Services and Fees
Services / Fees
Services
BERia.ie supply quality assured BER (Building Energy Rating) Assessors to the domestic housing and commercial markets throughout Ireland. Our network of BER assessors are highly qualified professionals who have undergone a rigorous training programme to become accredited SEI (Sustainable Energy Ireland) energy Assessors. BERia.ie has also put an internal quality assurance programme in place to ensure that premium standards are maintained. BERia.ie has assembled a comprehensive network of local assessors throughout all of Ireland to ensure a fast response to all enquires, wherever you may be. We are an entirely independent, Irish company, which means that we have no vested interests in the supply of assessors or the sale of dwellings. We take the time to speak to homeowners, answer questions and perform thorough inspections. The Building Energy rating Certificate will be available promptly from SEI after the completion of the energy survey.
Fees
A - properties up to 80m2 (861 sq ft) €270
B - properties from 80m2 (861 sq ft) to 130m2 (1399 sq ft) €325
C - properties from 130m2 (1399 sq ft) to 190m2 (2045 sq ft) €355
D - properties from 190m2 (2045 sq ft) to 270m2 (2906 sq ft) €395
E - properties over 270m2 (2906 sq ft) price on application
Book now
For a quality service, with competitive rates, and a fast turnaround, book your assessor here on BERia .ie (BER Independent Assessors.ie) now.
Our Customers - Who Uses Our Services?
BERia (BER Independent Assessors) provide Building Energy Rating Assessors to a number of different business and private customers throughout Ireland, these include:
- Home Owners
- Estate Agents
- Solicitors
- Private Landlords
- Letting Agents
- Developers
- Architects
- Self-Builders
Our Standards
We believe the manner in which we carry out our work is important and pride ourselves on:
- Offering a friendly professional service at all times
- Providing an efficient service - we aim to carry out timely assessments and ensure the BER Certificates are
- Processed promptly Maintaining excellent customer relations
Air Pressure Testing
Air Pressure Testing is has proven itself as being a very effective way of increasing a buildings energy rating, reducing heat loss and overall running costs of existing buildings and new buildings prior to completion. With the legislation backing the use of the new technologies to ensure that houses are built to a high standard Air Pressure testing is now a common procedure of ensuring the quality of craftsmanship and materials used. In commercial buildings, especially when the premises are used for storage or production of medicines, food or computer equipment a test can be required to ensure fire safety.
A test of the building can be carried out at a stage when remedial work can be done as the test exposes infiltration in the walls, roof and floor. Rather than been considered another burden from the Building Regulations, it is in fact a very mportant tool for snagging and improving the quality of the building. Testing involves pressurizing the building using fans installed into doorways. The test measures the volume of 'conditioned' air leaking through 'unplanned' ventilation across every m2 of the 'envelope' area in an hour (at an internal to external pressure difference of 50Pa). Leakage areas can be effectively pinpointed with the use of smoke pencils, which make the test more illustrative for the developers enabling them to rectify any problems there and then.
According to the latest revised Part L Building regulations new homes must consume 40 per cent less energy than a eference house, though builders have the discretion as to how exactly this target is met – and can choose how to claw back the necessary reductions by going beyond the minimum requirements in everything from added insulation, to renewable energy or high efficiency boilers, to improved air-tightness. Because sealing a building during construction involves relatively little or no cost - at least down to an air permability of about six or seven m3/hr/m2 at 50 Pa - it is one of the most cost effective ways of making large strides towards compliance.
After the survey has been carried out a report is then compiled which will illustrate exactly where the air leakage is the report will contain advice on how to best reduce this air loss.
Pressure Testing is a non-destructive method of determining the patterns of heat loss and air leakage from a building's structure. In other words there is no damage to any part of the building.
An additional benefit of carrying out an Air Pressure Test is that Air leaks allow direct flow of pollutants and irritants into a dwelling. These pollutants may be drawn from the attic, crawlspace, basement, garage or directly from outside.
