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

The month of May 2023 saw the highest number of solar PV applications since the launch of the scheme, with 2,862 new applications accepted. This was a 55% increase on the previous month and a 104% increase on May 2022. There has been sustained high demand on the scheme since then, with August 2023 having a 54% increase over August 2022. This follows the amendment to the Finance Bill 2023 to apply a 0% VAT rate for the "supply and installation of solar panels on domestic premises" effective from 15 May 2023. The domestic solar PV grant scheme under the microgeneration support scheme is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, SEAI. The scheme came into operation in February 2022 and built on the success of the previous pilot version of the grant scheme.

Since 2018, the SEAI has supported the installation of domestic solar PV systems for more than 31,789 homes, with demand for the domestic solar PV grant increasing significantly throughout 2022. As part of the transition between schemes, the minimum BER C3 requirement was removed and the eligibility of the homes was changed from those built prior to 2011 to those built prior to 2021. As of the end of August 2023, 12,887 homes have been supported at a total cost of €30.2 million. The total numbers for 2022 have already been surpassed, with the high level of demand expected to continue for the remainder of 2023 and into 2024. This indicates that the scheme is working extremely well and that citizens are recognising the benefits of investing in solar PV.

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