Ireland's Micro Renewable Energy Federation (MREF) has welcomed reports that the government plans better solar PV grants for homes, farms and businesses in the budget due on 6 October, including support for battery storage and eligibility for homes built since 2021.

MREF chair Ciaran Kells said the federation's pre-budget submission had been "particularly critical" of restrictions on farm solar grants under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3), and had proposed that non-domestic grants from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland be increased to replace TAMS support.

Earlier this year Kells criticised what he called the "slashing" of TAMS solar grants, with 90 percent of applicants rejected in recent tranches because of budget limits. The federation has also asked for grants for systems of at least 6 kW and for battery storage, measures it says would help thousands of farms and small businesses cut energy costs and emissions.

Photo: Julien Carnot / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Source: Agriland