New Electricity Microgeneration Programme Announced

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New Electricity Microgeneration Programme Announced
“With significant power and financial savings, on-site electricity generation is the way forward” – Minister Ryan
Dublin, 16 April 2008

Energy Minister, Eamon Ryan today announced a pilot grant scheme which will allow users to generate electricity for their own use.

Electricity will be generated via small-scale technologies such as wind turbines and solar power, with the potential to sell excess power back to suppliers. Grant support to meet 50% of the initial start up costs will be made available for the installation of microgeneration systems in approximately 50 trials to be conducted nationwide.

Speaking at the annual SEI Energy Show at the RDS, Minister Ryan said “We are starting to make great strides with large-scale renewable energy, which will impact on power generation on a national level. Today, we focus on small scale generation in commercial sites and domestic dwellings”

With €2 million being provided in 2008 by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, the programme will be administered by Sustainable Energy Ireland in conjunction with key stakeholders, including the Commission for Energy Regulation, ESB Networks and electricity suppliers. The scheme follows a change in regulations last year allowing people to sell electricity back to the grid. It will provide the groundwork for consideration of a set feed in tariff for electricity produced through microgeneration.

Welcoming the programme, Minister Ryan said: ‘This scheme will empower electricity users to take action.

The change in regulations last year has cleared the way for Irish people to sell electricity back to the national grid. This, along with today’s announcement and the roll-out of smart meters will ultimately mean that everyday in every home people can use power in the most efficient manner possible.

We know from international experience that microgeneration can provide a sustainable, reliable and affordable alternative to the traditional methods of power generation. It is time to provide such an alternative here.”

ENDS

Full details of the scheme are set to be announced in the coming months.

*The grant aspect of the scheme will largely focus on commercial/organisational on-site generation in its initial phases. It will then concentrate on generation by individual householders.

Note to editors:

o SEI will announce full details of the field trials to be managed by them in the Summer. It will involve technologies such as small scale wind and photovolatics (PV) which have not previously had widespread application in the Irish market. Specific funding levels and qualification criteria remain to be finalised and will be announced in due course.

o The programme will have a number of technical and economic aspects, including:

o Preparation of options for a tariff for the export of electricity from small and micro generators

o Defining the requirements for qualification and certification of technologies

o Defining necessary arrangements for qualification, certification and training of installers

o Monitoring field trials of technologies

o Economic studies of the medium and long term market potential

o Investigate impact of high concentrations of micro and small scale generators on the electricity transmission system

For further information please contact:

Press Office:

Tel. 01 6782441

Fax. 01 – 6782739

press.office@dcenr.gov.ie

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ircoha

Another great opportunity for the installers/ suppliers to cream it at the expense of the taxpayer.
As if PV was not dear enough:
I would suggest u price PV panels now and then again in the summer when the details come out, the prices will be up by the grant amount and we will be told it is ccy fluctuations and inflation.:mad:

Prior to the first grant SEI RE scheme a company I have a role in got quotes for the stuff that was going to be grant aided from 18 companies: 17 of them jacked up the prices by more than the grant amount in the week after the grants were announced.

The beneficiaries of all Govt support like this, be it
FTB grants, MI relief etc are the builders and installers and others, all at the expense of the taxpayer who pays for it twice: once by way of his taxes towards the grants and then by way of higher equipment and installation prices.

I discussed this 'pump priming' procedure with the foremost economic brains in the country and he concurrs 100% with the above: it does not work another way in a capitalist setup.

dhaslam

Announcing that there may be grants in the future is a good way of stopping installations in the meantime.

It is hard for installers to influence the price of PV panels particularly because most are imported anyway. Installation costs could be a bit inflated if the same system of using registered installers is used for the new grants.

AngryHippie

Its probably something to do with the govt. cottoning on to the germans, .probe had a good article link about a german company that seems to be on the up at this game, and I'd imagine some EU lackey is trying to jockey together some semi-state or subsidised schemes across Europe to keep the numbers the right colour and keep the share price leap froggin. But thats the skeptic in me talkin....