Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 489: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when details of the pilot grant scheme to incentivise the use of wind turbines will be made available and the scheme implemented; if a supplementary estimate is envisaged to finance the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15969/08]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Last week I announced the €2m micro-generation programme to be carried out by Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) in conjunction with key stakeholders including the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER), ESB Networks and electricity suppliers.

Key elements of the programme are: assessment of the technologies and installation procedures and their associated standards and costs and development of qualification/accreditation systems where required; assessment of the implications of high concentrations of deployment of micro-generation on the electricity system; development of an appropriate buyback/Refit tariff for exported electricity; field trials, initially over four seasons, for each of the technologies in the domestic and small commercial markets using standardised monitoring methodology to gain experience and provide data for assessment but continuing into 2nd year as required; Review of legal and regulatory issues from the points of view of at least; consumer protection, quality of supply, security of supply and safety.

The trials programme is intended to provide the information, prepare some of the infrastructure and field trial some micro electricity generating technologies including wind turbines to facilitate consideration of future policy to stimulate the deployment of micro-generation. It is envisaged that SEI will announce details of the monitored and grand-aided field trials in the summer for about 50 installations. Existing budget provision is expected to be adequate for this stage of the work. If a full-scale deployment stimulation programme proved to be necessary following on from this trial programme then consideration would be given to same.

SEI has already commenced activities on the commissioned studies which need to be undertaken within the context of this programme. SEI will announce full details of the field trials to be managed by them in the summer. It will involve technologies such as small scale wind and photovolatics (PV) which have not previously had widespread application in the Irish market. Specific funding levels and qualification criteria remain to be finalised and will be announced in due course. The grant aspect of the scheme will largely focus on commercial/organisational on-site generation in its initial phases. It will then concentrate on generation by individual householders.