The Micro-Renewable Energy Federation (MREF) has called on the government to immediately review what it describes as “senseless policy” supporting heat-pump technology, while “discriminating” against grant supports for solar PV and battery storage technologies.
The federation has warned that the concerns of the Economic and Social Research Institute (ERSI) on the 46% energy cost impacts of the government’s heat-pump policy should not be ignored.
Pat Smith, chairperson of the MREF, said that the recent ERSI report on decarbonising through electricity reaffirms the fact that solar PV and battery storage are complementary technologies that will significantly address the ERSI energy cost inflation predications.
Limiting supports for solar
However, Smith stressed that current government policy is set to reduce and eliminate solar PV supports and has already discontinued a €600 grant support for battery storage systems in homes.
“How can this make sense when the country is facing a massive energy crisis and support for solar PV and battery storage can significantly avert the predictions being made by the ERSI in relation to the planned heat pump roll-out,” Smith stated.
The MREF has now called for an immediate rethink by the government following the ERSI report.
“More, not less, government supports need to be offered for solar PV and battery storage systems for homes and businesses,” he continued.
The MREF has consistently called for fair and meaningful grants that are easily accessible for all stakeholders in society to adapt solar PV and battery storage to help address the energy cost crisis facing the country and complement the introduction of heat-pump technology.