If you're building your own home you probably think there is way too much to get your head around.
Well Janna and Seb Laan Lomas were set on making a bio-based #Passivhaus. The amount of thought that takes and careful choices is mind-blowing!
houseplanninghelp.com/398
#PassiveHouse
Almost everything we argue about is a substitute for the thing we should be arguing about: the immense wealth & power of an oligarchic class, which captures governments, ruins lives and wrecks the living planet.
This class redirects our rage at scapegoats. To resist its lies is to resist its power.
Yes, this one is in a loft and is definitely not easy to access. I also wonder how good the ductwork is and whether it's been attacked by rodents over the years.
The token trees in the car park, and the spaces where it looks like some have been cut down and not replanted. #Bleak
Yes. It does move the air around which must be a plus. The property is going to be sold soon so it would be intriguing to know what the new owners would do.
@alanclarke.bsky.social I saved these photos for you!
And a question... Does a 30 year old #MVHR system that's been poorly maintained still provide any benefits?
#Ventilation
As ever, George Monbiot has a wonderful way with words.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
#Oil #Renewables
Photo from top floor of the Kollektiv Hotel in Indonesia looking down - there are 3 or 4 storeys with lush green foliage spilling over and an open courtyard below where you can see a couple of chairs.
#Eventprofs, is sustainable accommodation a nice-to-have, or an absolute dealbreaker?
I'm writing about this for M&IT magazine and would love your views. We all want to be greener, but have budget concerns made it easier to overlook eco credentials and skip straight to the cost?
#JournoRequest
Location is still the priority over everything. Then it's about availability and cost. Sadly eco credentials and what that actually means is way down the list.
If you're planning a new build or an upgrade of your home, tell us your plans and you can get a free copy of the new issue of Passive House Plus*
Click here if in the UK: passivehouseplus.co.uk/enquiry
Or here if in Ireland: passivehouseplus.ie/enquiries
*Physical copies for UK and Ireland only.
Heat pump orders up 2x in a month. Solar panel inquiries up 250%. EV leases up 85%.
The Iran crisis has made energy security feel personal.
I understand why: I have solar panels, a heat pump & EV on a flexible tariff. When gas prices spike, my bills barely move.
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Over the last year or so I've definitely noticed more people running into problems with Building Control sign-off. There's another example in my latest podcast. Janna and Seb couldn't get their Approved Inspector to sign-off a traditional clay plaster. So what did they do?
houseplanninghelp.com/398
Quick question - does anyone use Threema instead of WhatsApp? And if so, is it any good?
Well done, #Hungary. Great choice. We need some good news.
Is this undoing some of #Brexit without saying the words we made a whopping mistake?!
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
As we close in on episode 400 I have more great podcasts for you.
In our current episode Janna and Seb Laan Lomas explain how they built a bio-based #Passivhaus.
houseplanninghelp.com/398
Still to come: two great double acts (Nick Grant and Jon Broome, and Chris Herring and Bill Butcher)!
NEW PODCAST: I've heard a lot about Llama Croft over the last year or so, but I finally got to visit.
Janna and Seb Laan Lomas are my guests.
www.houseplanninghelp.com/398
#Passivhaus #PassiveHouse #SelfBuild #NaturalMaterials
It still astounds me that anyone wanted to vote Trump in for a second term. Somehow even now his approval rating is about 40% in the USA.
A vote for Farage is a vote for Trump - and everything that entails: war with Iran, skyrocketing oil prices, a British version of ICE, imports of US chlorinated chicken, the erosion of democracy.
“The biggest barrier to people voting Reform is Trump” - Luke Tryl
www.ft.com/content/c07b...
There'll be a new podcast out in the next couple of days. We'll be finding out about Janna and Seb Laan Lomas' bio-based #Passivhaus.
Is sheep's wool insulation a valid choice in 2026?
www.houseplanninghelp.com/397
#EnergyEfficiency #EcoHome
We have already come a long way in terms of renewables but it's a shame we couldn't have learned more from the energy crisis of the 1970s. For example, we could have made sure all new buildings perform better. Fast forward half a century and we'd be in a much stronger position.
Wow, a blast from the past. How are you doing? I didn't think anyone but extremists were left on X!
In my humble opinion the UK made the mistake of a generation a decade ago. Surely it is time to reunite with Europe?
'Sadiq Khan says Labour should pledge to rejoin EU'
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
#Brexit #Farage
Bar graph: "Electric Vehicles Cut Oil Demand Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-18/electric-vehicles-avoided-use-of-2-3-million-barrels-of-oil-daily-in-2025?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc3MzgyOTIwNywiZXhwIjoxNzc0NDM0MDA3LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUQzJJUFFLR0NUSEgwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiIwQzg4NkY0NTI0NzY0RUE0OEY2QTk4RTk1NDc5RTI2NSJ9.8MBMTiCrVmNRXzTXAhqhk5Atz-VrJc01wtzUTfcVDf8
What stands out perhaps most here is how much oil demand electric two- and three-wheelers have avoided. Most talk in developed countries is about passenger cars, but the transition to electric among these smaller vehicles in developing countries has been huge.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Utter madness.
Completed project + sunshine = perfect time for a case study video!
Is there a project that you want to capture on film? Maybe we can help.
www.regenmedia.co.uk/case-studies/
#SelfBuild #Passivhaus #EnergyEfficiency
One of the key skills of a planning consultant is understanding risk and assessing the probable outcome of a site. So if you're currently looking for a building plot my recent podcast with Mark Doodes is well worth a listen.
www.houseplanninghelp.com/396
#SelfBuild #HouseBuild #EcoHome
I am looking for a consumer who has been affected by the heating oil crisis in the UK, and a specialist in the field, you must be willing to be named for a national news story, please email contactus@thesentinelcurrent.co.uk #journorequest
