Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 286: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if his Department has conducted studies on the costs and potential capacity of domestic renewable energy power generation; his plans to introduce a grants scheme, similar to the greener homes scheme for renewable heat generation, for those wishing to invest in domestic wind and solar power generation technologies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27245/06]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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I am committed to developing the necessary structures required to ensure that householders can avail of renewable electricity generating technologies. There are however, a number of technical and administrative issues which require to be addressed in order to pursue this objective.

Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) has published a study on the metering options for Small Scale Renewable electricity and Combined Heat & Power Generation (CHP) in Ireland. The study identified a number of areas which require further analysis including the ability of such processes to secure adequate payment for their exports; connection standards and processes for smaller generators, and the implications of the single electricity market for small-scale electricity generation. SEI is commissioning work to address these issues in 2006 which will inform future policy decisions in this area.