Homeowners like you who want to improve energy efficiency should consider a comprehensive home upgrade called a deep retrofit. This whole-house renovation approach combines multiple energy-saving measures to achieve an A-rated BER. Significantly lowering your carbon footprint and heating bills.
By investing in proper insulation, advanced heating systems, upgraded windows, and ventilation, you can make your home more comfortable and environmentally friendly.
This guide will help you understand what a deep retrofit involves and how it can transform your Irish home into an energy-efficient haven.
What is Deep Retrofit?
A deep retrofit, also known as a whole-home energy upgrade, involves making multiple improvements to your house at the same time to achieve an A-rated Building Energy Rating (BER). This comprehensive approach ensures your home is more energy-efficient, comfortable, and environmentally friendly.
Key Takeaways:
- Deep retrofit means improving many parts of your home at once. It looks at insulation, windows, heating, and ventilation to save energy and make your home more comfortable.
- Experts use special software to check what upgrades your home needs. It helps decide how much insulation to add and shows how well your home will perform after the changes.
- External insulation is often the better choice. It doesn’t take up space inside your home and causes less mess. But sometimes, it means changing or moving windows too.
The Transformative Impact of Deep Retrofit
Adopting a whole-house retrofit strategy brings remarkable changes to your home’s energy profile and livability. Combining upgraded insulation, high-performance glazing, efficient heating systems, and controlled ventilation, you can transform an outdated dwelling into an A-rated energy-efficient haven.
This comprehensive approach doesn’t just cut your heating bills drastically; it creates a consistently warm, healthier living space that adapts to your lifestyle while preparing your home for a low-carbon future.
1. Energy Efficiency Gains
Using advanced DEAP software, experts study your home’s energy use. This helps them plan upgrades that keep more heat inside and cut down waste.
Adding external wall insulation, triple-glazed windows, and an air-source heat pump can cut your heating needs by up to 70%.
This means your home stays warmer for longer. You’ll use less energy and save more on fuel and electricity bills every year.
2. Environmental Benefits
A full home upgrade helps the environment. It reduces how much fossil fuel your home needs by using clean energy.
Air-source heat pumps are 3 to 4 times more efficient than oil or gas systems. That means they give you more heat using less electricity.
You also help Ireland meet climate targets by keeping your home well-insulated and switching to a greener way of heating.
Core Elements of an Effective Deep Retrofit
Achieving an A-rated energy performance means addressing your home’s fabric, heating, and energy supply together. Upgrading insulation, windows, and heating systems all work in synergy to reduce heat loss and energy demand.
Adding controlled ventilation and integrating renewable energy sources complements these changes, ensuring your home not only saves money but also enhances comfort and indoor air quality.
Each element is modelled with advanced DEAP software to balance performance, cost, and carbon savings. This comprehensive strategy transforms your home into a highly efficient, low-carbon living space.
1. Insulation Strategies
External wall insulation increases your home’s thermal envelope without reducing interior space, although it comes at a higher initial cost than internal options. Roof and floor insulation also dramatically cut heat loss.
Modelling your house via DEAP software will pinpoint the right thickness and materials, targeting an airtight, continuous layer to avoid thermal bridges.
Repositioning windows during external insulation prevents cold spots and maximises energy performance.
Combining these methods keeps the indoor environment cosy while slashing heating costs and lowering your carbon footprint.
2. Advanced Heating Systems
Air-source heat pumps are a modern way to heat your home. They give 3 to 4 units of heat for every 1 unit of electricity used. This is much better than old oil or gas boilers, which are only about 95% efficient.
Heat pumps use heat from the air, so they’re more eco-friendly. They work well with solar panels or other renewable energy sources.
When installed properly, they keep your home warm all the time, especially if your home is well-insulated. They also help reduce your energy bills and carbon footprint.
| Benefits of Air-Source Heat Pumps | Considerations Before Installation |
| Up to 75% reduction in heating costs compared to oil systems | Requires suitable external space for unit placement |
| Compatible with low-temperature underfloor or radiator systems | The initial installation cost is higher than conventional boilers |
| Reduces carbon emissions significantly | Best performance when combined with high insulation levels |
| Uses electricity, which can be sourced from renewables | Noise from the external unit can be a factor to plan for |
3. Renewable Energy Integration
Incorporating solar PV panels or other renewable technologies can power your home’s upgraded heating and electrical needs, reducing reliance on the grid.
