I've just returned from Plan Expo, where we spent two days flogging the new and past issues of Construct Ireland. There was a steady enough crowd over the two days, and I spent most of yesterday morning at the Rebuilding Ireland conference on the second floor of the Convention Centre (here's a pic of the view from up there). I tweeted some of the speeches — you can find all our Twitter coverage here. Tomorrow morning, I'll be covering US energy secretary Dr Steven Chu's appearance in Dublin. Anyway, here's some interesting stories you may or may not have seen:

Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions drop Irish Times

In the UK, landlords to face fines for energy inefficient properties Guardian

Electric Toyota Prius's coming to Ireland Dept of Energy

Metro North: good idea or not? Irish Economy

The 'VillageTown': a viable concept in urban planning? Sustainable Cities Collective

Why is the UK so bad at construction training? And do any of these lessons apply to Ireland? Guardian

What is the carbon footprint of building a house? Guardian

Should supermarkets and DIY chains insulate homes? Guardian

An interview with passive house pioneer Dr Wolfgang Feist Green Building Advisor

Will this be the first certified passive house building in New York? Green Building Advisor

More of Green Building Advisor's priorities for sustainable building projects: ensure durability, build smaller, reduce the need for driving

Wood-wrapped green office complex opens in Chile Inhabitat

Is this going to be the tallest timber building in the world? Treehugger

Ireland needs a plan, not a budget Ireland After Nama

A log bungalow in rural Meath has been extended and given a total energy upgrade – and wood is at the heart of the renovation, with a timber frame extension and external insulation system along with a fresh log finish.
Words: Lenny Antonelli

Local authorities upgraded hundreds of houses last year under a €20m government scheme, and the Department of Environment has doubled funding for 2010. With local energy agencies playing a key role on the ground, the programme offers vital lessons for keeping quality high in energy retrofit schemes. Words: Lenny Antonelli

An experienced timber framer with an eye for detail, Tim O'Donovan set about building a low energy stick-built home in the Cork countryside and achieved a staggering level of airtightness. 
Words: Lenny Antonelli

A quick round up of interesting stories you or may not have seen:

According to SEAI, the organisation is approving 1,000 Home Energy Saving scheme grants a week, at an average of €2,900. Press release and full report (down the bottom) are here.

Permission sought for Ireland's first geothermal energy electricity generation facility. But Richard Tol is skeptical.

Work on Dublin's Metro North to begin in April

Profile of a nine story timber-frame apartment building, including a time-lapse video showing its construction. Construct Ireland previously profiled Ireland's largest timber-frame building, the Navan Credit Union.

Beetlecrete: making use of timber that's been infested by the pine beetle.

Article and audio report on an office built out of shipping containers, which seem to be growing in popularity in the US. How long before an Irish building uses one?

Is green building causing a "real estate revolution" in the US?

Britain is banning inefficient boilers

The New York Times has an in depth feature on passive houses

The Infrastructurist asks why we (or more specifically the US, in this case) are still so afraid of nuclear power?

Some cool aerial photos of urban sprawl in the US (they're after the first few aerial photos of prisons)

The world's biggest offshore windfarm has been activated in the North Sea

More than a thousand applications for Home Energy Savings (HES) scheme grants are being approved every week and 98.5% percent of recipients say they would recommend the scheme to others, according to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). The survey also revealed that over 68,000 grants have been awarded since the scheme began in April 2009.

In May we profiled the Nottingham House, an entry into Solar Decathlon Europe designed by a team from the University of Nottingham that featured an insulation system from Isover Ireland. The Solar Decathlon challenges university teams to design and build homes that maximise the sun's energy. This was the first year of the European competition - the US version is well established. 

Anyway, here's a video from the University of Nottingham documenting the build process.

[video:tp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP6vQnATckk] 

Hi everyone, the new issue of CI has gone to print and should be out by early next week. Having just caught up on what's been happening in the green building and energy world for the first time in a few weeks, here's some stories that caught my eye. 

How to get the most from your heat pump: Treehugger

Fascinating profile of Honk Kong's rooftop villages: Sustainable Cities Collective

Top ten green building prioties: No 10, make it easy: Green Building Advisor

Green buildings may boost occupants' health and productivity: Green Building Advisor

The US's first certified passive house retrofit: Green Building Advisor (more here

San Francisco unveils striking-solar powered stadium: Inhabitat

Report questions whether rainwater and greywater harvesting are really green: Energy Saving Trust

Should building regulations be less impenetrable and more consumer-friendly? Energy saving Trust

Paris to heat buildings using metro: Guardian

Profile of Britain's first recycled theatre: Guardian