DEAP/BER Issues (Merged)

LizardKing

Had a BER done in 2018 after getting some insulation and heating upgrades and it gave a C3 … since then have had double glazing put in, (although some windows still are single glazed in bathroom and kitchen) - Had attic converted and put in retrofit foam insulation to the roof. Had 15 solar panels and battery installed.

Got my updated BER rating today , C3

The BER was provided by company arranged by solar installers , I don;t have direct contact with them.

Can I query this ?, the report states roof very poor and windows Poor .. there is a small extension with flat roof at back of house and i think it may be for this roof and the single glazed windows in that part of the house which is a problem. I would not have expected this to bring the rating to very poor for roof or poor for windows….

would I contact SEAI or should i just accept that after spending nearly 15 k on upgrades the rating stays the same :-/

Thanks

graememk

Unless you need a higher ber for something, it's not worth the hassle.

If you don't have a cert for windows/doors/etc you get the default value.

Rooms are done on an individual basis, the single pane windows would hurt them rooms a lot but wouldn't effect the other rooms.

Don't quote me on this bit, but I think things change in the ber ratings every so often when the DEAP document is updated.

Unless your selling or need a specific Ber for grant/mortgage, I'd just forget about it. It doesn't change how your house performs.

LizardKing

Thanks for the reply .. I am happy with the insulation and the solar but we had hoped to get a higher BER for a lower mortgage rate….

I'm trying to query some parts to it but it has been published now and will probably be more hassle trying to chase it up tbh.

I'm not sure they took into account the roof foam insulation at all as they recommend adding insulation at ceiling and on slope and in the 2 eaves..but these areas were all retro foam sprayed !!!

THE ALM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122081428#Comment_122081428

Do you have specs showing what insulation was applied by the installers and could the BER assessor see the work carried out?

Similarly do you have spec sheets, declaration of conformity, for the windows showing the u-values etc?

graememk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122081428#Comment_122081428

At this stage that it's published, it can't be changed, and to do it again is a whole new ber really. Or at least the publishing fee!

Do you have the details of who done it in 2018? They might be able to just add the solar to what they had back then.

The"green" mortgages is one of the few reasons to try and improve it.

LizardKing

So I got a call back from Assessor who discussed the report and she gave out lots about the system used and the wording of the report etc. She agreed to amend the report to add some under floor insulation which was not included in original and obviously its not visible. This brought the rating to a C2. not a great victory but better than getting the same BER.

I'm hoping after some small extension works being planned at the end of the year I can replace the single glazed windows and possibly get new lower u rated double glazing in which will perhaps get us to the B range.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122082151#Comment_122082151

Do you have the details of who done it in 2018? They might be able to just add the solar to what they had back then.

Assessors cannot do this, they must carry out a full on site survey for every assessment, especially if its been 6 years since the previous one.

idc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122085774#Comment_122085774

But at least if it was the same BER assessor they may have stored the specs of everything from before. Like if they have the specification of the windows you installed in 2018 and they are still the same that won't have changed. But a new BER assessor may not have that documentation and the home owner may not either.
Thats the worst part of BER without specifications of everything done a new assessor can just claim can't see it so can't put it in or use default values.

graememk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122086601#Comment_122086601

Yeah thats sort of what I was getting at, Sure do a new site survey but the majority of the stuff will be the same. Yes the living room is 5*4m, what a coincidence..

The BER assessor I had was pretty sound, and the rules are if they cant see it, and there is no cert. It doesnt exist, they cant just take your word for it. Yes I may have had a good composite door from Apeer, but no cert, you get default values.

I actually had a "pre ber" survey done before the solar so i'd know id clear the c3 needed for the grant at the time. So when the time came to do the proper one, it was just a matter of adding the solar to it and him to publish it.