EcoHouse Risan

James and Anke Collins are now retired and living in Risan. In their previous careers, they were successful business people, starting and running companies in a variety of industries, from high-technology aero-space (Anke) to brewing (James). Latterly James was in UK government service based in Bosnia-Hercegovina, Serbia (Kosovo) and Macedonia. They are currently waiting for planning permission to build their own home in Risan (waiting for the DUP is becoming very exasperating) which will be to the German Passivhaus standard. This standard demands very low energy consumption: not more than 15kWh/m2 per year for primary heating/ cooling and not more than 120kWh/m2 per year for all energy use including domestic hot water. Additionally the house has to be extremely air-tight – air changes per hour have to be less than 0.6 at a pressure of 50 Pascal.

Because of this ambition. James and Anke were invited to join the small Initiating Group to start the Montenegro Green Building Council. The others decided that James was to be the Chairman of the Group, and so he is now GBC ME’s President.