New building regulations announced today will require all new homes to be 40% more energy efficient from next year. However, a leading industry group says this is too soon a deadline.
The regulations, announced at a Green Party conference in Wicklow this lunchtime, will also lead to a 40% reduction in CO2 emissions.
Environment Minister John Gormley and Eamon Ryan, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, outlined the new rules.
The new regulations also introduce mandatory minimum requirements for the use of renewable energy, insist on the use of a significant proportion of energy efficient light bulbs, and introduce efficiency standards for heating systems.
Mr Gormley said the building regulations would be good for the environment and good for the consumer, and claimed the Construction Industry Federation was 'enthusiastic' about the changes. Eamon Ryan said it would take time to turn the energy picture around, but this had started today.
The Irish Home Builders' Association (IHBA) today called on Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, to review the timeframe for the implementation of the new building regulations.
IHBA Director, Hubert Fitzpatrick, said the regulations are being imposed without a 'realistic' lead in time.
'The new regulations affect the design, planning and construction phases of the development process.
The proposed timescale does not take cognisance of the technical challenges being imposed upon all facets of the construction industry, and is unrealistic as a result', he said
