Solar water heating grant
A €1,200 grant helps individual homeowners and landlords install a solar thermal system that uses the sun’s energy to heat water for the home.
Αυτή η ευκαιρία είναι προς το παρόν διαθέσιμη στα Αγγλικά.
The Better Energy Homes solar water-heating grant contributes €1,200 towards solar thermal installation, regardless of dwelling type. Solar collectors transfer heat to a hot-water storage cylinder. The grant is for producing hot water, rather than solar photovoltaic electricity.
Solar thermal systems are usually designed to meet about 50–60% of annual hot-water needs, with the actual contribution depending on the home and system. Flat-plate panels and evacuated-tube collectors are the two main types described in SEAI’s guide. The grant cannot exceed the actual cost of the work.
If you manage the work yourself, claim only once it is complete and you have either paid the contractor or entered into a financing agreement with them. A participating One Stop Shop can instead manage the upgrade and deduct the grant upfront from your bill. A post-work Building Energy Rating (BER), the home’s energy rating, is required; the standard BER grant is €50 on your first grant application.
Eligibility
These instructions are for individual owners, including individual landlords. You must own a fixed, permanent home in the Republic of Ireland built and occupied on or before 31 December 2020. New builds and new extensions are excluded. The solar thermal measure must not already have received SEAI or other government support.
The system must be sized for the whole home. Your contractor must check that its solar collectors and storage capacity suit the home’s size and the average number of people who could live there, rather than just the current occupants. Your contractor must calculate the system’s renewable-heat contribution relative to the home’s floor area and check that it meets the grant requirement before work starts. Too few collectors can lead to the grant being refused.
Use a contractor registered with SEAI for solar thermal installation, active on the register when you apply and when work takes place. Have a written contract before work starts. SEAI’s equipment guide calls for solar collectors listed on the Heating Appliance Register of Performance (HARP), its equipment-performance database. Contractors must also use products on the Solar Thermal SEAI Registered List. Even a listed product must be selected and sized to meet the grant specifications for your home.
Obtain any required planning permission and other approvals before installing the system. If a registered Better Energy Homes contractor works on their own home, only materials qualify; their labour does not.
Companies and other organizations should follow SEAI’s organizational application guidance, which sets out their separate authorization and declaration requirements.
How to apply
- Κατάσταση
- Οι ημερομηνίες δεν ανακοινώθηκαν
- Choose a registered solar thermal contractor and have them check the system’s sizing and planning requirements. Individual owners can apply through the official grant page or by post using the application form. You need the home’s 11-digit Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN) from its electricity bill, construction year, dwelling type and contractor details. A One Stop Shop registered to participate in Better Energy Homes can apply for you. If two people apply together on the form, both sign its declaration.
- Obtain grant approval before buying products or starting installation. Direct applicants need SEAI approval; One Stop Shop applicants need their One Stop Shop’s approval, with SEAI retaining the right to approve or reject the grant. For a direct application, accept within 30 days of receiving the offer, using “Accept” online or returning the signed postal acceptance form. For a One Stop Shop application, return its signed acceptance by its prescribed deadline. Missing the applicable deadline means the offer lapses and you must reapply.
- Complete the work, arrange a post-work BER with a registered assessor and return the signed paperwork within eight months from the grant offer’s issue date. Submit the Declaration of Works signed by you, the contractor and BER assessor, plus the Request for Payment form, to info@betterenergyhomes.ie or the postal address in the guide. A Revenue Tax Clearance Certificate is required if grant payments exceed €10,000 in a calendar year. Keep the contractor’s system and operating documents, commissioning report and safety notices.
If work cannot be completed within eight months, completed-work documents with an explanatory cover letter may be considered by SEAI; payment is not guaranteed. SEAI pays after approving the documents. Allow required inspections and remedial work; access is normally required within 14 days of the inspection request unless the inspector accepts exceptional circumstances. Annual funding limits may defer payment, and breaches can lead to repayment.