Podcasts about retrofit

In this episode of The Passive House Podcast host Mary James meets with Katie Schwamb, Managing Director at Building Energy Exchange (BE-Ex) to  discuss emissions reduction and compliance with Local Law 97 in New York City.  Local Law 97, sets carbon emissions limits for buildings over 25,000 square feet to help achieve near-zero emissions by 2050. Mary and Katie cover the importance of strategic planning, financial incentives, and challenges building owners face in complying with the law. Katie highlights Building Energy Exchange's array of resources aimed at advancing energy-efficient, decarbonized buildings, including case studies, retrofit playbooks, and their Local Law 97 calculator.https://be-exchange.org/Best of Retrofit: https://events.ringcentral.com/events/reimagine-buildings-retrofit/registrationThank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

In this episode, our guest is Daisy Vardy, co-founder of ForeseEnergy, a 100% minority women-owned cleantech EPC company based in British Columbia. Daisy shares her company's inspiring journey and mission to decarbonize transportation by retrofitting diesel fleets—from mining trucks and postal vans to tugboats and cranes—with state-of-the-art electric drive systems and battery swapping technologies. She discusses how their end-to-end solutions extend the life of vehicles, reduce emissions, and lower operational costs by up to 90%. Daisy also explains how ForeseEnergy is leading initiatives in second-life battery repurposing, autonomous vehicle retrofits, microgrids for rural communities, and collaborations with Indigenous Nations. Her story is a compelling testament to female-led innovation, sustainable development, and the power of strategic partnerships in accelerating the energy transition. Please join to find more. Connect with Sohail Hasnie: Facebook @sohailhasnie X (Twitter) @shasnie LinkedIn @shasnie ADB Blog Sohail Hasnie YouTube @energypreneurs Instagram @energypreneurs Tiktok @energypreneurs Spotify Video @energypreneurs

In this episode of The Passive House Podcast, host Jay Fox talks with Andrea Michael, an architect from Love Schack Architecture in Bozeman, Montana. They discuss Andrea's comprehensive home retrofit, aimed at improving energy efficiency and comfort. The retrofit included air sealing, adding insulation, installing a heat pump, ERVs, solar panels, and more. The conversation highlights Andrea's journey from initial DIY efforts to a full-scale renovation, revealing significant energy savings and improved indoor air quality. The episode also touches on the challenges and successes of integrating sustainable building practices in Montana.https://loveschackarchitecture.com/See Andrea December 5th at Best of Retrofit: https://events.ringcentral.com/events/reimagine-buildings-retrofit/registrationThank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

A growing number of vehicles on the road still lack tire pressure monitoring systems, and Schrader is hoping to change that with its new Aircheck BLE retrofit kit. In this episode of What's Treading, David Sickels talks with Kelly Sadler, vice president and general manager for Sonata's aftermarket business, about how the product works and what it means for both drivers and service shops.The Aircheck BLE is designed to fit nearly any light-duty vehicle and deliver tire pressure, temperature, and sensor battery life information directly to the dashboard through Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. Sadler explains that the system uses Bluetooth Low Energy and a range extender to ensure reliable communication even over long distances, such as when towing a trailer.For installers, Schrader kept setup simple. The sensors mount internally to protect against tampering and provide more accurate readings, while an app-based configuration removes the need for hard-wiring and specialized tools. Sadler says installation typically takes less than five minutes and that the company has produced full training materials and videos to help technicians get up to speed.With roughly 250 million vehicles still operating without TPMS, the retrofit market represents a sizable opportunity for tire dealers looking to expand their services. Sadler notes that the Aircheck BLE's single-SKU design helps streamline inventory and reduce complexity in the bay, giving shops a way to add value for customers who want better tire health monitoring without replacing their vehicle.Tire Review: www.tirereview.comHunter Engineering: www.hunter.com

Konstantin Efimov was born in 1958 in St. Petersburg, Russia, the elder (by 10 years) of two sons born to Igor Efimov, well-established movie actor, and his wife, Irina, whom he met while attending Moscow's prestigious Maly Theater School.  Irina performed on stage until a few days before Kostia's birth.  "That must be why I enjoy being on stage so much," says Kostia, who goes by his childhood nickname.  His parents chose to live in St. Petersburg to be close to Igor's elderly mother.  In 1961, they signed a five-year contract with the Theater Group of the Soviet Army Force, performing in East Berlin.  KGB regulations, however, did not allow them to bring Kostia, then age 2-½ with them.  He stayed, as an "insurance policy," with his grandmother, Valya, living in a communal apartment that housed nine families (33 people) in 11 rooms, all sharing the same hallway, kitchen and bathroom.  "The bathtub was always filled with laundry," Kostia recalls.  "We took our baths twice a week in the community bathhouse."  As a child, Kostia displayed a tremendous interest in music, spending much time in front of the radio in his grandmother's tiny room.  At age 4, a present was delivered to him from his parents -- a 1937 Wolkenhauer upright piano, upon which he soon learned to play hundreds of Russian folk songs.  "It became the center of life in our home," Kostia remembers.  "Even my pet rooster, Peter, used the lid as his favorite perch, and he would sit there and listen while I played."  Kostia's parents returned from East Germany in July of 1965, when he was 7.  His grandmother died of a stroke the following month.  The same year, Kostia was accepted into a special music preparatory school of the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory.  For the next 11 years, each day involved four to six hours of piano practice.  At the school he met his first great influence, teacher Tamara Karetkina.  "I was her first student," Kostia recalls.  "She was a tremendous pianist and a beautiful woman, very much resembling Jacqueline Bisset.”  Because of his talent, Kostia and other elite prodigies were forbidden to play sports, for fear of hand injuries.  At 14, Kostia, who loved basketball, broke a finger in his right hand during a clandestine pick-up game.  "I was so frightened," Kostia says. "The thought of not being able to play again was so horrifying!  It was worse than death for me.  I didn't tell my mother that I did it playing basketball; I told her I fell down carrying my briefcase."  While his right hand healed, Kostia passed the time mastering pieces written by Ravel and Scriabin for left hand.  Ravel's piece was composed in honor of a pianist who lost his right hand during World War I.  At 18, Kostia entered the famed St. Petersburg Conservatory.  Here he met and studied under Vladimir Nielsen, one of the last great masters of Russian Romanticism.  He completed his Conservatory studies in 1982 with advanced graduate degrees in four disciplines:  concert (solo) pianist, pianist for chamber ensemble, accompanist, and piano teacher.  Following graduation, Kostia performed throughout Russia, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia as a soloist, with orchestras, with ethnic ensembles and his own jazz-fusion group.  Typically, Conservatory graduates move into teaching.  "I decided to go another way.  I was already involved with jazz and pop performances, and I was pretty well known as an arranger, so I wanted to explore new music.  Friends introduced me to Oscar Peterson, and modern jazz and progressive rock bands like Genesis, Yes and King Crimson.  It was very different, extremely energetic, and absolutely spontaneous, like myself.  I am definitely a free spirit, and playing this music allowed me a certain level of freedom that I wasn't able to explore in classical music."  Kostia received a proposal from the St. Petersburg Cultural Center to start, essentially, an experimental music group.  "This was 1982," he says, "and things were warming up a little bit."  Kostia called the group “ARS” -- Latin for "art.”  While working with ARS, Kostia started composing and arranging music for movies, documentaries and theatrical productions.  He freelanced as an arranger, working on a number of soundtracks for the various stage productions.  His skills as a performer led him to work with some of the well-established Russian composers (i.e., Alfred Schnitke, Vladislav Uspensky, Vladislav Panchenko), and a number of Soviet pop stars, including Marina Kapuro and Aleksander Rosenbaum, among others.  During a visit to the United States in 1989 with the Soviet-American Cultural Exchange project "Clay Stomp," Kostia had an opportunity to perform for his first American audience at the Milwaukee Art Museum, where he shared the stage with Narada artist David Lanz.  That day changed Kostia's life forever.  The next morning he received a call from Narada records offering him a recording contract.  From 1989 until 1997, Kostia worked extensively on various Narada projects as a performer, arranger and producer, including David Arkenstone's Grammy-nominated In the Wake of the Wind, and Narada's most celebrated recording, Nutcracker.  Kostia's music appeared on more than a dozen of Narada's collections and compilation albums.  In 1992, Kostia and David Arkenstone collaborated on the first album ever endorsed by the United States Olympic Committee, Spirit of Olympia.  In 1994, Narada released Kostia's first piano solo album Suite St. Petersburg, which he describes as "a piano portrait of my beloved city."  1996 brought another critically acclaimed piano album, Ten Pebbles, where Kostia revisits some of his most cherished memories.  Both albums won him respect and recognition of his fellow musicians and the love of fans around the world.  Beginning in 1997, Kostia started a series of recordings with North Sound Music Group dedicated to piano idols of pop music.  That year, he released Kostia's Interpretations of Billy Joel followed by Kostia's Interpretations of Elton John in 1998.  The success of these projects led to a number of tribute recordings completed with world renowned instrumentalists such as Daryl Stuermer, guitarist from Genesis and Phil Collins Band; Paul McCandless, Windham Hill artist and reed and saxophone player from the band Oregon; and Windham Hill guitarist, Alex De Grassi.  In 1999, Kostia composed the soundtrack for the motion picture Czar of Make Believe from Italian director Daniel Alegi, which won an award for Best Short Film at the Rhode Island International Film Festival. In 2001, Kostia released Piano Ocean, an album of original music recorded in collaboration with ex-Narada star Spencer Brewer.  At the same time, he composed the soundtracks for a motion picture, The Play in the Modern Style, and a short film of Alex Boguslavsky entitled Blue Lamp.  New Millennium also brought several other exciting projects to Kostia as well – a collaboration between LEGO and George Lucas Film, celebrated short animated film “Star Wars: “Revenge of the Brick.”; new Alex Boguslavsky's film “My Little Philosopher”; a pilot for an independent motion picture “Slow Poison.”; a collaboration with legendary band Sweetbottom (original Indi fusion group) – “Sweetbottom Live”; several new albums with old band mate, Daryl Stuermer – “GO!”, “Rewired”, “Retrofit”; debut album of Carmen Nickerson “Tomorrow Is Another Day” etc. One of Kostia's compositions made it to the world renown TV series “Sex and the City.”  In addition to collaborations with well-established music groups and individual artists, Kostia has had his music performed by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Utah Symphony Orchestra, the internationally famed Veronica String Quartet, and Present Music cellist, Paul Gemainder, to name a few.  Currently, Kostia is at work composing music for his next CD, performing solo piano concerts around the country, and recording and performing with the Daryl Stuermer Band.  Future plans?  "I am thinking about something I always wanted to do – a series of pieces for chorus, poem for string quartet, and six pictures for piano and orchestra," says Kostia.  His journey continues.  "Musical Columbus," as he is often called by journalists, is again on the way to discovering new worlds for himself and his fans. Kostia plays regularly at Fox River Congregational Church where he is a composer in residence.  

