Solar panel grants — up to €2,400 off, or €9,000 on some welfare payments

Ireland pays you to put solar panels on your roof: the SEAI Solar Electricity Grant is worth up to €1,800, plus €600 for a battery. On certain social welfare payments it goes up to €9,000. Panels have fallen sharply in price, and once they're up you also get paid for electricity you export. One rule matters more than all others: apply before any work starts, or the grant is gone.

How much is the solar grant in 2026?

€700 for each of the first 2kWp and €200 per kWp after that, up to €1,800. SEAI now also offers a €600 grant for a battery, so panels and a battery together can get up to €2,400.

A typical family install (say 4-5kWp) hits the maximum. Between the grant, lower panel prices, export payments for surplus power and no VAT on domestic panels, payback times have collapsed compared with a few years ago.

Up to €9,000 if you get certain social welfare payments

Since 6 October 2026, homeowners on certain Department of Social Protection payments can get a much bigger grant. It is €3,350 for each of the first 2kWp and €850 for each extra kWp up to 4kWp. That is up to €8,400 without a battery, or €9,000 with a battery (SEAI).

The qualifying payments are Fuel Allowance, Working Family Payment, One-Parent Family Payment, Domiciliary Care Allowance, and Carer's Allowance if you live with the person you care for. Jobseeker's Allowance or Disability Allowance also count if you have been on it for over six months and have a child under 7 (Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment).

The usual rules still apply: you must own the home, use an SEAI-registered installer, and get your grant approved before any work starts. SEAI says full details are still being finalised, so check its page before you apply.

Who qualifies?

Homeowners whose house was built and occupied before 2025, using an SEAI-registered installer, who apply before any work begins.

You don't need to have used other SEAI grants first, and there's no means test for the standard grant. Until October 2026 the house had to be built before 2021.

How do I apply?

Online at seai.ie: get your grant offer first, sign a contract with a registered installer, complete within 8 months, then a BER assessment triggers payment.

The order matters: offer → install → BER cert → payment. Your installer handles most of the paperwork day-to-day; the after-install BER assessment is the step people forget — book it early so your payment isn't delayed.

What else should I look at?

The wider SEAI grants (insulation, heat pumps), the fully-funded route if you're on Fuel Allowance — and the EV grant if you're changing car.

Solar pays best on a well-insulated home — see our full SEAI grants guide (up to €30,000+ across measures). On Fuel Allowance? The Warmer Homes Scheme may do upgrades free. And a solar roof plus an EV grant car is the cheapest motoring in Ireland.

General information, not financial or legal advice. Rules and amounts change — confirm the current details on the official source (Gov.ie, SEAI.ie, HSE.ie or Citizens Information) before you claim.