COP26 is coming and professionals in the built environment must use this moment to focus minds on the path to net zero
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Do the right thing, don’t take the easy option
We need to be clear that building or retrofitting to net zero standards is a deliverable reality today. In fact, many of the approaches that enable us to achieve this standard owe more to nature-based solutions than cutting edge material composites.…
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Averting supply chain breakdown
With insolvencies on the rise, be vigilant about your supply chain health, warn Stephen Rockhill and Tim Carter
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Twenty-five years of adjudication
Theresa Mohammed looks back on a quarter-century of construction adjudication – what’s changed, and has it achieved its aimed?
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My hopes and fears for construction ahead of COP26
In just over two weeks’ time, the UK is set to host the biggest international conference on climate change in history. When COP26 lands in Glasgow on 31 October, the eyes of the world will rest firmly on this country and our progress towards net zero carbon.
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Bridging the valley of death: greener buildings need not cost more
The right use of technology can provide affordable future-proof buildings that perform better for everyone. The ABC is here to help, says Sam Stacey
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£1 notices aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on
A payment notice is invalid if it fails to set out the amount genuinely considered due – placeholder notices don’t count, says Tony Bingham
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Good design is crucial as we tackle the nation’s biggest challenges
The cabinet reshuffle and hosting of COP26 are two major events this season that form part of the UK’s longer race towards a different future, says Sadie Morgan
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We must attract more young people to a job making history
The skills shortage facing construction is particularly acute within more niche, highly skilled roles. So it’s time for the Year of the Craftsperson, says Adrian Attwood
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Materials database is a passport for reuse
A circular economy is a necessity not a choice. Material passports offer an opportunity to gather and organise data about the materials within a building to facilitate their effective recovery and reuse at the end of the building’s life. They can inform the initial choice of materials, products and components ...
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Join me in the last-chance saloon and we’ll rise to the climate change challenge
An awful lot is riding on the COP26 conference in my home town in November, says Jack Pringle. We must lead by example and all make a difference