Domestic BER Assessment
Part-L Compliance
Prompt and accurate domestic energy assessment services in Dublin, Meath, Kildare, Wicklow, Louth areas by a friendly SEAI-registered Engineer.
SEAI Assessor Registration No. 109724
BER Assessment
If you wish to sell or rent your property, avail of a more favourable mortgage rate or apply for a SEAI grant, swiftBER can help ensure that an accurate BER is put in place for your property without delay.
TGD Part-L Compliance
Domestic new builds need to comply with NZEB (Nearly Zero Energy Building) Regulations as per TGD Part L of the Building Regulations.
swiftBER uses DEAP for carrying out Part L assessments, producing concise reports outlining how compliance is achieved.
Coming soon !Heat Pump Technical Advisor Assessment
With increasing public interest in heat pumps as an alternative to oil or gas boilers, swiftBER's Technical Advisor can assist you in confirming the suitability of a heat pump for your property and help to navigate SEAI's grant application process. .
A Domestic BER Certificate rates your dwelling's energy performance on an efficiency scale between A and G
A-rated homes are the most energy efficient while G-rated are the least energy efficient.
The BER Assessment also estimates how much CO2 is produced during the delivery of that energy within the dwelling.
Your Domestic BER Rating is valid for 10 years from date of publication on the SEAI website, or until a material change is made to the building fabric, insulation or heating system of your home. Ireland's BER system is managed by SEAI and is part of a EU-wide implemented directive to promote energy efficiency in buildings.
When is a BER needed for my home?
SEAI Grant Claim
Individual energy upgrade works to your property including Attic Insulation, Cavity Wall Bead Insulation, External Insulation, Heating Controls, Heat Pumps are all eligible for individual SEAI Grants. Grant payments for these individual improvement projects are contingent on a BER Assessment being carried out on the property once the works have been completed.
For projects involving domestic heat pumps, a separate Technical Assessment may be required by SEAI in advance of works to confirm suitability of heat pump technology for your home and to confirm eligibility for a heat pump grant. swiftBER can help with both BER and Technical Assessment.
Discounted Mortgage Rates and Home Insurance
Many banks and home insurers offer preferential rates for homes that are more energy efficient.
Some banks offer a fixed 'Green Rate' for houses that meet a certain BER Rating threshold, while some offer tiered discounts across a wider range of BER values.
In many cases, the cost of a BER Assessment will be covered by the saving in mortgage repayments within the first months of availing of a 'Green Mortgage'.
Renting or Selling your Property
If you are renting your property, then you must obtain a BER Certificate. This rating must be included in any public advertisement of the property for rent.
If you are selling your property, then you must obtain a BER Certificate. The sale of the property cannot proceed with a valid BER Certificate in place. Auctioneers and solicitors will insist on a valid BER Certificate being in place prior to the property going on the market, and certainly during the process of property conveyance.
What is a Technical Advisor Assessment?
Technical Assessment relates to suitability of a Heat Pump for your existing home,
Before you invest significantly in heat pump installation, you must be confident that the heat pump can efficiently provide the required heat and hot water in your home
. Prior to installation, you should be certain that the dwelling will not lose heat energy faster than the heat pump can provide it.
A Technical Assessment will determine if heat pump technology is suitable for your home, providing valuable assurance that the heat pump will work effectively and save you money in the longer term. A successful assessment will ensure that grant eligibility requirements are met, while an unsuccessful assessment may prevent you from investing speculatively in an inefficient heat pump system which may not heat your home sufficiently, and for which a SEAI grant may not be paid.
The Technical Advisor assesses the collective heat losses through the building fabric (floors, walls, roof, doors & windows) and ventilation (chimneys, stoves, vents) and compares the calculated Heat loss Indicator value for your home 'as-is' to a maximum threshold value required by SEAI for grant eligibility. If the Heat loss Indicator value is too high, then the Advisor can make detailed recommendations to improve the energy characteristics of the dwelling in order to meet SEAI's Heat Loss Indicator requirement.
If undertaking any energy improvements to the dwelling, then the future projected HLI is the most important figure in terms of determining the suitability of heat pump installation. This target HLI value is achieved by adding calculated energy improvements to the dwelling 'as is' to get the current Heat Loss Indicator value reduced to a value below the SEAI Grant threshold.
Technical Assessment is mandatory if you wish to apply for a SEAI Heat Pump Grant for a home constructed before 2007. For dwellings constructed in 2007 or later, a Technical Assessment is not mandatory, but may be worth considering if you wish to have certainty that the installed system will heat your home efficiently and qualify for a grant payment.
Technical Assessment has a number of stages: -
- A valid and accurate BER must be available for the dwelling. If not, the Assessor will conduct a BER to determine exact heat loss. The Assessor may choose to conduct a new BER at this point even if one is available.
- Assuming excessive heat loss is noted in the BER, the Advisor will calculate the effect on HLI of various energy improvement options for the dwelling, with a view to creating a 'road map' for meeting SEAI grant eligibility requirements. The recommended options will be explained in detail by the Assessor.
- The Advisor will assist in completing and submitting the Heat Pump Grant Application form in which the planned improvements must be detailed.
- SEAI may then approve the Heat Pump Grant..
- Upon completion of the improvement works and heat pump installation, a new BER must be calculated, demonstrating that the Heat Loss Indicator target value has been met. This BER will be required by SEAI for the grant payment claim to be processed.
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