Michael Bennett & Sons and Shoalwater Timber Frame have been selected to represent Ireland at the European finals of the ISOVER Energy Efficiency Awards for 2011. This will be held in Barcelona in June of this year. The companies also received a prize of €10,000 and will be profiled in the internationally distributed ISOVER Best Of trade publication.





ISOVER Award






Grange Lough


This international contest rewards Europe's most energy efficient renovation and construction projects both in the residential and non-residential sectors. It is the first time that Ireland will be represented in the finals. The winning project for 2011 is the Grange Lough passive home development in Rosslare, Co. Wexford. In awarding the prize, the judges stated that the project was "one of Irish design and manufacture, achieved by interpretation and adoption of existing European technologies to suit an Irish marketplace and environment". Speaking at the presentation, Brian Dolan, Managing Director of ISOVER said: "the ISOVER Energy Efficiency Best Of Awards are a natural outgrowth of two environmental issues that are at the very heart of our preoccupations at ISOVER: protection of the external environment in the face of climate change and enhancing the quality of the interior environment that is increasing the physical comfort in the places we work and live; its introduction to Ireland for the first time acknowledges the considerable shift within the Irish construction industry towards energy efficient building design". Mr. Dolan also pointed out that much of Ireland's existing building stock continues to consume considerable amounts of energy for heating with significant emissions of greenhouse gases from the burning of fossil fuels. He said: "New building regulations coupled with a change in consumer behaviour and attitudes has led to a significant increase in the number of renovation and construction projects embracing energy efficient design. ISOVER Ireland is confident that these awards help to highlight the importance of improving the energy performance of our buildings and, subsequently, the quality of life for their inhabitants".

The adjudication panel for the ISOVER Energy Efficiency Awards included leading Irish experts in the field of green design and construction. The adjudicators were Thomas O'Leary of Passive House Academy Ireland; Jeff Colley, Editor of Construct Ireland and winner of the 2010 Green Leader award; Jay Stuart, sustainable design consultant with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA); and Zdenka Debartoli, International Market Manager (Building), ISOVER. Two joint runners-up were also honoured at the awards ceremony on Friday, 11th February. The renovation of the former P.J. Carroll cigarette factory into a modern campus building for the Dundalk Institute of Technology was entered by Chris Croly and Edel Donnelly of BDP. The renovation of a 35-year old residential property at Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow was entered by Integrated Energy and Archie O'Donnell. A Highly Commended award went to another new residential building in Wexford at Newtown, Killoughrim entered by Ed Devereaux and Stuart Mason of The Timber Frame Company. ISOVER is Ireland's leading supplier of glass wool insulation solutions. It provides a comprehensive range of solutions for thermal, acoustic, fire and air-tightness requirements for residential and non-residential applications with innovative products for roofs, walls and floors. ISOVER, and its parent company St. Gobain, employ approximately 800 people in Ireland