Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 20 October 2021
68. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the funding supports available to schools to purchase solar panels ahead of the new microgeneration scheme due to be published shortly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51424/21]
View answerSolar PV supports for schools are available as one of the range of measures under the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Communities Energy Grant Scheme, which makes grant funding available for community-based partnerships to improve the energy efficiency of the building stock in their area. The scheme supports community-oriented projects based on cross-sectoral partnership approaches that deliver energy savings to a range of building types. Public schools are eligible under the scheme for up to 50% funding of the project costs, while private or fee-paying schools are eligible for up to 30% funding. A new call for Communities Energy Grant Scheme projects for 2022 is expected to issue from the SEAI in Q4 2021. Separately, an upcoming Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) tariff represents the first phase of a comprehensive enabling framework for micro-and small-scale generators in Ireland, including schools, allowing them to receive remuneration from their electricity supplier for all excess renewable electricity exported to the grid which reflects the market value of that electricity.The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) published a consultation on a draft enabling framework on 1 October which outlines the details for the introduction of the CEG payment including eligibility criteria and timescales for introduction, with a decision expected to be published in November and a compensation regime expected to follow shortly afterwards.Further to a public consultation held earlier this year on a Micro-generation Support Scheme (MSS), my Department is developing a final MSS scheme design that incorporates the feedback from the consultation and subsequent additional analysis. It is envisaged that a proposal on the supports to be offered to schools, citizens, farms, and businesses for new installations under the MSS will be submitted to Government later this year.
