Purpose
 Since the 1st January 2009, all buildings (domestic & commercial) that are being offered for sale or for let must be issued with a Building Energy Rating (BER) certificate.
The Building Energy Rating (BER) scheme is a means of testing and grading all buildings on their energy efficiency and environmental performance.
The rating of all our buildings in this manner was set out under The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), which was transposed into Irish law in January 2002. The EPBD in a European wide directive.
The objective of the EPBD is to heighten awareness in the area of energy efficiency in buildings. It is intended that the BER scheme will make the energy performance of buildings transparent and easily understood.
It is also anticipated that the BER scheme will promote the uprgaing of less energy efficient buildings.
BER Certificate
A BER Certificate is a visual representation of the energy performance of a building on a colour coded chart. A green A1 rating is the most efficient and a red G being the least efficient rating.
Thus the BER label is in effect a tag which indicates the efficiency level of the building.
The BER is expressed in Kilowatt-hours per square metre of floor area per year (kWh/M2/year). The BER certificate will also show the buildings carbon emissions in Kilograms per square metre of floor area per annum (kgCO2/M2/year
There are two different types of Building Energy Rating Certificates;
1. Domestic BER Cerificates
2. Non-Domestic BER Certificates
Domestic BER Certificates are only applicaple to dwellings. All other buildings require Non-Domestic BER Certificates. The assessment proceedure and assessment software for each is different, however the resulting coloured certificates for each are quite simular.
The assessment proceedure for Non-Domestic Buildings is more indepth/complex than it is for dwellings. Non-Domestic BER Certificates are required for all commercial, retail and industrial buildings. Non-Domestic BER Certificates can only be produced by specifically trained and registered Non-Domestic BER Assessors.
In compliance with the EPBD a Building Energy Rating Certificate, which will express the energy consumption of the building, must be made available to the prospective buyers or tenants when a building is sold, rented or on completion of a new building.
Failure on behalf of the vendor to provide the required BER certificate, when offering a building for sale or let, can be punished with a maximum fine of €5,000.
Provisional BER Certificate
A Provisional BER is calculated from design plans and specifications. Its purpose is to provide an indication of the energy rating of a building prior to construction. A provisional BER certificate is required by law when a building is “sold off plans.” A provisional rating may be included in sales and marketing information of new buildings. The provisional BER is valid for up to two years.
Final BER Certificate
A final BER will take account of any changes to initial design assumptions in the finished building. The final BER is produced once the building is completed. Once the Final BER Certificate is issued the Provisional BER Certificate for that building becomes null and void. The Final BER Certificate is valid for 10 years provided there are no significant changes made to either the building structure of the heating systems within the building.
Advisory Report
 The BER certificate must be accompanied by an Advisory Report. The Advisory Report shall contain information as to the efficient operation of the building as well as the recommendation of any remedial measures to the building fabric or fittings that will improve the overall energy efficiency of the building.
The Advisory Report may contain advice on the following areas:
- Insulation
- Glazing
- Heating Systems
- Heating Controls
- Lighting and Appliances
- Renewable Energy Sources, (eg. solar, wind, geothermal, wood pellets, etc..)
There will be no legal obligation on vendors or prospective purchasers to carry out the recommended improvements outlined in the advisory report.
Exempt Buildings
The following buildings are exempt from the BER scheme:
- Listed national monuments
- Listed buildings of outstanding architecture or historic importance (known as protected structures)
- Buildings used as places of worship or for the religious activities of any religion
- Certain classes of temporary buildings such as site offices
- Industrial buildings not intended for human occupancy over extended periods and where the installed heating capacity does not exceed 10W/m 2
- Non-residential agricultural buildings with low energy demand
- Small “stand alone” buildings with a total useful floor area of less than 50m 2 .
BER Process
To obtain your BER certificate an assessment of the building must be carried out by a registered BER assessor. BioPower Energy Savings have registered assessors who will carry out a detailed survey of your building and using the official assessment software, we will calculate the BER. In arriving at the resulting BER, the following characteristic of the building will be examined;
- External Building Fabric & Insulation Levels of Walls, Floors & Roofs
- Size, Shape, Volume & Structure of the Building
- The Number, Orientation and Energy Performance of all External Doors & Windows
- Ventilation Method & Air-Tightness test results (if test has been carried out)
- Primary and Secondary Space Heating Systems and Fuels
- Secondary and Secondary Water Heating Systems and Fuels
- Renewable Energy Sources (if any present)
Following registration of your assessment we will issue you with a BER certificate and advisory report which is valid for 10 years.
Benefits of a Good Rating
The benefits associated with purchasing or constructing a new building that has a high BER are numerous in both the long and short term. Among other items the benefits of achieving a good BER for your building include:
- Increased Comfort Levels
- Reduced Running Costs
- Better for the Environment
- Maximising Resale Value
- Future Proofing your Property
BioPower Energy Savings have engineers who are registered with Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) to provide both domestic and non-domestic building energy rating certificates.
Please contact us by phone or email for a competitive quote.
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