Send us a textHow do we close the gap between how buildings are designed and how they actually perform?In this episode of the Thrive in Construction Podcast, Darren Evans talks with Luke Smith, CEO of Build Test Solutions, about his journey from architectural technologist to industry innovator—developing new tools that make it easier, faster, and more accurate to measure real building performance.Luke explains why measurement must become mainstream if we're serious about net zero, retrofit quality, and energy efficiency and how Build Test Solutions is helping the industry move from guesswork to evidence.Key Highlights• From RAF Childhood to Retrofit Pioneer – Luke's early influences, his practical mindset, and how hands-on curiosity shaped his career in sustainability and building science.• The Birth of Build Test Solutions – How a university PhD project became Pulse, an innovative air-tightness testing system now adopted in UK building regulations.• Beyond Air Testing – Developing a suite of new tools for measuring heat loss, ventilation, and real-world performance across homes and non-domestic buildings.• The Performance Gap Problem – Why most new builds and retrofits don't meet design targets—and how measurement can help bridge the gap between theory and reality.• Measurement in Practice – How Pulse compares to blower door tests, the benefits of speed, simplicity, and accuracy, and how it's transforming compliance testing.• Retrofit, Heat Pumps & Reality – How measuring heat transfer and real energy use helps optimise retrofit strategies, validate carbon savings, and right-size heating systems.• Future Home Standard & What's Next – Why the next decade of construction will depend on measurable proof of performance—and how smart data will empower consumers, not just developers.This conversation is essential for construction professionals, sustainability leaders, retrofit coordinators, and anyone passionate about smarter, data-driven delivery in the built environment.If you want to see our other insightful podcasts, click here:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOHI_yaqB2U8KWbsfJDPCoYEfOh-TTnipFind us on:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dDkxLWZ25nT0krYWaTiITApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thrive-in-construction-with-darren-evans/id1726973152YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTrzqei7gttB8WB5wM6hUpwLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/thrive-in-construction-podcast/Our Website: https://darren-evans.co.uk/Links:Luke Smith's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lsmith88/Build Test Solutions LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/build-test-solutions/Build Test Solutions Website: https://www.buildtestsolutions.com/Support the show

In this episode, Braheem Santos, US Segment Leader for Healthcare at Schneider Electric, and Andrew Carréno, Business Development Manager for Healthcare at ASCO, discusses how hospitals can retrofit existing facilities to enhance power resilience, reduce downtime, and improve patient care through collaboration and intelligent infrastructure. Learn more about how Schneider Electric is engineered for every moment of care for your health organization here: https://www.se.com/us/en/work/solutions/healthcare/?utm_source=beckershealthcare&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_campaign=2025_oct_us_de_ehealth_beckershealthcare_consideration_directmedia-contentbuy_local&utm_term=octpod&campaign_objective=consideration&mcl_name=ehealth

Es Tresidder from Highland Passive explains what an air-to-air mini split heat pump is, why he believes it's a good choice for heating a high performance home and the various pros and cons of going down this route. He also reflects on one of the toughest stages of his retrofit when they took the roof off the existing dwelling and then faced torrential rain. Check out the show notes for more information.

