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Renewable Energy Generation

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 February 2022

Tuesday, 1 February 2022

Questions (245)

Niall Collins

Question:

245. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications if assistance is available to nursing homes such as a nursing home (details supplied) for green renewable energy or solar improvements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5103/22]

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Written answers

The pending introduction of the Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) tariff represents the first phase of a comprehensive enabling framework for micro-and small-scale generators in Ireland that will allow them to receive payment from their electricity supplier for all excess renewable electricity they export to the grid, which reflects the market value of the electricity. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) published a decision on 1 December 2021 outlining the interim arrangements for implementation of the CEG, which will become available upon the transposition of Article 21 of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) into Irish law for micro- and small-scale generators who comply with the CRU decision.

Businesses that use a large amount of electricity, like a nursing home, will benefit most when they consume electricity on site from their own micro-generation. The financial business case for micro-generation for these high electricity users is already strong.

The second phase of the enabling framework is the Micro-generation Support Scheme (MSS) which was approved by Government on 21 December 2021 and will open on a phased basis in 2022. Under the MSS, homes, farms, businesses, and community organisations generating up to 6.0kW will be eligible for a Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) grant at the same levels as domestic customers (max €2,400), in addition to the CEG. This grant will become available later in 2022.

Solar PV is also one of a range of measures funded under the SEAI Communities Energy Grant Scheme which makes grant funding available to improve the energy efficiency of the building stock and is open to domestic and non-domestic applications.

The Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH) is a government funded initiative designed to increase the energy generated from renewable sources in the heat sector whilst also reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The scheme is open to commercial, industrial, agricultural, district heating, public sector and other non-domestic heat users and is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). The SSRH provides an operational support for biomass boilers and anaerobic digestion heating systems and an installation grant for renewable heating systems using heat pumps.

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