It’s probably too late to take on a major upgrade this winter, but there are still smaller more straightforward insulation jobs that can be completed in 1 or 2 days.

Starting with roofs, I always tell my clients that if you have a poorly insulated attic this is probably the easiest and most cost effective insulation upgrade you can make. It’s surprising how many attics I pop my head into and only find 100mm of glass wool between the joists. Upgrading this to 300-400mm deep will reduce heat loss by almost 4 folds and it is a relatively straight forward DIY job, if a little unpleasant or a morning’s work for a contractor. Things to consider if you are doing it yourself; most older attic spaces need to be ventilated to remove any moist air that makes its way up there and avoid it condensing when it cools. This is typically done via vents at the eaves or tile vents. When you are fitting mineral insulation, don’t compress it. It is actually the air trapped between the fibres that is providing the main insulation value. So any items stored in the loft will need to be put on a raised deck.

Other roof types, like sloping ceilings, often found in a dormer bungalow or flat roofs are a little trickier and need a more specialist solution.  

Making up another large proportion of your heat loss will be the walls. If you are fortunate enough to have cavity walls, these can usually be easily upgraded. Once a contractor confirms their suitability, polystyrene bead insulation is pumped in through a series holes drilled in the outside of the walls.

SEAI offer individual grants of €1,500 for attic and €1,800 towards cavity insulation, (detached house).

Older properties, pre 1930s (but sometimes as recent as 1960s) are likely to have solid hollow block, stone walls or other single leaf construction. These need more advanced insulation solutions, such as  external or internal wall insulation.

Poor performing windows and doors can also lead to a lot of heat loss, particularly if they don’t close properly and let cold air in. Replacing old windows completely is a big and expensive job, ff you haven’t got the budget for modern triple glazed window there are options to improve your existing windows without replacing them completely. Draught proofing  is a simple measure to reduce air leakage. You could also get  a professional window service to make sure all the hinges and locks are correctly adjusted so the windows close properly.  With some older window frames, particularly wood,  it may be possible to change the glass and keep the frame. You will, however, be limited by the space available for the glass and even with special slimline glass you won’t get quite the same performance as a new window.

Talking about draughtproofing, unwanted heat loss via air leakage occurs all around the home. Typical locations include; around attic hatches, windows and doors and penetrations where plumbing and electrics come through. You can probably do a lot yourself with a can of expanding foam and a roll of draught excluder. Open chimneys also create a big draught, not to mention their inefficiency when burning fuel. Think about fitting a stove instead or blocking it up completing. You could also use something like a chimney balloon, or an old pillow as a temporary seal that you can take out when you want to light a fire.

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To investigate this further, we have a case study 150sqm, 1900s stone farm house with an existing BER rating of G. A typical upgrade of the building fabric is planned; external wall insulation, tripled glazed windows and doors, roof insulation, airtightness and ventilation.  Using the DEAP software we have looked at the impact of different heating systems, aiming to achieve a B2 BER rating or better as required by the SEAI One Stop Shop Scheme. These are shown below.

The graph above shows the BER rating achieved when the building fabric upgrade is combined with different heating systems. Electric heaters (e.g. convector heaters or infrared) only archives a C1, an oil boiler just scrapes into the B2 category and an air source heat pump gets to an A3. To get the electric heater option to the B2 target would require adding solar PV, while adding the same PV system to the heat pump option gets to an A1. Its also worth looking at the CO₂ emissions for each option, shown above as kilograms per year. The oil boiler has the highest emissions, followed by the electric heater option and even the electric heater option with PV is still higher than either heat pump option. Estimated annual fuel bills are lowest with the heat pump options, and the electric heater option by far the most expensive at €3,780 per year!

Although it probably has the highest initial investment cost, on this particular property, with the insulation upgrades already planned, the heat pump option achieves the best BER rating, lowest CO₂ emissions and running costs. More widely speaking, if you are completing a home energy upgrade, at the moment, in most cases, a heat pump is probably the best option, provided the house is well enough insulated, (this should be varied with a technical or home energy assessment), the system is designed and installed correctly.

Feel free to get in touch if you are planning an upgrade and would like to discuss any of our services.

* All modelling of the energy upgrades has been completed using the DEAP software, following the BER methodology and latest SEAI published average fuel costs.

