Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent)
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180. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if a grant is available for persons generating their own energy; if not, his plans to introduce a grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28209/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Programme for Government commits to prioritising the development of micro-generation, letting people sell excess power back to the grid by June 2021. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) launched a pilot micro-generation grant scheme in July 2018 to help domestic customers who install rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) equipment on their homes.  As of end September 2020 there were 3,837 applications who received grant support over the lifetime of the scheme with some €9.5 million spent to date, saving approx. 3 kilotonnes of CO2 per annum. Action 30 of the Climate Action Plan commits to the delivery of a framework for micro-generation from renewable technologies, whilst ensuring principles of equity, self-consumption and energy efficiency first are incorporated.  A Micro-Generation working group chaired by my Department is examining an enabling framework for micro-generation which tackles existing barriers and establishes suitable supports within relevant market segments. This work is an integral part of our emerging Photovoltaic Solar Strategy.

The proposed support mechanism will be outlined in a public consultation in the coming months. A suitable support payment for excess electricity generated on site and exported to the grid will be available to all micro-generators by 2021 in line with the transposition of the recast Renewable Energy Directive (2018/2001) into Irish law.