Energy Resource Group

BUILDING ENERGY RATING SPECIALISTS

BER Certificate

A Building Energy Rating (BER) Certificate is an analysis of the energy performance of a house under normal operating conditions. The purpose of the certificate is to give the owner or prospective owner of the property an indication of the energy efficiency of the building. It is similar in concept to the Energy Star rating system used for household appliances such as fridges, washing machines, dishwashers etc. The BER Certificate will rate the energy efficiency of the house on a scale from A to G, where A is the most efficient and G the least efficient.

A BER Certificate will ultimately be required on all property sold in Ireland according to the following schedule:

January 1st 2007

• Implement BER for new residential buildings.

July 1st 2008

• Implement BER for newly constructed non-residentail buildings (including public service buildings)

January 1st 2009

• Implement BER for existing residential buildings when sold or rented.
• Implement BER for existing non-residental buildings when sold or rented.
• Display a BER Certificate in existing public service buildings that have a floor area of more than 1,000 m2

The BER Certificate will be valid for a period of ten years from the date of issue.

Background

In an effort to reduce the emission of the greenhouse gas Carbon Dioxide CO2, the EU published a directive to promote the improvement of the energy performance of buildings within the community. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) which was adopted into Irish law in 2006, has become the basis for the introduction of BER Certificates.

The EPBD is to be implemented in all countries of the EU giving a transparent comparison of the energy performance of buildings across the Union.

Services
Building Energy Rating Certificate
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Air Tightness Test
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