Traditional homes retrofit grant pilot launched

This article was originally published in issue 48 of Passive House Plus magazine. Want immediate access to all back issues and exclusive extra content? Click here to subscribe for as little as €15, or click here to receive the next issue free of charge

Owners of traditionally built homes can now apply for grant support through a number of SEAI’s registered one-stop-shop providers.

Typically, traditional homes differ significantly from homes built in the last century in one significant way: solid masonry external walls, built from traditional materials, with no continuous cavity. As few materials suitable for use in traditional buildings have been certified by bodies such as NSAI Agrément, the works in the pilot must involve homeowner-appointed traditional building professionals – including conservation-accredited architects, engineers or surveyors.

The move follows the Department of Housing publishing the guidance document, Improving Energy Efficiency in Traditional Buildings: Guidance for Specifiers and Installers. The pilot, which will be open for 100 homes, seeks to gain a detailed understanding of the technical aspects, materials, products, and associated costs with the solutions required for traditional homes.

The announcement was welcomed by TU Dublin’s head of building performance and construction, Joseph Little, who called the news “the most significant government-led change in the energy efficiency of traditional buildings” since retrofit grants were introduced in 2008, adding that it would assert the importance of the role of conservation architects and other design professionals with expertise in ensuring the health of solid wall structures. “It’s going to reinvigorate the conversation about what is an appropriate specification and provide additional support for those seeking to move away from the narrow Agrément-approved approach.” Little said that once the pilot has concluded, the emphasis will be to move forward to a national scheme.

For more information, visit tinyurl.com/tradpilot.