Like everyone else in the construction industry, timber frame manfacturers have not been immune to the current slowdown. General market consensus puts house completions for 2008 at somewhere around 50,000, a drop of 33% when compared with 2007 and nearly half of the previous year's completions, writes Philip O Mahony, Manager, Irish Timber Frame Manufacturers Association (ITFMA).

While housing developments have come to a virtual standstill ,as developers wait for the current stock of vacant dwellings to wash themselves through the market, the once-off or self build sector continues apace. But there are a number of positives that timber frame must make maximum use of if it is going to be competitive. One area where timber frame excels is its eco-friendly credentials.

When compared on a like-for-like basis under the DEAP formula, the energy efficiency of the timber frame dwelling will be superior to its concrete competitor.

The ITFMA has greatly welcomed the proposed amendments to Part L of the Building Regulations (Conservation of Fuel and Energy), particularly those relating to a 40% improvement in energy efficiency for new homes in 2008, and a 40% reduction in CO2 emissions. We also welcome the proposed new targets recently announced by the EU's executive commission for cuts in CO2 emissions and increase in the use of renewable energy sources. These are all areas with which the timber frame industry is well familiar and sets it firmly apart from its main competitors.

The whole energy issue will have a major impact on the future of the construction industry. We live in a green era where the consumer has become much more concerned about the environment. Eco friendliness, passive houses, carbon footprint and zero carbon homes are firmly on the agenda. Timber frame is well positioned to meet these demands and make a positive and tangible contribution.

Philip O Mahony is manager of Irish Timber Frame Manufacturers Association (ITFMA).