A BER (Building Energy Rating) is a standard calculation of a buildings energy performance. A BER must be produced by a qualified assessor using procedures which include calculation methods and software approved by Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI). This may include a survey of the building if required by the direction of SEI. Simply put its just like the Miles per Gallon (mpg) or litre per Kilometre (l/km) rating for a motorcar or the A to G rating for a household electrical appliance. [hide text]

A BER looks much like the rating label that comes with a household electrical appliance. It lends itself to the same concept. This is done by using a scale to represent how energy efficient the building is. The BER scale ranges from "A1" (most efficient) to "G" (least efficient).

A copy of what a BER might look like can be downloaded here.

A BER will also include an advisory report which will give home owners useful information on ho to improve the energy efficiency which could in turn lend itself to better marketability for the building. Advice contained within the report might span from very small measures like simply turning off the household appliances at night, placing draught seals on windows and doors to the more expensive measures such as changing you boiler. What you then do is really up to yourself. [hide text]

The EU Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings was introduced in order to reduce the amount of energy consumed by buildings and in turn cut back on our CO2 emissions. Buildings across the European Union amount to 40% of our total energy use resulting in the single largest use of energy. The EU Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings is an attempt to combine the efforts of every state within Europe to greatly reduce energy consumption within buildings.

A Building Energy Rating (BER) is a requirement of the EU Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings. This Directive is currently being transposed into Irish law on a phased bases.

What this means is that the building owner is required to provide the BER to prospective buyers and tenants. Therefore, prospective buyers and tenants will be able to assess the energy performance characterises of a building. As a consequence buyers and tenants will be able to take energy performance into consideration when deciding to purchase or rent a building. [hide text]

The need to provide a BER is being introduced on a phased basis as follows:

• New dwellings: The regulations apply to new dwellings for which planning permission was applied for on or after 1st January 2007. Transitional BER exemptions will apply to new dwellings for which planning permission is applied on or before 31st December 2006, where the new dwellings involved are substantially completed on or before 30th June 2008.
• New Non-Domestic Buildings: The regulations apply to new dwellings for which planning permission was applied for on or after 1st July 2008. Transitional BER exemptions will apply to new non-domestic buildings for which planning permission is applied on or before 30th June 2008 provided the new non-domestic buildings involved are substantially completed by 30th June 2010.
• Existing Buildings (dwellings and other buildings) when offered for sale or letting on or after 1st January 2009.

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When the new dwelling is offered for sale "off plans" the vendor must produce a Provisional BER Certificate. A Provisional BER Certificate is based upon the pre-construction plans. After the new dwelling has been completed the vendor is required to arrange for a new BER certificate to be supplied to the purchaser. This new BER will then be based on the plans of the dwelling "as constructed" which takes into account any design changes during construction. [hide text]

A BER certificate must be obtained by the person building a dwelling for their own use, before they move into the dwelling. [hide text]

A period 3 years (2007-2009) is required to allow the phasing of the EPBD into Irish law. This is outlined as follows:

• development and delivery of training programmes for BER assessors to enable their formal registration
• development and adoption of methodologies for the calculation of energy performance for new and existing buildings
• development and adoption of BER certificates and related advisory reports
• development of appropriate software and hardware systems to enable BER assessors to produce BERs
• development of a central administration system capable of handling in excess of 150,000 BERs per annum in the case of housing transactions alone, and of generating national data on the results of BER activity

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The following building categories are exempt from BER, as permitted by the EPBD:

• national monuments
• protected structures
• places of worship or buildings used for the religious activities of any religion
• certain temporary buildings
• non-residential industrial or agricultural buildings with a low installed heating capacity (less than 10 W/m²)
• stand alone buildings with a small useful floor area (less than 50m²)

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The owner/developer of the new dwelling (or "off the plans" see above) must engage a registered BER. Registered assessors are listed on the Register of BER Assessors (www.sei.ie/ber). The registered BER assessor will then carry out the BER based on the plans and specifications for the new building. All BER Assessors must follow a standardised procedure using an approved calculation methodology and to adhere to a standard code of practice. All Energy Rate Ireland assessors are registered and listed on the Register of BER Assessors. [hide text]

Firstly, on or after 1st January 2009, a BER of an existing dwelling being offered for sale or letting must be carried out by a registered BER assessor, this at the expense of the owner. The owner must then provide the resulting BER certificate and advisory report to prospective buyers or tenants.