www.iotusecase.com#Retrofit #EUDataAct #SinglePairEthernet In Episode 190 des IoT Use Case Podcasts spricht Gastgeberin Ing. Madeleine Mickeleit mit Dr.-Ing. Karsten Walther, Geschäftsführer von Perinet. Thema der Folge ist die praktische Umsetzung des EU Data Act in der Industrie. Es geht um sichere Datennutzung direkt an Anlagen und Geräten, um Brownfield Nachrüstungen mit Modbus und RS485, um Single Pair Ethernet als Brücke in die IP Welt und um realistische Schritte von der sicheren Leitungsverschlüsselung bis zur cloudfähigen Architektur.Folge 190 auf einen Blick (und Klick):(08:44) Herausforderungen, Potenziale und Status quo – So sieht der Use Case in der Praxis aus(27:04) Übertragbarkeit, Skalierung und nächste Schritte – So könnt ihr diesen Use Case nutzenPodcast ZusammenfassungEU Data Act in der Praxis. Wie Hersteller und Betreiber Bestandsanlagen sicher nachrüsten und Gerätedaten nutzbar machen.Die Herausforderung beginnt oft im Feld. Viele Steuerungen sind aus den achtziger Jahren gedacht, sprechen Modbus oder RS485 und haben keine Netzwerkschnittstelle. Datenzugriff ist dennoch gefordert, Transparenz und Sicherheit ebenso.Gleichzeitig dürfen Prozesse nicht stillstehen und Investitionen müssen planbar bleiben. Die Lösung ist ein schrittweiser Retrofit mit klarer Priorität.Zuerst wird die Kommunikation über die bestehende Leitung abgesichert. Adapter vor Feldgerät und Controller übersetzen Modbus in die IP Welt, ermöglichen Verschlüsselung und sauberes Gerätemanagement. Netzwerk Security wird so gestaltet, dass auch Installateure im Feld sicher arbeiten können.Im nächsten Schritt werden einzelne Geräte zu eigenständigen Netzwerkteilnehmern, perspektivisch bis hin zu virtuellen Steuerungen und zentralem Software Rollout. Perinet liefert hierfür passende IoT Hardware wie smarte Adapter und bringt Beratungsleistung für Integration und Security ein.Ergebnis sind sichere, wirtschaftliche und EU Data Act konforme Lösungen mit klarer Roadmap für Brownfield Anlagen. Besonders relevant für Hersteller, Betreiber und Systemintegratoren, die Datenhoheit, Skalierbarkeit und Investitionssicherheit verbinden wollen. Jetzt reinhören und konkrete Schritte für die eigene Nachrüststrategie mitnehmen.-----Relevant links from this episode:Madeleine (https://www.linkedin.com/in/madeleine-mickeleit/)Karsten (https://www.linkedin.com/in/karsten-walther-395822365/)periNODE Smart Adapter (https://www.perinet.io/de/produkte/smart-components/perinode-modbus)IoT-Community (https://iotusecase.com/de/community/)Eu Data Act (https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/de/policies/data-act)Perinet bei der SPS: Halle 5, Stand 332Jetzt IoT Use Case auf LinkedIn folgen1x monatlich IoT Use Case Update erhalten

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Send us a textHow do we retrofit homes to be sustainable, affordable, and truly comfortable for the people living in them?In this episode of the Thrive in Construction Podcast, Darren Evans speaks with Mark Allen, Head of Technical Services at Fortem, about the challenges and opportunities in retrofitting social housing and delivering on the UK's net zero commitments.With decades of experience in retrofit, asset management, and technical strategy, Mark explores how to move beyond compliance and tick-box exercises to create homes where people thrive. He argues that the real conversation isn't fabric first vs fabric fifth—but about finding the optimal retrofit strategy that balances energy efficiency, comfort, cost, and long-term asset value.Key Highlights:• Fabric First vs Fabric Fifth: Why the debate misses the point—and why optimization is key to healthier, more efficient homes.• Social Housing & Fuel Poverty: The hidden costs of mould, damp, and poor ventilation—and how better housing design can reduce NHS pressures and asthma rates.• Data-Driven Retrofit: Using asset management insights to reduce long-term maintenance costs and improve building performance.• Community & Comfort: How engaging residents creates pride, reduces rent arrears, and improves wellbeing.• New Build vs Retrofit: Why retrofit is essential for net zero, with 80% of UK housing stock still standing in 2050—and why demolition carries major embodied carbon risks.• Future of Retrofit: From post-occupancy evaluations to smarter monitoring, how housing providers can deliver better outcomes for tenants and clients.This conversation is essential for housing associations, construction professionals, architects, sustainability consultants, and policymakers who want to understand how retrofit can drive both social value and climate action.If you want to see our other insightful podcasts, click here:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOHI_yaqB2U8KWbsfJDPCoYEfOh-TTnipFind us on:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dDkxLWZ25nT0krYWaTiITApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/thrive-in-construction-with-darren-evans/id1726973152YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTrzqei7gttB8WB5wM6hUpwLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/thrive-in-construction-podcast/Our Website: https://darren-evans.co.uk/Links:Mark's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-a-7524778/Fortem Solutions LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fortem-solutions/Fortem Solutions Website: https://www.fortem.co.uk/Support the show

Here's the thing. “Smart” has been the buzzword for years, but Richard Leurig argues we're on the cusp of something bolder. In our conversation, the Accruent president drew a clear line between buildings filled with connected systems and buildings that can sense, decide, and act without a person staring at a dashboard all day. Richard shared a retail story that sticks. By wiring refrigeration units with sensors and training models on billions of telemetry points, his team can spot failures 48 to 72 hours before lettuce wilts or milk spoils. That time window turns panic calls at 3 a.m. into planned daytime fixes. It cuts waste, protects revenue, and keeps customers from walking into empty shelves. The bigger idea is a shift from many panes of glass to no pane of glass. Instead of asking people to wrangle alerts, AI agents coordinate HVAC, security, and maintenance, then dispatch the right technician with the right part only when one is truly needed. That is the road to self-healing facilities. Practicalities that matter now Let me explain why this resonates across industries. Whether you run a hospital, a university, a factory, or a grocery chain, you're wrestling with aging infrastructure and short supply of skilled workers. Richard sees the same pattern everywhere. Teams need guidance at the point of work, not another report. Natural language agents that answer plain questions and walk users through a task are winning hearts because they remove friction. Return-to-office adds another layer. Hybrid work has made space usage lumpy. Richard outlined how linking lease data, occupancy, and booking behavior helps leaders decide what to close, reshape, or scale. It also changes floor plans. When people do come in, they want project rooms and collaboration zones, not endless rows of cubicles. Retrofit is the sleeper story. You don't need a skyline of brand-new towers to get smarter. Low-cost sensors and targeted integrations are making older buildings more responsive than most people expect. That opens the door for progress without nine-figure capex. Energy, sustainability, and proof Boards want less energy spend and real emissions progress. The quickest wins are often hiding in plain sight. Richard walked through HVAC control that follows people, sunlight, and weather rather than fixed schedules. Lights that turn off when a room is empty are yesterday's news. Cooling only where teams are actually working is today's play. He also flagged a coming wave on factory floors. Many legacy motors and line components quietly draw more power than they should. Clip-on sensors can spot out-of-tolerance behavior so maintenance can fix the energy hog instead of replacing an entire line. That is the kind of operational change that lowers bills and supports sustainability targets with data, not slogans. Richard's timeline is refreshingly near term. He believes a large slice of the built environment will show real autonomy in three to five years. Not theory. Not demos. Everyday operations that quietly handle themselves until a human is truly required. If this conversation sparks an idea for your sites, stores, labs, or campuses, I want to hear how you're approaching it. What feels possible this quarter, and what still feels out of reach?

https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/news/greening-historic-homes/Using the report as a starting point, we look at the specific challenges around retrofitting in historic and listed buildings, and traditional homes - especially those in conservation areas - where owners are looking to install heating and power systems in line with government targets to reduce zero carbon emissions.About our Guest SpeakerPeter Cox is Managing Director at Carrig Conservation International Ltd and a Fellow at The RSA. Peter and his company Carrig International have a proven track record in dealing with all levels of listed buildings, protected structures and monuments. Peter Cox is well known and respected internationally and contributes much to international standards, Government policies and lectures extensively on the international stage. Support the showSupport the show

Will South from Etude takes us step-by-step through the retrofit of his Victorian terrace house in Brighton, which has improved the health, comfort and energy efficiency of the property. Check out the show notes for more information.

