German system put into practice

In news which may interest those thinking of self building an eco home, a new residential building is being constructed in York that requires no conventional heating system.

Using the German Passivhaus system, the eight two-bedroom apartments are being created by the York Housing Association, the Green Building Press reports.

The system uses newspaper for insulation in the walls and works through an airtight system that recycles the air inside to retain 80 per cent of the heat that is within and use it to warm up the fresh air introduced from outside.

It warms the building in the first place by capturing the heat generated from household appliances such as cookers and showers.

John Gilham, property manager at the association, said: "More than 10,000 homes in Germany and Austria have been built using this Passivhaus system and we are one of the housing associations that are pioneering it in the UK."

Self build enthusiasts may consider adopting some or all of the system for their own homes.

The 12th international Passivhaus conference was held earlier this year in the German city of Nuremberg.