Minimum energy efficiency standards for a fair energy transition

In a joint factsheet, BPIE and the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) recommend the introduction of minimum energy performance standards for rental buildings. In general, a household is said to be in energy poverty when its members cannot afford to keep adequately warm. The combination of low incomes, energy prices and inefficient housing leads to energy poverty. The paper summarises an evaluation of relevant literature. Although the data does not reveal the full extent of energy poverty, the

BPIE workshop: Building Renovation Passports: the journey to better renovation

This workshop, supported by the EU-funded project iBRoad, will present the concept of the Building Renovation Passport (BRP) and its usefulness in supporting buildings renovation in the EU. In addition, the event will aim at assessing the market readiness of this new tool. The audience including experts, practitioners and policy makers will engage in a debate addressing these topics, supported by presentations of case studies from three countries. The workshop is held in association with the Renovate

[Urban Chronicles #WellBeingAtWork] #04 - Rethinking the interior design of our workspaces

Flex Office, or Desk Sharing, is emerging as a major trend in commercial office real estate. In the absence of a dedicated office at the workplace, each employee settles in the morning in a free space of his choice, equipped with his laptop and smartphone. Requiring careful material preparation, Flex Office allows financial gains by reducing the phenomenon of empty offices and full meeting rooms (particularly relevant in France, where an executive spends an average of 24 days a year in meetings

Electric mobility: opportunities and challenges

Emissions generated by transport in Europe are still on the rise, while the electric vehicle sector is struggling to take off. The main obstacles to the spread of e-mobility are the limited batteries on the market and the underdeveloped infrastructure. Greenhouse gases decreased by 23% between 1990 and 2016, said the third report on the state of the “Energy Union”, which tracks the EU's transition to a low-carbon society. However, we cannot let our guard down, as the emissions from the transport

[Urban Chronicles #WellBeingAtWork] #03 - Overview of alternative workspaces

In 2013, the National Agency for the Improvement of Working Conditions (ANACT) was playing a game of anticipation by imagining what the world of work will look like by 2050. Among the anticipated trends, the end of the offices was already at the top and suggested a revolution in working methods.   Today, at a time of agile collaborative projects and new connected technologies, it seems that the disappearance of offices could occur before 2050. Indeed, the many changes that contribute to the dematerializat

PRESTO IBÉRICA has chosen BIM&CO to manage and publish its BIM objects

The Spanish sanitary facilities manufacturer has entrusted BIM&CO with managing and publishing its BIM objects. PRESTO IBÉRICA is a specialist in manufacturing innovative and durable sanitation solutions that bring water consumption under control. With over 30 years' experience on the market, as well as a formidable international presence, the company is an expert in providing sanitary facilities for professionals and communities who require cutting-edge, high-quality and environmentally friendly

Dresden establishes a network of 76 mobility hubs

Users can quickly switch between bicycle, car sharing, electric car and public transport. Dresden, the state capital of Saxony, Germany wants to set up 76 mobility hubs in the city area. At these stations, users can quickly switch between environmental friendly and city-friendly means of transport such as bicycles, car sharing, electric cars and local public transport. Six of these will be implemented as pilot sites: Pirnaischer Platz, Bahnhof Mitte, Altpieschen, P+R Prohlis, Fetscherplatz and Wasaplatz

VELUX turns century-old wood into new roof windows

This unique product innovation showcases the willingness of the Group to listen to customer needs and to try new things. It is a kind of ‘VELUX experiment’ that’s in the spirit of VELUX founder Villum Kann Rasmussen, who once said (and which is now a company motto): “One experiment is worth more than 1,000 expert views”. The main purpose of this experiment is to firstly prove it can be done and secondly to learn more about actual market needs for upcycled building materials. Where the windows are

Green Solutions Awards 2018: be there on December 6 at COP24 in Katowice for the international winner gala!

Save the date! On December 6 in Katowice, in Poland where COP24 will take place, the 9 international winners of the Green Solutions Awards 2018 will be revealed. Join us at the University of Silesia to know which buildings, districts and infrastructure will be rewarded for the Green Solutions Awards 2018 in presence of 150 professionals from around the world. If you can't be there, you can follow the Awards ceremony in real time through social networks.A broad communication plan is also planned and

World’s first ocean clean-up system launched in San Francisco

A supply ship has set sail in San Francisco in an attempt to clean up the ocean. The ambitious project aims to clean up 50 per cent of the 80, 000 tonnes of plastic located in the infamous Great Pacific Garbage Patch within five years. The boat, which departed on September 8th 2018, is now on its way to a test stop, for a 2-week trial before continuing its journey toward the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, 1,200 nautical miles offshore. Some of the plastic in the garbage patch dates back to the sixties