In this episode, we are joined by Attzaz Rashid (Barratt London) and Joel Callow (Beyond Carbon) to talk about Barratt London's move into Passive House.It was a chance to get into what attracted Barratt to developing this Lo-E homes proposition and how they came to feel confident about committing to deliver certified Passive House apartments, the team effort that's been employed to make it work, and the way this change has brought about a renewed enthusiasm for the job in some of the project's participants.It's a really interesting exploration of how the rigour and challenges of Passive House has affected Barratt's approach to high-density building, and how the Passive House approach has come to be recognised as advantageous to Barratt, in all sorts of ways. Finally, the critique of M&E design that's made late on in the episode is not a Barratt critique—as Az makes abundantly clear—this is one founded in Joel's experience of inheriting issues that require Beyond Carbon's expertise for their resolution.Notes from the showAttzaz Rashid on LinkedInJoel Callow on LinkedIn The Barratt London websiteThe Beyond Carbon websiteDistrict heating and passive house - are they compatible? from the pages of Passive House PlusBarratt launches record passive house scheme also from the pages of Passive House Plus**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**We don't actually earn anything from this podcast, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.Follow us on the Zero Ambitions LinkedIn page (we still don't have a proper website)Jeff and Dan about Zero Ambitions Partners (the consultancy) for help with positioning and communications strategy, customer/user research and engagement strategy, carbon calculations and EPDs – we're up to all sortsSubscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)Check Lloyd Alter's Substack: Carbon UpfrontJoin ACANJoin the AECB Join the IGBCCheck out Her Retrofit Space, the renovation and retrofit platform for women**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

Simple fluorescent-to-LED upgrades can make life easier for facilities managers at colleges and universities—especially as more states ban the sale of fluorescent lamps.

How Ireland is making homes warmer, cheaper to run, and lower-carbon—at real scale—and what you should actually do first. Ireland's Retrofit Race Ireland set out to decarbonise its housing by upgrading existing homes—insulation first, fossil heating out, heat pumps and other renewables in. Dr. Ciarán Byrne from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland explains what “retrofit” really means, where the numbers stand, what's working, and how to start your own upgrade without getting overwhelmed. Ireland's Retrofit Race with Dr. Ciarán Byrne “Anything you do in this space is no-regrets work.” Dr. Ciarán Byrne C Dir Why listen to Ireland's Retrofit Race Plain-English retrofit 101: What counts, what doesn't, and why external wall insulation can make a whole street look brand new. Real progress, real targets: Thousands of upgrades each year, with a growing share of homes reaching a strong BER rating. Money + logistics, demystified: Grants that can be netted off your bill, low-cost green loans, and why using registered contractors matters. Old buildings, smart fixes: How “breathable” materials and traditional-home know-how avoid moisture traps in heritage fabric. Myths busted: You usually don't need to move out for a deep retrofit; confusion often comes from bundling retrofits with kitchen or bathroom refits. Ireland's Retrofit Race Pilot Projects Under 1 Minute Snippet Chapters (00:00:00) - What is retrofitting? A home-energy upgrade: insulate the fabric (walls, roof, doors, windows), then swap fossil heat for renewable systems like heat pumps.(00:03:00) - Targets & the clock: Carbon budgets arrive in five-year blocks; scaling now matters because the decade is “back-end loaded.”(00:04:30) - Scorecard: Applications and completions climbing, more homes hitting BER B2, and solid momentum behind insulation-first pathways.(00:09:30) - Scorecard: Applications and completions climbing, more homes hitting BER B2, and solid momentum behind insulation-first pathways.(00:16:00) - The homeowner journey: Make action easy; reduce clicks and complexity; balance demand with trained, inspected, registered contractors.(00:20:00) - Grants that actually move: Faster approvals, one-stop shops that can net off aid, and quality assurance through inspections.(00:30:00) - “Isn't this only for the wealthy?” Attic insulation is often the cheapest, best first step; green finance covers the rest.(00:33:00) - Deep retrofit myths: Staying put vs. moving out—and why people conflate retrofits with other renovations.(00:34:00) - Heritage & physics: Permeable vs. impermeable materials and a growing evidence base for doing old buildings right(00:37:00) - What's next: Optimised construction, off-site panels, digital twins—promising, but still at early stage locally.(00:40:00) - SEAI's role: “The meat in the sandwich”—bridging policy and delivery while simplifying, standardising, consolidating.(00:41:00) - 2026 success looks like… Bigger numbers, smoother customer journeys, and a confident supply chain.(00:42:00) - Final advice: Check your BER and advisory report, explore grants/finance, pick registered contractors, and start now.

Is there a collaboration problem in retrofit within the social housing sector? That was the premise for this conversation with Rafe Bertram, an architect and retrofit expert—appearing in a personal capacity—who was very surprised when I posed the question because he's found collaboration to be a strength in the sector, at least in London.In the end it led to a conversation about what he's learned from the experiences he's had working on retrofits in the social housing sector, in his community, and even doing big flashy Apple stores.The most interesting bit though is the strategy he's using to reduce the cost of retrofit, with his theory of reactive planning. It's an approach that takes a systematic integrated asset management approach and adds strategic opportunism into the mix in a way that enables him to piggyback essential works, like roof replacement, and use them as a catalyst for getting into a building to do the sustainability stuff that's usually a lower priority.Notes from the showRafe Bertram on LinkedinRetrofit Kentish Town The Good Homes Alliance websiteRafe's finance report for the Good Homes Alliance — “The Green Shift – The existing financial incentives for higher environmental performance of new homes” (October 2023) More links to articles about green building, favourable finance, and better valuations:Homebuyers pay a ‘green premium' of up to £40,000 for the most energy efficient properties (September 2021)—Lloyds Banking GroupHalifax includes EPC ratings in maximum lending calculationsHalifax to use EPC rating in affordability calculationsOctopus reducing interest rates for finance capital: 4 criteria = 1.25% discount, 6+ criteria = 2.00% discount**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**We don't actually earn anything from this podcast, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.Follow us on the Zero Ambitions LinkedIn page (we still don't have a proper website)Jeff and Dan about Zero Ambitions Partners (the consultancy) for help with positioning and communications strategy, customer/user research and engagement strategy, carbon calculations and EPDs – we're up to all sortsSubscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)Check Lloyd Alter's Substack: Carbon UpfrontJoin ACANJoin the AECB Join the IGBCCheck out Her Retrofit Space, the renovation and retrofit platform for women**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

The data centre industry is experiencing unprecedented disruption. As AI applications drive explosive demand for computing power, traditional approaches to data centre design and deployment are becoming obsolete almost overnight.In this episode, Emmanuel Becker, CEO of Mediterra Datacenters, shares insights from his extensive career spanning the evolution from on-premise to cloud to AI-driven infrastructure. With NVIDIA releasing new GPU generations every 6-12 months, data centre operators face an impossible equation: building facilities meant to last decades while needing flexibility every few months.Emmanuel discusses Mediterra's innovative approach, including their focus on mid-voltage power infrastructure, liquid cooling readiness, and strategic positioning in tier two cities. The conversation explores how vertical AI specialists are driving regional demand, why ‘permanent retrofit' is becoming standard practice, and how the industry must evolve to serve distributed intelligence rather than centralised hyperscale computing.A must-listen for anyone involved in digital infrastructure, technology deployment, or understanding how AI is reshaping the built environment.Send us a textTo learn more about Bryden Wood's Design to Value philosophy, visit www.brydenwood.com. You can also follow Bryden Wood on LinkedIn.

The UK's push toward net zero has dramatically improved building insulation and airtightness. But there's an unintended consequence that could prove dangerous: overheating. As climate change brings more extreme heat to Britain, these highly insulated homes risk becoming dangerously hot without adequate cooling strategies.In this episode, co-founder Martin Wood explores climate resilience in residential design with Helen Hough and Pablo Gugel from our sustainability team. With Pablo's Spanish perspective on Mediterranean design principles, they examine how the UK can adapt its housing for a hotter future without resorting to energy-intensive air conditioning.The conversation covers everything from cultural shifts in thermal comfort expectations to the massive challenge of retrofitting millions of existing homes. They explore whether government intervention is necessary given the scale of the problem, and question whether we're modeling future climate scenarios or simply ignoring the risks ahead.A thought-provoking discussion about designing for the climate we're actually going to live in, not just the regulations we need to meet today.Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction - The perfect storm facing UK housing 3:00 Mediterranean lessons: shading and cultural adaptation 8:00 Thermal comfort expectations vs climate reality 15:00 Retrofit priorities: walls, glazing, or energy supply? 25:00 The density problem: underoccupied housing 35:00 Government intervention vs individual responsibilitySend us a textTo learn more about Bryden Wood's Design to Value philosophy, visit www.brydenwood.com. You can also follow Bryden Wood on LinkedIn.

