IronMike247
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Last year, I upgraded the attic insulation, replaced a 20 year old boiler and installed a small solar system (4kW, no battery) and the BER rating jumped from C1 to A2. I don't really understand how the calculation works though. But I can answer your second question: I did a single "catch-all" BER assessment at the end to find out the new rating and get the two SEAI grants for solar and insulation. Just make sure to get the BER cost deducted if you go with a solar installer that normally handles everything, and you can send it to them once you have it done.Would it be possible for me to achieve a B3 with this house by adding in the roof insulation, adding heating controls, and adding a solar system?
Is there a way I can calculate the potential upgrade values?
Finally, I understand that in order to get the SEAI grants for the upgrades, I need to get the BER re-assessed. Does this have to be done for each individual upgrade, or can one "catch all" BER assessment be done after all upgrades are complete? I will not be going for the SEAI one stop shop.
Yes roof have come in very poor, is it a dormer? Polystyrene would be typical of dormer roofs. Would recommend putting 300mm of rockwool type insulation down if it is a normal attic (one rollHi,
As the title suggests, I am currently in the process of buying a house, and I am hoping to do a few upgrades once we have moved in. Primarily, we are hoping to improve the BER rating to a B3 or better to avail or green mortgage rates, but also hoping to reduce energy bills. The house would need to be upgraded to B3 within 6 months of drawing down the mortgage in order to avail of this rate.
I have a few questions around the upgrades in general.
Currently the house is at the lower limit of C2 (197 kwh/m2/year). The BER assessment was done in September of last year. The house is a 2 story, 4 bedroom detached of appox 188m2.
The advisory report lists a few recommendations to increase efficiency:
View attachment 8719
The roof insulation seems to be the main starting point to me. The engineer provided photos of the attic which appear to show a quite thin layer of polystyrene insulation, which I assume is not doing much.
The house is heated by an oil boiler. This is a Firebird Popular 120. I am not sure on the number of radiators in the house, but I can check on this later.
Is there scope for upgrade potential with the boiler? I understand that a condensing boiler may be more efficient than this one, but is this an improvement worthy of the upfront investment?
To go along with that, I understand there is an SEAI grant available for upgrade of heating controls. Would smart heating controls be compatible with this boiler?
As I understand, there is potentially scope for a large improvement in BER rating by adding in a solar system. I am not too sure on the details of how many panels I would require, whether to get a battery etc.
Would it be possible for me to achieve a B3 with this house by adding in the roof insulation, adding heating controls, and adding a solar system?
Is there a way I can calculate the potential upgrade values?
Finally, I understand that in order to get the SEAI grants for the upgrades, I need to get the BER re-assessed. Does this have to be done for each individual upgrade, or can one "catch all" BER assessment be done after all upgrades are complete? I will not be going for the SEAI one stop shop.
Thanks for info.Yes roof have come in very poor, is it a dormer? Polystyrene would be typical of dormer roofs. Would recommend putting 300mm of rockwool type insulation down if it is a normal attic (one roll
200mm and one roll 100mm on top of each other). If it is a dormer you need to use a breathable insulation or rigid boards. If you are anyway handy the rockwool type job is easy enough to DIY.
That boiler is non condensing, I would replace it with a condensing boiler. It may already have controls, upstairs, downstairs and HW. At the same time as doing the boiler the hot water tank should be upgraded to a factory insulated one if it isn’t already.
Solar will drag up the BER considerably, remember though this upgrade will in no way improve the comfort of the home.
Why do you have six months only to upgrade? Could you not drawdown on a variable rate and then fix a green loan when you have the new BER?
Thanks for the info. Good to know that one BER is sufficient for all upgrades.Last year, I upgraded the attic insulation, replaced a 20 year old boiler and installed a small solar system (4kW, no battery) and the BER rating jumped from C1 to A2. I don't really understand how the calculation works though. But I can answer your second question: I did a single "catch-all" BER assessment at the end to find out the new rating and get the two SEAI grants for solar and insulation. Just make sure to get the BER cost deducted if you go with a solar installer that normally handles everything, and you can send it to them once you have it done.
