These numbers are interesting to anyone watching the BER industry. A total of 278,724 domestic BERs on the public register in three years is quite a significant number. While it is a long way from the 1.6 million domestic properties in Ireland, we should remember that you only need a BER Certificate if you are offering your property for sale or rent. In the current economic climate and with properties not moving as they once were, it will take some time before we see a BER Cert for every home in the country. Although we will never reach 100%, we can get close.

It is a pity that it took the Irish government so long to implement this system, which was implemented following the Kyoto protocol signed in 1997, to reduce harmful emissions and reduce four greenhouse gases (GHG) (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulphur hexafluoride) and two groups of gases (hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons) produced by them. This will help fight against global warming by achieving the “stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system”.

The less we rely on fossil fuels and the less we burn them, the better for the atmosphere, the environment and ourselves.

If you switch all the bulbs in your home to energy efficient bulbs you can improve your B.E.R. rating by as much as 8 percent. Low energy bulbs cost less to run and subsequently use significantly less energy. Do it today and start saving money. For your B.E.R. rating, make sure you do it before your B.E.R. Assessor completes the home survey. Yes they are more expensive than traditional bulbs, but they save you money in the long run and do less damage to the planet than traditional ‘high energy’ bulbs.

There are many brands of low energy bulbs on the market. Ideally you want the ones that offer the longest life. On each light pack you will see the life expectance in hours or years (typically one year is equal to one thousand hours). A shorter life bulb will be 3,000 hours whlie a longer one might be 7,000 hours.

Germany has increased it’s use of renewable energy over the past number of decades and recently announced it will shut down it’s nuclear power stations.

Wind energy accounts for over 7 percent of the countries total electricity supply, followed closely by biomass (5.6), solar (3.5) and hydropower (3.3).

This impressive feat should be admired and each country with a social and environmental conscience should strive to equal and out do this amazing green energy success.

This means an increase in heating bills for customers which means homes with less insulation and a lower energy rating will cost more to sustain than they did before.

If you insulate your home, replace old boilers for more efficient ones, replace old bulbs with energy efficient ones among other things, you will reduce your bills and save money on your energy needs.

This exposition will show you all the new products and services on the market today and is a great way to get information about renewable energy, sustainable building, money saving techniques, cutting edge green design and more.

November seems to be the most active month in the domestic BER industry with 11,588 B.E.R.s being produced in that month in 2010, compared to just 4,686 being produced in January of that year.

The most common energy rating for new dwellings is B3 followed closely by B2 and C1. This shows significant energy savings for new home owners who will have reduced energy costs. Alternatively the most common energy rating for existing dwellings (not new) is D1, followed closely by C3, D2, C2 and C1. Over 13,500 existing homes got the lowest possible ‘G’ rating, showing that the dwellings are not energy efficient and any prospective tenant or buyer would face significant energy bills to heat both the space and water.

All in all the system seems to be working so far. The main purpose of the Building Energy Ratings is to encourage property owners to insulate their properties and invest in energy saving technologies to help reduce green house and other harmful gas emissions. The BER system will work but it will take time. More government grants and initiatives are needed and hopefully we will see more in the future.

Carpooling and telecommuting are brilliant ideas which conserve fuel consumption and lower levels of gases being emitted. Businesses can not only encourage but offer rewards and incentives to employees who participate in these practices on a weekly or daily basis. For employees who live close, they can be encouraged to walk, cycle, or take public transportation to work at least a few times a week, if not daily. Management can also encourage the use of stairs versus using the elevators.

At the end of each work day, switch off all equipment and lights, unplug phone chargers, and use motion-detector type lighting for certain company areas. Desktop computers can be turned off rather than left in Stand By mode, especially on weekends and extended holidays. By encouraging employees to charge their mobile phones and hand-held electronics at home, this too can greatly reduce your company’s electricity usage.

Take advantage of the sun’s natural light and heat by opening your office blinds. However, during hot summer days, keep those blinds closed keeping the heat out and reducing the use of the air conditioner. Another way to conserve in the area of lighting is to switch to Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) rather than incandescent bulbs. The CFLs last up to fifteen times longer and use 20% less energy. Also, keep the lights off and heat/ac down in areas or rooms that are less used, such as a conference room or spare office.

