Solar Grants for businesses
Businesses and other non-domestic solar grants. Find out about incentives for businesses (including farms), commercial solar, schools, public sector bodies, community centres, and other non-profit organisations
Businesses and other non-domestic solar grants. Find out about incentives for businesses (including farms), commercial solar, schools, public sector bodies, community centres, and other non-profit organisations
The SEAI (the governmental body responsible for promoting solar in Ireland) provide a grant called the Non-Domestic Microgen Grant. This is the main solar grant that's a catch-all for most solar installations that would not fit into the domestic solar grant category.
This grant covers most non-domestic solar installations, including:
Businesses & commercial buildings
Farms*
Public sector bodies
Schools
Community centres
Non-profit societies
*Please note farms / agricultural businesses have alternative grant options, like the TAMS 3: Solar Capital Investment Scheme, which gives larger amounts. More about Solar PV for farms.
See full eligibility criteria here.
Anything from 1 kWp to 1,000kWp. That would be approximately 3 to 2300 panels
That limit was increased in July 2023, it used to be limited before to just 6kWp. The grant also now includes more non-domestic industries and enterprises than before.
The grant amount available depends on the system size that's installed, based on the solar panel system's peak power output (in kW / kWp). There are lots of different "bands" depending on the size of system you go for.
You can use our business solar panel grant calculator below, or see the full list of rules for grant amounts here.
Add-ons that are installed, such as immersion diverters and batteries, do not affect the grant amount.
Once the work is finished and documentation has been uploaded to the SEAI portal, the grant is sent to the applicant as a one-time payment.
We've prefilled this with a 50-panel (22 kWp) array to get you started (which would cover 105.8 m²). We've also popped in all the other standard numbers for commercial solar in Ireland.
The grant value only depending on the number & power of the panels. If you'd just like the NDMG scheme grant just adjust the panel value and it will tell you how much the SEAI would contribute towards your solar panels.
Adjust any figures you like and see the outputs adjust automatically.
Use the Solar Calculator to update these totals | |
Your figures: | |
| NDMG Scheme Grant Value: | €6,400.00 |
| Panel array area: | 105.8 m² |
| Total solar array kWp: | 22.00 kWp |
| Annual units generated: | 19,464 kWh |
| Annual CO2 emissions saved: | 6,715 kgs |
A quick disclaimer - we have purposely made this very simple & basic to give you fast ballpark numbers for electricity production & CO2 saved. The tools we use ourselves when we are producing solar quotes are much more complicated and take many more factors into account. For example, we've not worried about shading, inverter losses and many other factors.
That said this tool should give you a reasonable indication of if solar might be worth considering for your business. It does take the major factors of things like the roof slope, panel orientation, which county you are in (including local weather patterns) and alike when calculating the likely electricity generation from pv solar panels.
If solar seems in the right ballpark for your company, and you'd like a more accurate calculations, just get in touch and we'd be more than happy to do far more detailed calculations for you to give you a more accurate idea of what's possible.
The Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) has launched the €150m Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) reduce their energy costs and carbon emissions. This finance scheme offers loans for SMEs planning to invest in solar panels, heat pumps, LED lighting, and other energy-saving technology.
Businesses using the new Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme will benefit from easier access and reduced interest rates. Fixed rates of 4.79% are currently available on loans ranging from €10,000 to €150,000, over terms of up to 10-years. There are no personal guarantees required, either.
More about the Energy Efficiency Loan SchemeYou can find the full terms and conditions on the SEAI's Non-Domestic Microgen Scheme page here .
This depends on the size of the system that's installed, and is measured by the peak generation capacity of your solar PV system.
If the cost of the installation is below the grant value available at that size, only the actual expenditure will be reimbursed.
The grant covers the labour and equipment costs associated with installing your solar PV system.
The grant amount you receive only dependends on the size in kWp of your solar PV system. There is no additional grant available for extras such as batteries or immersion diverters.
The best way to find a PV system that will suit your needs is to get in touch, - we'll gladly provide you with a free custom quote. This also includes an on-site assessment. One of our team of engineers will come out to your property to ensure we've taken everything into consideration.
To better advise you on a system, we examine your energy costs, the times you use energy, and any energy needs specific to your business. We'll also carefully examine your building, the roof, and the surrounding area. Using our specialist design software, we aim to maximise your energy yield, and create the ideal solution for you and your business.
We don't have any salespeople on our team. Our technical engineers are there to help advise you first and foremost. We'll help you decide on the best solar PV system to suit your needs, and then quote for your solar PV system. If you decide not to go with us in the end that's fine too. Ultimately, we'll be happy knowing you have been advised correctly and are doing your bit for the planet.
Yes, but you would not be eligible for the grant. Guidelines from the SEAI (the governmental body responsible for promoting solar in Ireland) state that only systems up to 1,000kWp are eligible for grant funding – anything above that is not eligible for any grant payment.
Ground mount, and car port mounted systems are also eligible for grant support - as long as they adhere to the PV solar scheme criteria.
SEAI grant approval is not tied to planning permission. Depending on your property and where it's located, local planning rules may apply.
