The Micro-Renewable Energy Federation (MREF) has published its Pre-Budget 2027 Submission, setting out the measures it believes the Government must take to keep Ireland’s micro-generation sector on track to deliver the country’s climate action targets.
The submission welcomes the progress of recent years – including the decision to hold the domestic solar PV grant steady in 2026 and the new 13c/kWh export payment – but argues that more needs to be done, and done faster, to maintain consumer confidence and unlock the sector’s full potential.
Among its key calls, MREF is asking Government to increase the domestic solar PV grant to €2,400 on installations up to 6kWp, reintroduce grant support for battery storage at €150/kWh, and remove the construction-date cut-off that currently locks newer homes out of grant eligibility. The Federation is also seeking reform of how renewable energy is traded – including the freedom to sell surplus power to a different supplier than the one you buy from – a mandated three-month rollout of smart meters for micro-generators, and faster, fairer grid access for homes, farms and businesses.
Writing in the submission, MREF Chairperson Ciarán Kells says it makes far more economic and environmental sense to support households, farms and businesses adopting renewables than to subsidise fossil fuels that deliver no lasting benefit – and that it costs the State considerably less to do so.
