Background information

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) was established as Ireland's national sustainable energy authority. It is a state organisation and it works with households, businesses, communities and government to create a cleaner energy future. The SEAI provides a range of grants to businesses to help them reduce their energy costs as well as improving their energy efficiency.

Content of measure

The support scheme for renewable heating systems (SSRH) is available for commercial, industrial, agricultural, public sector and other non-domestic heat users.

There are two different financial supports available for organisations switching to renewable heat:

• Operational support for a biomass and biogas heating systems, through a multi-annual payment (for a period of up to 15 years), on the basis of prescribed tariffs.
• An installation grant for a commercial heat pump, up to a proposed level of 40% of the installation cost.

The Non-Domestic Microgen Grant (NDMG) provides financial assistance for the installation of solar PV panels. This is available to businesses, agricultural sector, public sector bodies, schools, community centres and non-profit organisations.

The grant amount is based on the standard output of the solar PV system up to a maximum of €162,600.

SEAI’s Support Scheme for Energy Audits (SSEA) gives non-obligated bodies and SMEs a €2,000 voucher towards the cost of an energy audit.

Use of measure

As of March 2023, under the SSRH, more than €500,000 of funding had been provided to heat pump change overs. Ninety applications were approved for the biomass supports, with 30 receiving regular payments, equating to support of €35 million over 15 years and 90GWh of renewable heat annually. According to the Department of the Environment: 'Projects supported include agriculture, industry, hotels, nursing homes, leisure centres, and buildings in both the private and public sectors.'

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Applies to all businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Other social actors (e.g. NGOs)	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	No involvement
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

No involvement

Views and reactions

N/A

Sources

• 01 March 2023: Expanded supports for businesses to invest in energy efficiency and renewable heating (www.gov.ie)
• 04 July 2023: Ministers Ryan and Coveney announce enhanced supports for business through Solar PV Scheme (www.gov.ie)
• 01 March 2024: Energy Audits (www.seai.ie)
• 01 March 2024: Non-Domestic Microgen Grant (www.seai.ie)
• 01 March 2024: Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (www.seai.ie)
• 01 March 2024: Business & Public Sector (www.seai.ie)