Grants for solar panels

The Solar Electricity Grant can help you with the cost of buying and installing solar photovoltaic (PV) panels for your property.

The grant is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).

You must apply for the grant and get a grant offer from the SEAI before you get your solar panels and start any work.

Who can apply for the grant?

You can apply for the Solar Electricity Grant for a property you own, if you are:

• Living in the property
• A company, this includes owner management companies
• An approved housing body (AHB)
• A landlord

Solar panel grants for businesses

You can also get SEAI grants for solar PV for your business or a non-domestic building. This includes public buildings, sports clubs and community organisations.

For more on these grants, see 'Supports for businesses going green' or visit SEAI.ie.

Solar panels are devices that use sunlight to generate hot water, or electricity to power electrical devices in your home.

• Solar panels that produce electricity are known as solar photovoltaic (PV) modules. These panels generate electricity when exposed to light.
• Solar panels that produce hot water are known as solar thermal collectors or solar hot water collectors.

This Solar Electricity Grant focuses on PV, where solar electric panels capture the light from the sun and convert it into the electricity that is used in your home to power your electric appliances, such as your TV, kettle and toaster. These panels are often mounted on the roof of your house or in your garden.

Most homes need 6 or 7 solar panels, which is a 2 kilowatt system. It is important that the system is sized for self-consumption of the energy within the home as per the Code of Practice (pdf).

To qualify for a grant, you must:

• Be the owner of a property that was built and occupied before 2021. Owners include people who live in the home they own, companies, approved housing bodies and landlords.
• Use new materials and products that were not already covered by another grant
• Use a registered company from the SEAI’s registered list of companies
• Have the electrical works completed by a Safe Electric Ireland electrician
• Apply to ESB Networks to be connected to the electricity distribution system using the ESB Networks NC6 form (pdf). Your registered installer should do this for you before they fit the system.
• Provide a Declaration of Works signed by a registered installer on the SEAI Solar PV Approved Installer list
• Get a Building Energy Rating (BER) after the work is completed
• Meet the requirements in the Solar PV Code of Practice

There are a number of things to consider before applying for the grant. For example, you should check if you should insulate your home first and if you’ll need planning permission.

Insulating your home before getting solar panels

SEAI recommends that you insulate your home before considering solar panels, as insulation is the easiest way to reduce your energy costs. You can apply for the following SEAI grants to insulate your home and improve its overall energy efficiency:

• Better Energy Homes Scheme
• Better Energy Warmer Homes Scheme
• National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme

Some of these schemes include the Solar Electricity Grant as one of their energy efficiency measures. However, you may have to apply for it separately.

Do I need planning permission for solar panels?

You do not need planning permission to install solar panels to the roof of your property. You can also install freestanding solar panels as long as you meet certain conditions.

However, ask your local authority for guidance about planning permission if:

• Your home is a protected structure
• You home is in a protected area, for example, an architectural conservation area

Solar PV system requirements

The energy that is generated from your solar PV system should be used in your home, and the system should be of a suitable size for this.

If you generate more electricity than you use at home, you can sell it back to the electricity grid. Contact your electricity supplier to find out what they will pay, as each suppler has their own rate. Our page on micro-generation has more information about this.

The Solar PV Grant Application Guide (pdf) has more information about the technical specifications for systems, insurance, contracts, inspections, grant limits and how to apply.

All systems must comply with the requirements set out in the Code of Practice for Installers (pdf). The Declaration of Works must be completed and signed off by a registered solar PV installer. Registered solar PV installers are listed on seai.ie.

Choosing a contractor

Before choosing a company from the registered list, the SEAI recommends that you:

• Get a number of quotes
• Compare the offers
• Request and check the company’s references

You must have a contract in place with the contractor to ensure that you have a suitable level of consumer protection. SEAI have a sample contract (pdf) on their website to help with this.

The grant you get depends on the peak output of your solar system. Peak output is measured in kWp, which is kilowatt-peak. You get:

• €700 per kWp for up 2kWp
• €200 for every additional kWp up to 4kWp

This means you will get:

• €700 for 1kWp
• €1,400 for 2kWp
• €1,600 for 3kWp
• €1,800 for 4kWp

In 2025, the grant is capped at €1,800. The Government plans to reduce the grant by up to €300 every year, as the cost of solar panels reduce. But it has been announced that the maximum grant will stay at €1,800 for 2026. The grant is due to end in 2029.

The grant covers materials and labour, unless you are a contractor doing the work in your own home. In this case, only the cost of the materials is covered.

If the cost of the systems and labour (including VAT, if applicable) is less than the maximum grant amount, you will get a grant for the actual cost.

Since May 2023, the 0% rate of VAT applies to the supply and installation of solar panels on private residences and schools.

Note: You are only eligible for the grant once.

You can apply for the Solar PV Scheme:

• Online using the SEAI application portal
• By post. Contact the SEAI to get an application form and send the completed form back to them.

When you apply for the grant, you need to give:

• Details about the installation, including the size of the system to be installed
• Your address
• The MPRN number from your electricity bill
• The year your house was built
• The name of the registered company you intend to use

You must get approval for the grant before you start installing your solar panels.

When you get approval, you have 8 months to complete the work.

The work must be finished before you can get your grant payment and you must have either paid your contractor or agreed a payment plan with them.

After the work is completed

Your installer will give you the documents you need to claim the grant, including the signed Declaration of Works form. You should keep these documents for your records.

Your installer will also complete and upload a number of documents about the work to the SEAI website. The SEAI has a solar PV completion checklist (pdf) that lists the documents needed.

The SEAI will then check if your installation meets the scheme requirements. Once all conditions are met, the SEAI will then process your payment which will be paid by electronic funds transfer (EFT) into your bank account.

Homeowner records

During the upgrade work, you will get documents from the company doing the work. You should keep these documents in a safe place so you can have them for your BER assessor, or if the work is inspected by the SEAI.

The SEAI recommends you keep all this information together in a safe place for future reference in case you want to sell your home, or if there is a problem with any of the work.

You may be able to get a free solar PV system if you are medically vulnerable.

The Solar PV Scheme for Medically Vulnerable Customers is for people who depend on life-protecting electrical medical equipment and technology. For example, a dialysis machine or respirator.

To qualify for the scheme:

• You, or a member of your household must be registered with your electricity supplier in the life support category of the Priority Services Register
• Your house must be built and occupied before 1 January 2021

If you are registered in the life support category of the Priority Services Register, your energy provider will contact you to see if you are interested in the scheme.

If you are, they will get a Solar PV company to visit your home. The company will assess if your home is suitable for a solar PV system and install it for free if it is. To find out more about the scheme contact your electricity provider or the SEAI.