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Irish Examiner
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Home Q&A: What's the best way to use farm buildings for their solar energy potential?
Question What are the best ways to use solar-photovoltaic panels on farm buildings or sheds? Answer Whether you have a smallholding or a large dairy enterprise, farm buildings offer huge potential for positioning solar-PV systems. The Government has financial supports and tax incentives in place to help farmers to make use of this renewable energy source. Solar-PV can provide free kWs of power to contribute to the running of milk bulk-tanks, lighting and more, and it can also gift vital credits against electricity bills by returning surplus wattage to the grid (micro-generation). The Tams 3 Solar Capital Investment Scheme (SCIS) opened for business in January 2023 and is set to run until 2028. The Government advises that the scheme 'Provides grants to farmers to build and/or improve a specified range of farm buildings and equipment on their holding. The solar scheme is grant-aided at the enhanced rate of 60% (net cost). Most rooftop installations on agricultural buildings are exempt from planning permission, except near airports where restrictions apply. Ground-mounted systems also enjoy exemptions, provided they stay within specified size limits.' This aid amounts to twice the percentage help ever offered to domestic installers, and unlike domestic SEAI solar-PV grant aid, it also covers batteries and water heating. Farm-generated solar power is fully tax-deductible at 100% in the year of installation, and upgrades to a farm's grid connection are made by ESB Networks at no charge. It's estimated that most installations can pay for themselves within three years. For more information on Tams 3, go to
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Home Q&A: How do I qualify for the solar electricity PV grant?
Question How do I know if I qualify for the solar electricity grant? Answer Helping with 30% of the cost of a solar-PV array and its installation, the SEAI grant not only gives you a financial boost but ensures your supplier is registered through the SEAI mechanism. To qualify for a solar-PV (domestic) grant handled by the SEAI, you need to meet certain criteria. You must be the owner of a home built and occupied before 2021. You need to use designated materials and products that were not already covered by another grant scheme (for instance, the Vacant Homes Refurbishment grants). You will be required to use a registered, tax-compliant company from the SEAI's registered Approved Installer list of companies. The electrical works must be completed by a Safe Electric Ireland electrician (upgrades are occasionally necessary). You will need to apply to ESB Networks to be connected to the electricity distribution system using the ESB Networks NC6 form. Your registered installer should do this for you during the course of the paperwork. You must provide a Declaration of Works signed by a registered installer on the SEAI solar-PV-Approved installer list. Also, you will be required to have a Building Energy Rating (BER) carried out after the work is completed; €50 grant aid is available through the SEAI. You must meet the requirements in the solar-PV code of practice and pass any audit set by the SEAI. Don't start work before you have a letter of offer from the SEAI. For everything else you need to know, go to Got a question for our Home team? Email Home@
Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Wexford homes experienced an 18 per cent increase in power outages in 2024
Figures provided to Cynthia Ní Mhurchú by ESB Networks under Freedom of Information show significant year on year increases in power cuts across Ireland between 2021 and 2024. There were 64,754 power cuts across Ireland in 2024, both planned and unplanned outages. This is a 22 per cent increase on 2023 where there were 53,067 power cuts. Between 2021 and 2024, residents have seen a 40 per cent increase in the number of power cuts, both planned and unplanned, across Ireland. She highlighted that some areas across Ireland seem more prone to power cuts than others. Enniscorthy had 2,507 power cuts in 2024, compared to Limerick which only had 737 power cuts in 2024. Sligo had 3,211 power cuts in 2024, up from 1,973 in 2021. ESB Networks also provided MEP Ní Mhurchú with a breakdown of the reasons for the power cuts which included bird strikes, weather issues, lightening, overhead refurbishment, overloading, and corrosion. Of more concern was the large increase in power cuts which were attributed to 'defective equipment.' Ní Mhurchú has called on ESB Networks to clarify why there is a 22 per cent jump in power outages across the country between 2023 and 2024. She has also called for a new system of compensation for householders and small businesses for outages lasting more than 12 hours. She also said that customers should not be charged for standing charges and levies when the power it out. 'My worry is that ESB Networks may be trying to cut costs by not investing in our electricity infrastructure to the extent that they should be. Power cuts have an enormous impact on families, in particular as many homes are now passive homes that depend on heat pumps and don't have open fires or stoves." Ní Mhurchú has described the dramatic increase in the number of power outages as requiring an explanation from ESB Networks, a profitable company that should be prioritising increased investment in the electricity grid. 'Customers deserve an explanation as to why they are facing more power cuts when they are paying the second highest electricity prices in Europe. The least Irish customers deserve is more investment in the infrastructure that delivers that electricity.'
