Here's our semi-regular round up of links that might be of interest. Have a good weekend everyone. 

The 2011 Solar Decathlon — which challenges US university teams to build solar-powered homes over a week — is under way. Follow their blog and Twitter updates. Here's a video tour of just one of the projects.

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Building a school from plastic bottles for $10,000 good.is

Is green building really for everyone? Green Building Advisor

Do hybrid solar thermal-PV panels increase efficiency? Jetson Green

The cost of solar PV technology continues to drop Jetson Green

Seven green building blogs you should be reading Centre for Alternative Technology

Timber frame self build: an empowering journey in sustainable building skills Centre for Alternative Technology

Thoughts on a sustainable human ecosystem The Oil Drum

Peak oil — now or later? Energy Bulletin

Is this "zero net energy home" a model for mainstream housing in the future? Treehugger

Here's a round up of some green building and energy links that might be of interest. Busy at work here on the new issue of the mag — a passive house special edition, which goes to print early next week.

Straw houses baling out council building plans in the UK Guardian (with images here)

Demolishing Ireland's unfinished estates Ireland After Nama

Controversy brewing: the German Passivhaus Institut disowns its US satellite Green Building Advisor (more here)

Profile of the "ultra green" Zero Cottage in  California Jetson Green

Insulating old brick buildings Green Building Advisor

A green roof evolves at the Museum of London Treehugger

Why the US Energy Information Administration's analysis of peak oil is flawed Energy Bulletin

Leading green architect Michelle Kaufmann remembers sustainability pioneer and entrepreneur Ray Anderson, who died on 8 August MichelleKaufmann.com

The 2011 US Solar Decathlon — which challenges university teams of architects, engineers and students to design houses powered by the sun — kicks off on September 22 this year. Below is a video walkthrough of the design from one of the competing institutions, Appalachian State University. You can check out video walkthroughs for all the projects here, read about them all here, and get regular updates on Facebook and Twitter too. Construct Ireland previously took a detailed look at some of the buildings that competed in the 2009 US Solar Decathlon. 

The first ever European Solar Decathlon was held in Madrid last year, with an American college emerging as the winner. We also published an extensive profile of one of the entrants to that competition, the Nottingham House, in the magazine. 

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Is it possible to ditch fossil fuels and run a 1970s Irish bungalow on solar energy? Norman McMillan’s renovated A1-rated bungalow in Carlow proves it is. 

A new house in west Cork offers a green vision for the future of Irish home building: not only is it A-rated, airtight and highly energy efficient, it’s built with ecological materials that are manufactured in Ireland too.

Here's our usual round up of interesting links — have a good weekend everyone. The new issue of the mag goes to print next week. 

Buried Treasure — a look at former Man United captain Gary Neville's underground house Michelle Kaufmann

Brace yourselves for the next oil price shock Energy Bulletin

Would you like to cover your house in "solar ivy"? Inhabitat

School built in four weeks from recycled shipping containers following earthquake Treehugger

Where are most of Ireland's vacant houses? Ireland After Nama

Advisers say UK government should force energy companies to insulate homes Guardian

Are these the top ten green building products of 2011? Jetson Green

Eight reasons for the growth of the passive house standard Jetson Green

Here's our usual round up of links that might be of interest:

To the surprise of many, Opec decides not to raise its oil production CNN

The British government appears to recognise that global oil supply will fall behind demand in the next five years Energy Bulletin

New uses for Dublin's derelict public buildings? Ireland After Nama

The Velux Sunlighthouse claims to be Austria's zero carbon and energy neutral house Inhabitat

Steve Jobs reveals Apple's plans for a new spaceship-shaped campus with lots of green space Inhabitat

Calculating the global warming impact of different insulation materials Green Building Advisor

Profile of an "affordable" passive house in Canada Green Building Advisor

An in-depth look at the deep energy retrofit of a Boston apartment block Metropolis Magazine

Can an entire house be recycled? CS Monitor