A home energy retrofit is work done to your home, an existing building, to make it more comfortable, healthier and ultimately more energy efficient. Generally it involves reducing the heat loss of the building fabric via increased insulation and air tightness, replacing fossil fuel heating systems with heat pumps or renewable energy systems, and other upgrades that improve the general quality, comfort, and energy efficiency of your home.

A deep retrofit of a home is a whole house system approach where a number of energy saving measures are done at the same time to radically reduce energy use by between 30 and 70% and to increase comfort. A plan is created to make sure the house performs as one system and reaches the best possible performance targets. With deep retrofit, all aspects of the house from the fabric to ventilation and heating systems are considered within the same plan rather than treated separately. A deep retrofit is the best option for reducing CO2 emissions and living a sustainable lifestyle.

A shallow retrofit is a small-scale alteration where one or two energy saving measures are taken. This can include single measures such as insulation around pipes, changing boiler, changing windows or installing insulation in different parts of the home. A shallow retrofit can initially seem cost effective, although it can actually be less beneficial in the long run and more costly, if you have to redo the work in order to achieve further energy reductions which will be required by 2050. Therefore any single measure should form part of a long term plan for the home that can build step by step towards a deep energy retrofit without having to redo previous steps. It is worth getting advice on how you can do this from a qualified renovation advisor.

You will notice immediate benefits of the quality and comfort of your home.

You will see improvements on the quality of indoor air, lower fuel bills and improved general comfort of your home

If you install wall or floor insulation normally you would move out of the house. All other work can be done with the homeowner in the house provided it is phased and the homeowner is prepared to live with dust and disruption for 4-6 weeks. A renovation advisor will advise on the best action.

A Building Energy Rating BER is an energy rating that is needed when selling or renting your home. A BER-certified assessor is required to evaluate your home before and after an upgrade, and can cost between €200 – 300.

Homes with higher BER rating tend to be warmer and have better air quality and ventilation. Often, the energy bills can be lower and there may be less noise pollution in homes with higher BER rating due to better quality materials and insulation.

Homes with higher BER ratings typically have building elements (walls, roof, windows, etc.) with better thermal properties compared to those with lower BER ratings. The ability of a home to retain heat depends on its Heat Loss Indicator (HLI) or Heat Loss Parameter (HLP). This is shown on the new BER Advisory Report. Homes with a low heat loss indicator retain heat better than homes with a high heat loss indicator. If an HLI reads 0-1 W/m2K, that means a home has excellent heat retention properties, but any reading greater than 2W/m2K signifies poor heat retention. However, a building also needs to be constructed to a high quality to ensure the building is airtight to avoid drafts or leaky buildings.

If you sense that you may benefit from retrofitting your home, the first step is to gather information on all previous works done, for example, receipts for work done before or technical drawings for insulation installed.
Next make an appointment with a renovation advisor who will provide you with an overall plan for the work you need to do to upgrade your home. The renovation advisor will create a plan that suits your budget and timing, will tell you how much disruption will result, provide information about grants and which ones you are eligible for.

To begin with, get advice from a qualified renovation advisor who will give you a retrofit plan with the right materials, estimates and sequence of works.

In general improving insulation, air tightness, and ventilation will ensure that your home retains heat for longer. Increasing the airtightness of your home and replacement of windows and doors will assist in maximising the comfort of your home. With high levels of air tightness a suitable ventilation system is vital in order to prevent mould and maintain good indoor air quality.

As part of the plan you may consider decarbonising your home, which can include the installation of a heat pump, solar water heating systems or PV solar panels to generate renewable electricity. This will further improve your home comfort and can significantly reduce your energy bills.

The time frame varies depending on your retrofit plan. Deep retrofit works from start to finish takes between 6-12 weeks. If you choose to phase the retrofit, different packages of work could be done in shorter periods over a longer time scale [3-5 years].

Retrofit advisor
A retrofit advisor provides independent advice to homeowners throughout the retrofit process such as advice on design options, operations and maintenance of retrofit measures. They should have a professional qualification as an architect, engineer or surveyor who can also advise you of any other issues with your home such as structural defects, damp, etc that need to be dealt with before work on energy upgrade begins. A retrofit advisor should be fully independent, and should never be the person actually carrying out the works.

They should be qualified to give advice and should have professional indemnity. Check for references.

A BER assessor
A BER Assessor carries out BER assessments and provides homeowners with a BER advisory report with recommendations for improving the energy efficiency of their homes. SEAI provides a list of registered BER assessors to conduct a BER assessment with an advisory report.

