Sir, – I received a Ber C2 certificate recently on foot of having solar panels installed. We also have wall insulation, attic insulation and triple-glazed windows.
A neglected but otherwise identical neighbouring house is on the market with a C3 rating. Now, I can’t say for sure what work has or hasn’t been done on this house, but I can see the original double-glazed windows and no solar panels.
How did my improvements result in a disappointing increase in rating from C3 to C2? The Ber inspector very patiently explained a presumption is made that each property has the heating on from 9am to 5pm each day; and that a similar presumption is made about occupancy related to size and the amount of energy used as a result.
I appreciate that a level-playing field is required to standardise the rating system, but these two presumptions in themselves distort the rating from reality. Added to this, the industry average is presumed for the U-value of doors and windows.
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In other words, the Ber inspection does not actually measure the U-values in the home. These presumptions resulted in my energy consumption being recorded as 181.31kWh/sq metre per year, when I know for a fact that my energy consumption is 50kWh/sq metre per year.
This distorted value has resulted in my C2 rating. My Ber inspector agreed that although the house is rated C2, the household would be rated as A3. We’re not particularly energy conscious or thrifty, but we have made improvements to our home and we don’t see this in our Ber rating.
We’re not looking to sell, but if we were then I’d be mightily unhappy. Separately, I and about a million other Irish households would switch their kerosene-burning boiler to use hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) overnight, thus massively reducing the nation’s carbon footprint.
I personally won’t make the switch to HVO until the Government stops taxing it as transport fuel – until it stops prioritising tax take over the reduction of carbon emissions.
According to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland website, “the SEAI National Heat Study found that the best solution to deliver fast, cost-effective, fossil-free heat is to accelerate mass installations of heat pumps” – this despite the majority of properties being entirely unsuitable or it being financially prohibitive for the owner. - Yours, etc,
ADRIAN WHITE
Knocknacarra
Galway
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