Depending on where you are, your business can utilize renewable energy sources by using what’s readily available in your environment. In hot and sunny Africa, where some regions still have no electricity, Solar Lanterns are utilizing the sun’s power as natural generators. In rainy and remote areas, such as the tropics or South Pacific, rain water can be collected and processed for septic systems.

These are just some of many efforts being made by businesses utilizing renewable energy sources. In Ireland and as a global community, using these practices every day will greatly reduce our steep fuel consumption and make great strides towards a cleaner and greener earth.

Within the earth, energy is being continuously produced. Some applications of this geothermal energy use the earth’s temperatures near the surface, such as water from hot springs or geysers. However, electricity generation in a geothermal power plant requires steam at very high temperatures (150 to 400 degrees C) and often requires the tapping of reservoirs located miles into the earth.

On a much smaller scale, geothermal heat pumps use stable ground temperatures near the earth’s surface to provide energy even to individual homes and businesses. On the earth’s surface renewable biomass/biofuels can be produced from wood, certain wastes, and energy crops.

Along with global efforts to increase the use of renewable energies, the Irish Government has implemented a plan to provide assistance to homeowners (Greener Homes Scheme) seeking to purchase a new renewable energy heating systems.

Solar energy, heat pumps, and utilization of biomass (wood chip/pellet stoves) are available to individual consumers. Given the financial incentives now available in Ireland through SEI (Sustainable Energy in Ireland), it is an ideal time to save financially and contribute to Ireland’s efforts to achieve fossil fuel independence and decrease the continued growth of global greenhouse effects.

Customers can then repay the energy company loan through a charge on their monthly energy bill. It is estimated that the deal will create over 250,000 new jobs and would ensure that consumers didn’t fall victim to ‘rogue traders or receive dodgy advice’.

Another feature is that the loan is attached to the property and not the consumer. This means that if the home is sold that the new owners assume the loan repayments.

Energy Secretary Chris Huhne said it would “make upgrading our nation’s draughty homes a no brainer”.

In my opinion this is a superb initiative and will help to insulate homes, reduce consumers reliance on energy, reduce bills in the long term and create more jobs. We need something like this ‘Green Deal’ in Ireland to help those who can not afford to pay for insulation upfront and who wouldn’t want more jobs in this climate.

Kingspan, which had sales last year of €1.12bn and is forecast to generate revenue in the current financial year of €1.16bn, will initially pay CRH €120m upon closure of the deal in the first quarter of 2011, with up to a further €6m payable depending on future earn-out conditions being met. Kingspan will acquire the CRH Insulation Europe (CIE) business on a cash-free and debt-free basis.

The CRH business, which includes six business units in seven countries, had been put up for sale months ago after the company decided it wanted to exit non-core divisions. It is also selling its climate control business and it had been expected that the sale of both it and the insulation arm could have generated a sale figure of between €300m and €400m.

Analyst Flor O’Donoghue of Davy Stockbrokers told the Irish Independent that he thought the deal was a “good fit” for Kingspan, but that it would have a “good bit of work to do” with the acquired business over the next year.

In the 12 months to the end of last December, CIE generated revenue of €240.5m and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of €19.8m, excluding exceptional charges. Operating profit for the year was €10.6m. EBITDA in the current year is likely to be €11m. Mr O’Donoghue said that based on the 2009 EBITDA figure, the purchase price “looks OK”, but seems expensive based on the 2010 forecast.

Kingspan said it expects the acquisition to be earnings neutral in 2011 after restructuring costs and earnings-enhancing thereafter. It’s also likely to dispose of some of the acquired units following a review next year.

Kingspan chief executive Gene Murtagh described the acquisition as an “excellent opportunity” for the company to assume a leading position in northern Europe. He added the acquisition will provide a platform to “drive growth and conversion to our products across Europe for many years to come”. CRH chief executive Myles Lee said the CIE business was an excellent strategic fit for Kingspan.