This help page describes the M&R data input screen for public bodies called ‘Building register’. Use this screen to maintain an up to date building register for your organisation.
For guidance on which buildings to report, on what constitutes a standalone building and on the data reporting requirements for each building, see buildings (methodology).
- If you have previously entered a building in the building register, a table of buildings is shown.
- There is a mandatory check box at the bottom of the screen ‘This building register is complete for 2023’.
- This screen is visible to all users.
- If you have already entered your buildings in the building register in previous years and your buildings have not changed, all you need to do is update the floor area and DEC status for the most recent year, click the declaration below the table and click ‘Save & continue’.
- Use the table to update the latest details for buildings that are already in the building register.
- Add a building using the green button.
- Download and upload using the green buttons.
Every year, you must update the building register to ensure that it contains an up to date list of your buildings - as of 31 December of the previous year. You can update your buildings one by one on-screen or by uploading an updated building register.
- You can do this by entering data directly into the table on the screen.
- Ensure that the ‘in building register’ box is checked if the building is part of your building register. If your organisation has exited the building (i.e. no longer part of your building register), then leave this unchecked. By default, buildings that were included in the last iteration of the building register are marked as ‘in building register’.
- Enter the floor area for the most recent year.
- Enter the DEC status and, if known, the DEC number for the most recent year.
- Work your way through all the buildings shown in the table.
- If you need to add a building to the register, use the add building functionality (see below)
- When complete, click ‘This building register is complete for 2023.’
- First, download your building register by clicking ‘Download’.
- Update the template for your existing buildings by entering values for the for the following, where 20XX is the last calendar year:
- In building register 20XX
- Floor area (m2) 20XX
- DEC status 20XX
- DEC number 20XX (if DEC details are known)
- You can also add additional building(s), by completing the next available rows.
- When you have completed the template, save it and upload it by clicking ‘Upload’.
- The upload will be processed in accordance with the upload rules for buildings, which are described in the key rules section below.
- The result of the upload operation will be sent to you via email.
- The updates to the buildings will appear in the main table on the ‘Building register’ screen.
- When complete, click ‘This building register is complete for 2023’ (below the table).
- To add a building, click the green ‘Add building’ button, select ‘Create a new building & add to building register’ and click 'Next'. (There is a greyed-out option ‘Select a building from asset list…’ which will be available when additional functionality is added to the system.)
- Complete the dialogue, noting that the fields with asterisks are mandatory.
- Building name*, which must be unique i.e. you cannot use the same name for multiple buildings.
- Building ID: if your organisation has an ID or reference number for the building, you can enter it here.
- Description*: a description of the building that makes sense to you.
- Address, including county and Eircode*
- Building type* and sub-type*
- The building sub-type options depend on your choice of building type.
- If the building is being reported by an education & training board (ETB): primary use of ETB building*
- Ownership status*
- If building is leased: lease renewal/expiry date*.
- If building is leased from another public body: public body from which it is leased*.
- Occupancy status*
- Floor area 2023 (m2)*. The building area measurement specified in legislation is the Total Useful Floor Area (TUFA). This is the same as the Gross Internal Area (GIA) commonly used in commercial property surveying, and for which measurement conventions are based on the SCS/IAVI Measuring Practice Guidance Notes. For additional information on TUFA, see the relevant section under activity metrics.
- BER status* (has valid BER (details known); has valid BER (details not known); does not have valid BER)
- If BER details are known: BER rating*, BER number* and BER expiry*.
- DEC status 2023* (had valid DEC (details known); had valid DEC (details not known); no valid DEC (DEC was required); no valid DEC (DEC was not required); no valid DEC (don't know whether DEC was required))
- Protected structure (yes/no). A protected structure is a structure that is listed on a planning authority’s Record of Protected Structures (RPS) because of its architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, social or technical characteristics.
- Building maintained by OPW (yes/no)
- EU ETS participant (yes/no). Note that very few buildings in the public sector are currently in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), which is the EU's ‘cap and trade’ scheme for very large emitters of greenhouse gases.
- Priority building (yes/no): choose yes if this building is a significant energy user in the context of your organisation's energy use and achieving your 2030 targets. Choose no if it is a minor energy user in this context.
