06 July 2006
Energy Awareness & efficiency

What is the Kyoto Protocol?

The Kyoto Protocol is an international initiative aimed at reducing harmful emissions into the atmosphere and the protection of the environment through various policies and directives. As a member of the EU, Ireland has signed up to the protocol.

What is the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EBRD)?

This Government directive comes into force in Ireland in 2007 to aid our compliance with the Kyoto agreement and the EU legislation. Of particular relevance to us are the regulations to improve the energy performance of buildings. They aim to reduce the use of fossil fuels and increase the retention of heat provided to the occupier, in turn reducing the release of greenhouse gasses. It will be necessary to measure the energy efficiency for all buildings so that the energy efficiency can be promoted and monitored.

What does this mean to you?

Every home owner will be required to obtain a Building Energy Rating (BER) certificate if they intend to sell or rent their house. This will make it easier for prospective buyers or renters to calculate how efficient their property will be to heat. This in turn means that a house with a low energy rating will be worth more money that those with higher energy rating.

All Kelly Timber Frame homes already have low energy ratings because they
• are highly efficient to produce because they use less cement, and
• are so efficient and economical to heat over their lifetime.

What is a Building Energy Rating Certificate?

The certificate will show the energy performance of your house: how quickly your house looses heat through the walls, windows, doors, roof etc. This will probably be shown as U values which show the number of Watts (W) of heat lost through the surface of one square metre (M2). Trained and certified assessors will provide the BER Certificates.
Further detailed information is available at the website SEI - Sustainable Energy Ireland including a U-Value calculator.

When will this happen?

From 1st January 2007 - All new dwellings must have a BER
From 1st January 2008 - All new commercial buildings must have a BER.
From 1st January 2009 - All existing dwellings and other existing buildings must have a BER when offered for sale or rental.

Benefits of a Timber Frame House

Building in timber frame is one of the most effective ways to ensure your new house achieves a low U-rating to help sustain its value. Timber frame with standard insulation methods can almost halve your heating bills compared to traditional building methods. And if you couple timber frame with some of the modern heating and insulation methods you can achieve very low heating costs.

Given the unpredictability of future energy costs, building in timber frame is an investment you cannot afford to ignore. It will retain its market value, it will save you money on fuel bills and it will ensure a low U-rating. Timber frame building costs are similar to less efficient traditional methods but you gain all these added benefits.

How much might you save?

Some energy sources seem to be running low just as energy demand is rising very rapidly in Europe and Asia. As a result prices will possibly rise faster in coming years. Already we have seen major increases in Ireland in the past few years alone:

All fuels up 50% in 5 years, of which:
Home heating oil up 83% in less than 3 years
Natural Gas up 53% in 3 years
Electricity up 53% in under 5 years
Bottled Gas up 29% in 5 years
Solid fuels up 26% in 5 years
Source: CSO Monthly Fuel Price Monitoring, May 2006

So if you live in a traditional block-build house and heating is costing you, say €1,500 a year at the moment, this would be only €900 or less if your house was a well-designed and well-built Kelly Timber Frame, a saving of €600 in one year. If heating costs continue to rise at current rates, you could be saving €1,000 or more every year within a few years.





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