The European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive requires all new buildings to be nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB) it is a legal requirement under the EU and Irish Law.
All new buildings must comply with Irish Building Regulations Parts L & F 2019
nZEB homes will be 70% more energy efficient and emit 70% less carbon dioxide than those built under 2005 Building Regulations standards.
The changes will result in new homes being more energy efficient and cheaper to heat than existing dwellings. They will give health benefits through increased comfort and better air quality
“The nearly zero or very low amount of energy required should be covered to a very significant extent by energy from renewable sources, including energy from renewable sources produced on-site or nearby“
New Homes
All new dwellings will need to achieve Building Energy Rating (BER) of A2
Extensions and renovations
Extension and renovations of more than 25 per cent of the building thermal envelope will require the entire dwelling to be upgraded and will need to achieve Building Energy Rating (BER) of B2
Compliant nZEB – nearly Zero Energy Buildings
Irish Building Regulation s Part L & F now require
Airtightness testing is now mandatory on every building and Air Permeability must be lower than 5m3/hr/sqm
What you need to lookout for when building a nZEB home?
When planning to build a new home the primary concern is often on heating and how much will it cost.
Since 2005 Irish Building Regulations have been constantly improving with the latest 2019 building regulations being 70% more efficient than 2005
Awareness of the importance of Thermal bridging, Insulation and Air tightness details in both design and construction has increased efficiently
But new Regulations still permit natural ventilation where
and Air Permeability is below 5m3/hr/sqm but above 3 m3/hr/sqm
Natural ventilated homes are at risk of being under ventilated and are over heating in the summer
Heat Recovery Ventilation helps to ‘flush out’ the warm air in summer nights.
What is difference between nZEB and Passive House standard?
Both nZEB Regulations and Passive House standard are focused on maximising building energy efficiency, and to produce as much energy by renewable sources that is consumed.
The main difference is that nZEB is a legal requirement under the EU directive and Irish Law
All new buildings must comply with Irish Building Regulations Parts L & F 2019
While Passive house is a voluntary standard for energy efficiency in a building
