The rollout of the microgeneration scheme has the “potential to be among the most impactful climate measures introduced this decade”, according to our industry association, the Irish Solar Energy Association (ISEA). And they’re not wrong.

This is looking at the overall impact this measure will have over the rest of this decade and beyond. But one of the most encouraging aspects of the recent announcements is the fact that the solar PV grant administered through the SEAI is still in place. However, it has changed and here is what you need to know:

• They have removed the pre-2011 build condition and updated it to 2021 – meaning if your home was built in the last 11 years, you are now eligible for the SEAI solar PV grant where you weren’t previously eligible.
• They have also removed the criteria outlining that your home had to be a C3 or better. Not only is that great news, but it removes the additional cost of a provisional BER being completed on your home to ascertain your grant eligibility.
• They have removed the €600 battery grant, while we see this as a negative, it was a compulsory measure if you wanted to get grant aiding above €1,800. Now you can get €2,400 on 4kWp of solar without the need to add a battery.

Grant amount:

This puts Irish homeowners thinking of installing solar panels in 2022 in a great position. By receiving grant funding to help offset the cost of installation as well as being able to receive payment for any excess electricity they export to the grid. Renewable electricity that they have generated on their own roof.

Not only is it a financially beneficial decision but in a small way, you are adding to the amount of green, renewable electricity being circulated and consumed on the national grid – and you’ll get paid for it!

In relation to the finer details of the microgeneration scheme – there are two sides to it and we don’t want anyone to be confused by this. There is the Clean Export Guarantee for domestic applicants and their systems – with the rate of payment being set out by individual energy suppliers. Separately, there is the Clean Export Premium tariff for non-domestic installations above 6kWe and up to 50kWe and the CEP tariff is set at €0.135/kWh. It’s important that this non-domestic payment is not confused with the domestic CEG (Clean Export Guarantee). For further information on the Clean Export Guarantee for Activ8 customers specifically, you can read about it in a previous blog by clicking here.

It’s important to note that the government has sent out guidelines on when homeowners should expect payments to be rolled out: “The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) is not setting a date or deadline for the timing of the first payment. You can expect an initial payment or credit from your suppliers within a reasonable time after June 2022.”

For more information on the overall microgeneration scheme as set out by the government – click here.

How does the SEAI solar PV grant work? How is the solar grant calculated?

Well… As an example, let’s take a 10 panel, 340kW panel system. This gives you a 3.4kWp solar PV system – This means you receive €900 for each of the first two kW, an additional €300 for the third kW, and the percentage of the fourth kW giving you an additional €120. Therefore your total Seai Solar PV grant amount would be €2,220!

If you want to learn more about how the SEAI solar PV grant works, you can check it out by clicking here.

Remember, we deduct the grant amount at source, and our grant administration team manages it from start to finish for you. Allowing you to get the savings up front and build trust in the quality of service we deliver to guarantee the work is completed to grant standards.