- OPW building code (B code): this is a code assigned by the OPW to OPW-provided and/or OPW-maintained buildings. The format is B1234.
- Proposed exit date: if your organisation proposes to exit this building at a future time, enter an indicative exit date.
- Building NACE code. The NACE code for the primary economic activity undertaken in the building.
- Latitude
- Longitude
- Tags
- Additional information: additional information that you wish to enter for the building. Note that while this information will be available to SEAI, SEAI will not explicitly review it as part of your submission.
- Click ‘Save’.
- To add multiple buildings, you must use the designated M&R spreadsheet template.
- If you have not already done so, you must first download the template by clicking ‘Download’.
- The template will include details of any previously reported buildings.
- Complete the template by adding additional buildings to the ‘buildings’ worksheet, as required.
- Use one row for each building.
- You must enter the word ‘New’ (without quotes) in the ID column (column A).
- The other data input requirements are as outlined above for ‘I want to add a single building’. It is important to follow the template structure to ensure that all projects are added correctly.
- When you have completed the template, save it and upload it by clicking ‘Upload’.
- The upload will be processed in accordance with the upload rules for buildings, which are described in the key rules section below.
- The result of the upload operation will be sent to you via email.
- The buildings that have been uploaded successfully will appear in the main table on the ‘Building register’ screen.
- Find the building in the table and click on the view button (eye) in the right-hand column.
- Review the data in the dialogue.
- Click ‘Cancel’.
- Find the building in the table and click on the edit button in the right-hand column.
- Edit the data in the dialogue, that the fields with asterisks are mandatory.
- Click ‘Save’.
- Find the building in the table and uncheck ‘In building register’.
- Click ‘Save’.
- The building will no longer appear in the table because it has been removed from your building register.
- Note that while undertaking the above steps removes the building from the register and removes it from view, it does not permanently delete the building from the M&R system. The system retains a record of the building, so if you wish to add it back into your building register in the future you will be able to do so. The functionality to view 'unchecked' buildings and re-add them to building register will be available after a software update that is scheduled for Q1 2025.
- Click ‘Download’.
- Enter the email address to which you want the download spreadsheet to be issued.
- Click ‘Download’.
- You will receive an email with a spreadsheet attachment containing your building data.
- You can edit multiple buildings by downloading them into a spreadsheet, editing the spreadsheet, and then uploading it back into the system.
- Download your building register in spreadsheet format (guidance above).
- Edit details in the ‘buildings’ worksheet, as required. You can add additional building by completing the next available row.
- The data input requirements are as outlined above for ‘I want to add a single building’. It is important to follow the template structure.
- When you have completed your edits, save the spreadsheet and upload it by clicking ‘Upload’.
- The upload will be processed in accordance with the upload rules for buildings, which are described in the key rules section below.
- The result of the upload operation will be sent to you via email.
- The buildings that have been edited or uploaded will be visible in the main table on the ‘Building register’ screen.
- Find the building in the table and click on the delete button in the right-hand column.
- Click ‘Delete’ or ‘Cancel’.
- Note that deleting a building will permanently remove it from the building register. You should only delete this building if it should never have been included in your building register. If the building was previously part of your organisation's portfolio of buildings and you now want to remove it from your current register, simply uncheck the box ‘in building register’ (instead of deleting the building).
- You must update the building register each year.
- The update should account for your portfolio of buildings as of 31 December of the last calendar year.
- You must tick the box ‘This building register is complete for 2023’ to complete this reporting task.
- When uploading projects your upload file must be in the correct format (which is available via download).
- If your upload file contains any new buildings these are added to your building register.
- A row containing a new building to be uploaded must contain the word ‘New’ (without quotes) in the ID column (column A).
- If your upload file omits buildings that already exist in the building register, no change is made to these buildings in the system, i.e. deleting a building from a spreadsheet template and then uploading the template will not delete the building from the building register. You can only delete a building from within the software system.
- If your upload file contains different valid data for buildings that already exist in the building register, the existing data is overwritten by data in the upload file.
- If your upload file omits valid data for one or more mandatory data fields, the building is not added and an error is reported for the relevant data field(s).
- If your upload file omits valid data for one or more non-mandatory data fields, the building is added and the field value is set to null.