Why Ireland needs to do more to support micro-generation

In light of the serious developing global energy crisis which is driving up electricity prices, the Micro-Renewable Energy Federation (www.mref.ie) has called on the Government to immediately take practical action to accelerate the adoption of micro-generation of renewable power by homes, farms and businesses across the country.

The importance of micro-generation for Ireland

The Chairperson of MREF, Ciaran Kells, said that the grant for solar PV installations needs to be increased up to 6 kwp of solar PV, or at least €2,400, for homes. In addition, a grant of €200/kwh for up to 10kwh of battery storage should be introduced to help homeowners use as much of their own renewable energy generation within the home as possible. He said grant support for battery storage would also be a very positive move in helping to balance demand on the grid as more and more renewables are connected.

Mr. Kells also called on the Government to amend the rules preventing owners of new homes and businesses who connected to the grid since 2021 from securing SEAI grants. He said: “The denial of grant supports for new homeowners discriminates massively against young families, in particular, with limited resources who have bought their own homes in the last 5 years. At a minimum, all grid connections, domestic and commercial, up to the end of 2025 need to be able to apply and receive a grant for a micro generation installation.”

MREF has been highly critical of the massive cuts to solar PV supports by the Department of Agriculture, describing it as a “devastating blow to thousands of farmers interested in adopting renewable energy to reduce their escalating energy costs and carbon emissions”.

Mr. Kells said that this move has brought a vibrant farmer market for installers to a stand-still and has resulted in the loss of well paid, skilled jobs across rural Ireland.

He said that Government needs to act immediately to provide a credible alternative to the TAMS grants for solar PV, that have been essentially eliminated.  Mr. Kells said that this problem can be addressed by increasing SEAI non-domestic solar PV grant supports with a proposed minimum €300/kwp for all installations under the MINI generation grid connection process and introducing supports for €200/kwh of battery storage for up to 75kwh and €100/kwh for battery systems above that.

Mr. Kells said that these measures would go a long way towards addressing the vacuum left by the loss of TAMS for farmers and would also be a meaningful improvement in supports for SMEs who are also very much under pressure from rising energy costs.

Mr.  Kells said that MREF estimates that the improvements it is proposing in supports for homes, farms and businesses would add no more than €50m per year to the costs of  grant supports  and  would have multiple payback effects for the country in accelerating the adoption of solar PV and battery storage across society.  It would also  improve energy security and reduce  Ireland’s dependence on imported fossil fuels, while also reducing our carbon emissions.

Concluding, Mr. Kells said that MREF members appreciate the supports that Government has put in place for micro-generation over the past few years, which have contributed to the micro-generation sector now underpinning thousands of jobs across the country and helping all stakeholders reduce energy costs and carbon emissions.

“Now is the time to update and improve the supports we have in place in responding to the threat and opportunity that soaring global energy costs have created,” he said.

To learn more about the Micro-Renewable Energy Federation, please go to www.mref.ie

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