In this episode, Sean White and Cesar Barbosa, CEO of Nu Life, break down the seven “re-”s of solar: Repurpose, Repower, Recycle, Repair, Refurbish, Retrofit, and Remediation. Discover how these strategies are shaping the future of solar projects, from giving panels a second life to tackling the challenges of decommissioning and sustainability.   Topics covered: Nu Life www.nulifepower.com PPA = Power Purchase Agreement Repurpose: Use old panels in a new place or application. Repower: Upgrade a system with new parts for better performance. Recycle: Break down panels to recover materials. Repair: Fix specific issues without major replacements. Refurbish: Restore used panels by repairing minor parts. Retrofit: Replace or upgrade components across a system. Remediation: Correct larger-scale problems to restore function. FabTech www.fabtech.net Decommissioning PV Cycle www.pvcycle.org Used Solar End of Life Utility Cesar Barbosa's Articles www.linkedin.com/in/cesarbarbosa   Reach out to Jon Williams Here: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/cesarbarbosa Nu Life Website: www.nulifepower.com   Learn more at www.solarSEAN.com and be sure to get NABCEP certified by taking Sean's classes at www.heatspring.com/sean www.solarsean.com/pvcms

This episode is all about case study in circularity and a group of people turning waste into useful materials for the built environment. Daniel Dinizo and Charmaine Cu-Unjieng of NaturLoop are bringing a new bio-based product to market that transforms waste coconut husk into a material that's something between MDF and a particle board.For us, this presented a chance to talk about how sustainable materials are developed, the challenges of bringing them to market and how responsible businesses can approach supply chain development (the big challenge now). As professionals who work with LCAs, EPDs, and carbon calcs all the time it was refreshing to get into a product that will have an impact that can be accounted for in human terms, as well as the usual economic and environmental terms. They're also fundraising right now, so here's the pitch from Charmaine.NaturLoop at the Final Stage of Pre-Seed Funding"NaturLoop, the Swiss–Philippine climate-tech startup behind Cocoboard, is at the final stage of its pre-seed round. Cocoboard is the first industry-ready fibreboard made entirely from coconut husk waste and natural adhesives—a truly biocircular material. Featured at Interzum Cologne 2025, Cocoboard embodies the shift in construction and furniture toward biocircularity—no longer a trend but the future of materials. Europe's sustainable furniture market is set to more than double to $42.6 bn by 2032, with consumers paying around 10% more for sustainable products. NaturLoop is closing its round soon, inviting strategic investors to co-build a climate-positive business that reduces deforestation and uplifts poor coconut farmers—making the industry more future-proof."Notes from the showCharmaine Cu-Unjieng on LinkedinDaniel Dinizo on Linkedin NaturLoop on Linkedin The NaturLoop websiteA short film about Cocoboard®An investor CTA from CharmaineAn example of Cocoboard in use as a speaker box for a Schwab System**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**We don't actually earn anything from this podcast, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.Follow us on the Zero Ambitions LinkedIn page (we still don't have a proper website)Jeff and Dan about Zero Ambitions Partners (the consultancy) for help with positioning and communications strategy, customer/user research and engagement strategy, carbon calculations and EPDs – we're up to all sortsSubscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)Check Lloyd Alter's Substack: Carbon UpfrontJoin ACANJoin the AECB Join the IGBCCheck out Her Retrofit Space, the renovation and retrofit platform for women**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

In this episode we are exploring the relationship between financial institutions and the built environment in relation to sustainability, building performance and mitigating climate change with Ian Bhullar and Ronnell Reffell from UK Finance, the UK financial sector's membership organisation.The episode itself was prompted by a report that UK Finance published in relation to the incoming UK Government's own Warm Homes Plan: Greening Homes, Creating Growth: Unlocking demand for green home finance. Its recommendations will be familiar to anyone who has been working in the green building sector but it's notable because these arguments and demands are being presented by the banks and lenders.For us this presented an opportunity to find out what the finance sector is actually thinking about how to address the demands of the built environment in relation to climate change and the financial risk that comes with it. Most importantly, they're serious about the matter—this is not ESG-style fluff, they know they need to draw in expertise from built environment professional and they want to know what people like you think.Notes from the showIan Bhullar on LinkedinRonnell Reffell on Linkedin The UK Finance website The report itself—Greening Homes, Creating Growth: Unlocking demand for green home finance**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**We don't actually earn anything from this podcast, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.Follow us on the Zero Ambitions LinkedIn page (we still don't have a proper website)Jeff and Dan about Zero Ambitions Partners (the consultancy) for help with positioning and communications strategy, customer/user research and engagement strategy, carbon calculations and EPDs – we're up to all sortsSubscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)Check Lloyd Alter's Substack: Carbon UpfrontJoin ACANJoin the AECB Join the IGBCCheck out Her Retrofit Space, the renovation and retrofit platform for women**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

In Episode 259 of Pool Nation Podcast, Edgar De Jesus and John "JJ Flawless" dive deep into a critical safety topic in the pool industry: Equipotential Bonding. They're joined by Dallas Thiesen from the Florida Swimming Pool Association (FSPA) and John Ritenour, VP of Engineering at SunSmart Engineering, to break down the findings from a landmark bonding study conducted by the Pool Industry Council. Learn the difference between bonding and grounding, explore the two main methods of bonding (copper wire vs. copper grid), and understand why this topic matters to pool service techs, builders, and inspectors alike. The episode covers safety implications, real-world retrofit challenges, and how this research could affect upcoming National Electric Code changes. Whether you're a pool pro servicing backyards daily or a builder navigating evolving code standards, this episode is packed with practical tips, technical insights, and industry updates that could impact your work.

Andy Mitchell, Managing Director of 21 Degrees, explains what factors influence human comfort and how we have tried to make our homes more comfortable through the years. Embracing building physics has been a turning point and while we have the knowledge and skills to create healthy and comfortable homes today, it's still not the default approach. So Andy outlines the options available to get yourself into a better home. Check out the show notes for more information.

We're joined by our new friends from Building Atlas, Nick Taylor and Olga Khroustaleva, who join us for a conversation about commercial retrofit—the non-residential kind. They've got a data driven business Building Atlas that helps commercial asset owners to plan pragmatic retrofit pathways for commercial real estate.This isn't just important because of how much energy the non-residential sector consumes, it's also because 70% of non-residential building assets are on course to become stranded assets because of their EPC rating and MEES regulation.They are simplifying a complex problem into something that's comprehensible—aggregating experience (and data) to give broad brush stroke direction that's useful. They've also published a paper about retrofit strategy for commercial buildings: The Beauty in Boring Buildings: The Business Case for Retrofit Beyond Flagship Assets.Notes from the showNick Taylor on LinkedIn Olga Khroustaleva on LinkedIn The Building Atlas website Their recent paper — The Beauty in Boring Buildings: The Business Case for Retrofit Beyond Flagship AssetsUK Government MEES guidance — Non-domestic private rented property: minimum energy efficiency standard - landlord guidance**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**We don't actually earn anything from this podcast, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.Follow us on the Zero Ambitions LinkedIn page (we still don't have a proper website)Jeff and Dan about Zero Ambitions Partners (the consultancy) for help with positioning and communications strategy, customer/user research and engagement strategy, carbon calculations and EPDs – we're up to all sortsSubscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)Check Lloyd Alter's Substack: Carbon UpfrontJoin ACANJoin the AECB Join the IGBCCheck out Her Retrofit Space, the renovation and retrofit platform for women**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

“Where we bridge the gap between water plant operators and engineers” In today's episode, we are going to talk about a challenging packaged sanitary wastewater treatment plant retrofit. We are thrilled to welcome back our guest Ibrahim Teres, a senior process engineer at EMCO group with 10+ years in the water and wastewater treatment systems design field. Ibrahim was recently elected as the vice chairman for the AZ Water Association's water treatment committee and holds a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Sciences and a Master's degree in Environmental Engineering. Ibrahim has successfully designed, executed, and started up numerous municipal and industrial water and wastewater treatment projects. His expertise spans across diverse sectors including beverage, food processing, and oil & gas industries. Before moving to Arizona, Ibrahim worked on projects located in the middle east and Africa, thus bringing in a wealth of international experience and a proven track record of delivering innovative and effective water treatment solutions to his new role.

