BUNRS

Duration: 24 months (October 2018 – October 2020)
LIT Project Budget: € 43,705
Total Project Budget: € 120,401

Summary

The BUNRs project funded by SEAI intend to build on a broad range of research and expertise from previous projects, to include actions to make deep renovation desirable and easier, while upskilling the industry, inform standards and develop quality data.

Putting Ireland on a realistic trajectory to 2050 climate targets require a step change in the level of activity in renovation and the ‘depth’ of energy efficiency upgrades. While certain funding incentives are part of the solution, multiple measures are needed and the scale of this challenge means that private investment must be mobilised. Furthermore, attractive financing options alone are not the deciding factor, measures are needed to support decision making and enable action.

The BUNRs through extensive consultation with collaborators, external consultants and the industry will build the infrastructure needed to develop an energy efficient mortgage product that delivers real impact in Ireland. It is also critical to make energy renovation upskilling as easy as possible for construction workers and building professionals and a self-assessment tool that would allow the construction industry to identify the areas in which they should upskill and the relevant training courses is also proposed.

LIT is a partner with Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) and will also collaborate with industry stakeholders and specifically with six professional institutes in Ireland, a Dutch knowledge centre, County Councils in Ireland and the European Mortgage Federation.

Objectives and aims of the project

The aim of the  BUNRs project is to work on concerted and targeted actions to build on stakeholders’ capacity and appetite for renovation, while de-risking energy renovation investments and accelerate the rate of energy renovation and the ‘depth’ of energy efficiency upgrades in Ireland. This will be carried out by supporting the development of energy efficient mortgages in Ireland and provide policy insights that will inform the next phase of energy renovation.

Specific objectives include

• Developing capacity for renovation: Making sure we have the right skills
• Developing appetite for energy renovation: Setting the right standards
• Enabling action – The role of Building Renovation Passports (BRPs)

• LIT will research the renovation skills and competencies required by construction workers in Ireland
• LIT will develop a catalogue of holistic energy efficiency courses available to construction workers
• LIT will assess the development of a self-assessment tool for building professionals and construction workers to identify their training needs & pathway to acquire these skills
• LIT will research existing building renovation passports (BPR) by analysing how BPRs can support cost effective deep renovation for the building stock in Ireland.