See the Light 2007

Organised by Sustainable Energy Ireland's Renewable Energy Information Office (SEI REIO) - in association with the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) - See the Light 2007 - Building for Ireland's Future Today - will take place at The Ash Suite, Croke Park, Dublin on Wednesday 31 October, 2007.

In response to rising energy costs and the challenge in meeting our emissions obligations under the Kyoto protocol, low energy building is quickly becoming the preferred choice for energy and cost conscious consumers and businesses in Ireland.

Over the years, Ireland has faced - and continues to deal with - rising energy costs and the environmental consequences that come from traditional energy sources. This has brought about a fundamental rethink in the way we design, construct and operate buildings. As we move forward, it is becoming clear that building 'green' has evolved and is fast becoming the preferred choice - providing high-quality, high-efficiency, dynamic and cost-effective solutions for consumers and businesses.

The passive house is the ultimate low-energy building and, going forward, the European Commission is set on implementing the passive house standard and also on setting more stringent requirements for the refurbishment of existing buildings.

See the Light 2007 will be dedicated to the Passive House Standard, with experts from Ireland, the UK, Austria, The Netherlands and Germany - including Dr Wolfgang Feist, the founder of the Passive House Institute - speaking and sharing their expertise and experience. Delegates attending this showcase conference will be offered a rare and in-depth understanding of the key principles and techniques in developing the ultimate low-energy building and will learn how renewable energy can be used cost-effectively to provide healthy and ecological buildings here in Ireland.

The conference is CPD accreditedand highlights include the launch of 'Guidelines for the Design and Construction of Passive Houses in Ireland'.

The first passive house was built in Darmstadt (Germany) in 1991 by Dr Wolfgang Feist. With over 10,000 passive houses built since then, the concept has become a resounding market success in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Sweden. Ireland has now developed an interest in this new approach to designing buildings that offer excellent thermal comfort - but require virtually no heating. The passive house standard can be applied to commercial, public, industrial and domestic buildings. A typical passive house is naturally heated and cooled, requires less energy, does not compromise in comfort or architectural aesthetics and is less harmful to our environment.

See the Light 2007 will be of particular interest to the building industry, architects, engineers, consultants, product suppliers, developers and installers, local authority planners and engineers, Agenda 21 Officers, Housing and Building Departments, Housing Associations, Universities and Research Organisations, Government Departments and NGOs concerned with environmental, housing and energy issues, etc - thus providing delegates with a unique forum, including an opportunity to network with technology experts who are leading the movement here and abroad.

PROGRAMME

OPENING SESSION

Building for Ireland's Future Today
Chaired by Paul Dykes (Sustainable Energy Ireland)

09.00 Arrival, Registration with Tea and Coffee

09.45 Minister Eamon Ryan TD, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources (Invited)

10.00 PH Market Implementation Strategies
Dr Wolfgang Feist (Germany)

10.20 Ireland's Transition to the Passive House Era
Tomas O'Leary (MosArt - Ireland)

10.40 Impact of Energy Standards on the Built Environment
Jeff Colley (Construct Ireland)

11.00 Panel Q & A Session followed by Break

SESSION TWO

Creating a Sustainable Construction Culture in Ireland
Chaired by John Goulding (Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland)

11.30 Passive House Performance in Ireland
Irena Kondrekenco (UCD Ireland)

11.50 Challenges Facing Local Authorities in Gearing up for Passive Houses
Mark Devereux (Wicklow County Council)

12.10 Bespoke Turnkey Passive Houses for the Irish Market
Sepp Bichler (Griffner, Ireland)

12.30 Panel Q & A Session followed by Lunch

SESSION THREE

The Passive House Concept in Action
Chaired by Vivienne Brophy - UCD Energy Research Group

14.00 Passivhaus Solutions in the UK
Thomas Frolich (UK)

14.20 Ways to Creatively Design Cost Effective Passive Houses
Gernot Vallentin (Germany)

14.40 Renovating to the Passive House Standard
Henk Kaan (Netherlands)

15.00 A Decade of Experience in Passive House Planning - Avoiding the Headaches
Manfred Brausen (Germany)

15.20 Testing Houses of the Future - Test Results from Sustainable Buildings
Ludwig Rongen (AEE Austria)

15.40 If the Passive House is so brilliant why doesn't everyone Build One?
Dr Jack L Gosnell (Celtic Trade Group, USA)

16.00 Panel Q & A Session

16.30 Close

To download the Booking Form - Click Here

To download the conference brochure - Click Here

For further information, contact SEI REIO
Telephone: +353 (0)23 42193.