Installing solar panels on non-residential buildings is usually exempt from planning permission. This is because of rules in the Planning and Development Regulations, which were updated in 2022 to allow bigger systems and more types of buildings.
There are certain conditions that have to be met in order to be exempt from planning, which can be read in full in the SEAI's NDMG application guide . If you're not sure about your specific building type, you can ask your local planning office for help. Just remember, the information on our website (and the information provided by the SEAI) is for guidance only.
Our engineers will be more than happy to advise on specific planning permission requirements.
If your property is in a solar safeguarding zone, you may have to seek planning permission. Solar safeguarding zones are necessary to address aviation safety concerns due to the potential impact of glint and glare arising from increased solar developments in proximity to sites such as airports and hospitals which have helipads.
The most up-to-date info on solar safeguarding zones can be found here
Before applying for the grant, you should have an agreement in place with an SEAI approved solar installer (like us!). Whichever installer you use must be registered with the SEAI - otherwise, you will not be eligible for the grant.
Your application can be made on the SEAI website for solar electricity grant . This is a straightforward process, and we're available to help if you have any questions. Approval is usually very quick - most people hear back from the SEAI on the same day. Please note you must have approval before works can commence - otherwise you won't be eligible for grant payment.
Next, your solar panels are installed and commissioned. (just a fancy term to say tested and officially turned on)
Once your system is up and running, your paperwork is submitted to the SEAI. This is to confirm to the SEAI that your system was fitted by an SEAI registered solar installer, and is now up and running.
Usually it takes the SEAI around 6 weeks from receiving the paperwork until the money is in your account.
1. MPRN - the Meter Point Reference Number. This number appears on your electricity bill and is 11 digits long. The address associated with the MPRN will be the contact address used by SEAI for all postal correspondence. You should ensure that the details registered with ESB networks for this MPRN are correct and accurate.
2. The year in which your property was built and occupied (must be on or before the 31st of December 2020).
3. Your selected registered PV solar installation company
4. Details of the system to be installed
5. Your contact email address
6. A Tax Clearance Certificate (in some circumstances). If you've received any grants, subsidies or similar payments from a government department or public authority in excess of €10,000 during a calendar year, you will also need to provide a Tax Clearance Certificate.
Applications must be submitted by individuals and not by solar companies or contractors. However, we understand how intimidating and complicated these things can seem, so our friendly and helpful team will be there to support you through the process.
Of course. Thankfully, it is quite straightforward, but if you've any questions along the way just ask and we'll be glad to help.
Soon after you submit your application, you'll receive an email with the SEAI's response. If approved, you must ensure to accept the grant offer and the attaching terms and conditions.
After this, you have 8 months to complete the works and submit the all required documentation to the SEAI.
Part of the process is to also apply to the ESB to connect the solar PV system to the grid. Your solar installation company will take care of this, and it has to happen before installing the solar PV system. Depending on the size of the system, this process can take between 1 - 3 months.
Once this is complete, your installation company can begin your installation.
No. The grant, once approved, is only payable in respect of the type of system and works that were laid out in your application and referenced in the grant offer.
No. Grant approval from SEAI must be in place before any any work starts. If work has begun before grant approval, the whole installation may be deemed ineligible for payment.
No. The SEAI only releases grant payment once all paperwork has been received, and payment has been made to the installation company.
When all grant paperwork has been submitted online, it takes around 6 weeks for to process your claim and make the payment. In some cases the SEAI will conduct an inspection to verify the installation matches the grant claim. When this happens, the payment can take a little longer.
Payments are only made by electronic fund transfer (EFT) into the bank account nominated by the applicant.
We'll take care of everything once the solar panel installation has been complete. A post-works BER is not required for non-domestic installations, so once the work is finished, that's it from your end!
There is some paperwork that needs to be done for the SEAI - a 'Declaration of Works' form and 'Inspection & Testing Report'. These describe the works completed, and ensure that we have all the necessary information and documentation to support the grant payment processing. We will submit all of this online for you - usually all that's required is a signature from the applicant.
All installations may be subject to inspections by SEAI to verify that they match the grant claim, meet the scheme's requirements, or for quality purposes. Properties may be selected by a random sampling process, or chosen for specific reasons. The SEAI will notify applicants before such inspections. Where selected, applicants are required to grant access to their property for inspection within a specified period, failure of which may lead to grant refusal or grant clawback. Applicants must give access to their property for inspection within 14 days of the initial request — unless agreed otherwise.
The applicant may be requested to participate in follow-up research as may be commissioned by SEAI to establish the scheme's impacts and achievements. This will also include acquiring information and data for the development of case studies for wider dissemination (protecting as appropriate all personal data, confidential or commercially sensitive information).
The solar PV system, battery energy storage system and meter point data may be used by SEAI or its agents to assess the impact of micro-generation on the local electricity system and the development of future methods. SEAI may assess this data directly or share aggregated data with third parties for analysis purposes.
If you have any unanswered questions about solar panel installation and you would like to find out more, please visit our page on commonly asked questions
You can also find out more on the SEAI's website Solar Grants for Businesses & Commercial Buildings, Public Sector and Non-Profit .
The Citizen's Information website also has a good page about supports for businesses going green , which covers the solar grants as well as other supports available for businesses.
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