FXSTD – Alternative Energy Center

By: Sean Roberts
The EU Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings (EPBD) recently passed into law in Ireland.

It lists a new set of provisions aimed at improving energy performance of residential and non-residential property, both existing buildings as well as new or proposed structures. Property owners are now obliged to provide a Building Energy Rating (BER) certificate, which is basically an energy performance label. They will be required at the point of sale or rental of a building, or on completion of a new building. A BER is similar to the energy label for a household electrical appliance.

The label has a scale from A to G. A-rated homes are the most energy efficient and G the least efficient. The information contained in the BER certificate allows consumers to check the energy performance of a building and enables them to take this into consideration in any decisions on property transactions. It is a requirement of the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and may involve a fine of up to €5000 for non-compliance.

So what exactly is involved in a BER inspection and what can I do to improve my BER?

A BER is calculated based on the the information taken from building plans & documentation. The BER assessor then calculates the estimated annual energy usage of the property.

The assessor examines the type of heating system used in the property. If your gas or oil boiler is more than 15 years old, replacing it with a modern high efficiency condensing boiler will go a long way to reduce your winter heating bills and improve your BER rating. Another part of the house heating system that you should check are the pipes that carry hot water to the radiators. These should be lagged properly. It is a also good ideas to check for pipe leaks.

The assessor will then check the type of insulation used for all wall, floor and roof types.You can significantly reduce your heating bills (and improve your BER) by insulating the water tank and pipes in the attic of your house and fitting the correct amount of attic insulation.  Attic insulation takes many forms including loose-fill insulation systems, plastic foams, mineral fibre blankets,and polyurethane foam insulation.

The assessor also examines the type of windows and external doors of the property. Simple, low cost measures such as making sure that weather-strips around doors and windows are still flexible and not allowing cold air to enter the house will benefit both the environment and your BER. Another low cost measure you can take to improve your BER is to fit energy saving lightbulbs.

The assessor will also take note of any solar panels or other renewable energy sources fitted in your property.

It will usually take about 2 hours to complete the assessment.

The assessor then makes his findings known to Sustainable Energy Ireland.  SEI produce the BER Certificate, send it to the assessor who in turn passes it on to the house owner. The assessor will also advise the owner on any improvements that should be made to the property to increasee its energy efficiency.