BER update

It’s end of February and I still have not seen ONE advert "House for sale" that has the BER rating with their advertisement.
It’s been law since the 1st of January 2007 for all newly-built houses sold or let.
From January ALL houses (new or second hand) sold or let must have a BER certificate.
There are fines of up to €5,000 for non-compliance.

Anyone seen any BER ratings advertised with house sales?

Polished concrete flooring

Renobuild of Ferns Co. Wexford just upgraded the business to provide polished concrete floors to customers, according to the Sunday Business Post last Sunday.
Concrete is one of the toughest building materials in the world but it no longer has to be dull and grey. A Renobuild, applied HTC Superfloor™ is a complete process that revitalises and strengthens concrete floors, new or old. The concrete floor can be polished to expose aggregate and replicate the look of polished stone. The result is tougher than the original concrete, very attractive and seamless for low maintenance and hygiene.
RenoBuild is based in Ferns, Co. Wexford. renobuild.ie

More Eco Foam Insulation

SEALECTION Agribalance® is a open-cell spray foam insulation and air seal that contains more than 20% renewable agricultural-based materials (refined vegetable oils) in the resin. Based in County Cavan, Ireland Eco Spray Foam Insulation, Ltd. was founded by Mr. Cathal Mundy and Mr. Fergal McAloon in 2008.
ecofoaminsulation.com

Roof Slates made of recycled polymer

Today post came in from Athy ECO Slate. Pretty much like the Ecostar Majestic Slates.
AthyEcoSlate manufacture the Roof Slates made of recycled polymer here in Ireland. Colour Black only, usable down to 18 degree roof pitch. Athy ECO Slate are Located Athy Co. Kildare.
Athyecoslate.com

Roof Slates made of recycled rubber

Last Saturday I went to the Selfbuild show in Waterford. I attended some seminars which where informative.
One of the products on display at the show impressed me.

Ecostar Majestic Slates they look and feel like natural slate.
But are manufactured composing up to 80% recycled post-industrial rubber and plastic. These post-industrial materials consist of waste that includes car bumpers, car dashboards and tyres. The manufacture of EcoStar tiles prevents these materials from ending up in landfills. Majestic Slate tiles offer an environmentally friendly, lightweight alternative to traditional slate roofing products and as you can see on photo don't break easily.

Featuring a 50-year Gold Star or limited materials warranty and available with a 100 mph wind warranty. High impact resistance that provides protection from hail, falling branches, foot traffic, ice and snow damage. And Majestic Slate can be installed up to eight times faster than natural stone slate
The Slate tiles are available in nine colors: stone red, earth green, chestnut brown, cedar brown, mountain plum, smoke gray, federal gray, midnight gray and black. The BBA has awarded a Agrément Certificate for Ecostar Majestic Slates. EcoTech Recycled Products Ltd are Located in Belfast.
Goecotech

Hamster Hair Insulation

The latest phenomenon in eco-friendly insulation to hit the Irish market is a mat made from the hair of a special breed of Russian hamster. John Gallagher came across the rodents, remarkable for their long thick coats, while travelling in Russia and was inspired to start his own enterprise in his home County Donegal.

The A rated hamsters are bred specially for their dense fur which is shorn every three months to produce a chemical free insulation with a very high U value. The half acre farm itself is sustainably run thanks to energy harvested from the hamsters exercise wheels which feed lights, heating and ventilation.
For more information go to www.hamsteraprilfooledya.ie

Wind Power – Grid Connection

Eco-Eye had good news tonight. Hurray! We can now connect our Wind Turbines, creating green electricity, to the national (ESB) grid.
We can feed back the excess we produce into the system. And on windless days the EBS provides us with the electricity we need at € 0.1324 per kWh.

Dual metering is finally here.

But... We give our surplus for free! There is no tariff in Ireland to sell electricity to the ESB. The likes of Scotland pay 11-12cent per kWh.

How long will it take for the ESB to give us a payback?
Is the grid not over loaded?
Wouldn’t micro energy generation help the problem?

Quote ESB web site: "These generators may, at certain times, export electricity but currently, no economically viable mechanism exists in Ireland to be paid for the electricity."