Information Required to Determine the Building Energy Rating (BER) for a Dwelling
Dimensions & Orientation
- Dimensioned plans - Elevations and sections in sufficient detail to allow the assessor to determine; floor areas, storey heights and the areas of each of the heat loss elements (i.e. floors, walls and roof).
- Orientation - Direction of North should be indicated on the plans.
U-values & Thermal Bridging
- U-values of each heat loss element (i.e. floors, walls and roof). Tables of indicative U-values for typical floor,wall and roof constructions can be found in Section 3 of Right on the Site 28.
- Thermal Bridging - Provide details of publications whose guidance was used to minimise thermal bridging at junctions of heat loss elements. Note: This information is subject to the transitional arrangements outlined in Technical Guidance Document L Dwellings 2008. More detailed information in relation to thermal bridging, including the transitional arrangements, is contained in Right on the site 28.
Windows, External Doors & Rooflights
- Area of all external doors, windows and rooflights.
- U-values of external doors, windows and rooflights. Manufacturer’s certified values should be used. U-values should relate to the whole window, including the frame, and not just the glazing. If manufacturer’s certified values are not known, provide details of window type (i.e. timber or plastic, double glazed, dimension of gap between panes, argon filled, soft low-E glazing, etc.).
- Orientation of each glazed opening, if not clear from the plans and the degree of over-shading or details of obstructions.
Ventilation
Number(s) of each of these items:
- Chimneys
- Open flues
- Intermittent fans
- Passive ventilation
- Flueless gas fires
Structure type (i.e. Masonry, Timber frame or Steel frame). Provide details where a suspended timber floor has been incorporated.
Draught stripping - Confirm that all windows and external doors are draught stripped.
Information Required to Determine the Building Energy Rating (BER) for a Dwelling
Air permeability pressure test results certificate to be provided. Note: This information is subject to the transitional arrangements outlined in Technical Guidance Document L Dwellings 2008. More detailed information in relation to air permeability, including the transitional arrangements, is contained in Right on the site 28.
Means of ventilation e.g. natural ventilation (wall/window vents) or whole house mechanical ventilation with heat recovery.
Water Heating
- Water heating system details (e.g. boiler and conventional cylinder, combination boiler, hot-water-only thermal store, integrated thermal store, gas-fired CPSU, group heating scheme, etc.).
- Volume of hot water cylinder or thermal store.
- Insulation details of hot water cylinder or thermal store or manufacturer’s declared heat loss values.
- Controls for hot water cylinder or thermal store (e.g. cylinder thermostat, independent time control for water heating). Is there a primary circuit pipework between boiler and cylinder, is it insulated?
Note: For particular system types, additional information may be required.
Solar Thermal (i.e. Solar Hot Water systems)
- Test certificate - Where available, for the solar collector in accordance with the requirements of BS EN 12975: 2006 Thermal solar systems and components – Solar collectors, Part 2: Test methods.
- Orientation & inclination of solar collectors and details of any over-shading.
- Solar storage (e.g. combined twin-coil cylinder, or separate pre-heat cylinder).
- Power source of pump (i.e. grid electricity or photo voltaic).
Fixed Lighting
- Low-energy fixed lighting - State the proportion of lighting outlets that are low-energy.
Space Heating
- Thermal mass category of dwelling. State the type of construction used for internal walls and floors (e.g. stud partitions, solid concrete, etc.). This information together with the supplied plans, specifications and U-values can be used, by the assessor, to establish the thermal mass category.
- Living area fraction - The assessor can determine this from the supplied plans.
- Heat generator type (e.g. non-condensing boiler, condensing boiler, combination boiler, wood pellet boiler, heat pump, group heating, etc.). Provide manufacturer and model details.
- Efficiency of heat generator from the Home Heating Appliance Register of Performance (HARP) database. See www.sei.ie/harp
- Fuel type (i.e. natural gas, oil, wood pellets, electricity, etc.).
- Distribution system (e.g. radiators, underfloor heating, etc.).
- Controls - State type (e.g. room thermostats, thermostatic radiator valves, programmer, bypass, flow switch, boiler energy manager, time and temperature zone control,boiler interlock, load compensation, weather compensation).
- Pumps - State number of central heating pumps. If oil pump is present, is it inside or outside the heated dwelling?
- Secondary heating - State if there is an open fire, stove, range, etc. State the fuel type if this is not obvious. If possible provide a copy of any documentation from the manufacturer giving declared seasonal efficiency of the appliance along with make and model details.
- Group / community heating (where such systems are used), provide the following details:
- - Type of distribution system
- - Boiler efficiency
- - Is charging based on metered heat consumption (as opposed to flat-rate)?
- - Fuel type
- If the group heating has combined heat and power (CHP) system, provide the following details:
- - Fraction of heat from CHP (as opposed to boilers)
- - Electrical and heat efficiencies of CHP unit
- - CHP fuel type
