Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The microgeneration support scheme sets out the overall framework to support the growth of microgeneration in Ireland. The scheme targets 380 MW of new microgeneration capacity by 2030.

This amounts to 60,000 homes and 9,000 non-domestic installations, such as small farms, businesses, schools and community groups, generating over 300 GWh of renewable electricity per annum, with the potential to abate 1.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent over the lifetime of the installations. The microgeneration support scheme provides support to domestic and non-domestic applicants for installations up to 50 kW. Domestic applicants can apply to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI, for a grant of up to €2,400. Non-domestic applicants can also apply for a grant for installations up to 6 kW for the same grant amounts as domestic customers, of up to €2,400. These applicants will also be eligible to avail of the clean export guarantee tariff and any renewable electricity not consumed on the premises of these microgenerators is now eligible for an export payment, which further supports the investment.

The final phase of the microgeneration support scheme will involve the introduction of a clean export premium feed-in tariff to support non-domestic applicants for installation sizes greater than 6 kW, up to 50 kW. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities will consult on an implementation plan for the clean export premium tariff in 2023. Since the introduction of the microgeneration support scheme domestic grant in February 2022, the SEAI has seen application levels rise sharply, with more than 16,000 received in 2022. This is more than double the application levels seen in 2021 under the previous pilot solar PV grant scheme. While the level of interest indicates that the scheme is working, its operation and effectiveness will be kept under review and adjustments made where necessary.

My Department is also developing the small-scale generation scheme for generators above 50 kW to support the deployment of rooftop and ground-mounted solar PV in cohorts that are not as suited to other support measures, such as the renewable electricity support scheme. This scheme is expected to be launched in 2023.

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