Building Renovation Passports are masterplans for retrofit and include a record of works. They ensure that any renovation works are planned and implemented in a holistic and technically sound manner, hence preventing “lock-ins” and facilitating a step-by-step approach to deep renovation. The passports could become extremely useful in addressing the barriers to consumer decision-making. By allowing a new owner to take up where a previous owner left off, it should also reduce transnational cost of retrofit where a property change hands. Finally, by improving the availability of data for valuers and lenders, passports should de-risk investments in that area and facilitate phased deep retrofit.
Building Renovation Passports are more and more considered as a key solution in Europe to avoid lock-ins and encourage phased ambitious quality retrofit. In fact, voluntary passports are mentioned in the 2018 Recast of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).
The IGBC and Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) are exploring the role a voluntary passport system could play in supporting large scale deep renovation in Ireland. Based on extensive research, stakeholder engagement and a small pilot in 2019-2020, they will develop a template of a Building Renovation Passport for Ireland.
Organisations and individuals interested in learning more about this process and next steps should contact Marion – Marion@igbc.ie or call 01 681 5862.
This project has been supported with financial contribution from Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland under the SEAI Research, Development and Demonstration Funding Programme 2018, Grant number 18/RDD/283.