Ben Nother, a Director at Hawkland design and build company, explains the two different roles of Principal Designer in meeting building regulations and addressing CDM health and safety. He also reflects on how this has been integrated into the processes at Hawkland. Check out the show notes for more information.

James and John discuss Etsy finds: sealed Guided Tour of Macintosh cassette tape, restored Color Classic II, and PowerPC 603 paperweight. James looks at the book "20 GOTO 10" by Steven Goodwin, and news includes James Wages' SE/30 Retrofit video and Ron's interview with Bill Appleton. Join our Facebook page, follow us on X (Twitter), watch us on YouTube, and visit us at RetroMacCast.

In this episode Rose Chard joins us to describes her multilayered and multi textured approach to innovation and research. It's a conversation about Energy Systems Captapult's experiment in prescribing heating to keep people warm—that's pretty much it, but there was a lot to talk about.Notes from the showRose Chard on LinkedInThe Inclusive Smart Solutions project that Rose mentionsWarm Home Prescription® Insights and Impact Report (July 2024) by Energy Systems CatapultWarm Home Prescription recommended by 93% of health professionals in latest trial (September 2023) by Energy Systems CatapultOne of the papers Jeff mentioned: Occupant Interactions and Effectiveness of Natural Ventilation Strategies in Contemporary New Housing in Scotland, UKThe other one: Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality in Part F 2006 Homes (BD 2702) from 2010**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**We don't actually earn anything from this podcast, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.Follow us on the Zero Ambitions LinkedIn page (we still don't have a proper website)Jeff and Dan about Zero Ambitions Partners (the consultancy) for help with positioning and communications strategy, customer/user research and engagement strategy, carbon calculations and EPDs – we're up to all sortsSubscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)Check Lloyd Alter's Substack: Carbon UpfrontJoin ACANJoin the AECB Join the IGBCCheck out Her Retrofit Space, the renovation and retrofit platform for women**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

In this insightful episode, Bill and Eric are joined by Abhi Katamneni from Efficiency Canada and Nate Adams, also known as the House Whisperer, for a wide-ranging conversation on the future of home performance, policy, and how HVAC contractors can play a central role in the electrification and decarbonization of housing. Abhi shares lessons from his ride-alongs with contractors across North America, emphasizing how real-world experience shapes policy that actually works. Nate dives into his shift toward consumer education and the systemic problems he's observed in program design and incentives. Together, they unpack how well-meaning policies can backfire when they disrupt the natural rhythm of contracting businesses—highlighting the urgent need for smarter, more contractor-centric approaches. They discuss “boundary spanners,” the unintended consequences of top-down mandates, and why the HVAC service truck is ground zero for climate solutions. Both guests call for immersion, experimentation, and communities of practice to move from boutique success stories to scalable change. Some quotes from the Episode: “The brain can't absorb what your butt can't endure.” – Abhi “If you're not building something shovel-ready for contractors, what are you even doing?” – Abhi “A heat pump isn't just green—it's better. More comfort, less noise, fewer regrets.” – Nate Nate's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natethehousewhisperer/ Abhi's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akantamn/ Boundary Spanners podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1OunercMNOjZ3poROcI5Z4 Nate's website where  you get free downloads or the book: https://www.natethehousewhisperer.com/ ACEEE: https://www.aceee.org/ Efficiency Canada: https://www.efficiencycanada.org/   This episode was recorded in June 2025.  

In this episode of the Passive House Podcast, Mary James speaks with Barry McCarron, Managing Director of Kore Retrofit, about Ireland's bold retrofit efforts and Passive House leadership. Barry traces his journey from building the world's largest Passive House Premium project to leading cutting-edge retrofit initiatives through Kore's one-stop shop model. He shares insights into his PhD research on radon in certified Passive House buildings, the significance of airtightness and ventilation, and Ireland's ambitious retrofit targets. https://www.koreretrofit.com/Thank you for listening to the Passive House Podcast! To learn more about Passive House and to stay abreast of our latest programming, visit passivehouseaccelerator.com. And please join us at one of our Passive House Accelerator LIVE! zoom gatherings on Wednesdays.

Two great questions about wall assemblies. The boys dig deep, exploring all the variables to consider for both wall assemblies. And no big surprise: Much of the conversation is about how to get these three control layers right (water, air, thermal) and ALSO get the drying potential (vapor) correct.PETE'S RESOURCES:- 2021 IRC - MontanaNOTE: The IRC 2021 does NOT include any chapters on energy efficiency/energy requirements...- Huber Table for ZIP-R recommendations for all climates- "Check but Verify - Why We Do Multiple Blower Door Tests:" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDD-BpTZJ3I- "When to Perform a Blower Door Test (and when not to)"

In a slight departure from our usual building performance themes joining us for this episode we have Richard Muscat, a man who has experienced the world of investment and tech from a fascinating range of angles and is seeking ways to do things differently.In essence, we're looking at the way venture capital and climatetech are organised in ways that aren't conducive to delivering the impact that's promised. We're not just picking on VCs, we're using them as a means of highlighting a bunch of systemic economic issues—chief among them is how unrealistic goals for growth (in its myriad forms) almost always leads to failed impact. Perversely, it's a bug in the impact investment space that's a feature of the broader investment system.We also get into concepts of degrowth and economic biodiversity.Good Homes Alliance eventLaunch event of our a best practice guide to ‘Water Efficiency and Reuse in Housing' on Thursday 10 July.Notes from the showRichard Muscat on LinkedinThe Untangled websiteRichard's recent LinkedIn post that we mentionThe Project Drawdown websiteHuman flourishing doesn't require perpetual growth; it requires sufficiency, by Jason HickelSmarter Finance 4 EU — the project Jeff's been working on and promoting because green home certification is about not just energy use, or IAQ, etc, but how residents live their lives once they leave the front door i.e. nature + cycling + public transport + climate resilience etc. all matter**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.Follow us on the Zero Ambitions LinkedIn page (we still don't have a proper website)Jeff and Dan about Zero Ambitions Partners (the consultancy) for help with positioning and communications strategy, customer/user research and engagement strategy, carbon calculations and EPDs – we're up to all sortsSubscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)Check Lloyd Alter's Substack: Carbon UpfrontJoin ACANJoin the AECB Join the IGBCCheck out Her Retrofit Space, the renovation and retrofit platform for women**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

