Higher temperatures and more frequent and intense heat waves are inevitable as the UK climate warms. High indoor summertime temperatures result in diminished health and well-being and can be fatal, especially for people with underlying health problems. In 2026 the Climate Change Committee elevated the ‘Risks to buildings and communities from heat’ into the highest risk category - ‘Critical Action needed’.

The World Sustainable Energy Days 2027 will be held from 2 to 5 March in Wels, Austria, bringing together policymakers, researchers, businesses, and energy practitioners to explore how Europe can accelerate the shift towards climate neutrality. The programme includes conferences on energy efficiency, renewable heating, industrial energy transition, smart e‑mobility, energy communities, and the European Pellet Conference, offering a comprehensive overview of current policy developments, technological innovation, and market trends.

Across Europe, rising temperatures and more frequent heatwaves are transforming how buildings perform in summer conditions. Classrooms, in particular, are becoming increasingly vulnerable to overheating, with direct consequences for pupils’ learning capacity, teachers’ working conditions and overall occupant well-being. Despite this, summer thermal comfort has long remained a secondary consideration in building policies primarily focused on winter energy performance.

Overheating is an increasingly common challenge in well-insulated buildings, often addressed with energy-intensive air conditioning. DUCO offers a more sustainable alternative, combining ventilative cooling with external solar shading to regulate indoor temperature naturally in both residential and non-residential buildings. Following … Continue reading →

The 15th International BUILDAIR Symposium will take place on 17 and 18 June, 2027. We have chosen the H4 Hotel Hannover Messe as the venue; it features a wonderful ground-floor hall that is perfectly suited to the symposium and the accompanying trade exhibition. You can relax and prepare for the day’s programme in large, comfortable rooms (you will receive the booking link with your registration confirmation), and the hotel also boasts a spacious wellness and fitness area.

This project aims to verify and refine the foundational rules governing natural ventilation design in ASHRAE Standards 62.1 and 62.2 — specifically the long-standing assumptions that single-sided ventilation provides acceptable conditions to a depth of two ceiling heights (2H) and cross-ventilation to five ceiling heights (5H), as well as the 4% openable area rule. By establishing science-based depth limits and opening requirements, this research will enable designers to confidently implement natural ventilation strategies that reduce mechanical system reliance while ensuring occupant health, comfort, and acceptable indoor air quality.

This month, we delve into ‘Cooling for all: making comfort sustainable and affordable in Europe's buildings’ with Matthaios Santamouris, Professor of High-Performance Architecture, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture at UNSW Sydney. 

As Europe heats up and populations age, smarter cooling becomes essential, blending design, technology, and policy to deliver comfort with less energy. From passive strategies to intelligent systems, the future of cooling is efficient, adaptive and human-centric.

What happens when louvre window expertise meets intelligent façade automation? You get a more coordinated way to deliver fresh air, indoor comfort and fire safety through one integrated façade solution. WindowMaster and FIEGER combine large blade louvre systems with automation, … Continue reading →

The revision of the EPBD places indoor environmental quality and climate resilience at the centre of building design, opening up opportunities for passive solutions such as natural ventilation.