Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 4 July 2023
148. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of people connected to the microgen pilot scheme from 2009 to 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32117/23]
View answer149. Deputy Michael McNamara asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when the initial 907 pilot scheme generators will receive their payments under the Government-backed microgeneration scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32118/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 148 and 149 together.
The breakdown for microgeneration connections which took place under the 2009 Microgen pilot scheme, which ran until 2014, is outlined in the table below:
|
Year |
Microgen connections |
|
2009 |
454 |
|
2010 |
255 |
|
2011 |
197 |
|
2012 |
118 |
|
2013 |
146 |
|
2014 |
287 |
I understand that during the lifetime of this Microgeneration pilot scheme, ESB Networks (ESBN) collected export data for 907 Meter Point Registration Numbers (MPRNs). During the pilot, data from import/export meters from those MPRNs were provided to suppliers. However, to facilitate and support the new Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) tariff scheme developed by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) in line with the requirements of the recast Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) and the Renewable Energy Regulations 2022 (SI 76 of 2022), ESBN worked with industry stakeholders via the Microgeneration Working Group to develop a new Interim Retail Market Microgeneration (IRMM) solution, in order to facilitate the remuneration of renewables self-consumers for their excess exported electricity . As part of this, the legacy microgeneration pilot scheme was transitioned to be consistent with the IRMM solution and a decision made by CRU that metered export data from the 2009 pilot scheme import/export meters, could no longer be provided to suppliers for the purposes of the CEG. Details on those participants of the initial scheme who are now being paid based on either deemed export or validated smart meter export data, are a matter for each individual and their electricity supplier; and are not publicly available.
