Solar scheme a ‘missed opportunity’ for communities and farmers

Today’s announcement of a rooftop solar grant scheme has been described by the Environmental Pillar as a “step in the right direction”, but also a “missed opportunity” to reward communities and farmers for playing their role in bringing down our out of control emissions.

Published today, it is difficult to see how the plan will play a role in significantly bumping up “virtually non-existent” rooftop solar capacity to supply renewable electricity to the grid, the group claims.

The scheme will offer a grant as opposed to giving individuals a right to sell surplus electricity back to the grid at a fixed price, the organisation notes.

The grant will also only apply to owner-occupied dwellings, leaving out commercial enterprises and community buildings.

They will instead end up having to try and compete with developers through the new auction system announced last week in the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS).

Echoing similar calls from the Micro Renewable Energy Federation, the Environmental Pillar is urging the Government to go further than today’s launch.

Environmental Pillar spokesperson, Oisin Coghlan, said: “The scheme is a small step in the right direction but the Government has missed a great opportunity to include a payment for electricity exported to the grid by individual families, and – crucially – community buildings such as schools, parish halls and sports halls, and farm buildings.

“As part of the EU we have agreed that in the future people will have to get paid for their contribution to tackling climate change through their energy choices.

So the minister and the department should immediately start work to build on today’s pilot scheme by preparing a payment scheme for rooftop solar.

“For once we have an opportunity not to be behind the curve on EU schemes; let’s build immediately on this stopgap measure with a full future-proof scheme.”