How do I become a BER Assessor for Dwellings
********** All applicants seeking registration after the 30th of June 2009 must have passed The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Domestic BER Examination. To book an exam please go to www.seai.ie/ber/DBER**********
In order to become a BER Assessor for Dwellings you must meet the following:
Pre-qualifications
Have a National Certificate Level 6 Advanced Certificate/Higher Certificate in construction studies or other cognate discipline or equivalent. Equivalence may be determined as a combination of an appropriate construction-related qualification and significant relevant experience. SEAI will recognise the UK Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) course and the UK Home Inspectors Course as prequalification requirements.
Training Courses
Successfully complete a recognised BER course from a listed BER Training Provider and obtain a minimum 70% pass mark. A list of training courses can be found here.
All training courses must meet the "Specification for Assessor Training Programme for Building Energy Rating (BER) of Dwellings" dated September 2008, as published by SEAI. (This supersedes the old specification dated October 2006 which related to New Dwellings only.) The training specification sets out the minimum course content to be covered in BER Assessor training courses.
Once you have completed the BER course you will need to sit the SEAI Domestic BER Examination. To book an exam please go to www.seai.ie/ber/DBER
Registration
SEAI will register any person who has the relevant pre-qualification of a Level 6 Award (Advanced Certificate/Higher Certificate) in construction studies or other cognate discipline or equivalent, subsequently been certified as having successfully completed a training course for BER Assessors, passed the SEAI Domestic BER Examination (to book an exam please go to www.seai.ie/ber/DBER), has the required insurance policies, has completed the application form, accepted the Code of Practice, submitted the required certified ID along with the application form and paid the registration fee by direct debit.
Insurance
All BER Assessors are required to have the following Insurance as a condition of registration:
- Public / Products Liability Insurance with an minimum limit of €6,500,000 any one event for Public Liability
- Professional liability insurance with a minimum limit of €1,300,000 for any one claim
- Employers Liability Insurance (applicable to employer/employee registrations only). Policy provides an indemnity limit of not less than €13,000,000 for any one event
Number of Active BER Assessors
In assessing the business opportunity for you as a BER Assessor, SEAI would strongly advise all applicants to review the number of BER Assessors on the National Register of Assessors who are already servicing your intended target area. There is no cap on the number of BER Assessors who can operate in Ireland and all applicants should ensure that they are happy with the potential business opportunity before investing money in registering with SEAI.
Every month SEAI publishes a status report that outlines the number of BER Assessors registered with SEAI, the number of people who have successfully completed BER Assessor training courses and the number of BER Certificates published on the national register. Please click here to see the most recent status report.
SEAI estimates that the equivalent of 1,000 full time active BER Assessors would be required to meet the demands of the residential BER market.
The National Register of BER Assessors can be found here
