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Mr John Gormley TD, Minister for the Environment, Heritage
& Local Government has published draft building regulations
under Part L of the building code dealing with energy efficiency
for homes.
The draft Regulations provide for a dramatic improvement
in energy efficiency standards in Irish homes. They are aimed
at ensuring that new housing stock in Ireland is built to
the highest international standards, where they will be cheaper
to run and will have a much lower impact on the environment.
The draft Regulations provide for inter alia -
- A 40 per cent improvement in energy efficiency for new
homes in 2008.
- A 40 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions.
- A Mandatory minimum renewable energy requirement in all
new homes, such as solar heating systems or biomass systems
- e.g. wood pellet
- Mandatory levels of energy-efficient fixed light fittings
- Minimum standards on heating systems to ensure they are
highly energy efficient
- Minimum requirements for heating system controls to minimise
energy waste through excessive heating
- Air tightness testing, to ensure the homes are not leaking
heat excessively
- Guidance on ensuring a minimum quality of workmanship
and construction
- Consumer information on the efficient operation of the
homeowner's dwelling as a minimum requirement.
- Commitment in the guidelines to review and improve regulations
to 60 per cent in 2010, with the ultimate aim of achieving
a zero-carbon standard for new houses in the medium to long-term
- New buildings should also be 'future-proofed' to
be easily upgraded to higher energy and CO2
standards in the future.
"The draft Regulations which I have published today
will change forever the way we deal with the housing stock
under the building code. These Regulations are the first dramatic
step in the process of achieving zero-carbon housing. The
benefit to the consumer in savings on energy costs - as we
face into an uncertain future with regard to carbon-based
fuel costs - will be a huge benefit to homeowners" -
said Minister Gormley. "It will also make a significant
contribution to Ireland's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas
levels.
"The improvement (40 per cent) is the largest ever to
have taken place and the new Regulations also link energy-efficiency
improvements to climate change, by requiring a specific reduction
in CO2 emissions. New homes will be
required to be built to specifications where they produce,
on average, 40 per cent less CO2 than
current standard new homes" - the Minister added.
Draft Regulations
The draft Regulations have been sent to the European Commission
for consideration - as required under Competition law - and
are being published on the Department's website for public
consultation.
The Minister may choose to amend parts of the Regulations
and Guidance following this public consultation process. The
Minister intends to sign the regulations in December 07.
There will be a phasing-in period for the Regulations - as
recommended by experts who have worked on them - in order
to provide time for the industry to adjust. The intention
is that the new rules will apply to all new housing planning
applications after 1st July 2008. From 1st July 2009, they
will apply to all new homes that have not been substantially
completed at that stage, regardless of when planning permission
was sought.
"These Regulations - when finalised and coupled with
Regulations transposing the EU Directive (2002/91/EC)
on the Energy Performance of Buildings which became law in
December 2006 - provide a very strong base for creating a
world-class energy efficient housing stock. They will make
a significant contribution towards the implementation of our
climate change strategy" - concluded Minister Gormley.
Energy and CO2 savings
The guidelines stipulate that the new homes can achieve these
new standards in the following ways -
- Significant improvements in wall, roof and floor insulation
levels will be required.
- Some form of renewable energy - such as solar thermal
heating - will also be an essential element.
- The use of energy-efficient lighting (in the region of
half of all fixed lights) will also reduce energy demand
and CO2 levels.
- Heating systems will be required to have thermostats,
time controls and, in larger homes, heating zones.
- Boilers will have to perform to minimum efficiency standards.
- Air testing to ensure homes are not leaking excessive
heat will also be required.
- The guidelines will also provide a new emphasis on workmanship
- and, for the first time, require that vendors provide
consumer information to buyers on the operation of the home's
heating and energy control systems.
How the minimum standards on renewable energy, lighting,
etc, will work
For renewable energy, they will stipulate a minimum amount
of energy in kilowatt-hours per square metre of the house.
The amount has been set so that a modest solar water-heating
system will meet the new requirements.
Similarly, the lighting efficiency standard will be based
on a proportion of the floor area of the new house. Standards
for boilers will effectively make highly efficient models
- like condensing boilers - a basic requirement. Vendors of
these new homes will have to provide easy-to-read consumer
information on how the systems in the homes operate.
Future improvements
The policy aim of achieving zero-carbon homes in the future
is stated for the first time in these new guidelines. It states
that a review to improve the regulations further (to 60 per
cent above current levels) will be carried out in 2010.
The document states - 'This revision of Part L represents
a significant step towards the optimisation of the efficiency
of energy use in new dwellings and the minimisation of related
CO2 emissions. It is intended that the
standards specified here will be tightened further in 2010.
The aim is to achieve zero-carbon emissions associated with
the operation and use of buildings, at the earliest date practicable'.
The guidelines also advise that new homes should be future-proofed.
It states - 'Insofar as the current amendment does not
achieve this target, the design and construction of dwellings
complying with this amendment to Part L, should be carried
out with due regard to the likely need to upgrade the building
fabric and fixed services in the future, so as to reduce further
carbon emissions associated with the operation and use of
these dwellings'.
To download the Draft Technical Guidance Documents Part
L (New Dwellings) - for consulation - Click
Here
To download the Draft Statutory Instruments for Part L
- for consulation - Click
Here
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