10 Recommendations for a Better National Renovation Strategy

Consultation

Over the last year, the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) has been working to build a community of experts and stakeholders to develop the V2.0 National Renovation Strategy that Ireland must deliver by April 2017 under EU law. The details of this strategy are critical to deliver a “fully decarbonised built environment that delivers a better quality of life for all”. How will we finance the long term investment strategy required for our building stock over the next 35 years? How will we reach our climate targets? All these questions must be answered by the new strategy.

In April-June 2016, the IGBC, in conjunction with the Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment, organised a series of workshops on large scale deep renovation. Flowing from the workshops, a “Declaration in 10 points for a better National Renovation Strategy and an Effective Implementation Plan” was published.

The IGBC is now inviting comments from interested parties on this initial set of recommendations. Feedback will allow us to better identify challenging areas that require extra work and to finalise the content of upcoming workshops.

Completing this questionnaire should not take more than 10 minutes. Your participation in the survey and your individual responses will be strictly confidential to the IGBC team and will not be divulged to any outside party. The consultation is open until Friday, 23rd September. If you have any other questions on the process, please contact Marion@igbc.ie.

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* 1. Name

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* 2. Organisation Name

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* 3. Email address

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* 4. On a scale from 1 (full endorsement) to 5 (serious disagreement), how would you rate your level of agreement with the current set of recommendations?

	1	2	3	4	5
Level of agreement	Level of agreement 1	Level of agreement 2	Level of agreement 3	Level of agreement 4	Level of agreement 5

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* 5. Which measures would you most like to see implemented to achieve large scale deep renovation in Ireland? (please select a maximum of 10)

Backcasting: Setting clear targets (including interim targets) for each building sector

Backcasting: Setting deep retrofit targets at entity level for public buildings, with a view to increase accountability

Enhancing support for private landlords undertaking deep renovation through grants

Introducing Energy Performance Guarantees as part of residential sector grants

Introducing multi-annual funding agreement to allow for deeper retrofits under existing programmes such as Better Energy Communities Scheme

Enhancing support for private landlords undertaking deep renovation through tax incentives

Linking property tax to BER ratings (with good ratings ensuring a discount)

Introducing reduced VAT rates for deep renovation

Introducing tax credits for private organisations implementing energy efficiency measures

Using part of the fuel allowance budget to fund deep retrofit programmes

Gradually banning leasing of properties that do not reach minimum BER standards in the residential sector

Gradually banning leasing of properties that do not reach minimum BER standards in the commercial sector

Introducing BCAR type process for all deep retrofit projects

Introducing minimum NZEB retrofit regulation

Introducing more flexibility for multi-year accounting for deep renovation projects in public sector

Giving public bodies discretion to re-deploy budget resources no longer needed within their annual budget allocation to pay for energy to other areas of their operating budget

Including energy performance in all procurement decision making

Specifying standards for energy performance in all new long-term public sector leases

Making ISO50001 compulsory for all public offices over a certain number of square metres (to be defined)

Providing local independent advises at all stage of the renovation process (planning, execution and post-renovation) to homeowners, landlords and home-occupiers

Providing local independent advises at all stage of the renovation process (planning, execution and post-renovation) to small businesses

Publishing renovation guidelines for commercial buildings

Publishing step-by-step guidance for various public building types

If you strongly disagree with any of the actions mentioned above please explain

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* 6. In your opinion, how could deep renovation awareness be raised? Please rank the measures that you consider key from this list from 1 to 5 (1 being the most important and 5 being the least important).

Developing campaigns that better target various segments of society (e.g. first time buyer, pensioners who own their property outright)

Better promote the co-benefits of deep renovation (e.g. comfort and staff productivity)

Using public figures as deep renovation champions

Using local champions e.g. local energy agencies, local authorities and schools

Promoting successful deep retrofit examples and case studies

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* 7. Workshop participants highlighted the importance of taking a long-term holistic approach. This would require both cross-sector cooperation and an integrated cross-departmental approach. The Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment is responsible for producing the new version of the strategy. In your opinion, which other departments and agencies should be involved in designing and implementing the strategy?

Please rank the departments / agencies that you consider key from this list from 1 to 9 (1 being the most important and 9 being the least important)

Department of An Taoiseach

Department of Education and Skills

Department of Finance

Department of Health

Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government

Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Department of Public Expenditure and Reform

NAMA

Office of Government Procurement

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* 8. Asides from the main workshop series, the IGBC will organise smaller meetings to explore specific ideas in greater details and develop actionable recommendations. Please let us know if you are interested in any of the following topics and wish to contribute.

Backcasting and potential scenarios

The co-benefits of deep renovation (e.g. health, wellbeing and productivity)

Developing quality data (e.g. on the existing building stock and the co-benefits of renovations)

Awareness & Support

Grants & Tax Incentives

Enabling innovative financial financing tools & mobilising private funds

Standards and legislation

Upskilling the industry

Other (please specify)

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* 1. Name

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* 2. Organisation Name

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* 3. Email address

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* 4. On a scale from 1 (full endorsement) to 5 (serious disagreement), how would you rate your level of agreement with the current set of recommendations?

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* 5. Which measures would you most like to see implemented to achieve large scale deep renovation in Ireland? (please select a maximum of 10)

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* 6. In your opinion, how could deep renovation awareness be raised? Please rank the measures that you consider key from this list from 1 to 5 (1 being the most important and 5 being the least important).

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* 8. Asides from the main workshop series, the IGBC will organise smaller meetings to explore specific ideas in greater details and develop actionable recommendations. Please let us know if you are interested in any of the following topics and wish to contribute.

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* 9. Any other comments / suggestions that may be useful in preparing the overall strategy?