Dr Ciara Ahern chats about what energy upgrades and if they’re worth doing, issues people are having with heat pumps and heating systems and what can be done about it, plus what changes we can expect coming from Europe in relation to energy and the building regulations. More specifically, she covers:
- What is the difference between a shallow and a deep retrofit?
- If someone has a house, how can they tell if they should consider a shallow versus a deep retrofit, e.g. would homes with medium gains always need a deep retrofit?
- Recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD): What are the headline changes coming from Europe and when we can expect them to come into force
- EPBD implications for end users: new builds, renovations and those selling property
- Why energy ratings don’t show how much energy the house will consume: does the recast EPBD take that into account?
- How to optimise the operation/performance of existing heating systems in the home
- Issue with oversizing heating systems and what homeowners can do
- Issues surrounding heat pump installations, what needs to happen industry wide to make sure they’re done correctly and to the right sizing?