This QQI Domestic BER course has been developed in response to the growing demand for qualified BER Assessors in Ireland due to the country’s steady transition to a low-carbon economy. At the centre of this transformation is Building Energy Rating (BER) certification, which provides a standardised measure of a building’s energy efficiency and carbon emissions.
Under Ireland’s Climate Action Plan and National Retrofit Plan, the Government aims to retrofit 500,000 homes to a BER of B2 or equivalent by 2030, alongside the installation of 400,000 heat pumps in existing homes. As such, Demand for BER assessments is already growing significantly. According to the CSO, 162,799 domestic BER assessments were completed in 2025.
The course structure is a combination of theoretical instruction with practical training in the DEAP software and methodologies required for BER calculations. Course participants will learn how to conduct on-site building assessments, interpret construction specifications and produce compliant energy ratings for residential buildings.
***Please check the eligibility & entry requirements below. If you are eligible, please proceed to make the payment. If you are not sure, please enquire: training@windenergyireland.com ***
Grant funding comes from Skillnet Ireland through the Irish National Training fund, and, as a result, is ONLY available to residents of the Republic of Ireland who work as a sole trader, or for a private or semi-state commercial company registered in ROI. Please read our Eligibility Criteria.
Route 1:
Fundamental skills: NFQ Level 6 Higher or Advanced Certificate in a construction-related discipline, where the listed fundamental skillsets were covered.
Route 2:
Fundamental skills: Approved NFQ Major Award in a relevant construction-related discipline.
Route 3:
To qualify for Route 3, you must meet one of the following options:
1. Hold membership with a professional body and have at least two years of full-time, significant work experience in the construction industry within the last 10 years (verified by a signed reference on official letterhead, including referee contact details).
2. Have at least two years of full-time work experience in the construction industry within the last 10 years, and have completed construction-based modules at Level 5 or 6 — again verified by a signed reference on official letterhead. In addition, applicants must have accumulated SEAI-approved or accredited awards in relevant construction disciplines covering the fundamental skillsets.
Applicants should be able to demonstrate experience or understanding in:
- Carrying out measured surveys of buildings, recording building characteristics, organising the information collected, and performing non-complex calculations
- Reading and interpreting building drawings and specifications
- Awareness of building regulation requirements for domestic construction
- Basic knowledge of construction methods and technologies used in domestic buildings
- Awareness of the professional roles and responsibilities involved in construction and refurbishment of domestic buildings
The purpose of this award is to equip the learner with the knowledge, skill and competence to carry out Building Energy Rating (BER) assessments on dwellings in compliance with the current Occupational Standards for Building Energy Rating (BER) Assessor for Dwellings and Corresponding Requirements for Training Programmes leading to Building Energy Rating (BER) Assessment published by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
CPD Recognition: Engineers Ireland CPD approved (40hrs of CPD credits).
- European & national legislation behind the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive
- Assessor obligations and the BER administration systems
- The current Dwelling Energy Assessment Procedure (DEAP) methodology
- Part L of the Building Regulations and related requirements
- Recording BER-relevant details from plans and specifications
- Recording BER-relevant details through on-site survey
- Fabric and ventilation parameters for heat losses and gains
- Lighting energy usage parameters
- Space and domestic hot water heating systems
- Producing a BER certificate & advisory report using DEAP
- Evaluating and communicating BER results, and optimising performance
- Routes to Part L compliance for dwellings
The course duration is 6 days — 5 virtual classes and one on-site day — each running from 9am to 5pm, delivered two days a week over a three-week period. The on-site practical day takes place in Dublin on the second-last day of the course, comprising two property visits: the first for training purposes, the second forming part of the student assessment.
Learners are also required to complete approximately 100 hours of independent study in their own time, including three self-paced modules completed online.
Four assignments, a theory exam and a practical exam make up your QQI Level 6 component award:
SEAI recommend that course material covers the learning outcomes stated in the ‘Specification for BER Assessor Training Programmes for BER of New Dwellings’ in sufficient detail to ensure you thoroughly understand the theory behind each element of the DEAP calculation.
Chevron College employs highly qualified industry academics to develop our course notes, reference materials and case study examples. We then have them reviewed by an independent body, include all recommendations and sign off on the final documentation. We work through each learning outcome in the module descriptor, one by one, designing comprehensive explanations in all required areas — built to be of benefit both during the course and afterwards, when carrying out real-life BER assessments.
Laptop Requirement
You are required to have access to a laptop/notebook meeting the following specifications:
- Pentium (or equivalent) 133 MHz; Pentium III (or equivalent) or higher recommended
- 256 MB RAM, 50 GB of hard disk space
- Super VGA (800 × 600) or higher-resolution monitor with 256 colours
- Running Microsoft Excel spreadsheet software
- Running Adobe Acrobat Reader software
- Advisable to have access to 2 screens
Recommended Reading
Prior to attending the course, it is recommended that you read the following documents:
- European Union (Energy Performance of Buildings) Regulations 2012
- Technical Guidance Document L (TGD L) 2019
- Dwelling Energy Assessment Procedure (DEAP) Manual
Registration with SEAI
For new entrants looking to register as a domestic BER assessor for the first time, candidates will be required to fulfil the pre-qualification registration requirements currently outlined on SEAI’s website, complete the Domestic BER Training Course, supply the relevant registration documentation to SEAI and complete a mandatory online Registration Module. Once successfully registered as a BER assessor, new entrants will be required to complete a pre-publication mentoring audit and will be subject to current standard QA auditing processes.
SEAI registration fees
- Initial registration€750
- Initial registration of second employee€375
- Annual registration renewal€75
- Publication levy on each cert€22.50
VAT will not be applied to any of the fees above.
When you successfully pass the BER programme
You will be awarded with the QQI Level 6 BER certificate. From here you will need to apply directly to SEAI and complete their online SEAI induction registration module (not assessed). In addition to that, the following will also need to be completed:
Complete the BER registration form
- Complete application form
- Submit insurance details
- Agree to code of practice
- Submit tax clearance cert
- Fill in direct debit mandate (for registration, annual and certificate fees)
Mentoring
- New assessors will be assigned a mentoring audit by SEAI
Paddy Loughman
Lead Lecturer, BER Programme
Paddy Loughman is our lead lecturer on the QQI Building Energy Rating programme. A Mechanical Engineering graduate by profession, Paddy has been a BER Assessor for Dwellings and Non-Domestic properties since 2008, having carried out thousands of BERs.
Paddy has delivered BER training since 2008, also developing and designing course materials to keep up to date with BER methodology and changes to Building Regulations over the years. Most recently, he has developed and delivered Chevron’s completely new BER course covering NZEB requirements and the new DEAP 4.2 web-based software.
As well as the standard QQI BER courses, Paddy has provided custom courses to suit the needs of architects’ and engineers’ practices. He is a Registered Technical Advisor for SEAI’s Heat Pump Grant scheme and is also Chevron’s representative at SEAI’s BER Trainer workshops.
