Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 July 2021
55. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the status of plans to allow homeowners using solar energy to sell any surplus solar energy back to the grid. [39407/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Programme for Government commits to expanding and incentivising micro-generation, including solar-PV, to help citizens, farms and businesses generate renewable electricity for their own use and to sell any excess electricity back to the grid. Under the Climate Action Plan, a Micro-Generation working group, chaired by my Department, is developing an enabling framework for micro-generation which tackles existing barriers and establishes suitable supports within relevant market segments.
My Department outlined proposals for a new Micro-generation Support Scheme in a public consultation that closed on 18 February last. A summary report of the submissions received has now been published on my Department's website. Analysis of these submissions will help to inform the final scheme design, to be approved and announced later this year.
While the primary aim of a micro-generation scheme is to enable a household to meet its own electricity needs, it is envisaged that a suitable payment for excess electricity generated on site and exported to the grid will be available to all renewables self-consumers in the second half of 2021, subject to regulatory arrangements, in line with Articles 21 and 22 of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources. My Department is engaging with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel with a view to transposing these Articles into Irish law at the earliest opportunity.
It is expected that the Commission for Regulation of Utilities will publish a draft framework later this year which will outline the details, including eligibility criteria and timescales for introduction, of the Clean Export Guarantee payment for exported renewable electricity, to give effect to the above-mentioned articles and allow for the commencement of export payments to micro- and small-scale generators.
