A Home’s Energy Efficiency Through BER

Recently, it comes to my attention that even buildings bear their own energy efficiency system.  All I thought is that only appliances need this to be called standardized.  Now even building must bear their energy certificate known as BER certificate.

But first, what is BER?

Building Energy Rating or BER is an energy efficiency grade issued to know the building’s energy performance. The calculation, issued by qualified controller or assessor has an A to G rating scale to determine the energy standard.

Why BER?

By checking the building’s energy efficiency, landlords or owners will know if their building needs improvement in order to save energy and money.

A BER Certificate shows it all

Registered BER assessors, after thorough surveys and test will issue a BER certificate that will determine the energy level of the building.  Using a scale of A-G, with A as the most efficient, buyers or possible renters will understand what is the status of the energy efficiency of the building. BER cert is like the energy label of the home appliances. The certificate shows the name and address of the building, BER number, date of issue and expiration, its BER assessor number and the company number of BER assessor.

Passing the energy efficiency

I understand that there is no pass or fail in the BER cert of the building. Make sure to talk to a licensed BER assessor on advising on things you can do to make your home more efficient. Sometimes, these improvements have incentive grants from the Sustainable Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

Tips for buyers or renters

·         Check if the property you’re interested in buying or renting has a BER cert.

·         Be reminded that houses or apartments constructed after January 1, 2007 must have a BER cert.

·         If they are sold or rented after January 1, 2009, the owner must also present a BER cert.

BER cert has a validity of 10 years.  If the building already has a BER cert, and the owner decides to make changes or reconstruction, they need to apply for another BER test and survey.  And another BER cert will be issued pertaining to the present standard of the building.

What is BER?

The sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, released figures that proved that 200,000 Irish homes got a BER (Building Energy Ratings) certificate. These figures were very less in the year 2010. 2010 witnessed an issue of 100,000 homes with BER certifications. This certificate was introduced in the year 2007 as a part of the European Directive so that it could increase the efficiency of homes. Every year there is a steady growth of BER certifications which is a sign of understanding home owners. Another reason for this increase is because of the mandatory requirement of the certification at the time of selling or renting a place.

What is BER?

It is an indication of the total efficiency of the house which rates your home on a scale of A –G. A high performance is denoted by an A and the least performing home is denoted a G. Along with a BER certificate you will also get an advisory report that includes all the necessary changes you would have to make to get a high efficiency home.

There has been a rise in the awareness of BER over the last few years with 6/10 people acknowledging the awareness of the term.

How can you increase the performance of your home?

·         Increase the insulation of the walls, attic as well as the floor.

·         Make sure that the hot water cylinder and pipe-work are insulated properly.

·         Install advanced energy efficient glazing systems.

·         Install proper ventilation to increase the efficiency of your home

·         Install modern heating devices that have a better power rating for better performance

·         Replace your old boiler with a new one to increase efficiency and increase your BER ratings

·         Installing renewable sources of energy is the best way to increase the efficiency of your home and also increase the power ratings of your home.

How to get this certificate?

To obtain this certificate an assessment must be carried out by a BERassessor who is trained under the National Framework of Qualifications and also registered with Seal.