Part L of the Irish Building Regulations deals with the conservation of fuel and energy.
The regulation itself states that a building shall be designed and constructed so as to ensure that the energy performance of the building is such as to limit the amount of energy required for the operation of the building and the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions associated with this energy use insofar as is reasonably practicable.
Building regulations requirements for new dwellings also prescribe that a reasonable proportion of the energy consumption to meet the energy performance of a dwelling is provided by renewable energy sources. Biomass, solar, and heat-pump technologies can be used to help meet this contribution.