Mike

China too - in the second quarter of 2026, EVs are up by 1/3, EV charging is up by 60%, and oil consumption is down by 9% (year-on-year). At the end of 2025 54% of their new passenger cars were EVs or hybrids; by 2030 that should reach 70%, with new electric commercial vehicles expected to be at 40%.

There was a warning about that back in 2005: ...the less mitigation we do now, the greater the difficulty of continuing to adapt in future. Strong and early mitigation has a key role to play in limiting the long-run costs of adaptation. Without this, the costs of adaptation will rise dramatically. ...it is already very clear that the economic risks of inaction in the face of climate change are very severe. It is still possible to avoid the worst impacts of climate change; but it requires strong and urgent collective action. Delay would be costly and dangerous. Stern Review final report What does he think now? Given that we are already into dangerous territory where tipping points may be close, the agreed targets of the Paris Agreement – well below 2 °C and efforts towards 1.5 °C – require net zero by 2050. Breaching of those targets involves very serious risks of outcomes which would be catastrophic for billions of people ...although it is late, it is not too late to make a profound difference to the prospects for future generations. Wise and purposive action can not only drastically reduce the risks but also lead us to a new growth path that is much more attractive than what went before ...the cost of inaction far outweighs the cost of action. Indeed, we should speak in this context of investment rather than cost. The Growth Story of the 21st Century

I've always used a physical template in thin plywood. It is an expensive item to get wrong.

My sink came with something similar:

Here are Zehnder's criteria for triggering the bypass - all 4 must apply: - The ventilation system must be operating in summer (based on long-term temperature data) - The outside temperature must be 2°C lower than the exhaust air temperature - The comfort temperature must be set lower than the exhaust air temperature - The outside temperature must be greater than 13°C (below this the bypass is always deactivated) Other brands may use simpler criteria.

The tray goes on top of the flashing, discharging any water onto it.

The overhang is there to protect the kitchen units from damage from spills and reduce the accumulation of food debris - breadcrumbs, flour and the like. However 5mm is scarcely going to make a difference - choose zero if you prefer aesthetics over practicality, or 20mm or more otherwise. Actually, perhaps the 5mm is to cover for any units / drawers being out of alignment.

Yes, DPCs should be laid on a mortar bed and, if the DPC has a BBA certificate, you'll find it mentioned there*. However brickies (and, it seems, BCOs) aren't always taught that, or just take the shortcut. It's always been done on sites I've run, but omitting isn't going to cause a problem most of the time. *If not, it may get a mention in the manufacturer's info. It provides a smooth surface that protects the DPC from any sharp brick edges or projections that could damage it.

Often with a cavity tray stop end, like this: https://www.manthorpebp.co.uk/products/cavity-trays/horizontal-trays/horizontal-stop-ends/. Otherwise by doing some origami with the end of the DPC and tucking the fold securely into a perpend (vertical masonry joint).

I'd only consider adding a pre-heater if choosing a vent style that discharges downwards and if I didn't have the space to site them away from sensitive areas - beds, seating and the like; the supply air can be noticeable and, in cold weather, can be a couple of °C cooler than the general room temperature. However, if you use ceiling mounted vents that use the Coanda Effect - for example Zehnder Luna - the supply air will be dispersed at ceiling level and, provided the minimum distance to the walls is respected, there will be no problem.

Welcome to the forum! If the loft is the only place it will fit, then installing it within an insulated but unheated enclosure is good. Your loft access trap also needs to be big enough to get it through, and you'll need good access for filter changes & other maintenance. And, although good MVHR units don't make much noise, I'd not put it directly over a bedroom if there was an easy alternative. If it will fit within the heated envelope - utility room, kitchen or elsewhere - then that would be preferable. No need for a heating loop unless you're planning to use it to feed a duct post-heater to top-up the air supply temperature. That's not often done except when the MVHR is used as the main source of heating in Passivehaus. BTW, if you've not already picked it up, add airtightness to your to-do list. It's likely to be the most cost-effective improvement you can make & it plays a major role in protecting the fabric of the building from potential moisture damage.

It probably depends on the business type :) Micro-Entreprise, Entreprise Individuelle, SARL (Société à Responsabilité Limitée), EURL (Entreprise Unipersonnelle à Responsabilité Limitée), SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée), SASU (Société par Actions Simplifiée Unipersonnelle), SA (Société Anonyme), SNC (Société en Nom Collectif), SCS (Société en Commandite simple), SCI (Société Civile Immobilière), SCP (Société Civile Professionnelle), SCM (Société Civile de Moyen).

You appear to want to do the left illustration below. I'm suggesting the one on the right. But maybe you're trying to do something else.

Why not use a 600mm riser before it?

2250 certified PH homes. They claim 8,000 (in >300 development projects) under construction, compared 193,010 new homes built in the UK in 2023. If you look deeper, 6,400 of those are being built by social landlords, who benefit from economies of scale and take a long-term financial perspective in their investments, so around 1% doesn't seem entirely improbable, even if 'under development' doesn't = due to be completed this year.