DEAP Software & Methodology | Support for BER Assessors

The Dwelling Energy Assessment Procedure (DEAP) is used by BER assessors to calculate the energy performance and carbon dioxide emissions of a home's space heating, water heating, ventilation and lighting.

DEAP methodology documents

This section contains the core DEAP methodology documents. Please see Notice of Changes for information on updates.

DEAP Manual

The DEAP Manual describes the assessment methodology for dwellings and must be followed alongside the DEAP Survey Guide. Always use the latest version of the methodology documents.

DEAP Manual (version 4.2.5) last updated January 2024

New version applicable from 04 September 2024, seeNotice of Changes

DEAP Survey Guide

The DEAP Survey Guide describes the DEAP survey methodology for dwellings. This must be followed alongside the DEAP Manual.

DEAP Survey Guide (version 4.1) last updated January 2024

New version applicable from 04 September 2024, seeNotice of Changes

DEAP Survey Form

This form is for use on-site to record the survey data for the BER assessment.

DEAP Survey Form (version 5.02) (pdf) published on 31st May 2023
DEAP Survey Form (version 5.02) (excel) published on 31st May 2023

DEAP Guidance Document

Check this guidance document if you have questions about the DEAP Manual and Survey Guide.

We recommend you do this before contacting the BER Helpdesk.

DEAP Guidance Document (version 4.0) last updated July 2021

New version applicable from 04 September 2024, see Notice of Changes.

Workbook

The DEAP workbook is the BER calculator in Microsoft Excel format. You can use this workbook to view all of the calculation formulas within the DEAP software.

DEAP Workbook (version 4.2.0 v1.4) last updated January 2023

New version applicable from 04 September 2024, see Notice of Changes.

DEAP Methodology Update – Onsite defaults for upgraded existing dwellings

This guidance has now been integrated in DEAP Manual (version 4.2.5) and DEAP Survey Guide (version 4.1).

District Heating Methodology

Calculation of the primary energy, carbon emissions and Part L indicators for buildings connected to district heating systems require factors representative of the specific district heating system.

A calculation methodology for these factors, based on the EPB Standard I.S. EN 15316-4-5 is under development, pending the establishment and implementation of a verification mechanism for district heating data and policy decisions on the accounting for this data.

While the calculation methodology is under development, new default district heating factors have been approved by DECC and DHLGH for selected Schemes, as outlined in the document Default District Heating factors for BER calculations. These are based on conditions, including that the Schemes meet the requirements of Efficient District Heating and Cooling set out in the Energy Efficiency Directive.

Developers or operators of district heating schemes that believe their system would satisfy the definition of “Efficient district heating and cooling” in the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), should contact SEAI for guidance on submitting their energy data. New defaults for other “Efficient district heating and cooling” schemes may be established subject to verification by SEAI. Guidance from SEAI must be sought before using district heating factors other than as specified in the document Default District Heating factors for BER calculations, or for other schemes than those included in the document.

Further tools and guidance

You can find further calculation tools and guidance documents to support the DEAP methodology in our members area.

Notice of changes

We'll keep you up to date about any upcoming changes to the DEAP software and methodology documents.

DEAP Methodology Update 01 August 2024

The current versions of DEAP Manual (version 4.2.5) and DEAP survey guide (version 4.1) will continue to apply up until the 4th September 2024.

The New versions are

DEAP Manual (version 4.2.6)
DEAP Survey Guide (version 4.1.1)
DEAP Guidance Document (version 1.1)
DEAP 4.2 Workbook (version 1.4)

New versions are to be uploaded soon and can be found in the members area and will be circulated to all assessors via email.

The main updates include:

Age-band L in DEAP Manual & DEAP Software
An additional age-band (age band L) will be added to the dropdown menu in the DEAP software and to table S1 in the DEAP manual.
Age-band K will be renamed from ‘2010 – onwards’, to ‘2010 – 2013’. A new age-band, age-band L will be 2014 – onwards. The defaults in Appendix S are only for use in Existing BERs.
Guidance regarding New-final Assessments
New guidance on fabric defaults has been included in the DEAP Guidance document; this clarifies which defaults are applicable/acceptable for New Final BER assessments.
Clarification has been added on when a New Final BER applies and when an Existing BER applies.
DEAP Software rounding of numbers for Part L compliance checks
The number of decimal places in the calculation results used to flag non-compliance has been aligned with the TGD L text. This update applies to TGD L checks on EPC, CPC, RER, and fabric U value backstops; For example,
an EPC value of 0.304 is first rounded to two decimal places (0.30) to be checked against the MPEPC of 0.30.
an EPC value of 0.309 is first rounded to two decimal places (0.31) to be checked against the MPRPC of 0.30.

