Berc.ie

• Two important options available for the home owner are:

• (1) Home Energy Saving Scheme - *****NEW****

• (2) Greener Homes Scheme

  (1) Home Energy Saving Scheme (HES)

  Our firm, BER Consultants, as a fully registered assessor with Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI), will be participating in the new Home Energy Saving (HES) Grant Scheme just announced by the Government. €100m has been allocated in total energy grant aid to these and other energy saving schemes. The new HES scheme is aimed at older houses that would not typically have the energy efficiency features of recently built homes and is open to all houses built prior to 2006.

  The objectives of the Home Energy Saving Scheme are:

  (1) To reduce energy use and CO2 emissions from the existing housing stock, and

  (2) To support the development of the energy services industry in Ireland.

  Eligible measures:

  The table below sets out:
  

  • The eligible measures and the set grant amounts available.
  • The typical improvement in BER rating that could be expected from each individual measure, done in isolation. Note that in estimating the total potential BER improvement, if the full range of measures is installed, the potential BER improvements for each measure should not be added together.
  • The typical payback period for each measure, arising from energy saved.

  Measure	Grant rate	Typical net BER improvement	Typical payback (years)
  Roof Insulation	€250	10-20%	3-6
  Cavity Wall Insulation	€400	15-20%	4-5
  Internal Wall Insulation	€2,500	25-30%	7-10
  External Wall Insulation	€4,000	25-30%	15-20
  High efficiency boiler plus heating control upgrade	€700	25-30%	4-5
  Heating control upgrade only	€500	15 -25%	4-5
  Building Energy Rating	€200

  Our Home Energy Saver Service will consist of:

  • A BER certificate for the dwelling as it is before any upgrading is done which will show you the current energy rating of it.
  • We will supply an advisory report and indicate how upgrades will improve your BER rating.
  • We will advise you on the grants available, supply application forms as well as assisting you in the submission of the forms.
  • We will advise on types of insulations, heating systems, heating controls, etc. that are eligible for grant aid. Remember we are a completely independent firm and will always be acting in your interest.

  Contact Us for further details and our quote in respect of this service

Greener Homes

Homeowners

The Greener Homes Scheme (the “Scheme”) provides assistance to homeowners who intend to purchase a new renewable energy heating system for existing homes. The scheme is administered by Sustainable Energy Ireland (“SEI”) and aims to increase the use of renewable energy and sustainable energy technologies in Irish homes.

Using Renewable Energy for Heating

We, in Ireland are heavily reliant on fossil fuels which are a limited resource, cause emissions that are harmful to the environment and, as we have seen recently, can be subject to volatility of price and availability. The Irish Government wishes to reduce this reliance and move towards making greater use of our renewable energy resources. This diversification can be good for the economy because of the longer term availability and constancy of supply and good for the environment through the reduced emissions of Carbon Dioxide (CO₂ ).

The main sources of renewable energy in Ireland are the sun (solar energy), the wind, moving water (hydropower, wave and tidal energy), geothermal (heat below the earths surface) and biomass (wood, certain wastes and energy crops). One of the main benefits of using renewable energy is that it reduces emissions of carbon dioxide. Ireland has an abundance of several of these resources and their effective development and use will reduce emissions of harmful greenhouse gases and our reliance on imported fossil fuels.

Homeowners can play their part by choosing a renewable heating system (solar, biomass or heat pump based) that meets their particular needs in terms of heat demand, budget and environmental considerations. Doing so will help Ireland move down a path towards more sustainable energy use, ultimately benefiting the environment.

Will a renewable energy heating system save me money?

Where a renewable energy technology uses a “free” energy source like sun shine, you no longer have to worry about fuel prices increasing. On the other hand heat pumps require electricity to operate and biomass equipment requires a wood based fuel – so both of these remain vulnerable to fuel / energy price fluctuations.

The guaranteed way to reduce your energy bills is to only generate as much heat as you require, at the time you want it, and to maximise the value of that heat by preserving it within your home. We strongly advise anyone planning to invest in a renewable heat system to investigate all methods of increasing the overall energy efficiency of their homes. Effective wall and attic insulation, good time and temperature controls of your heating and high performance windows will all reduce the heat required to have a warm and comfortable home. Purchasing household electrical equipment with an 'A' energy rating e.g. fridges, freezers, washing machines and light bulbs* reduces electricity consumption. This approach will have a significant impact on your energy bills and will also protect you from any price variation in your primary fuel source.

Why offer a grant?

Renewable energy heating systems are new technologies which, while proven and highly popular overseas, have yet to become widespread in Ireland. The Irish Government, through SEI, wishes to encourage people over the next 5 years to green their homes by contributing to the initial investment cost of installing a renewable energy heating system. The government believes that this will help ensure a faster uptake of renewable heating systems which will underpin the development a long term market, while enabling homeowners to play their part in reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Home Energy Saving Scheme

BERC are awaiting an announcement from SEI as to how this scheme will roll-out nationwide. Heretofore the scheme was piloted in only a few counties.