More Information About the SBCI Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme

• What type of property can I use the loan to upgrade?
  • The property must be a residential property in the Republic of Ireland.
  • The property must not have been used in part for commercial purposes and in part for residential purposes at any time in previous 12 months, and the borrower must undertake not to use the property for such purposes for at least 12 months after they obtain finance.
  • The property must not have been subject to one or more short-term letting (14 days or less) at any time in previous 12 months, and the borrower must undertake not to use the property for such purposes for at least 12 months after they obtain finance.
  • The property must not have been used as a holiday home at any time in previous 12 months, and the borrower must undertake not to use the property for such purposes for at least 12 months after they obtain finance.
• State Aid

  The scheme will operate under the De Minimis Regulation.

  State aid will apply on loans granted to any homeowner in which the underlying property (i) is currently being used; (ii) has been used in the previous 12 months; or (iii) will be used in the next 12 months for any rental or similar arrangement.

  If the property/properties have been or are being used for the above purposes, then that use is “economic activity”, and State aid will arise on the grant of the loan(s) in respect of that property/properties.

  Loans to other homeowners who do not use the property to engage in “economic activity” will not generate any State aid.

  For a more extensive description of the State aid measures applicable to the scheme, please refer to the SBCI Regulation webpage

   

  Ineligible Undertakings

  Undertakings which are not eligible for De Minimis Loans under this Annex are:

  1. undertakings active in the fishery and aquaculture sector;
  2. undertakings active in the primary production of agricultural products;
  3. undertakings active in the sector of processing and marketing of agricultural products in the following cases:
     1. where the amount of the loan is fixed on the basis of the price or quantity of such products purchased from primary producers or put on the market by the undertakings concerned; and
     2. where the aid is conditional on being partly or entirely passed on to primary producers; and
  4. undertakings that are subject to collective insolvency proceedings or that fulfil the criteria under its domestic law for being placed in collective insolvency proceedings at the request of its creditors, 

  as further defined in the De Minimis Regulations.

  Amount

  The maximum amount of a De Minimis Loan shall be such that the total amount of de minimis aid received by the Borrower shall not exceed EUR 300,000 over any period of 3 years.

  Restrictions

  De Minimis Loans may not be used:

  1. in a manner that requires the undertaking to use domestic over imported goods; or
  2. to fund export-related activities towards non-EU countries or Member States (namely aid directly linked to the quantities exported), to the establishment and operation of a distribution network or to other current expenditure linked to the export activity.

   

  Required Declaration

  The Borrower must give a valid declaration as to the amount, if any, of any other de minimis aid it received within the previous period of 3 years.

  Required Books and Records

  The Borrower shall record and compile all the information required for the application for the De Minimis Loan. Such information shall include all information necessary to demonstrate that the conditions of the De Minimis Regulations have been complied with. Records regarding each De Minimis Loan shall be maintained by the Borrower for ten fiscal years from the date of termination of the De Minimis Loan

• Energy Efficiency criteria for the Renovation of Buildings

  Eligibility

  Energy efficiency investments that may include a variety of products and technologies applicable to the residential sector in Ireland. The following measures are eligible:

  1. Energy efficiency: building envelope insulation (walls, loft, roof, floor); window and external door replacement; replacement condensing boilers for space heating and hot water; biomass boilers; heat pumps (all types); efficient radiators and heating controls (thermostats); efficient light bulbs; smart meters;
  2. Renewable energy: solar photovoltaic (PV); solar thermal (space and water heating).

  All capital expenditure related to energy efficiency improvement to the building envelope and building systems (either listed in this Annex1 or indicated by an energy audit in line with the European Standard EN 16247 Energy) is eligible if:

  1. Renovation measures are compliant with national energy performance standards. Project promoters must ensure that their renovation measures are compliant with national energy performance standards; and
  2. National energy performance standards for buildings comply with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 May 2010 on the energy performance of buildings, as amended, replaced or restated from time to time) (EPBD), i.e. are in line with the cost optimum level; and
  3. The expected energy savings are indicated by an energy audit (in line with the European Standard for Energy Audit EN 16247 Energy), or by a comparison between the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) before and after (energy performance certificate according to the EPBD), or any other transparent and proportionate method acceptable to the EIB.

   

  Indicators

  • Primary energy savings in MWh/year. The expected energy saving will derive from a comparison with the baseline (energy levels before the renovation).

  Supporting documentation and additional undertakings

  • Energy savings need to be documented either through an energy audit when needed, or a building energy performance certificate before and after, or any other transparent and proportionate method acceptable to the EIB.
  • As a best practice to monitor the energy consumption of the building during operation, an energy management system needs to be implemented in the building.