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A Building Energy Rating, (BER)  is an indication of the current energy performance of a home. It covers energy use for space heating, water heating, ventilation and lighting calculated on the basis of standard occupancy. A BER is similar to the energy label for a household electrical appliance like your fridge. The label has a scale of A-G, A-rated homes are the most energy efficient and will have the lowest energy bills. All BERs come with a standard advisory report, with a list of recommended upgrades. This gives some good high level advice but no real detail on the upgrades, how much they might cost and what  amount of grants might be available.

A BER is required when an existing dwelling is sold or rented or when a new dwelling is built for sale or rent along. A BER is also required to apply for certain SEAI grants and to claim back the grant funding once upgrade works are completed. These are the main situations where a BER is required. If you are planning a home energy upgrade, a BER can give you some basic information on where you are now and what you can do, but a Home Energy Assessment is probably more appropriate in this case.

As well as an existing BER, a Home Energy Assessment, (HEA) also includes a detailed report on your home. This outlines your current priorities, options and steps for a home energy upgrade, outline specification of the upgrade works and the estimated savings in carbon, energy and fuel bills from completing the work. Details are also included on the various grants available, estimates of the costs of the work and advice on  next steps to complete the work.  The HEA gives you a pathway for your upgrade and ensures that whatever work is done now will not jeopardise the ability to complete further retrofit measures, cause unintended consequences as well as ensuring no opportunities are missed. Recommended if you are completing a whole house upgrade, even if this is done over a number of stages or years.  

A heat pump technical assessment, (TA) is required if you plan to install a heat pump and wish to apply for any of the  SEAI heat pump grants. Our HEA service includes the heat pump technical assessment, but we also offer a standalone TA assessment service. This is similar to the HEA, (it also includes an existing BER) but the TA report is a simplified version, focusing on the upgrades required to make the building well enough insulated for a heat pump to work effectively and excluding details on the grants, estimates of the cost of the work and the anticipated fuel bill savings. The TA service is most appropriate when you are planning to install a heat pump in a relatively modern (post 2000) property where minimal other upgrades are required or where you don’t need the full detail of the HEA.

Feel free to get in touch if you would like to discuss any of the above services.

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The €8 billion increase in grant funding is aimed at increasing deep retrofits to 75,000 homes per year by 2026.  So what exactly are the changes and how can you avail of the grants?

First of all, there have been a number of changes to the individual single measure grant scheme, Better Energy Homes, run by the sustainable Authority of Ireland, (SEAI). Funding has been increased across several upgrades, for example the grant for a heat pump installation was previously €3,500 and this has now been increased to €6,500, which should cover roughly 50% of the cost of a typical install. Insulation grants have also been increased, external wall insulation of a detached house will now receive an €8,000 grant, an increase of €2,000. There are new grants of up to 80% for cavity wall and attic insulation.  These grants can be applied for directly through the SEAI website. If you are applying for a heat pump grant you will need a technical assessment, which we can assist with, please get in touch to discuss.

The other big change is the level of funding available through the National Home Retrofit Scheme. This scheme is run by SEAI and homeowners apply through a One Stop Shop who manages the retrofit project from start to finish. This scheme focuses on whole house deep retrofits to get to a B2 energy rating or better and now offers up to 50% funding, capped at about €35,000 per property, depending on the combination of upgrades. Green loans are also to be made available through the One Stop Shops to fund the remaining cost of the retrofit.  This makes deep retrofit  much more accessible and  an attractive investment.

The final change is the allocation of €109 million to the Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme, which offers free energy upgrades for eligible homeowners who are most at risk of energy poverty. Waiting lists for this scheme have been long in the last few years and the additional funding is aimed at tackling this and opening the scheme to a wider audience.

What ever way you plan to approach your retrofit the first step should be to get a whole house retrofit plan for your home. Our whole house retrofit plan service considers the homeowners priorities both now and in the future and then creates a combination of  appropriate energy saving measures that complement each other and lead to maximum energy savings, whether completed all at once or in a number of stages.  If you would like to get in touch to discuss your requirements, you can do so here.

