New grant scheme for the construction of low carbon ‘A2’ rated housing launched by the Energy minister.

Minister Eamon Ryan has unveiled the Low Carbon Homes Programme, to be administered by Sustainable Energy Ireland, will provide grants of up to 40% of eligible expenditure to encourage large developments of new homes to an energy performance standard well in excess of the recently adopted Building Regulations (BER).

With a capital envelope of €9m until the end of 2011, the Scheme will seek to achieve zero or very low carbon emissions from supported homes by requiring a significant element of auto-generation of electricity from renewable technologies such as solar photovoltaic, micro-wind and micro combined heat and power (CHP).

Homes built under the Programme will be at least 70% more energy efficient and produce at least 70% less carbon dioxide than homes built to 2005 standards and will have a Building Energy Rating (BER) of at least A2.

Houses build to the standard of the recently adopted Building Regulations, which are already among the best in Europe, typically have a BER of B1, two points below the minimum standard of the new programme.

Builders and developers must choose timber frame over other methods of construction if they are going to apply for grants under the Low Carbon Programme, according to Philip Mahony of the Irish Timber Frame Manufacturers’ Association.

“Because it is manufactured under strictly controlled conditions, a well insulated and airtight timber frame home can already achieve an A3 Building Energy Rating”, said Mahony.

“Add additional insulation and renewable energy technology and the government’s target of an A2 rating or better from 2010 can easily be achieved”, he said.

“In fact independent research carried out by the Edinburg Centre for Carbon Management has shown that the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the embodied energy of construction materials are lowered proportionately the more the timber content of a dwelling is increased,” he concluded.