Air pressure testing can assist in reducing the volume of harmful particles such as:
- Pollen and Dust
- Insulation Fibers
- Exhaust Fumes from Cars
- Mildew and Mould
- Insecticide Vapours
By reducing content of these harmful substances in a dwelling, you can safeguard the health and well being of the occupants, particularly where inhabitants suffer from asthma or other respiratory related problems.
- The revised building regulations of 24th of January 2008 introduced mandatory air pressure testing for new dwellings. All new single dwellings require an air pressure test from the 1st of July 2008.
- To comply with building regulations the achieved Air Permeability rate should be less then 10m3/hr/m2 @50Pa.
- For passive house certification air-tightness of 0.6 air changes per hour (ACH) at 50 Pascals (Pa) pressure is required.
- Uncontrolled air infiltration represents a sizeable portion of the energy losses in a building, estimates range from between 20 and 30%.
- From an air-tightness perspective, the shape of a building is arguably as important as the materials from which it is constructed. The simpler the shape of the building, and the simpler the geometry and the less junctions, the better it will be in terms of air-tightness.
- The requirements of ATTMA for the measurement of the air permeability of buildings are based primarily around the BS EN Standard 13829:2001
- In calculating air permeability, corrections are made for temperature and barometric pressure. Local wind speed should preferably be below 3m/s.
Thermal Imaging
Everything around us, including ourselves constantly emits thermal energy to the environment in the form of invisible infrared radiant energy. As an object heats up, it will radiate more and more energy from its surface. We are often able to feel this infrared radiation, but cannot see it with our unaided eyes, but the lens in an advanced building infrared camera has the capability to sense a difference in temperature of less than 0.06 Deg C. Today's lightweight and rugged infrared cameras can not only see in real-time, but can also record infrared images and measure the temperatures of target objects quite accurately-to within 1/10 of a Fahrenheit degree or better.
Thermal images allow the user to see anomalies in the building fabric that in turn identify problems in buildings and their component electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and waterproofing systems. The thermal image can be recorded onto videotape or stored on an onboard digital device such as a hard disk or memory card for later analysis using appropriate computer software. Infrared thermograph provides an effective method to show areas of air leakage, pathways in a building envelope, particularly when used in conjunction with building pressurization / depressurization tests (Air pressure testing).
Building infrared survey applications can be divided into categories such as heat loss, moisture intrusion, insulation quality assurance, structural and pest surveys.
Design flaws, entrained moisture in roofs and walls and water leaks can cause thousands of euro worth of damage. In wet Irish climate, poorly installed insulation and vapor barriers can lead to condensation problems and the degradation of the building itself. This can cause rot, mold and mildew and all of these problems lead to the building being devalued. Because our winters are relatively mild condensation and its side effects--mold and mildew, become a real threat to the building owners and managers. Mold is a microscopic fungus known to destroy building materials and cause health problems for many individuals. Infrared thermographs cannot be used to detect mold itself, because mold does not exhibit an exothermic reaction strong enough to be seen by an infrared camera walking around a building. But building infrared thermographers can help find moisture and without moisture, mold grow is limited. Roof moisture detection can be accomplished on almost any type of system either by looking up at the roof or down onto the roof. In roofs with attics, the thermographer looks for the evaporative cooling effect of water. In flat or low-sloped roofs, IR imagery can pinpoint areas that contain moisture.
Disputes is another area where we use Thermal Imaging. The costs of construction, repairs and renovation are increasing dramatically as owners bring construction lawsuits against the contractors. "Getting what you paid for" is not a new concept, but perspective building owners are increasingly concerned the costs and about the quality and efficiency of their investments. Infrared thermography can be used as a building quality assurance tool during construction, so that repairs can be made without destroying the building or delaying the building process.
