The Dwelling Energy Assessment Procedure (DEAP) is the Irish official procedure for calculating and assessing the energy required for space heating, space cooling, ventilation, water heating and lighting, less savings from energy generation technologies. DEAP calculates the annual delivered energy consumption, primary energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions for standardised occupancy.
The DEAP software contains equations or algorithms representing the relationships between the factors contributing to the annual energy performance of the dwelling. The software is accompanied by a series of reference data tables. The DEAP calculation is also available as a Microsoft Excel1 workbook from the SEAI Website.
DEAP is compliant with the methodology framework in the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). The DEAP calculation framework is based on IS EN 13790 and draws heavily on the calculation procedures and tabulated data of the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) for energy rating of dwellings in the UK.
Annex I of the of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive 2010/31/EU (EPBD) as amended by Directive 2018/844/EU (EPBD) outlines requirements for determining energy performance of buildings and methodologies. In Ireland, the national calculation methodology required by the EPBD is described in the annexes of the overarching standards namely I.S. EN ISO 52000-1:2017, I.S. EN ISO 52003-1:2017, I.S. EN ISO 52010-1:2017, I.S. EN ISO 52016-1:2017, and I.S. EN ISO 52018-1:2017 and are available from NSAI (National Standards Authority of Ireland). As outlined in the standards, the completed annexes are available here.
The DEAP methodology and software is used to demonstrate compliance with the EPBD (recast) in Ireland including elements of the Irish Building Regulations Part L 2005, 2008, 2011, 2019, 20212 and 20223 for new dwellings and for generating Building Energy Rating (BER) labels and BER advisory reports. This provision applies to new dwellings and dwellings for sale or rent. S.I.243 of 2012 details the Irish legislative requirements for BER, including scenarios where an energy rating is required and scenarios where buildings are exempted.
For Building Regulations 2005 Technical Guidance Document (TGD) L, the DEAP software calculates the Carbon Dioxide Emission Rate (CDER) of the dwelling, and the corresponding Maximum Permitted Carbon Dioxide Emission Rate (MPCDER), expressed in units of kg CO2 per square metre per annum. This provision applies to new dwellings built between 1 July 2006 and 1 July 2008 subject to transitional arrangements cited in Building Regulations 2005 TGD L.
DEAP compares the dwelling’s Energy Performance Coefficient (EPC) and Carbon Performance Coefficient (CPC) to the Maximum Permitted Energy Performance Coefficient (MPEPC) and Maximum Permitted Carbon Performance Coefficient (MPCPC) for Building Regulations 2008, 2011, 2019, 2021 and 2022 TGD L. DEAP also determines if the Building Regulations 2008, 2011, 2019, 2021 and 2022 TGD L renewables requirement is satisfied. Building Regulations 2008 TGD L applies to new dwellings from 1 July 2008 and Building Regulations 2011 TGD L applies to new dwellings from 1 December 2011. Building regulations 2019 TGD L applies to new dwellings from 1 November 2019 and Building regulations 2021 TGD L applies to new dwellings from 27 July 2021. Building regulations 2022 TGD L applies to all new buildings from 25 October 2022. These dates are all subject to transitional arrangements cited in the relevant Building Regulation TGD L.
DEAP confirms that the fabric heat loss is limited as defined in the 2005, 2008, 2011, 2019, and 2021 and 2022 Building Regulations TGD L. DEAP checks that the building air permeability is limited as defined in the Building Regulations 2008, 2011, 2019, 2021 and 2022 TGD L documents. DEAP flags the lack of an air permeability test as a non- compliance where a test result is not specified. The permeability test result specified in DEAP should follow the guidance (and sampling regimes where allowable) as outlined in the applicable TGD L documents.
The Building Regulations TGD L documents provide guidance on the applicability of each TGD L edition to dwellings based on dwelling age, date of planning permission and construction.
A “New-final” BER applies to a dwelling that has never been occupied4 before the assessment. Assessments for dwellings that are or have been occupied must be carried out as “Existing”.
A dwelling is considered occupied when it is used by persons as a place to live.
1 The Excel version of DEAP gives full detail on the DEAP calculation equations. Some formulas are not replicated in this document.
2 In relation to the DEAP calculations, the requirements for EV Recharging Infrastructure and Self-Regulating Devices in new and existing buildings undergoing renovation works in TGD L 2021 has no effect on the MPEPC, MPCPC or RER provisions from TGD L 2019.
3 New requirements in TGD L 2022 have no effect on the MPEPC, MPCPC provisions from 2019 and 2021. Differences to the calculation of RER are limited to dwellings connected to Efficient District Heating and Cooling.
4 Where a BER Assessor is unsure whether a dwelling has been occupied, they may request that the homeowner sign a declaration, confirming that, at the time of the survey, the dwelling is not occupied and has not been previously occupied. The BER Assessor should confirm during the survey that this status is compatible with what can be observed onsite.