In this episode we're talking about Zero Bills Homes, so we welcome back Nigel Banks, this time accompanied by his Octopus colleague Emma Fletcher*.We're not directly talking Fabric Fifth again but the concept is central to the Octopus zero bills strategy i.e. prioritising decarbonising energy use and reducing the cost of energy use rather than focusing on reducing energy demand through fabric measures. As before, basic fabric standards are required in order to make the proposition financially viable.As you might imagine, Jeff was keen to dig into the technical and performance side, so Nigel explains what's going on in the standard and what they know about how well it's functioning and Emma fills us in on how it's shaping up to evolve into a building standard in its own right. We're particularly keen because—although we might be sceptical, which we discuss—the action that Octopus is initiating will raise standards and will shape expectations that will influence the whole residential construction sector, and could go some way to catalysing the bridging of the skills gap.*She, too, works at Octopus Energy—she is not an actual octopus.Notes from the showNigel Banks on LinkedinEmma Fletcher on LinkedinThe Octopus Zero Bills proposition in their own words The Octopus Tenant Power propositionNigel Banks' addressing the embodied carbon question on LinkedIn Link to The Octopus Energy Tech Summit (23rd June)The Fabric Fifth ZAP episode from last year**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.Follow us on the Zero Ambitions LinkedIn page (we still don't have a proper website)Jeff and Dan about Zero Ambitions Partners (the consultancy) for help with positioning and communications strategy, customer/user research and engagement strategy, carbon calculations and EPDs – we're up to all sortsSubscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)Check Lloyd Alter's Substack: Carbon UpfrontJoin ACANJoin the AECB Join the IGBCCheck out Her Retrofit Space, the renovation and retrofit platform for women**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

In this episode, Cherise is joined by Ryan Jang, AIA, Principal at Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects in San Francisco, California. They discuss the Walker Hall Graduate Student Center at the University of California, Davis .You can see the project here as you listen along.Walker Hall at UC Davis is a striking example of adaptive reuse, transforming a vacant 1927 agricultural engineering building into a vibrant center for graduate and professional students. Once seismically unsafe and underused, the 34,000 square foot structure now anchors the campus core as a hb for learning, collaboration, and community.If you enjoy this episode, visit arcat.com/podcast for more. If you're a frequent listener of Detailed, you might enjoy similar content at Gābl Media. Mentioned in this episode:ARCATemy

This episode is all about a retrofit programme gone wrong in Preston and the effort required to fix it. It's a story that was covered in the pages of Passive House Plus back in 2018 under the headline "Disastrous Preston retrofit scheme remains unresolved" and until recently we thought it remained unresolved.We're joined by Filipe Amarante and Joanna Curtis to talk about the Preston Retrofit Catastrophe and all the work that National Energy Action has been doing to fix the grotesque damage that was wrought on a community in the 2010s. It's a project that's consumed at least four years and—in truth—will require many more to make good.It's not a hopeless story though. The work NEA has carried out is full of lessons for anyone who works in retrofit to learn. They've taken a worst case scenario—one so bad it's hard to imagine how you could make it any worse—and developed a remediation programme that mitigates the worst of the situation while laying out a best-practice template for how one should approach place-based retrofit programmes.They're also hosting a NEA webinar about the programme on 10 June: sign up here.Notes from the showThe Passive House Plus article: "Disastrous Preston retrofit scheme remains unresolved"Filipe on LinkedInJoanna on LinkedInThe NEA website The NEA's summary report on the project (and video): Warm and Safe Homes in FishwickMore photos of the disaster in "When retrofit goes wrong – lessons from Preston", a presentation by Kate de Selincourt, the writer who brought this story to Jeff's attentionCathy Come Home on IMDBA Taste of Honey on IMDBRiff-Raff on IMDB **SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.Follow us on the Zero Ambitions LinkedIn page (we still don't have a proper website)Jeff and Dan about Zero Ambitions Partners (the consultancy) for help with positioning and communications strategy, customer/user research and engagement strategy, carbon calculations and EPDs – we're up to all sortsSubscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)Check Lloyd Alter's Substack: Carbon UpfrontJoin ACANJoin the AECB Join the IGBCCheck out Her Own Space, the renovation and retrofit platform for women**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

(May 27,2025)Trump administration cancels FEMA earthquake retrofit grants. Immigration is the only thing propping up California's population. Buying 100% American is really, really hard. So, what happens to America's 114 billion pennies once the US stops making them.

We are joined by Valentina Marincioni (UCL, UKCMB) and returning guest Toby Cambray (Greengauge) to talk about the bane of all buildings: moisture.Recently, they they've produced a simple explainer video about "breathability" in buildings for the UK Centre for Moisture in Buildings. Given Jeff's proclivity for referring to the 'sweatability' of buildings this seemed like a perfect opportunity to have Toby back and meet his colleague Valentina.We got into the subject of moisture in some depth, discussed the key terms (vapour diffusion, hygroscopicity, and capillary action), why this all matters, what's important to understand and how it's easily misunderstood and easily miscommunicated.We also play the audio from the video.Notes from the showBuildings Don't Breathe, the video that led to the conversationToby on LinkedInValentina on LinkedInThe UKCMB website and the tools and guidance they host thereThe recent Historic England paper: Air and Vapour Control Layers (AVCLs) in buildings of traditional construction. A literature review to understand appropriate useThe BSI white paper about 4 Cs (context, coherence, capacity, and caution) framework for the development of moisture standards in the UKThe paper Toby wrote with Sarah Price on moisture in Enerphit: Moisture and EnerPHit - Good Practice Guide (December 2023)Toby's appearance on the House Planning Help podcast talking about all things WUFIThe Greengauge consultancy website (Toby's consultancy, with others, too)**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.Follow us on the Zero Ambitions LinkedIn page (we still don't have a proper website)Jeff and Dan about Zero Ambitions Partners (the consultancy) for help with positioning and communications strategy, customer/user research and engagement strategy, carbon calculations and EPDs – we're up to all sortsSubscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)Check Lloyd Alter's Substack: Carbon UpfrontJoin ACANJoin the AECB Join the IGBCCheck out Her Own Space, the renovation and retrofit platform for women**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

In this episode of the Building HVAC Science Podcast, Eric Kaiser and Bill Spohn welcome Ben Hildebrandt, a passionate advocate for building science and green technology education at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). Ben shares his winding career path—from automotive mechanics to aircraft maintenance to architectural technology—and how that journey has shaped his deep commitment to sustainable building practices. Ben discusses the role of applied research at SAIT, highlighting its focus on real-world implementation of green technologies in residential and commercial buildings. He covers the challenges of deep energy retrofits, labor shortages, and siloed efforts within the industry, and offers insights into training programs aimed at bridging those gaps. The conversation also explores comfort, thermal resilience, and the importance of integrating mechanical systems with building envelopes to avoid costly failures. Whether you're a contractor, designer, educator, or just curious about the future of high-performance buildings, this episode delivers a comprehensive look at what's working—and what still needs work—in the green building movement. Some great quotes from the episode: You can't have a green building if you ignore building science—it's the foundation for comfort, health, and durability." "The real challenge isn't technology—it's training enough people to use it right." "We don't need more silos in this industry. We need bridges."   Ben's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brhildebrandt/ Residential Deep Energy Retrofit Guide (Free PDF Download): https://www.enbix.ca/document/a-guide-to-deep-energy-retrofits/   SAIT Applied Research and Innovation Services Hub: https://www.sait.ca/research-and-innovation-services   Retrofit Canada (some great completed Canadian Retrofit Case studies here): https://retrofitcanada.com/       This episode was recorded in May 2025.  

Toby Cambray talks about the experience of working on his own retrofit project, and the lessons learnt in the process. Check out the show notes for more information.

