{"id":2160,"date":"2012-06-06T11:44:30","date_gmt":"2012-06-06T11:44:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markstephensarchitects.com\/?p=2160"},"modified":"2012-06-06T11:44:30","modified_gmt":"2012-06-06T11:44:30","slug":"why-you-cant-rely-on-backstop-u-values-part-l-deap-and-ber-rating","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markstephensarchitects.com\/why-you-cant-rely-on-backstop-u-values-part-l-deap-and-ber-rating\/","title":{"rendered":"Why you can’t rely on backstop u-values, Part L, DEAP and BER rating"},"content":{"rendered":"
As you may or may not know Part L of the Irish Building Regulations (Conservation of Fuel and Energy) changed in December 2011. Normally the actual Regulations (as opposed to the Technical Guidance Documents) are quite broad, for example Part M (Access for People with Disabilities) will simply state:<\/p>\n
Adequate provision shall be made to enable people with disabilities to safely and independently access and use a building.<\/em><\/p>\n And the Technical Guidance Document (TGD) then goes on to describe Prima Facie methods of achieving the Regulation.<\/p>\n Part L is somewhat different as it now says:<\/p>\n A building shall be designed and constructed so as to ensure that the energy performance of the building is such to limit the amount of energy required for the operation of the building and the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions associated with this energy use insofar as is reasonably practicable.<\/em><\/p>\n All fine so far…<\/p>\n For new dwellings, the requirements of L1 shall be met by:<\/p>\n …both energy consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are calculated using the Dwelling Energy Assessment Procedure (DEAP) published by Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland.<\/em><\/p>\n The TGD then states the performance criteria:<\/p>\n The Maximum Permitted Energy Performance Coefficient (MPEPC) should be no greater than 0.4<\/strong><\/p>\n The Maximum Permitted Carbon Performance Coefficient (MPCPC) should be no greater than 0.46<\/strong><\/p>\n