Solar PV Grant

The Solar PV Scheme provides Irish homeowners with a once-off grant towards the purchase and installation of photovoltaic panels and/or battery energy storage systems in houses. Administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), you should apply for the Solar PV Scheme and must have received grant offers from SEAI before proceeding with any work. SEAI recommends homeowners to insulate their house before considering solar panel installation, since installation is the easiest way to decrease energy costs.

What Is Solar PV Grant?

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland or the SEAI provides solar panel grants. They offer a substantial amount of grants to help homeowners, communities, business owners, and large industries decrease their energy costs and reduce greenhouse emissions. Solar grants are available to every owner of dwellings that were built and occupied before 2011.

The grant helps homeowners to install solar photovoltaic panels to generate renewable electricity. Battery storage giant is available for larger solar panels, to store excess electricity generated during the daytime hours.

Who Can Apply For The Grant?

Every homeowner, including the landlords, whose houses were built and occupied before 2011, can apply for the grant. It is defined as the date when an electricity meter was installed on your property. Solar panel grants are different from the other grant measures where the house should have been built before 2006.

What Is The Grant Amount?

The grant for solar panels in Ireland is based on the size of the PV system you install. Generally, more panels denote a higher grant. Adding a solar battery also increases the grant amount you will be eligible for.

The grant amount for some typical solar panel systems are:

• €1800 for a small solar system without a battery.
• €2400 for a small solar system with a battery.
• €3000 for a large solar system with a battery.

How To Qualify For A Grant?

To qualify for the solar panels grant you should:

• Be the owner of a house built and occupied prior to January 2011.
• Use any registered installer from SEAI’s list of registered companies.
• Utilise new products and materials that weren’t already covered under another grant scheme.
• Get the electric work completed by a Safe Electric Ireland electrician
• Get the electric work completed by a Safe Electric Ireland electrician
• Submit a ‘Declaration of Works’ that’s signed by a registered installer.
• Have a Building Energy Rating (BER) carried out after work is completed with a home energy performance rating of C or better

Is Planning Permission Required To Get The Grant?

No, planning permission isn’t needed to receive the solar panel grant. It isn’t something the SEAI checks for when assessing grant applications.

What If A Homeowner Doesn’t Qualify For The Grant?

Grants give a huge boost to residential solar energy investment. However, you can cut down your electricity costs with solar energy without the grant. In simpler words, it makes complete sense for every Irish homeowner to install solar panels, whether they qualify for the grant or not. This is because opting for solar panels provides a huge return on investment as well as a range of other benefits.