Project coordinator
SEAI uses the term  project coordinator  for companies that manage one stop shops and the Better Energy Communities schemes. They may be qualified  contractors, energy suppliers, product suppliers or engineers. They oversee the entire project from start to finish, including planning, organising and managing the different players involved in the retrofit project (e.g. contractors, finance providers, grant providers). Check that the project coordinator has professional indemnity, necessary insurances and will provide warranties for the retrofit works during and after the home retrofit project. A list of SEAI registered project coordinators can be found here.

Technical Advisor
A Technical Advisor is generally an engineer, architect or quantity surveyor who is also a Domestic BER Assessor. Before you apply for an SEAI heat pump grant, you must hire a Technical Advisor. They will make a Technical Assessment of your home with a report which provides information on measures to do to make your home “heat pump ready”.  The technical assessment will need to be uploaded with your online application. A  list of  SEAI registered independent Technical Advisors can be found here.

One-stop shops are end-to-end service providers regarding all things retrofit. They are designed to make the homeowner’s experience and process of retrofitting as easy as possible. They handle everything from home assessments, applying for grants, to project coordination to hiring contractors and suppliers. To see the full range of services one-stop shops offer from SEAI, please, click here.  It is important to find out what warranties you will have and for how long  they last for when using a one stop shop. If you want to find a one-stop shop that operates in your region click this link.

Renovation advisors are generally qualified professionals such as engineers, building surveyors or registered architects who will provide you with impartial advice. Depending on your situation you may want to choose a renovation advisor with a specific background.

If you want to build an extension alongside a retrofit you may need a renovation advisor who is also a RIAI registered architect.

If you live in a conservation area or a protected structure you may want to hire a RIAI registered conservation architect.

Start with independent advice. An independent Renovation Advisor will create an overall Retrofit Plan or Home Energy Upgrade Plant. The Renovation Advisor should be a qualified engineer, architect , building surveyor with experience in Home retrofit. They should provide you with a plan to sequence the retrofit works in the right order to suit your budget and timing. Check that the renovation advisor has professional indemnity and insurances.

A renovation advisor is independent from contractors, product suppliers or project managers. They assess your needs and home and create a plan to ensure that works proposed are long-term solutions. As of now, there are no common standards for quality of retrofit so your advisor can help ensure you get the best value for money as well as comfort. Also if something should go wrong or the works are not up to standard the renovation advisor should be able to help sort it out. Check that the renovation advisor is qualified and has professional indemnity.

There is no universal warranty or certificate, but all SEAI registered one stop shops also must be registered with NSAI (National Standards Association of Ireland). NSAI have universal guidelines as well as auditing processes to ensure the companies comply with these standards. Each company may also have their own warranty or quality assurance policy in place.

When looking for one-stop shops or contractors, look for those who are NSAI and SEAI registered, read reviews from previous customers and seek advice from professionals. The important thing to ask yourself is “if something should go wrong on the job – will the contractor return to make good and what guarantee do you have?”

To get a very rough cost estimate for your home you can use the An Post cost calculator or the CU Greener Homes calculator.  They provide an indication of the type of work and cost estimates for your home. Then, a renovation advisor or assessor will be able to give you a more accurate estimate of costs and grants specific to your house.

On the An Post cost calculator. Choose “My Typical Irish Home”, enter your address and fill out the questionnaire.

Also this article provides cost estimates and assessments for two detached homes, one G-rated and the other C-rated. And this article provides real life examples of two homes in the countryside that were retrofitted.

• Moving the gas metre
• Unclipping and clipping the electricity metre
• Getting a BER assessment or a Technical assessment
• Some one stop shops charge coordination and management fees
• Design and planning application fees if there is a renovation involved
• Taking out existing insulation etc if it needs to be changed or prevents other works
• Value Added Tax VAT of 23%
• If you live in a traditional building, protected structure or in an conservation or architectural conservation area, you will need to hire a conservation architect
• Discovery of defective parts during retrofitting works
• Ensure you have a contingency fund between 5 -10% in case unexpected repairs or works are required during the works

Yes! With a limited budget you can retrofit your home in stages. Furthermore, there are several different SEAI grants you may be eligible for and low interest green loans. The most important thing to do first is to get an overall plan for your home energy upgrade/retrofit.

There are different types of grants available from SEAI and the two major banks have green loans and green mortgages with discounted interest rates. Visit this resource on finance options for more details.

Some green loans are paid out only after you have signed off on specific works with a contractor and if you are managing your own SEAI grants, they are paid out only after all the work is completed.