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1. Natural ventilation. Though this kind of system does not meet building regulations for new dwellings, it’s not uncommon to find it in older homes. The home is ventilated through  a combination of air leakage and opening windows to remove stale air and provide fresh air.  The ventilation rate is difficult to control and  relays heavily on the homeowner to open and close windows. It tends to result in under ventilation in the winter months when people are less inclined to open the windows and is not suitable for air tight  homes with minimal draughts.
2. Intermittent extract fans. This system uses extract fans to remove stale fir from the wet rooms, often set to run for 30 minutes when a light is turned. If fresh air is planned for in this kind of system it can be through trickle vents in the windows or through wall vents. These systems work OK in draughty buildings but can lead to over ventilation or under ventilation. As draughts are reduced, (by retrofit works for example) these kinds of systems become inadequate.
3. Demand controlled ventilation (DCV or MEV). There are a number of variations to this kind of system. The general principle is that you extract stale air continuously at a very low rate which is boosted, by  certain  triggers, when required.  This boost function is usually triggered when humidity reaches a certain level in the room. The extract fans can either be single room units, that look very similar to intermittent extract fans or a centralized unit for the whole house which has ducting pipes to grills all the wet rooms. These kinds of systems also use demand control for fresh air supply, with humidity sensitive inlet vents through the walls or windows. These kind of systems are great for a retrofit project where  draughts are being reduced significantly or where there is already a problem with high levels of humidity, condensation or mould.  The motors used in the extract fans are externally efficient and usually cost less than €5 a year to run.
4. Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, (MVHR). This is the gold standard for ventilation and originates in Passivhaus buildings. The system comprises a centralised heat recovery unit with ducting to extract air from the wet rooms. This air is then passed through a heat exchanger in the heat recovery unit and this is used to pre heat incoming filtered fresh air which is supplied to bedrooms and living rooms  through a separate set of ducts. Heat recovery with a system like this can be up to 90%. These kind of systems are more  complex and expensive to install, particular in a retrofit where duct routes need to be found around the existing building structure. They are most effective in buildings which have been made particularity air tight with very few draughts, to maximize the efficiency of the unit and balance the cost of the electricity to run the fans, (around €40 a year).  MVHR is  great for people with asthma or dust allergies  as all fresh air is filtered. There is also the added bonus of reducing your heating demand by pre-heating the fresh air supply with the heat from the stale warm air that is otherwise wasted in all other ventilation systems.

We hope you have found this useful. In our next blog we will talk about reducing draughts and air tightness

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A BER is required when an existing dwelling is sold or rented or when a new dwelling is built for sale.  BER assessments are also required to validate certain home energy retrofit measures that are funded through the grant schemes. An advisory report is included with all BER assessments. This is a 4 page report detailing measures you can take to improve the energy rating of your home, how they will reduce your homes fuel bills and carbon emissions along with an indication of the cost and if any grants are available. This is a great first step to planning your home retrofit. If you need more detailed advice we also offer a whole house retrofit plan services.

The first part of the BER assessment is  a detailed survey of your home, including; measuring of the building footprint, glazing levels & types, the building’s construction and an investigation into the heating systems. This data is then entered into the Dwelling Energy Assessment Procedure, (DEAP) software. Finally the rating is lodged with the national database to produce the BER rating and certificate.

If you would like to get a quote for a BER assessment, click here to get in touch.

You will also find further information on BERs on the SEAI website here.

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• Upgrading the building fabric: adding insulation to the walls, roofs and floors, new windows and doors
• Reducing drafts and improving ventilation: It is important to distinguish between the two of these, drafts lead to unwanted and uncontrolled heat loss, controlled ventilation is necessary to get rid of stale air and provide fresh air.
• Upgrading the heating system to improve efficiency
• And finally adding renewable technologies to generate energy at home, for example solar panels.

A retrofit can be completed in a number of ways, a step by step approach done over a number of years and stages, but with an overall retrofit strategy in place, or a whole house deep retrofit completed all in one go.

There is a lean, mean, green hierarchy of retrofit that we generally, but not always follow. This is to:

1. First reduce heat loss by improving the building fabric and reducing drafts
2. Then upgrade/install more efficient heating systems
3. Finally to add renewable technologies.

Whether you  are thinking about a retrofit project and don’t know where to start or need help working out  a detailed strategy for your project we can help, click here to get in touch

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There are two main types of energy-efficient light bulbs available: compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and light emitting diodes (LEDs). LEDs are the most common and adaptable light fitting, and are suitable for replacing dimmable lights and spotlights. LEDs are also more energy-efficient than CFLs. If you replace all the bulbs in your home with LED lights, you could save €40 a year on your electricity bills. Though LEDs are more expensive, they will typically last 20 times as long as incandescent bulbs so the s

Watts and Lumens

If you have ever bought a low energy light bulb and been disappointed by the level of brightness it gives out; you may have picked a bulb with too small a lumen value. With traditional bulbs, we used watts to determine the brightness of a bulb, but watts measure power consumption rather than brightness. Energy-efficient bulbs use fewer watts, so it is best to look at lumen output. For example, a 25 watt bulb would equate to 250 lumens, 40 watt would be 470 lumens and 60 watt 800 lumens. 

