A high standard of insulation is a feature of a new housing development which has recently received council approval.The environmentally friendly and energy efficient 58-home development also features solar-powered water heaters and the streets have no pavements.Part of developer Craigmillar's £200 million regeneration scheme in Edinburgh, the lack of pavements...

Air tightness testers and domestic energy assessors could be interested to see two new developments unveiled in Scotland.Built by the Blue Property company, both developments have been built to BLUEHAUS environmental standards similar to the German Passive Haus standards.They focus on energy efficiency with a particular emphasis on air tightness,...

More people will get their homes insulated this year than was originally thought possible, the National Insulation Association has claimed.Following the announcement by prime minister Gordon Brown of a relief package of £910 million and free insulation for the over-70s, the NIA has said it expects 250,000 to get insulation...

A green building organisation has praised plans announced by prime minister Gordon Brown to increase the number of homes with insulation installed in them, though it still claims there is more to do.Reacting to Mr Brown's £910 million energy package that gives free and half price insulation to all of...

Gordon Brown's plans to help middle and modest income households deal with rising costs by offering free insulation were welcomed by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH).The plan, which also includes giving all households a 50 per cent discount on insulation, is to be funded by £910 million from the...

Ensuring that all homes have adequate cavity wall insulation could save enough energy to heat one million households a year, according to Sir David King.Writing in the Daily Telegraph, the former government scientific advisor called on the government to encourage more low-tech solutions to energy waste and climate change.He acknowledged...

A library which will be naturally insulated could be an interesting place to visit for domestic energy assessors looking to learn about alternative building technologies.Shelf in Halifax is set to build a straw bale extension to its library, a process locals have been invited to participate in.Straw bale housing, along...

Major investment in insulation and energy efficiency measures should be funded by a windfall tax on the energy companies, the leader of the Green Party has claimed.Caroline Lucas, recently elected leader of the Green Party, has proposed a "green energy revolution" to combat the financial crisis affecting people, rising energy...

The Energy Savings Trust (EST) has recommended that homeowners looking to make their property more energy efficient opt for cavity wall insulation.Jon McGowan, energy doctor at the EST says that it is this type of insulation is "one of the most cost-effective energy efficiency measures you can take in the...

Energy efficiency and environmental measures have been recognised by a majority of companies as a way to combat the economic downturn.A survey carried out by sustainable business organisation Envirowise revealed that 85 per cent of companies said that waste prevention, using less raw materials and energy recovery would cut costs...