Integrating energy rating and carbon limitation in Irish Building Regulations a comparative analysis of Ireland and UK / (Eng/Wales)

Article 4 of the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) requires member states to ensure minimum energy performance requirements for buildings, using a national methodology, which calculates the overall energy consumption for space heating / cooling, water heating and lighting. Ireland and the UK have now integrated similar energy calculation methods into their respective building regulations for dwellings, and both have introduced 'limitation of carbon emissions' as the principle compliance criteria, which is a radical departure from previous compliance methods. This paper examines the compliance impacts of integrating energy rating and carbon compliance into Part L of the Irish Building Regulations for the conservation of energy in dwellings. The paper reviews the relevant contextual background in Ireland and examines the change from a fabric heat loss compliance base to an overall energy method and the introduction of limitation of carbon emissions as the principle compliance approach. The core focus of the paper is a comparative analysis of the Irish and UK (Eng/Wales) national calculation methodologies, building regulation framework, and standards, highlighting a major difference in energy and carbon benchmarks, despite a minimal variation in methodology. The paper raises serious deficiencies within the Irish building regulation standards in comparison to the UK (Eng/Wales), in particular in relation to limiting carbon emissions, which contradicts aspirations and targets set within Irish Governmental national policies.