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BER Consultants                                               

Building Energy Ratings ( BER ) are carried out by our specially trained BER assessors, registered by Sustainable Energy Ireland  ( SEI ).

What are the BER Implementation Dates in Ireland ?

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 are involved are substantially completed on or before 30th June 2008.

Existing Buildings: ( dwellings and other buildings ) when offered  for sale or letting on or after 1st January 2009.

BER what is it?

A BER is an objective scale of comparison for the energy performance of a building ranging from A1 to G. It is rather like the A to G rating for a household electrical appliance like your fridge. A-rated homes are the most energy efficient and G the least efficient.

A BER certificate will be compulsory for almost all new homes by mid 2008. If you are buying or renting a new house or apartment now, you may already be entitled to a BER - so do ask the seller/landlord or their agent for it.

BER Methodology for Dwellings

The official method for carrying out a BER for a dwelling is the Dwelling Energy Assessment Procedure (DEAP).  It consists of step by step calculations within a series of individual modules.  The modules deal with ventilation, heat losses, domestic hot water, internal heat gains, solar heat gains, mean internal temperature, space heat use, space heating requirements, total energy use and fuel costs, energy emissions and costs.  The calculations emerging from these modules are combined to produce an overall calculation of annual energy demand and CO2 emissions.  The dwelling is then given a rating on a scale of A1 (best) to G (worst).  A detailed account of the standard BER procedure for Ireland is set out under the heading ‘DEAP’ in this web site.

The DEAP methodology is based on standard occupancy assumptions and a range of technical judgements based upon the views of various expert organisations regarding the energy efficiency impact of various building components and attributes.  In practice the energy efficiency of a building will depend on how the occupants operate the building.  The BER for a dwelling may change over time due to many factors including deterioration or modification to the fabric of the building, changes to the heating systems incorporating into the building or changes to the way in which buildings are rated.

Offences

The European Communities (Energy Performance of Buildings) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 666 of 2006), provide that certain actions in respect of BERs are offences punishable by fines and imprisonment.  A full list of offences can be found in the regulations.  For example, the following offences are punishable by a fine not exceeding €5,000;

• “Failure by the owner of a building or the agent of such owner to produce and allow inspection by a building control authority or an authorised officer thereof of within 28 days a printed copy of a BER certificate required in respect of that building by the regulations”;

• “Making a statement for the performance of his or her functions to a BER assessor, to SEI or to an authorised officer that he or she knows to be false or misleading in a material particular or recklessly making a statement that is false or misleading in a material particular;

• “Failing to disclose a material particular to a BER assessor, to SEI or to an authorised officer for the performance of their functions”

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