New Green Grant Comment

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Another Perspective
on the
Green Grant

I have just received a letter from Shay McGowan regarding the New Grant Scheme and the mandatory BER or Building Energy Assessment. Shay has been a contributor to this Blog before. He wrote a very interesting piece on wind energy battery storage and I value his input. Link below:

http://wood-pellet-ireland.blogspot.com/2007/10/redox-batteries-and-wind-power.html


Hi Tony,

While I agree with much of what you say as regards the Wood pellet rip off and the likelihood of more of the same with Minister Ryan’s new scheme, I would like to point out that the €350 for BER assessment is a pittance for the amount of work involved.

Currently producing an assessment from plans involves calculation of floor, wall and windows areas, entering the relevant data into the DEAP software and interpreting the results to produce a report and an advisory document.

With an existing building the structure will have to be physically measured up, taking the best part of a day depending on the size of the house and distances travelled and then all the relevant calculations performed. The fee of €350 is of course taxable. Added to this is the annual €100 SEI registration fee (€1000 for the first year) and the BER training of €1800 for assessing new dwellings.

You have to take further training to assesses existing dwellings and training to assess buildings other than dwellings, a possible €5400+ in training overall plus registration fees.

The BER is not perfect but it provides a valuable assessment of energy use and the running costs for a dwelling. It most certainly is not a cash cow.

Regards,
Shay McGowan





Thank you Shay for your balancing input. My problem is taken form an end used perspective, where, in my case, I want to properly insulate the attic and might hope to get some bit of a grant towards the cost. There is no-way I, or someone in a similar position, is going to go through the complicated hoops provided by the minister, in order to get maybe €200 of a grant towards insulating the attic. Another perspective is where somone is considering upgrading the insulation standards of a house and have a very limited budget. They will NOT take this route offered by the minister. It will only work where someone is considering the whole job including double glazing.




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