Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 October 2022
120. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his Department plans to make supports available for those wishing to introduce solar energy generation on their farms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53170/22]
View answer125. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his proposals to increase the adoption of rooftop solar energy generation on farms. [53094/22]
View answer134. Deputy Pauline Tully asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the supports that are available within his Department to encourage the adoption of on-farm solar energy generation; and if he will outline the targets within his Department to encourage such; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53118/22]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 120, 125 and 134 together.
To help encourage on-farm renewable technology uptake and usage, grant aid is provided through TAMS to assist farmers in maximising their contribution to the production of renewable energy through the installation of Solar PV technology along with battery storage on Irish farms.
TAMS is an On-Farm Investment Scheme which is co-funded by the EU. Under the current EU regulations and under the new CAP Strategic Plan, it is not permitted for excess energy generated by grant-aided investments to be sold to the grid. Energy generated can only be consumed on the holding.
The solar PV systems currently grant-aided under TAMS include Solar PV Panels and Solar PV Rechargeable Batteries and Solar Panels (Solar Thermal) for water heating under the Pig and Poultry Capital Investment Scheme. An ‘On Farm Solar PV Survey’ must be completed and submitted with the application to quantify the holdings electricity power requirement and the planned electricity supply from the proposed development.
I was delighted to recently announce as part of the budget that the electricity consumption of the dwelling house can be included with immediate effect on the solar survey as part of the holding for sizing the Solar PV installation. The dwelling house must be occupied by the herd owner or family member and situated on the holding. This is now open for applications.
The maximum size of panel eligible for grant aid currently is 62kW for the Pig and Poultry Scheme (PPIS) and 11kW for all other eligible TAMS II schemes. To encourage further increased take-up in solar applications, I am proposing to make further changes to the scheme. This includes increasing the kilowatts for solar applications in TAMS 3 to 30 kilowatts from 11 kilowatts currently. This will bring in more high-energy intensive farms and cover their electricity usage through on-farm generation.
We are also retaining the current limit of 62 kilowatts for the Pigs and Poultry Investment Scheme. Furthermore, it is proposed that the grant rate will increase to a 60% grant and a standalone investment ceiling of €90,000 for solar panels on farms from 2023 onwards. In a time of rising energy costs, the scheme will enable every farmer to generate their own power for their dwelling and holding and will help to achieve a more sustainable rural economy, assisting farmers in reducing energy costs on their holdings. The changes are subject to approval of the Rural Development Plan (RDP) amendment by the European Commission. The amendment is currently with the Monitoring Committee of the RDP for their views before its formal submission to the Commission.
It should also be remembered that there are other state supports for the installation of solar panels, including from the SEAI and all farmers should be examining all options for support. This can be installed in tandem with the TAMS investment for those farmers who wish to do this at scale and is a further option for those keen to explore renewable energy generation.