In terms of the BER certificate itself the BER assessor would normally physically survey the dwelling to record different aspects of the house. This would be done by way of a house visit. Recorded aspects for example would be the size of the dwelling, the construction of the dwelling, the insulation levels, the types of windows, the ventilation features, details of the heating and hot water systems, the orientation of the dwelling, the shelter the dwelling has, and so on.

This information would then be used to generate the BER which represents the energy performance of the dwelling. All BER assessors will be required to follow a standardised procedure using an approved survey and calculation methodology to generate the rating. [hide text]

If you do not comply with a BER requirement you will be liable, on conviction in the District Court, to a maximum fine of 5,000. In addition, failure to secure a BER certificate at the proper time could hinder or delay the legal completion of a sale or letting or a future disposal of the relevant dwelling. [hide text]

Phasing the introduction of the implementation of the BER system should safeguard that there is a sufficient supply of registered BER assessors to meet the demand that will arise as each stage is introduced into law.

The average turnaround time for production of a BER for dwellings should be no more than two weeks. That is to say from the date of first communication by the vendor, lessor, or agent to a registered Energy Rate Ireland assessor to publication on the BER register. After this period, the BER certificate can be issued to you (by post) and confirmed online at www.sei.ie/ber.

The Energy Rate Ireland assessor will submit the results to SEI for publication (on the BER register), and then be able to generate the BER certificate and advisory report for issuing to you by post. [hide text]

Typically a Energy Rate Ireland will charge around €350 plus vat for a BER. Cost may vary depending on whether the building is new or existing, and according to building size and complexity. Developers who may have a number of domestic/residential units which require BER assessment should contact us for a competitive quote. [hide text]

It is the responsibility of the building owner to commission and pay for the BER. If the dwelling is a new dwelling this will also be the owner of the new dwelling, that is to say, the builder, which includes persons building a new dwelling for themselves or a developer, whether that person is a local authority, an individual or a housing provider.

For existing buildings offered for sale or rent on or after 1st January 2009, the owner (directly or through their agent) is responsible for commissioning and paying for the BER. [hide text]

As well as performing BER certificates and accompanying advisory reports Energy Rate Ireland also provides Building Investigation Surveys and Home Energy Cost Surveys.

A Building Investigation survey is non-destructive method of determining the patterns of heat loss and air leakage from a building's structure. The Building Investigation will comprise of either a pressure test and/or thermal Image scan. Using thermal imaging in conjunction with a fan pressurisation test, the results of an air leakage study can be greatly enhanced. After the survey has been carried out a report will then be complied which will illustrate exactly the air leakage is taking place.

Energy Rate Ireland can also on request perform a Home Energy Cost Surveys. In order to do this we would need you to give us your energy bills (ESB, Gas bill) for the last year. From this we would then compile a report which would illustrate for example your electrical consumption and costs, heating consumption and costs as well as your buildings energy usage and cost rating. Reports would then be compiled in an easy to understand text and graphical format. [hide text]

Firstly, all surveys need to be undertaken in suitable weather conditions to ensure the correct interpretation of results, which also generally requires work to be carried out in late evening or at night.

Pressurisation fans are door-mounted (not fixed, there is no damage caused!) and used to create positive or negative pressures within the building. Air leakage can then be measured from the airflow rate through the fan to identify a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the building structure.

Thermal Images are simply recorded using an infra-red camera.

