Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I thank the Deputy for his question. Our Department is very committed to helping households cut energy, reduce emissions and generate their own clean power. Grants of up to €1,800 are available through the SEAI for solar photovoltaic, PV, installations in homes built and occupied before 2021. Since 2022, over 90,000 homes have received grants totalling over €196.7 million, delivering 450 MW of installed capacity and saving over 93 kt of CO2.

This high demand shows the scheme is working and the solar industry has scaled up to meet market needs. Homes built since 2021 must comply with Part 11 of the building regulations which set high energy performance standards. Builders can meet these requirements by installing heat pumps and-or solar PV during construction, which is typically cheaper than retrofitting. New builds, therefore, already enjoy significantly higher energy efficiency compared to older homes.

In addition, since May 2023 the VAT rate for solar PV installation in private dwellings was reduced to zero. This applies to new builds as well as existing homes. There are no plans to change the eligibility criteria at this stage but the scheme will be kept under review. Meanwhile, households can benefit from the clean export guarantee which pays for the excess electricity exported to the grid. The rate is currently between 15 cent and 25 cent per kilowatt, depending on suppliers. The Government is also investing record funding of over €550 million in budget 2026 to support energy upgrades, including solar PV and the national retrofit plan. As we are making it easier and cheaper for households to install solar PV through grants, zero VAT and export payments, we will also ensure newer buildings meet high energy standards from day one.

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