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Joining us for this episode are Tom Cox and Sally Sattary co-founders of Decent Energy. They have a software startup borne of a retrofit experience that did not meet its homeowner expectations, a proprietary software that works to maximise the value of battery storage to improve two key metrics: reducing cost of electricity and reducing the carbon intensity of the energy you do use.There's a bunch of chat about the potential of decentralised energy management to help people in all sorts of ways, from reducing one's individual impact to helping the grid cope with occasionally, dangerously abundant renewable energy—an issue which costs every household something like £40 per year, just to turn off the generation facility let it overload the grid.Anyway, there's loads in there. You can find Decent Energy, Tom, and Sally in all the usual places (links below).Notes from the showTom Cox on LinkedInSally Sattary on LinkedInDecent Energy's websiteDecent Energy on LinkedInSaul Griffith's website - an author who inspired Tom to work on the problem of energy decentralisation and demand decarbonisation**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.Follow us on the Zero Ambitions LinkedIn page (we still don't have a proper website)Jeff and Dan about Zero Ambitions Partners (the consultancy) for help with positioning and communications strategy, customer/user research and engagement strategy, carbon calculations and EPDs – we're up to all sortsSubscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)Check Lloyd Alter's Substack: Carbon UpfrontJoin ACANJoin the AECB Join the IGBCCheck out Her Own Space, the renovation and retrofit platform for women**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

Former Alderman Jed Morris joins Pete Jansons, Joe Weiss, and Jeff Urso to cut through the noise and lay out the real story behind Lake Forest's new police station. Why did the city move fast? Why Field Drive? Was this a smart investment — or a political vanity project? Jed pulls no punches as he breaks down why the old Deerpath facility is falling apart, why expanding it wasn't an option, and how Lake Forest scored a once-in-a-generation real estate deal.We also dive into the real numbers:

Toby Cambray talks about the risks associated with moisture in buildings, and the modelling techniques – like WUFI® – that can be used to assess those risks. Check out the show notes for more information.

This episode is a window into the consumer side of domestic retrofit that's full of lessons for everyone involved in the retrofit sector. We speak with retrofit influencer Judith Leary Joyce about the experience of undergoing a deep retrofit and learning how to communicate about the subject with normal people. She talks us through her journey from building an extension during the pandemic to getting deep into retrofit and eventually becoming an unlikely retrofit influencer.Whether you work in a domestic, commercial, or industrial setting the nature and needs of normal people will remain the same, so this is an episode full of lessons and insights for anyone  for anyone involved in domestic retrofit about:- how to speak with normal people- how to learn how to do better (TLDR: listen to yourself, or get someone to listen to you to check whether you're baffling your customers)- how to think about their needs and understand their perspectives- how to inspire them and inform them better prior to a projectShe's also got some fascinating insights about when people are likely to be able or willing to listen to someone talking about building performance and taking on new ideasNotes from the showJudith on LinkedInJudith on InstagramJudith on FacebookJudith on TwitterJudith on LinktreeJudith's Eco Renovation Home websiteBeginner's Guide to Eco Renovation: Understand the Basics and the Best Questions to Ask by Judith Leary Joyce (I couldn't find a properly independent bookshop stocking it)**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.Follow us on the Zero Ambitions LinkedIn page (we still don't have a proper website)Jeff and Dan about Zero Ambitions Partners (the consultancy) for help with positioning and communications strategy, customer/user research and engagement strategy, carbon calculations and EPDs – we're up to all sortsSubscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)Check Lloyd Alter's Substack: Carbon UpfrontJoin ACANJoin the AECB Join the IGBCCheck out Her Own Space, the renovation and retrofit platform for women**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

Curt and Sarah talk to Kyle Barry, manager of precision upgrades marketing; Clint Chaffer, product marketing lead for precision upgrades at John Deere about retrofitting new technology into current equipment. They also get a weather outlook from Weather 20/20.Episode links John Deere Precision retrofitting Weather 20/20

Chadwick Collins, SPRI's Technical Director, tells us all about what SPRI's been working on behind the scenes and some new updates, including the 2025 revision of the RD-1 standard, formally titled ANSI/SPRI RD-1 Performance Standard for Retrofit Drains.

Returning champions Richard O'Hegarty and Oliver Kinnane join us to discuss a recently co-authored paper: Understanding the embodied carbon credentials of modern methods of construction (MMC).Get ready for a long meandering discussion that gets into what they learned and what they think about accounting practices for embodied carbon, as well as plenty of chatter about MMC and why we hate the term (but not what it is).Notes from the showRichard O'Hegarty on LinkedInOliver Kinnane on LinkedInA link to Richard's post about the paper and a link to Jeff's comment The paper itself: Understanding the embodied carbon credentials of modern methods of construction Their UCD webpage That Compromised insulation paper (**warning, sadly paywalled but check it if you can**)RKD's website The RKD and Hibernia Real Estate-produced paper: Understanding Net Zero Commercial Real Estate ZAP 8 May 2023: How should we calculate carbon and how long should a building last? With Dr Oliver Kinnane and Dr Richard O'Hegarty of University College Dublin ZAP 1 May 2023: MMC is value engineering that should benefit everyone, with Emma Elston and Amandeep Singh Kalra of Be First Regeneration**SOME SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**We don't actually earn anything from this, and it's quite a lot of work, so we have to promote the day jobs.Follow us on the Zero Ambitions LinkedIn page (we still don't have a proper website)Jeff and Dan about Zero Ambitions Partners (the consultancy) for help with positioning and communications strategy, customer/user research and engagement strategy, carbon calculations and EPDs – we're up to all sortsSubscribe and advertise with Passive House Plus (UK edition here too)Check Lloyd Alter's Substack: Carbon UpfrontJoin ACANJoin the AECB Join the IGBCCheck out Her Own Space, the renovation and retrofit platform for women**END OF SELF-PROMOTING CALLS TO ACTION**

Send Crystal a text letting her know what you thought about the show!This is another episode of the Forces for Nature, EarthX Conference series! What if your home could do more than provide shelter—what if it could help heal the planet? In this episode, Eric Amyot, co-founder of Issho House, Oliizoi, and ReGen Earth Studio, talks about his visionary approach to sustainable and regenerative living. We explore groundbreaking innovations in home design, including self-sufficient, closed-loop systems that produce their own food, water, and energy. You'll also learn how waste-diverted, chemical-free materials are revolutionizing construction and why rethinking community ownership is key to making housing more equitable and resilient. A sustainable world starts at home and Eric is helping to make that a reality.HighlightsHow can homes be designed to not only minimize their environmental impact but also actively regenerate the planet?What steps can be taken to reduce the waste and health risks associated with traditional home construction?Why is community an essential part of building a sustainable future, and how can it be reimagined?What YOU Can DoConduct a Home Audit: Start by understanding your home's current condition, including energy use, water quality, air quality, and materials. This helps identify areas for improvement.Address Air Quality: Remove or replace items containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as carpets, paints, and cleaning products, with healthier, eco-friendly alternatives.Improve Insulation and Windows: Ensure your home is well-insulated and replace outdated windows to improve energy efficiency and reduce heating and cooling needs.Install Renewable Energy Systems: Consider solar panels, wind turbines, or geothermal systems to reduce reliance on traditional energy sources.Upgrade Water Systems: Test your water quality and consider implementing greywater recycling or rainwater harvesting systems.Adopt Waste-Reduced Materials: Use recycled or waste-diverted materials for renovations, such as reclaimed wood or innovative options like recycled paper countertops.Grow Your Own Food: Incorporate indoor or outdoor food-growing systems to reduce reliance on store-bought produce.Retrofit for Resilience: Look into programs or services, like Issho's Revive, that can help retrofit your home for greater sustainability, energy efficiency, and self-sufficiency.Take a Holistic Approach: Evaluate the overall health and functionality of your home to ensure it aligns with sustainable living principles, addressing structural, environmental, and lifestyle factors. ResourcesOliizoi Issho HomesRevive- Resilient Retrofitting ReGenEarth StudioWant a free guide to help you become a force for nature? Get it HERE!If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, rate, and review it! This helps to boost its visibility. Hit me up on Instagram and Facebook and let me know what actions you have been taking. Adopting just one habit can be a game-changer because imagine if a billion people also adopted that! What difference for the world are you going to make today?