   

  List of eligible standard measures investments in buildings (Note: This list includes elements/systems that are eligible for energy efficiency building renovation projects (see Energy Efficiency Criteria for the Renovation of Buildings above)). The energy efficiency project that includes these elements also needs to comply with points a, b, and c of the Energy Efficiency Criteria for the Renovation of Buildings above.

  FOR THE BUILDING ENVELOPE

  1. Thermal Insulation of building envelope: all measures to improve the insulation and reduce energy losses in the building envelope (i.e. measures to ensure air-tightness, measures to reduce the effects of thermal bridges, etc.).
     • The cost can include all the materials, the installation cost, all the design/technical support costs (engineering, energy simulations, energy audits, production of EPC, etc.), and all ancillary costs needed to complete the works (removal of old material, scaffolding, mechanical fixings, adhesive, finishing, project management, commissioning, etc.).
  2. Replacement of existing windows and external doors with new energy efficient ones.
     • It can include the cost of the new windows and doors, the installation cost, the design/technical support costs (engineering, energy simulations, energy audits, etc.), and all ancillary costs needed to complete the works (scaffolding, finishing, project management, commissioning, etc.).
  3. Other Energy Efficiency measures in the shell or architecture of the building with impact on the improvement of the thermal performance and/or that enable the reduction of energy consumption. This can include e.g. external shading devices, façade or roof elements with solar control systems functions, “green roofs”, passive systems, etc., or other measures that reduce the energy demand of the building and are not covered elsewhere.
     • It can include the cost of all the materials, the installation cost, the design/technical support costs (engineering, energy simulations, energy audits, production of EPC, etc.), and all ancillary costs to complete the works (scaffolding, finishing, project management, commissioning, etc.).

   

  FOR BUILDING SYSTEMS

  In all cases it includes the cost of materials, the installation costs, the design/technical support costs (engineering, energy simulations, energy audits, production of EPC, etc.), and all ancillary costs needed to complete the works.

  1. Replacement of inefficient boiler or stove with highly efficient gas condensing boilers or boilers fed from renewable energy sources. In the case of gas boilers, they need to be at least A-rated or have a seasonal efficiency of 90% or better and be part of a broader energy efficiency renovation project of the building.
  2. Installation and upgrade of Heat Pumps.
  3. All the elements (except those already referred to in points a,b,c beneath the heading “FOR THE BUILDING ENVELOPE” above) that reduce the energy consumption of HVAC systems (Heat, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) and domestic hot water system, including the equipment related to the district heating service. (i.e. cooling production systems, storage tanks, air handling units, heat exchangers, heat recovery units/systems, ducts, pipes, valves, radiators, ceiling/floor active beams, fan coils, variable speed drives, pumps, etc. and all associated control systems and energy metering systems to follow real performance and consumption).
  4. Lighting: LED Light sources, luminaires, and associated equipment (Cabling, transformers, control systems, etc.)— Applications to increase efficiency (i.e. motion and daylight control).
  5. Building Management Systems (BMS) and Energy Management Systems (EMS). All hardware, meters or sub meters, communication systems, and software/programming needed for the supervision of the technical systems of the building and the monitoring and improvement of the energy consumption of the buildings.
  6. Zoned thermostats and smart thermostat systems. Hardware, communication systems, and programming/software applications.
  7. Decentralised energy supply systems based on energy from renewable sources if installed on-site as building services (justification of cost, capacity, and total production has to be provided)
     • Solar Photovoltaic Systems and all the ancillary technical equipment including the connection to the grid.
     • Solar panels (hot water panels, transpired collectors, vacuum solar collectors, etc) and all the ancillary technical equipment.
     • RE boilers or RE CHP systems (i.e. biomass, biogas, etc.).
  8. Installation of thermal or electric energy storage units (and all ancillary equipment).
  9. Installation of High Efficiency Micro CHP plant (combined heat and power electricity capacity < 50 kWel).
  10. Installation of charging stations for electric vehicles.
• Ineligibility

  If your loan no longer meets the eligibility criteria, it may be excluded from the SBCI Scheme, and your loan will be in default.

  If that happens, we will engage with you to assess your circumstances with a view to moving you to an alternative product, if possible. This will be subject to a new Credit Application, assessment and decision. We will no longer be bound to honour the favourable interest rate and term described above. If you fail to engage with us, or if it is not possible to provide an alternative product, we have the right to demand immediate repayment of all outstanding amounts.