Renewable Energy Grants?

Tiler Durden

Hello all,

Was looking on the SEAI website but couldn't get a definitive answer on this:

Do SEAI still offer grants for new builds that are installing renewable energy sources? I'm hoping to build with a ground source heat pump and was wondering if any of the assistance that had been offered in previous years was still on the go?

I fear I may know the answer to this already but I couldn't find either confirmation or denial on the SEAI website.

Thank you,

Tiler

BryanF

Tiler Durden wrote: »

H

1. Do SEAI still offer grants for new builds that are installing renewable energy sources?
2. I'm hoping to build with a ground source heat pump and was wondering if any of the assistance that had been offered in previous years was still on the go?

1. no
2. no

Tiler Durden

BryanF wrote: »

1. no
2. no

Short and sweet, thank you Bryan.

JD6910

best assistance available is insulation!!!! sorry couldnt resist but it is the best advice i can give you.

ive done a build recently and ploughed serious money into the building envelope.

my advice would be to do a serious job on the insulation and airtightness and go for a low capitial cost, easy to maintain, tried and tested heating system.....

hope thats helpful.

BarneyMc

JD6910 wrote: »

my advice would be to do a serious job on the insulation and airtightness and go for a low capitial cost, easy to maintain, tried and tested heating system.....

hope thats helpful.

As a matter of interest what heating system did you go with and any tips?

JD6910

BarneyMc wrote: »

As a matter of interest what heating system did you go with and any tips?

i researched all options and in the end i felt that my heat demand was so low because of the serious job we did on the building envelope that i decided a standard boiler and solar would satisfied the small demand.



my thinking is between, solar gain and the super insulated, airtight house and my stove that a little input from the boiler will do the job... yet to see if my thinking is correct accross the winter, but i cant see a huge heat demand in the house....

fclauson

having you costed this out - and how will this meet part L

I was all for oil boiler + over sized solar thermal to provide some heat back into the UFH until I did some maths and conclude that HP + PV was the best value - additionally I now have a system which runs for zero cost per year as the PV sold to the grid is pulled back at night giving me roughly zero over all running costs

DO NOT BE FOOLED super insulated houses do need heat and they like it slow and steady - drip drip drip

my house uses very little - but by ensuring the superstructure never calls down I can maintain 20 degrees

BarneyMc

fclauson wrote: »

having you costed this out - and how will this meet part L

I was all for oil boiler + over sized solar thermal to provide some heat back into the UFH until I did some maths and conclude that HP + PV was the best value - additionally I now have a system which runs for zero cost per year as the PV sold to the grid is pulled back at night giving me roughly zero over all running costs

DO NOT BE FOOLED super insulated houses do need heat and they like it slow and steady - drip drip drip

my house uses very little - but by ensuring the superstructure never calls down I can maintain 20 degrees

This is a very interesting approach and makes sense. Who's the best person to start speaking to about this - the ESB, energy expert, etc.?

quentingargan

BarneyMc wrote: »

Who's the best person to start speaking to about this - the ESB, energy expert, etc.?

Not the ESB anyhow... They have now knocked the feed in tariff for exports back from 19c to 9c. I think solar PV is a very cost effective way of meeting Part L and also keeping your house carbon neutral. Power is produced at a time of peak demand for electricity (unlike wind which produces a third of its power while we're asleep). But the incentives to make it lucrative are very much lacking.

But if you are exporting your power by day, albeit at 9c, and buying it back at night for a heat pump with a good COP at 8c, then it makes sense. But solar PV is most cost effective when used on commercial premises such as supermarkets with refrigeration etc., where all of the production is offsetting the retail electricity price.

BarneyMc

Would I be right in saying it is cost effective if you can afford the capital up front for the HP and PV cells? Another worry is that you're at the mercy from the ESB as to what price they'll pay for your electicity?

quentingargan

BarneyMc wrote: »

Would I be right in saying it is cost effective if you can afford the capital up front for the HP and PV cells? Another worry is that you're at the mercy from the ESB as to what price they'll pay for your electicity?

In relation to PV, that depends on what you call cost effective, and how much electricity you are using.

Depending on its size a system will cost €2k or more per kw installed. That will produce about 1700KwHrs of power per year. If you export all of that at 9c, your return is €153 per year. But if you are displacing retail electricity at a daytime rate of 19c, then it is €323 per annum - well worthwhile.