Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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188. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to the upfront cost of installing solar PV, which still makes it inaccessible to many households; if he plans to increase the financial support for households to install solar PV; when households with solar PV already installed will begin to receive a payment or credits for excess electricity sent back to the grid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10742/22]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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My Department bought forward the final design of the Micro-generation Support Scheme (MSS) which was approved by Government in December 2021, targeting 380MW of new generation from renewables self-consumers to contribute to an overall target for solar PV of 2.5GW by 2030 under the Climate Action Plan..On the 15 February this year I signed the Regulations that transpose Articles 21 and 22 of the recast Renewable Energy Directive which brings these Articles into force. These Regulations provide an obligation on electricity suppliers to remunerate micro-and small-scale generators for all excess renewable electricity they export to the grid, reflective of the market value.

The phased introduction of supports has already begun with the commencement of the MSS domestic solar PV grant on 16 February last, which provides a capital grant towards the costs of solar PV installations, with grant amounts available up to €2,400. Additionally, the new scheme has removed the minimum BER requirement and increased access to include homes built before 2021.

The grants are administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) and more information is available on their website www.seai.ie/grants. My Department has made €14 million available for solar PV grants in 2022, an increase of 21% on the previous year, as part of an overall capital allocation to the SEAI.