The main concern I'd have with your timeline is finding people to do the work... The solar installers I contacted last year were all extremely busy, with appointments several months later.
Who is setting this deadline? Is it a fixed term mortgage? If so, are they giving you the preferential rate on trust and revoking it after 6 months. If not fixed, then surely when you can avail of the rate when your BER improves?The house would need to be upgraded to B3 within 6 months of drawing down the mortgage in order to avail of this rate.
Yes it is a 30 year mortgage with the first 4 years fixed @ 3.95% from BOI.Who is setting this deadline? Is it a fixed term mortgage? If so, are they giving you the preferential rate on trust and revoking it after 6 months. If not fixed, then surely when you can avail of the rate when your BER improves?
There is too little info to go on but basically I'm not quite sure where the thermal envelope* is wrt the roof. I see insulation on the slope between the rafters and nothing between the joists on the flat. This suggests to me that the thermal envelope is running up the rafters to the ridge, yet I'm not convinced that the air tight barrier (if present at all) is along this line and am presuming that the roof timbers (rafters) are (need to be) well ventilated. If I'm correct, then the insulation that is there is actually doing very little if any actual insulating (slowing the conductive heat flow) because the heat is escaping by convection before the insulation has a chance to do anything. The BER (on the other hand) may well include the insulation as effective ON PAPER.@Micks'r Ideally we are looking to do both. Better insulation leading to a more efficient and comfortable home, leading to a better BER rating, leading to a better mortgage rate.
What do you mean by not mutually inclusive based on the photos? My understanding is that the insulation currently there is quite poor, is that correct?
That boiler is non condensing, I would replace it with a condensing boiler. It may already have controls, upstairs, downstairs and HW. At the same time as doing the boiler the hot water tank should be upgraded to a factory insulated one if it isn’t already.
A new oil boiler alone would bring up the rating but if it’s an old heating system why not upgrade the lot ??
(Let’s imagine the system is old and corroded, you would be running it through the new boiler even with a mag filter fitted)
Thanks for the detailed info.There is too little info to go on but basically I'm not quite sure where the thermal envelope* is wrt the roof. I see insulation on the slope between the rafters and nothing between the joists on the flat. This suggests to me that the thermal envelope is running up the rafters to the ridge, yet I'm not convinced that the air tight barrier (if present at all) is along this line and am presuming that the roof timbers (rafters) are (need to be) well ventilated. If I'm correct, then the insulation that is there is actually doing very little if any actual insulating (slowing the conductive heat flow) because the heat is escaping by convection before the insulation has a chance to do anything. The BER (on the other hand) may well include the insulation as effective ON PAPER.
That's why I mentioned 'not mutual inclusive'.
*Thermal envelope is made up of BOTH the insulation layer AND the air tight barrier
From this remove I can't answer that. As said earlier, the thermal envelope needs to be defined and then insulated and air tightened accordingly. This definition is key. Whoever does it needs to be well versed in actual heat loss mechanisms and not just a box ticking BERThanks for the detailed info.
Am I correct then in thinking that there should be insulation between the joists, as there is nothing there at the moment? Should the insulation that is there between the rafters be replaced also?
The attic insulation was one of the main things the engineer recommended to be upgraded, so I will be looking to do this regardless of whether I go ahead with getting the BER redone etc.
Am I correct then in thinking that there should be insulation between the joists, as there is nothing there at the moment? Should the insulation that is there between the rafters be replaced also?
This is just fossil fuel FUD spread by the daily telegraph.Careful of heatpumps on a renovation. Unless you're close to passive house level airtightness, you could have very high electricity bills.
This is just fossil fuel FUD spread by the daily telegraph.
A properly designed heat pump system will be cheaper to run than oil, or gas.
Also the OP's Heat Loss HLI (2.408) is only slightly above the acceptable limit for the heat pump grant (2 or 2.3 with limits). A few upgrades and the HLI will sit well inside the grant limit.
Well the grant is based on the HLI, so if you want 6,500 euro towards the cost, you need to hit their number, because they aren't going to accept a pressure test.And the HLI isn't something I would be basing anything on,
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