What effect will a Photovoltaic installation have on the BER?
The SEI have stated that introduction of micro-generation has the single greatest effect on the energy rating; it is also considered one of the only ways to get up to an A1-rating. The reason it has such a great effect is because when micro-generation is introduced into the building envelope it reduces the Primary Energy rating of the building. The Primary Energy is the amount of energy that the energy supplier, in this case the ESB, has to produce in order to supply the dwelling. Grid electricity has a very high energy and greenhouse gases content due to the inefficiency of centralized power plant using fossil fuels like peat, coal, oil, etc. and high distribution losses. So for every 1 kW of electricity used in your home 2.7 kW of electricity needs to be produced by the ESB, this 2.7 kW is passed directly onto your homes BER. Conversely the introduction of 1 kWp of PV has a minus 2700 on the DEAP result, which makes up the BER. By comparison, photovoltaic energy is produced on site u
