Solar Panel Grants: How to Apply for an SEAI Solar Grant

By Cormac Breen

Content Manager

You can apply for a solar panel grant from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Grant amounts vary depending on the output capacity of your solar panels but range from €800 per kWp for up to 2kWp, and €250 for every additional kWp up to 4kWp. In 2024, the grant is capped at €2,100 and is set to reduce by €300 per year before being ended in 2029.

How Does the Solar Panel Grant Work in Ireland?

The solar panel grant - also called the Solar Electricity Grant - is a once-off funding from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) for buying and installing a PV solar panels on your property to help Ireland reach its Paris Agreement targets to reduce our greenhouse gas emission.

The grant is open for all homeowners and landlords who are looking to install PV solar panels on their property. The SEAI offers a range of other grants for helping homeowners save on their energy costs, including for electric cars, home electric car chargers, and insulation.

What Do I Need To Qualify for the Solar Panel Grant in 2024?

In order to receive the solar panel grant, you will need to make an application and have it approved by the SEAI.

Before applying, you need to make sure that you fulfil the minimum requirements for making an application:

• Home Ownership
  You need to be the homeowner or the landlord of the property you want the solar panels for. The property needs to have been built and lived in before 2021. The grant is not open for tenants who are renting.
• Use a Registered Company
  In order to go forward with the solar panel grant, you need to be planning to use a registered solar panel company and not another third party in order to qualify. You can check on the SEAI for all the registered solar panel companies that are available to you.
• Get Your Safe Electrical Certificates
  You’ll need to arrange for all the electricity work to be done by a Safe Electric Ireland electrician. After you’ve finished the installation, you must also get a BER rating assessment of the property.
• Get Connected to the Electricity Distribution System
  You will also need to apply for a connection to the Electricity Distribution System to ESB Networks. You’ll need to complete the ESB Networks NC6 form and send it off.

How Much is the Grant for Solar Panels in 2024?

The amount that you receive for the solar panel grant depends on a lot of factors. However, the most important is the peak output of your new solar panel system.

This means that the amount of power that your solar panel generates at peak times will determine how much you’ll receive in the grant:

Source: Citizen Information
Last Updated: 06/08/2024

The solar panel grant will cover both the labour and the material for the solar panels to be installed in your property.

For many of the grants, the maximum amount is lower than the average price for PV solar panels (around €4,000) so the grant is intended to foot part of the bill for the over costs.

The grant doesn't cover any solar panel repairs or the purchase of a solar panel battery.

How Do I Apply for the Solar Panel Grant in 2024?

To apply for the solar panel grant, you will need to fill in an online application with the SEAI.

You need to make sure that you have a few important details about your property and your connection to the grid to hand before you start making the solar panel grant application.

• Your email address
• Your MPRN number
• The year your property was built
• Your chosen register solar panel company
• Details of the solar panel product you’re installing

You will be prompted for all these details when filling in your application, but you should be prepared beforehand just in case.

What Is the Solar Panel Grant Application Process?

After you’ve got all the information necessary, you’ll then need to fill in the online application.

This is a seven-step process that you’ll need to complete in order so you can move onto the next step:

1. Appoint Solar Panel Installer
   Firstly, you will need to get quotes from registered solar panel installer companies so you can find out how much you will be looking at paying in getting solar panels installed at your property.
2. Apply for Solar Panel Grant
   Next, you will need to fill in the solar panel grant application form online. This will include submitting your bank details, so you make sure they are correct before you continue. You should wait for approval on the grant amount before you begin installing the solar panels.
3. Solar Panel Installer Applies to ESB Networks
   Your solar panel installer will then apply to ESB Networks to confirm the connection to the electricity distribution network. This can take around 4 weeks.
4. Install Your Solar Panels
   After you’ve received approval and have heard back from ESB Networks, you can then start installing your solar panels.
5. Get the BER Rating
   After your solar panels have been installed, you will need to get your BER rating. Your BER rating is extremely important, so you must contact a BER rating assessor as soon as possible to make sure you get your property assessed. If you don’t, you might lose out on the solar panel grant.
6. Solar Panel Evidence Submitted
   Your solar panel installer will then send on the documentation you’ll need for getting the solar panels approved. They will also send a copy to the SEAI for them to have a look at before giving you the grant.
7. SEAI Process the Grant Claim
   Once all the documentation has been received, the SEAI will process your solar panel grant application and will decide whether you qualify. If you’re successful, the SEAI will pay the grant into your bank account, which usually takes around 4 to 6 weeks.

If you get your solar panels through a DIY solar panel kit, you won't be eligible for the solar panel grant.

Why Is the Government Offering Solar Panel Grants?

Solar panels are an alternative way of generating renewable electricity for your home, along with other benefits, and reduce your reliance on an energy supplier to supply your property,

Solar panels can be installed at your property on your roof so they can catch the sun in the optimal way according to where you live. Solar energy is a vital part in helping the environment, along with wind energy and offshore wind farms.

There are three types of solar panels that are available in Ireland, however only photovoltaic solar panels are covered by the SEAI grant.

1. Photovoltaic Solar Panels
   Photovoltaic solar panels (PV) utilise the photovoltaic effect to convert sunlight into electricity. This electricity can also be diverted to heat hot water cylinders. A typical PV solar panel usually costs around €4,000 or more in Ireland.
2. Thermodynamic Solar Panels
   Thermodynamic solar panels produce hot water instead of directly converting sunlight to electricity. Thermodynamic solar panels cost upwards of €4,500.
3. Solar Thermal Panels
   Solar thermal panels directly collect heat from the sun, working on the principle that black surfaces attract heat. They’re slightly cheaper than the other two solar panels, costing between €2,800 and €3.000.

Although all three types are available in Ireland, the solar panel grants are generally only available for photovoltaic solar panels.