Irish Times
12-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Upgrade of power system could spark €83 yearly increase in household electricity bills
Household electricity bills could increase by €83 per year to pay for an 'essential' upgrade of the country's power system, the chief executive of the Electricity Association of Ireland (EAI) has said. Dara Lynott said ESB Networks estimates it will need between €10 billion and €13.4 billion to upgrade the system over the next five years. ESB Networks has asked the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) to approve a price increase in order to facilitate this. It is estimated that such a price increase would result in household electricity bills increasing by at least €1.60 per week or about €83 per year. Mr Lynott said the investment is 'absolutely needed' and should be treated the same way as investing in any other 'essential' service, such as roads or water. READ MORE Mr Lynott said renewables such as wind, solar and hydropower currently provide about 40 per cent of electricity in Ireland. He said this figure needs to increase to 'reduce emissions' and improve the efficiency of the grid. He said a price increase of around €1.60 per week for electricity should be viewed 'in context', noting that people in Dublin regularly pay €3.75 for a cup of coffee 'if they're lucky'. 'That's not to say that the price increase won't be difficult for some people but there are measures that can be done by the Government to negate this, such as energy credits.' Mr Lynott said people over the age of 65 and single mothers with children under 18 are two cohorts most likely to feel the impact of a bill increase. He said the Government should consider giving these groups a free allotment of electricity units. He said universal credits are 'regressive' and the only way to tackle 'energy poverty' is with targeted measures such as electricity credits. [ Irish electricity prices, already Europe's highest, may rise further due to 'required investment' Opens in new window ] The Department of Social Protection provides a €35 monthly electricity allowance through the Household Benefits Package to help individuals with their energy bills. This allowance is paid directly into a person's bank account, so is not necessarily spent on energy bills, My Lynott noted. It was announced in Budget 2025 that all domestic electricity customers would get €250 off their electricity bills via two instalments of €125, as part of the Government's cost-of-living package. Similar measures had been announced in previous budgets. However, the Government has indicated that universal credits may not feature in the upcoming budget, potentially being replaced with more targeted measures. 'We're not going to have a cost-of-living package this year,' Taoiseach Micheál Martin said in February. The Irish Times has contacted ESB Networks, the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment for comment.
The Journal
12-06-2025
- Business
- The Journal
PSO levy reduction expected but it won't make much of a dent in energy bills for households
A REDUCTION IN the Public Service Obligation (PSO) levy that appears on electricity bills of households and small businesses is to be announced this week. The PSO levy is charged to all electricity customers in Ireland in a bid to support the generation of electricity from sustainable, renewable and indigenous sources. The annual charge is currently €42.25. It is expected that the a reduction in the PSO levy for both households and small commercial businesses will result in savings of around €23 per year for households and €90 per year for small businesses. Government sources state that this is just one small item in a suite of measures being examined to bring the the cost of bills down for consumers. 'This Government is committed to tackling high energy costs through a wide range of measures while continuing to accelerate the decarbonisation of Ireland's energy system,' they said. The measure comes as it emerged yesterday that electricity bills will actually increase by at least €83 a year to pay for a major upgrade of the country's power system. ESB Networks has asked the energy regulator to approve a price increase that would enable it to fund investment of over €10 billion in next five years, investment that a conference heard yesterday is badly needed in order to meet the growing demands on the power grid. The government has come under increasing pressure to assist homes and businesses with electricity and gas costs, with Irish people paying some of the most expensive bills in Europe. A new group, tasked with driving down the cost for businesses, met yesterday for the first time. The Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke established the new group with the aim of reducing the cost of running a business. Advertisement The forum brings together business owners, retailers, tourism operators, accounting professionals and representative groups—alongside regulators and state agencies—to look at the structural issues that are driving up costs and the steps that could be taken to mitigate them. However, for every day households, little assistance is on the horizon this year, with government stating that there will be no across-the-board energy credits this year. Irish customers do pay more, says minister Energy Minister Darragh O'Brien told The Journal this week that Irish customers, in comparison to our EU colleagues, do pay more when it comes to energy. 'We're probably the third most expensive when you average it out,' he said. The minister said he had set up an affordability task force within his department that he will be chair next week. The group is looking at options on how to drive affordability, said O'Brien, but added that how electricity prices are struck is the main issue impacting Irish householders. The cost of electricity for Irish customers is still linked at European level to the wholesale gas price, said the minister. O'Brien said he has raised the matter with the European Commission on how to break that link, but said it is a 'medium term' body of work that is needed before any changes will be seen. 'More EU states like Ireland are now producing more renewable energy, yet the energy cost itself is still linked to the wholesale gas prices. So that's something that at an EU level, I can't change that independently for Ireland, that's something that we will be having discussions on at an EU level,' said the minister. The minister said the matter will be raised again at the Energy Council in Luxembourg next week. 'There are other EU partners who would be in agreement with us that we need to reflect in our pricing the fact that we've more renewables year-on-year coming on stream, that we're becoming less dependent on gas and on fossils. So why should the base price be stuck on the basis of the wholesale gas price. I think that's a bigger discussion that we need to have,' the minister said. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