We can use the date collected during thermograph for advisory reports, energy audits and in cases involving controversy. Contact us today to find out more about the services we offer and get a free quote. Infrared imagery is often a grayscale picture whose scales (or shades of gray) represent the differences in temperature and emissivity (opposite of reflectivity) of objects in the image. As a general rule, objects in the image that are lighter in color are warmer, and darker objects are cooler. No object is detected in visible light wavelengths (400-700nm) rather, it detects infrared wavelengths (3000-5000nm < 8000-14000nm). Lights and other relatively hot objects are evident, but as a result of their heat -not light emissions. When an image is taken with an infrared camera, it is often recorded onto videotape and/or digitally saved to an on-board storage device. The images are downloaded, opened in specialized software and modified in a number of ways to enhance their value to the end user, like colorizing the images or adjusting the span and temperature to highlight a particular object in the image.
^ back to topEnergy Audits
Energy Audits for Domestic Properties
A home energy audit is the best way to assess how much energy your property consumes and where savings can be made.
Why should I get an Energy Audit carried out?
It's a good idea to get an energy audit carried out on your house to assess heat loss through roof, walls, ground floor, windows, and your space heating and domestic hot water system. The home energy audit will highlight the energy loss through these parts of the home. The energy audit will advise on practical choices and solutions that will improve the energy efficiency of your home. Recommendations we make will ensure that you only install systems and technologies that are suitable to your home.
What are the benefits of a Home Energy Audit?
In an environment of rising energy prices, it is now more beneficial than ever to be aware of the level of energy consumed by your home. This knowledge can be used to save money as you reduce your energy consumption. The cost of the energy audit can be recouped quickly through adopting some of the no-cost and low-cost measures outlined in the accompanying advisory report. Implementing some of the high-cost measures can have even greater benefits over time.
What does the Energy Audit cover?
- Electrical Usage areas where you are using electricity unnecessarily
- Window and Doors: draught stripping structural analysis
- Ventilation analysis of current system: Natural or Mechanical Ventilation feasibility study on ways to improve the efficiency of this system
- Lighting: percentage of low energy lighting throughout your home
- Insulation: checking of insulation standards in your home
- Space and Water Heating systems: assessing the efficiency of your current systems analysing the hot water cylinder and plumbing insulation
Each of the above areas is analysed and examined for defects. We also highlight areas of improvement. It is essential that all of the above are working to the optimum levels as this will ensure that as little energy as possible is being used.
What then?
Our home energy audit comes complete with an advisory report. This report will outline, in plain English, areas where energy consumption can be reduced. The advisory report will detail easy to follow steps that will improve energy efficiency in your home. Any technologies we recommend are researched by our team to guarantee that they will be compatible with your home. Suggested solutions will come with an estimated savings forecast, which will specify an estimated return on your investment. We will also seek to find suppliers in your local area.
The report will outline in three simple stages the ways in which you can become more energy efficient: no-cost, low-cost, and high-cost. Quite often the audit will indicate that drastic action is not always required to increase the energy efficiency of your home.
No-cost & Low cost simple measures can have a positive impact
^ back to topGrants available from SEI
The following are some of the grants currently offered by SEI:
Home Energy Saving Scheme. Who can avail of the scheme?
It is a National scheme and therefore all homeowners may apply. Landlords and owners of multiple properties may also apply, however they must submit a separate application form for each property.
What type of work can I get a grant for?
Grants will be provided to homeowners who invest in energy efficiency improvements in the following area:
Roof Insulation
Wall Insulation - this includes either cavity wall, internal dry lining or external insulation
Replacement High Efficiency (> 90%) Gas or Oil fired Boilers with Heating Controls Upgrade*
Heating Controls Upgrade*
Building Energy Rating (BER) - you can get a grant for a BER if one is done before and after the works are completed
* Minimum requirement of: 2 zones (space and water) with 7 day programmer ( time and temperature) control and
boiler interlock, time and temperature control of electric immersion heater and either 1 more zone control or 3 TRV's
How much are the grants?
Grants are fixed for each type of measure as indicated in the table below. Grant approval must be in place before any purchase of materials or commencement of measures undertaken. Grants are paid after the measures are completed and the contractor has been paid by the homeowner. In the instance where the cost of the work (vat inclusive) is less than the fixed grant amount, the actual cost will be reimbursed.
