Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----as opposed to making the assumption that energy usage can be solved by erecting a solar panel on a roof. A solar panel may be the solution but not the most efficient spend of money. There is an SME voucher worth €2,000 available to companies to carry out a professional energy audit.

The SEAI has a fund of about three quarters of a million euro for the large industry energy network or LIEN. Under the scheme, the SEAI assists large companies with energy improvements, best practice guidance, sharing among members and ways to manage energy performance.

The SEAI has an excellence in energy efficiency design programme. It is a certified programme for a systematic energy-efficient approach to design construction, and commissioning new investments and upgrades. The funding available is €7.5 million.

There is a support scheme for renewable heat, which is a grant of up to 30% of the potential cost for systems like heat pumps and so on. The funding amounts to just under €4 million.

There is a non-domestic micro-generation scheme and the funding available is more than €2 million. The scheme provides financial assistance to help businesses and other sectors to install solar photovoltaic, PV, panels to generate electricity on site. Grants are available for systems up to a maximum of just under €2,500 for installation.