COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, April 12, 2010

QUESTION NO. 16

QUESTION: Councillor E. Tuffy

To ask the Manager for an outline report on the insulation standards of the housing units owned by the Council, and request that he arrange to get comprehensive information on the programme being implemented by the City Council of Vienna (cf. Pages 46-50, The New Scientist, 27th March 2010) to refurbish about 5% of its housing units each year, with the aim of cutting their annual energy consumption to one fifth of current levels, and if he will particularly source information on the cost of such a refurbishment programme and how it is being funded, and if he will present a report to a future meeting of this Council on the feasibility of a similar programme in this County?   

REPLY:

Summary

SDCC has concentrated, since 1999, on improving the fabric and heating systems of our older housing stock, i.e built pre 1990.  Some2,400 of our 6,600 older housing stock now have cavity wall and attic insulation and 2,800 dwellings have improved-efficiency heating systems. The Council and the DoEHLG  have spent  in excess of €60m to date on all its Common Quality Standard and Refurbishment programmes.

Since the 3^rd quarter of 2009 the council has been achieving a C1 BER rating with a targeted programme. SDCC plans to upgrade the cavity wall and attic insulation in 60 voided dwellings this year under its Energy Efficiency Re-let programme being carried out by Housing Maintenance, and 150 dwellings under the Refurbishment Phase 3, Programme in 2010-2011, achieving a C1 BER rating. The DOEHLG has agreed to further funding of €7.85m for these programmes.

 These 210 dwellings represent almost 5% of our remaining older housing stock ( of 4,200). Achieving an average 33%+ energy consumption reduction represents a significant improvement in these older dwellings, and has a direct benefit to our tenants in relation to their ongoing energy costs. It is not cost effective for SDCC at this time, to introduce greater energy reductions to achieve an A3 BER rating of >50Kwh/m²/yr to our older housing stock.  It would mean introducing renewable technology -for example solar panels / biomass/ wood pellet boilers- as well as more stringent insulation measures. The Capital outlay and considerable maintenance costs to bring our older housing stock to A3 BER rating does not justify such a programme at this stage and is not feasible in the current economic climate.

General Context of retrofit/refurbishment

National statistics show that there were 1.4 m permanently occupied dwellings in Ireland in 2006, and approx. 130,000 new dwellings were built between 2007and 2008, giving a total of 1.6m dwellings.

Approximately 1.2m are estimated to have BER energy ratings ranging from G to C2  and  950,000 were built pre-1990. G rating equates to an energy consumption of >450 kWh/m² and C2 is >175 kWh/m².

 The IIEA’s (Institute of International and European Affairs) Greenprint for National Energy Efficiency concentrates on refurbishing this stock to a minimum of C1 BER Rating, >150 kWhr/m²/yr with associated Carbon dioxide  (CO2) emissions reductions.

 Dwellings built pre 1990 generally have poor insulation, single glazing and less efficient heating systems. The 1991 Building Regulations introduced better insulation measures and successive Building Regulations since then have improved the insulation and heating requirements.

 Existing buildings are not generally required to comply with the current Building Regulations unless there is a material alteration.

SDCC Stock and measures already put in place

South Dublin County Council has 9,200 Dwellings in its housing stock. Approx. 6,600 were built pre 1990, with single glazing, solid fuel, oil or electric heating and only a small proportion had cavity wall and attic insulation.

SDCC has been upgrading its older housing stock since 1999 with various programmes of; fabric improvements, heating and electrical upgrading, all contributing towards energy efficiency.

The Housing Action Plan of 2004-2008 included a Common Quality Standard (CQS) strategy for its older housing stock. The CQS provided a level of comfort that was feasible within budgetary and physical structure constraints at the time. It incorporated not only wall and attic insulation but some replacement double glazed windows and more efficient heating systems, which all combined, result in more effective energy consumption reductions. The heating systems installed under the  Accelerated gas-fired central heating Programme 2004-2006, incorporated boilers with 70-75%efficiency and selective thermal controls compliant with the Part L Conservation of Fuel and Energy of the Building Regulations 2002.

The various CQS programmes put in place in the period 2004-2008, and funded by Internal Capital Receipts (ICRs), include;

• Gas fired heating programme                                    2800 houses completed
• Energy- upgrade programme

             (Wall and Attic insulation)                                        1850 houses completed

• Window –upgrade programme                                  650 Houses
• Tenant boiler servicing programme                          6,000 annually

The ICR funding commitment to the above programmes was in excess of €20m.

The District refurbishment programmes began in 1999 and are ongoing. They have been funded mainly by the Department of  Environment Heritage and Local Government (DoEHLG). To date, refurbishment  costing in excess of €40m,has been carried out in some 847 dwellings in the estates of Donomore, Avonbeg, Cushlawn , Greenfort and Shancastle, enabling more comprehensive works to be carried out in those dwellings which incorporated improvements in line with Building Regulations current at the time. This included cavity wall and attic insulation.

When the revised Part L of the Building Regulations was introduced in 2008 -midway through Refurbishment Phase 2 of 200 dwellings in Cushlawn, Greenfort and Shancastle estates - 86%efficiency condensing boilers were installed in the remaining dwellings, in compliance with the Part L  2008 space heating requirements.

The total cost of all these programmes, which have contributed to improved comfort levels and reduced energy costs to our tenants, was just under €60m.

Programmes for 2010-2011.

• SDCC received majority funding approval of €7m, from the DoEHLG on 18th March 2010 to progress with Phase 3 of the Refurbishment of 150 dwellings in Cushlawn, Greenfort and Shancastle. There is a requirement that the BER rating of these dwellings is to be upgraded to a minimum C1, which represents improving the energy consumption from average D1 rating of approx.225 kWh/m²/yr to 150kWh/m²/yr. This represents an average 33% reduction in energy usage for each of these dwellings. Cavity wall insulation and improved attic insulation will be included in this programme.
• The DoEHLG also approved contributory funding in the 3^rd quarter of 2009 towards re-let repairs in house voids which improve the BER rating to C1. 29 voided dwellings had energy efficiency measures incorporated in the relet repairs which achieved a C1 BER rating. DoEHLG funding of some €.85m is being provided in 2010, and it is anticipated that 60 dwellings will be upgraded to BER C1 during this year. Cavity wall insulation and improved attic insulation are included in this programme.

Conclusion

 It is not cost effective for SDCC at this time, to introduce greater energy reductions to achieve an A3 BER rating of >50Kwh/m²/yr to our older housing stock.  It would mean introducing renewable technology - for example solar panels / biomass/ wood pellet boilers- as well as more stringent insulation measures. The Capital outlay and considerable maintenance costs to bring our older housing stock to A3 BER rating does not justify such a programme at this stage and is not feasible in the current economic climate.

SDCC has been proactive in upgrading its older housing stock since 1999. It has spent some €60m on all its refurbishment/upgrading programmes to date, and is committed to spending a further approx. €10m on Refurbishment Phase 3 and the 2010 Energy relet programme involving 210 dwellings overall.

These 210 dwellings represent 5% of our remaining older housing stock ( of 4,200). Achieving an average 33%+ energy consumption reduction represents a significant improvement in these older dwellings, and has a direct benefit to our tenants in relation to their ongoing energy costs.

Completed tenant satisfaction surveys have confirmed reductions in utility bills and general environmental quality of life improvement as a result of the aforementioned implemented programmes.