Construction BUSINESS

The Irish Green Building Council has launched Ireland’s first sustainable homes label to encourage the construction of quality residential housing developments.

This is a voluntary label called Home Performance Index (HPI), which is a system that takes into account a wider range of issues that affect the sustainability and quality of residential constructions than the Building Energy Rating (BER).

This system looks at energy, as well as water efficiency. It looks at the quality of air and lighting, and the ecological impact of materials used during construction, as well as flood risk. As a residential site, the developer must take into account how close schools, shops, and services are to the development via walking and cycling. It also looks into the availability of public transportation.

While many commercial developers work to construct offices that are BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, this new certification is something that can guide builders to do their best work in sustainability within residential construction.

Pat Barry, the Executive director of the Irish Green Building Council, stated that banks encourage this housing sustainability certification because it reduces the risk for the builder and the future homeowner, and the certificate indicates that the home has a higher asset value.

Developers, such as Castlehorn, MKN Group, Dublin City Council, and Cluid Housing Association are implementing these practices in their business so that their developments receive certification that supports sustainable housing.