Summary
The Home Performance Pathway (HPP) is a new initiative launched by the Irish Green Building Council (IGBC) to help homebuilders transition toward high-performance, sustainable housing. While the existing Home Performance Index (HPI) has successfully registered 22,000 homes for larger developers, a knowledge gap remains for smaller builders trying to access green finance. The HPP addresses this by providing a simplified, three-step certification process specifically designed for the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) market.
The program acts as a manageable roadmap, guiding builders from standard “business as usual” practices toward more ambitious environmental goals. It focuses on twelve key indicators, including mandatory standards for air quality, energy efficiency, and water conservation. As builders advance through the steps, they tackle additional challenges like biodiversity and climate resilience.
By aligning with EU Taxonomy and national policies, the HPP gives financial institutions the assurance needed to provide green funding. This “journey” aims to mainstream sustainable building practices across the entire Irish residential sector, ensuring that high-quality, eco-friendly homes become the standard for everyone.
Project Partners
Project Collaborators / Steering group
- Paul Kelly – AIB (leader)
- David Casey – Home Building Finance Ireland
- Noel Ross – Ardcairn Capital
- Dr Deirdre Murphy – Housing Agency
- Rosie James – Irish Home Builders Association
- PJ Ryan – Construction Industry Federation
- Sean O‘Leary – Irish Planning Institute
- Louise O’Mahoney – Banking Payments Federation
- Dr Ad Hereijgers – Ritterwald Netherlands
Principal Investigator
Johanna Varghese
Director of Programmes IGBC
Johanna is the project manager for the delivery of Home Performance Pathway and collaborated with financial and construction industry stakeholders, balancing technical and human aspects to ensure the project’s successful launch. Originally working as an architect for town centre developments, Johanna pivoted into urban planning and manages the team for certification programmes and projects at the IGBC. Home Performance Pathway is for SME developers and smaller scale residential development, designed as a pathway towards the Home Performance Index Certification, the largest certification program for sustainable homes in Ireland with over 30,000 homes registered.
Brian Crowley
HPI Technical officer & Researcher IGBC
JBrian is the key author of the Home Performance Pathway technical manual and certification technical officer and researcher. He has an MSc in Architecture and MSc in Environmental Policy. His work includes researching regulations, standards, systems, EU taxonomy and interpreting these for certification. He is also involved in streamlining processes in HPI to ensure a seamless and improved customer experience. He serves on the HPI technical task force, covering specific issues with ESG reporting and certification.
Pat Barry
CEO of IGBC
Pat is an architect and author of the Home Performance Index certification that Home Performance Pathway developed from. He co-founded the Irish Green Building Council in 2010 and developed the Home Performance Index Certificate as a sustainable certification for new homes aligned to national regulations and European standards. Pat also serves on the Government Construction Sector Group (CSG) sustainability task group and Government working group on decarbonising cement and construction materials.
John Fingleton
Technical Project Manager, Irish Green Building Council
John joined IGBC in 2019 to manage the Home Performance Index Certification. John is an architect and has worked in private practice in Ireland, England, Spain and the US. John obtained a Masters in Low Energy Building Design and previously worked in the Sustainability team of Ethos Engineering.
John is managing the delivery of a National Home User Guide which is a Construct Innovate-funded project and has completed work packages under the EU Funded Smarter Projects. John is a LEED Accredited Professional, ID+C and BD+C. Email: john@igbc.ie“
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