Choosing the right colour

Low energy light bulbs imitate traditional light bulbs, so if you prefer a particular colour, there should be a close match with the new energy-efficient lighting. ‘Soft white’ or ‘warm white’ bulbs provide a cosy glow that is best for general household lighting, while ‘cool white’ or ‘pure white’ are ideal for office spaces or any area that requires clear vision. The colour rendering index (CRI) of a bulb shows you how well a bulb will illuminate a chosen colour. Two bulbs can have the same colour, but the bulb with a higher CRI will show colours more accurately than the other.

The bulb’s packaging will indicate the CRI alongside the lumen value. A CRI of 80 or more is appropriate for most household tasks.

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Heating

• Turn your thermostat down; Turning your heating thermostat down by just 1°C can cut as much as 10% off your heating bills. 
• You can turn down the  radiator valves in rooms you don’t use much or consider fitting thermostatic radiator valves, (TRVs) which you can set to respond to room temperature
• Consider fitting smart controls that will adapt your heating schedule to meet your  routine. Many energy supplies offer smart control offers for their customers and SEAI offer grants, (links to grants page). 
• Consider fitting separate heating zones for heating and hot water, so you can programme your radiators and hot water to be heated independently. 
• If you use an electric immersion you could fit a timber to control when this comes on.
• A shower typically uses 20% of the energy compared to a full bath.
• Don’t leave the hot tap running – you are pouring energy and money down the drain.

Appliances

• Try to use your dishwasher and washing machine on a lower temperature setting, most of the energy they use is to heat the water. 
• Don’t boil full kettles for one cup of tea, but do make sure you have enough water to cover the element.
• Switch off all your devices appliances at the plug when you are not using them, at night and when you are not home. 
• Replace failed light bulbs with energy efficient options, in particular LED lights, (add link to Lighting blog post). Select the lowest wattage bulb needed to light the room/area and consider the size of the space and how much natural light the space gets. 
• Remember to turn off the lights when you are leaving a room or where you do not need them.
• Outdoor lights can be fitted with sensors and timers to reduce operating times.

Drafts

• Close doors between rooms that are heated and unheated to keep the heat in.
• Check windows, loft hatches, keyholes and doors for draughts of cold air and draft proof them. Unused fireplace? A chimney balloon will keep the draughts out and the heat in.
• Close curtains to keep heat in, but open them in the morning to let the heat of the sun in. 

Electricity monitors

• These devices tell you how much energy you are using in real time. If you switch on the shower or the kettle, you can see the numbers jump. Monitors are great for getting a handle on where you use the most energy. You can make decisions on your energy use based on real data.

The post Energy Saving Tips appeared first on Home Retrofit.

1. Energy and Carbon Savings  

In Ireland, residential buildings account for roughly 28% of energy consumption. Many  homeowners pay more than necessary for utility bills because of heat lost through drafts and poor insulation. By retrofitting your home, not only will you be reduce your energy bills, you will contribute to the reduction of national energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions which will help mitigate climate change.

2. Improved Comfort

Many Irish homes suffer from cold draty rooms in winter and overheating in summer. This leads to a negative impact on home comfort. Retrofitting adopts a whole-house approach which increases the comfort of your entire home by addressing drafts, poor levels of insulation and building defects. Modern equipment and techniques such as infrared thermal imaging and blower door air tests can help to diagnose these problems. 

3. Greater Building Durability

A whole house retrofit will address inherent building problems such as poor ventilation and a build-up of moisture, which if unaddressed can damage the building structure and finishes. By upgrading the building fabric and services, while also addressing these issues, the life expectancy and durability of the building will be increased. 

4. Higher Resale Value

As energy costs continue to rise and concerns about climate change become more mainstream, the energy efficiency of a home is becoming more of a factor for buyers.  Potential purchasers are looking for homes which will have lower energy bills as well as the additional benefit of increased comfort, better air quality and durability. 

5. Indoor Air Quality

Inadequate ventilation is common in many homes and often leads to poor indoor air quality which can in turn cause numerous health issues. A whole house retrofit will include a ventilation strategy and necessary upgrades to achieve this. This ensures that there is an adequate source of controlled fresh air intake for breathing and that moist and stale air is moved when and where required. 

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