Will Thermal Imaging or Pressure Testing cause any damage to my home? The answer is No. Thermal Imaging or Pressure Testing will not cause any damage to your home. Both Thermography and Pressure testing are non-destructive methods of determining the patterns of heat loss and air leakage from a building's structure. [hide text]

The answer is yes. Energy rate Ireland is a Nation wide service covering the Republic of Ireland. [hide text]

The answer simply is No. It does not affect you. The BER requirement only applies to buildings that are being constructed, sold or rented. [hide text]

Yes you may get a BER assessment done for your dwelling to ascertain the energy rating it would achieve. The result however can not be uploaded onto the national database, therefore you will not get an official BER Certificate for your dwelling. However, an unofficial BER and advisory report could provide you with some useful information that could in turn be used to save energy consumption of your house (resulting in lower energy bills). [hide text]

If you get a low BER there is no legal penalty. However, new dwellings must conform to the "Conservation of Fuel and Energy" Part L provisions of the Building Regulations. In terms of impact on the price or marketability of dwellings offered for sale or letting this will largely depend on the current housing supply and other property market factors including the availability/ price of domestic fuels. [hide text]

All new dwellings built must comply with the Building Regulations Including Part L which relates to energy. Should one of our registered BER assessors find that a new dwelling is not in compliance with the regulations, he or she would be obliged to advise you that the building is in breach of Regulations. Our assessors would then explain the issues that have caused the breach and strongly encourage you to correct the issues. Our assessor would also advise you that the new owner would have a right to obtain this information. [hide text]

Some examples of building energy performance measures are as follows:

• insulating the hot water cylinder and pipework
• increasing the insulation in the attic, floor or walls
• installing energy efficient glazing
• replacing an old or inefficient boiler with a more modern efficient boiler
• installing modern heating controls
• installing certain types of renewable energy heating systems, say solar, geothermal and so on

In relation to existing dwellings the advisory report, which is part of the BER will be a very important document. It will be particularly helpful to those who have just purchased an existing dwelling, which they may plan to renovate or improve. [hide text]

A BER for a building will be valid for 10 years from the date of issue. However should there be a modification to the building during that ten-year period, say the building of an extension, a significant alteration to the building fabric or changing in the heat system or fuel used then their would be a requirement to obtain a new BER. So, if a property which has received a BER is placed on the market within 10 years of that BER being issued, and during that time the property has not experienced any major modification then that same BER may be used by the building owner in order to comply with the regulations. [hide text]

The national methodology for the BER of new dwellings was published in June 2006 and is called the Dwellings Energy Assessment Procedure (DEAP), which can be viewed and downloaded as a calculation workbook and manual at www.sei.ie/ber. DEAP is a hybrid of the draft European Standard and the UK Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP). The DEAP method will be used to demonstrate compliance with certain provisions of Part L of the Building Regulations and also to produce a BER. [hide text]

It is estimated that the BER requirement will have an effect on 170,000 sale and rental transactions every year. BERs will allow anyone buying a house to be able to check the energy performance of that house and get an indication of the yearly running costs. In addition, It will empower people to take energy costs into consideration when deciding to buy a house. Due to the fact that energy costs are rising all the time being able to ascertain how much energy a house is using use is very important.

In essence, a BER will allow a house hunter to compare and contrast the energy performance of two different houses on an equal scale, for example, houses that may appear very similar, say two 4-bed semi detached or indeed two houses that are not so alike, say a 1-bed apartment and a 5-bed semi detached.

It is expected that over time a somewhat higher value will be placed on more energy efficient homes. This will be mainly due to the fact the BER system will in the long term improve energy awareness in the property market both for home buyers and property developers.

It is likely that householders who have secured low energy ratings will over time wish to improve and maximise the energy performance of their property. In doing so, they will increase both the comfort and affordability of their dwellings and improve their value and sustainability. [hide text]

Anyone wishing to sell or let a house will be required to get a BER carried out by a registered BER assessor and to provide prospective buyers or tenants with this information. This in turn will increase energy awareness in the property market. Anyone who has a building that has received a good energy rating will no doubt be looking to advertise this fact, while on the other hand those who have not received a high energy rating may be motivated to upgrade their homes, (thus improving the energy rating).

It is anticipated that investments in the energy performance of homes will benefit both building owners and users in terms of lower energy running costs, improved comfort and possibly higher property values.

It is expected over time that their will be a shift in market behaviour, which in turn will improve the energy efficiency of the national building stock as a whole. It is hoped these market activities would result in a reduction in CO2 emissions from Irelands national building stock resulting in environmental protection. [hide text]