Opportunity to sell your leftover electricity

A new Government scheme being launched this month will allow people who generate their own renewable energy to sell any excess back to the national grid.

It is hoped that the new microgeneration scheme will benefit citizens, business owners, farmers and community organisations while helping Ireland to reach its 70 per cent renewable electricity target by 2030.

“Obviously, the benefits of this scheme are massive, not just in a domestic sense but for businesses too,” said Kieran O’Driscoll of JKS Electrical Solutions.

He added: “It’s a fantastic opportunity for people who perhaps wanted to invest in solar energy but didn’t have the means to do so previously. Now you’re going to have entire communities actively taking part in creating greener energy.”

According to JKS Electrical, on average, a family can save €400 pear year on their electricity bills by using solar panels on their home, with SEAI grants of up to €2,100 currently available for panel installation.

JKS Is a family-owned business in Cork founded by John Keohane in 1985. The business operated as a traditional electrical services provider until 2019 when the team moved into the renewable energy field amidst what they describe as a “green wave sweeping across Cork”.

“People are looking for a return on their investment, with the existing SEAI grants and now the government scheme being launched in the Summer it’s becoming more and more feasible for households to commit to renewable energy.

“When you prioritize solar energy, you generally come back with a 12 per cent return on your initial investment. It’s a logical choice,” said Mr O’Driscoll.

According to Mr O’Driscoll, people are now more aware of their carbon footprint and the impact they make on the world. “We’ve seen a huge change in people’s mindset when it comes to green energy and the microgeneration scheme is only going to drive that home further,” he said.

The Government announced the scheme in January and opened it for public consultation which ended on 18 February this year.

Martin Desmond of Wizer Energy, another Cork-based solar energy company, welcomed the scheme and said it will kick start an era of energy self-sufficiency while demonstrating to people that solar power is for the common person in Ireland, not just the elite.

“Some people might have been suspicious about a solar technology working well in Ireland but with Government backing in the microgeneration scheme, it has cleared up this mis-understanding,” he said.