MEASURE CATEGORY GRANT *
* Please note that while you are entitled to apply for each Measure there is a minimum requirement that the grant amount in the first application must be €500 or greater. The BER grant cannot form part of this €500 amount.
| Roof Roof Insulation | €250 |
| Wall Cavity wall insulation | €400 |
| - Internal Wall Dry-Lining | €2,500 |
| - External wall insulation | €4,000 |
| Heating Controls High Efficiency Gas or Oil fired Boiler with Heating Controls Upgrade |
€700 |
| - Heating Controls Upgrade | €500 |
| BER Assessment A Before works and an After works BER assessment | €200 |
Who can do the work?
In accordance with the scheme's Terms and Conditions, all works must be completed by a contractor from SEI's Registered List, which will be published when the scheme opens for homeowner applications.
If undertaking a BER, these must be completed by a registered BER assessor. A list of registered assessors is available on the SEI website www.sei.ie/BER
How do I apply?
The scheme has been launched/announced now in order to allow interested contractors to apply for registration. Once there are sufficient registered contractors available to the scheme, there will be a further announcement regarding householder applications.
So, at the present moment the scheme is not open for applications from homeowners. Please keep a close eye out for future notices and check back regularly to ensure you are aware of when the scheme opens for applications.
If you wish to register your interest in the scheme and be contacted when it opens for applications, then simply click hes@sei.ie or phone 1850 927000
In the meantime, you could be looking around your house to identify areas which could improve your energy efficiency, see the Self Home Survey which is downloadable here in PDF format.
We also have some guides available to download offering information on the measures covered under the scheme as well as questions you can ask your installer/supplier.
You may also like to engage a Building Energy Rating (BER) assessor to perform an energy rating of your home with an accompanying Advisory Report, which will help identify areas that could improve your level of comfort along with reducing future heating bills.
When can I get the work done?
In accordance with the scheme's Terms and Conditions, Grant Approval must be in place prior to any purchase of materials or commencement of works is undertaken. Since the scheme is not currently open for application you should not undertake any works yet. If you have already done so, then unfortunately you will not be eligible for a grant. However, the Before BER can be done ahead of Grant Approval and could prove beneficial for homeowners who are uncertain about their options or what to get done first.
Greener Homes Scheme
This scheme has been set up to provide assistance to homeowners seeking to purchase a new renewable energy heating system for new or existing homes. The following are the maximum amounts available:
| Solar Thermal Space and or Hot water heating (Evacuated Tube) | €300 per m2 (to max.6m2) |
| Solar Thermal Space and or Hot water heating (Flat Plate) | €250 per m2 (to max.6m2 ) |
| Heat Pump - Horizontal ground collector | €2,500 |
| Heat Pump - Vertical ground collector | €3,500 |
| Heat Pump - Water (well) to water | €2,500 |
| Heat Pump - Air source | €2,000 |
| Wood Chip/Pellet Stove | €1,100 |
| Biomass / Wood pellet Stove with integral boiler | €1,800 |
| Wood Chip/Pellet Boiler | €3,000 |
Who can avail of this scheme?
You can avail of this scheme if you are: a homeowner renovating an existing home and replacing the traditional system with renewable technology
What are the Qualification Criteria?
The following conditions will apply in the evaluation of grant applications and all conditions must be met in advance of any approval of a grant.
- Applicant must be the homeowner i.e. must have full possession of the property where the system is to be installed
- The applicant must ensure grant approval is received before proceeding with any product purchase (including deposit payments) or installation work applicant must fully complete the Greener Homes Application Form (the "Application Form") with information valid at time of application product must be listed, at the date of application, on the registered product list installer must be listed, at the date of application, on the registered installer list or be prepared to meet the criteria for inclusion on this list (where the installer is not on the list, customers are advised to have their installer apply immediately)