Pairing renewables with energy storage maximises self-consumption, lowering bills and carbon output.
Every kWh generated on-site moves you closer to energy independence and sustainability.
| Common Renewable Options | Key Advantages |
| Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels | Generates electricity for heating, lighting, and appliances |
| Solar thermal systems | Provides hot water, reducing heating load |
| Energy storage batteries | Stores surplus energy for use during evenings or cloudy days |
| Small-scale wind turbines | Supplement solar generation to balance the supply |
Deep Retrofit: Planning and Budget
Starting your journey toward a highly energy-efficient home involves careful planning and clear guidance.
Using advanced DEAP software, your home’s current energy profile is modelled to identify precisely what insulation, window upgrades, and heating improvements will bring you closer to that A-rated BER standard.
This tailored analysis helps map out the exact combination of measures needed, ensuring your investment targets the most impactful areas.
From there, you can progress confidently with external insulation, triple glazing, and a modern heat pump, all designed to optimise comfort while slashing your carbon footprint and heating costs.
Assessing Your Home’s Needs
Detailed energy modelling reveals your home’s unique requirements, pinpointing where heat loss occurs and which upgrades carry the biggest energy savings.
External wall insulation often tops the list, avoiding internal disruption while boosting thermal performance.
If your windows are dated, shifting to triple glazing paired with repositioning the frames helps prevent cold bridging.
Meanwhile, considering mechanical ventilation ensures that indoor air quality won’t suffer as your home tightens up. This thorough evaluation creates a roadmap tailored to your home’s starting condition, making sure each retrofit element contributes effectively to an overall enhanced BER.
Setting a Realistic Budget
You can expect the cost for a comprehensive whole-house retrofit to vary significantly based on your home’s size, condition, and chosen upgrades. For instance, external insulation might cost between €10,000 and €20,000 or more, with high-performance triple-glazed windows adding several thousand euros depending on quantity and quality.
Heat pump installations typically start around €8,000 but bring long-term savings that offset upfront expenses. Factoring in grant possibilities through SEAI can reduce out-of-pocket costs substantially, allowing you to set a budget that balances ambition with financial practicality.
Planning your retrofit budget requires weighing upfront investment against future savings and available grants.
Grants
In Ireland, SEAI deep retrofit grants can cover up to 50% of qualifying costs, significantly easing financial pressure.
Setting milestones and prioritising measures based on their impact and return on investment helps you maintain control over both budget and project scope, ensuring the retrofit delivers maximum value over time.
Why Choose TPD Solutions?
TPD Solutions knows what it takes to carry out a full home energy upgrade. We use smart DEAP modelling to plan exactly what your home needs—insulation, heating, and ventilation.
Our team handles everything from external insulation to new windows and heating systems. We manage all upgrades smoothly, with little disruption to your home.
With clear pricing and proven results across Ireland, TPD Solutions is a name you can trust for your deep retrofit project.
Summing up
Undertaking a comprehensive energy upgrade like a deep retrofit can transform your home into an A-rated, energy-efficient haven.
By improving insulation, upgrading windows, installing advanced heating, and ensuring proper ventilation, you not only reduce your carbon footprint but also enjoy greater comfort and lower bills.
Using specialist modelling tools tailored for Irish homes, you can identify the best measures to achieve long-term energy savings.
With available grants and expert guidance from the experts at TPD Solutions, you are well-positioned to make smart, eco-friendly improvements that benefit both you and the environment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a deep retrofit?
A deep retrofit is a full home energy upgrade to achieve significant improvement in efficiency, comfort, and indoor air quality using SEAI-supported solutions.
What support is available for deep retrofits in Ireland?
You can get SEAI grants and expert guidance through the One Stop Shop service to make retrofitting more affordable.
Why upgrade insulation during a retrofit?
Better insulation reduces heat loss, improves comfort, and boosts indoor air quality, leading to a significant improvement in energy bills.
Are new windows necessary in a deep retrofit?
Yes, energy-efficient windows reduce heat loss and enhance comfort, offering a significant improvement over older designs.
Which heating system is best for retrofitting?
Air-source heat pumps are ideal, energy-efficient, eco-friendly, and often supported by SEAI grants for deep retrofit projects.
What does the One Stop Shop service offer?
It simplifies your entire retrofit process, planning, grants, upgrades, all managed by experts for the best significant improvement.