Please note there will be system downtime from 6pm -10pm on September 3rd 2024 to enable these updates.

Heat pump Methodology 2020

The current versions of DEAP heat pump methodology 2020 (version 2.0) and DEAP heat pump methodology calculator 2020 (version 2.0) will continue to apply up until 04 September 2024

The New versions are:

DEAP heat pump methodology 2020 (version 2.1)
DEAP heat pump methodology calculator 2020 (version 2.1)

The main updates include:

The DEAP heat pump methodology 2020 has been updated; the Excel tool no longer needs to calculate the RER adjustment for group heating as this will be calculated in the DEAP software; the other RER adjustments still apply.
District Heating labels in DEAP software & DEAP methodology
The labels related to group heating and CHP have been updated to include district heating where applicable, and these are reflected in the documents.

DEAP Software & Methodology | Support for BER Assessors | SEAI (2024)

FAQs

What is the BER rating methodology? ›

The BER energy rating is based on the building itself, its fabric and installed systems, and is not an operational rating based on the energy consumption of the occupants. This allows prospective buyers or tenants to objectively compare the energy performance of different dwellings on a like for like basis.

What is the dwelling energy assessment procedure? ›

The Dwelling Energy Assessment Procedure (DEAP) is the official Irish methodology for calculating the energy performance and associated carbon dioxide emissions for the provision of space heating, ventilation, water heating and lighting in dwellings.

Learn More Now ›

What is the neap methodology? ›

The NEAP software calculates the energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions of a building. It considers space heating and cooling, water heating, ventilation and lighting information.

Find Out More ›

How do I calculate my BER rating? ›

Your BER is calculated based on the amount of energy your home requires for space heating, hot water heating, ventilation, the building fabric and lighting. In order to complete this calculation, your BER Assessor will need to collect information on various aspects of your home.

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What is the acceptable BER value? ›

The bit error rate is calculated by dividing the quantity of bits received in error by the total number of bits transmitted within the same time period. A result of 10-9 is generally considered an acceptable bit error rate for telecommunications, while 10-13 is a more appropriate minimum BER for data transmission.

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What does a home energy audit look like? ›

Here's what a typical energy audit might look like in your home: An energy auditor will look at your building from the outside. They'll examine various components, including windows, walls, and eaves, to see if they can spot any major issues causing leaks into or out of your home.

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What is a difference between an energy audit and a home inspection? ›

An energy audit is the only true way to understand how well your home is “performing.” A professional home energy auditor begins with a similar inspection of your home, but in the process, they then analyze the whole house as a system, and take detailed notes on efficiency ratings and insulation or duct leakage ...

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How to complete an energy audit? ›

Assess every room in the house. Complete a health and safety inspection, which includes the electrical system. Include a combustion appliance inspection. Include a blower door test.

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What is the purpose of neap? ›

The Department of Education (DepEd), through the National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP), is faithful to its mandate of ensuring equitable access of teachers and school leaders to responsive, data-driven, and targeted professional development programs, pursuant to ...

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What is the methodology of solar still? ›

A solar distillation unit (SDU) is a system that distillates the contaminated water by using solar irradiative energy obtained from the Sun. The process of distillation in solar stills follows the same methodology as the natural cycle or open-cycle of nature that causes rain but in a confined chamber of closed-cycle.

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What is the time horizon methodology? ›

Time horizons. This layer defines the time frame for the research – cross-sectional or short term study, involving collection of data at a specific point of time; longitudinal – collection of data repeatedly over a long period of time in order to compare data.

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What is the BER test method? ›

In practical tests, the BER is measured by transmitting a finite number of bits through the system and counting the number of bit errors received. The ratio of the number of bits received erroneously to the total number of bits transmitted is the BER.

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What is a good BER rating? ›

If you are upgrading an older home, we recommend you aim for a minimum BER of B2. You should also switch your heating system from oil or gas to a heat pump. That's because a B2 rated home is considered the benchmark for excellent energy performance and home comfort.

What is the BER rating test? ›

If your home doesn't already have a BER and you want to get one, you can hire an assessor to do a BER assessment. They will inspect and survey your home using specialist software which measures: The energy performance and carbon dioxide emissions of your home's heating source such as your gas or oil boiler. Ventilation.