Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 6 May 2026
492. Deputy Paula Butterly asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will consider amending Part L of the Building Regulations to introduce a mandatory requirement that all new-build residential properties be equipped with an on-site renewable energy system such as solar panels or other appropriate technologies together with integrated battery storage solutions (details supplied). [31944/26]
View answerIn accordance with Energy Performance Of Buildings Regulations S.I. No.183 of 2019 the Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) performance requirements of new dwellings shall be met by providing that the nearly zero or very low amount of energy required is covered to a very significant extent by energy from renewable sources, including energy from renewable sources produced on-site or nearby.
Energy from renewable sources in accordance with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) means energy from a range of renewable non-fossil sources, including solar energy.
The energy and carbon performance of the new dwellings is calculated using the Dwelling Energy Assessment Procedure (DEAP) published by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. NZEB performance requirements are met by limiting the calculated primary energy consumption and related carbon dioxide (CO2) of new dwellings to that of a nearly zero energy building when calculated in DEAP.
DEAP provides the methodology for taking account of renewable energy sources, including solar energy, when calculating the energy performance of NZEB dwellings.
Almost all new dwellings install heat pumps as the primary heating source and fossil fuel boilers have been phased out. All new dwellings from an energy efficiency perspective are A-rated.
