Pinergy pays 25c per kWh for surplus solar electricity exported to the grid — the highest standard Clean Export Guarantee rate openly available in Ireland. It sits above Electric Ireland and SSE Airtricity (both 19.5c), Bord Gáis Energy, Energia and Flogas (all 18.5c), and well above Yuno Energy and PrePayPower (both 15.89c). Pinergy also credits export payments monthly, where most suppliers pay quarterly or twice a year. The catch is the usual one: to be paid Pinergy's rate you have to buy your electricity from Pinergy too. The rate applies to Pinergy electricity customers with a registered microgeneration device and a smart meter, and it lands as a credit on your account.
- Export rate: 25c per kWh — the highest open standard rate among the Irish suppliers we track
- Who qualifies: Pinergy electricity customers with a registered microgeneration device (solar PV, micro-wind, micro-hydro or micro-CHP) up to 6 kVA for domestic microgen
- Smart meter: Required for full metered export. ESB Networks should fit one within four months of registration; deemed export applies if a smart meter cannot yet be installed
- How paid: Credit on your Pinergy app or bill, generally every month
- Rate changes: Pinergy gives 30 days' notice before the rate changes
- Tax: First €400/year of export income is exempt from income tax until 31 December 2028
Pinergy's 25c Export Rate, and the Monthly Payment
Two things make Pinergy's offer stand out. The first is the headline number: at 25c per kWh, Pinergy's domestic microgeneration rate is the highest standard rate any homeowner can switch in and access. Unlike Yuno Energy's 29c or SSE Airtricity's Active8 premium, it is not tied to using a particular installer — any Pinergy electricity customer with solar and a smart meter can register for it.
The second is how often you are paid. Pinergy credits export payments monthly, appearing on your app or bill, where Bord Gáis Energy and SSE Airtricity pay quarterly, Flogas pays every two months, and Yuno and PrePayPower pay just twice a year. The money is the same over a full year, but a monthly credit smooths it out and lets you see your export earning land while the summer sun is doing the work.
The rate is variable. Pinergy commits to giving 30 days' notice before any change, and because your export supplier does not have to be the same company that physically connects you to the grid, you can register your Clean Export Guarantee with another supplier if Pinergy's rate ever drops below what suits you.
How Pinergy's Rate Compares
On openly-available standard rates, Pinergy is at the top of the table. Only restricted, installer-tied rates beat it — Yuno Energy's 29c (limited to homes installed through its partner PV Generation) and SSE Airtricity's Active8 premium (limited to qualifying Active8 install customers).
| Supplier | CEG Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Yuno Energy (PV Generation partnership) | 29c/kWh | Restricted — must have installed through PV Generation; not an open switch-in rate |
| Pinergy | 25c/kWh | Highest open standard rate; no installer restriction; paid monthly |
| SSE Airtricity / Electric Ireland | 19.5c/kWh | Level on the same standard rate |
| Bord Gáis Energy / Energia / Flogas | 18.5c/kWh | Three suppliers level on the same rate |
| Yuno Energy / PrePayPower (standard) | 15.89c/kWh | Lowest open standard rates tracked |
Rates as of June 2026 from supplier pages and published trackers. Rates are variable and subject to change; check supplier websites before switching. Full comparison: CEG rates in Ireland.
On a typical 4 kWp system that exports around 1,500 kWh per year, Pinergy's 25c rate earns roughly €375 per year. The same export on an 18.5c rate earns about €278, and on a 15.89c rate about €238 — so Pinergy's rate is worth roughly €100 to €137 a year more than the mid- and lower-paying suppliers, or €1,000 to €1,370 over ten years. The trade-off is that you must also import your electricity from Pinergy, so the right way to judge it is on the whole plan — import unit rate, standing charge and export rate together — not the export number alone.
Pinergy Solar: Supplier and Installer
Pinergy is unusual in that it is both an electricity supplier and an SEAI-registered solar installer. Through Pinergy Solar it carries out the full job — site survey, panel and inverter installation, and optional battery storage — and its installation arm is Safe Electric registered, the scheme that regulates electrical contractors in Ireland. That means you can, if you want, have the same company install your panels, register your microgeneration, and pay your export credits.
You are not obliged to. The 25c export rate is open to any Pinergy electricity customer regardless of who installed the system, so existing solar owners can switch their electricity account to Pinergy and access the same rate. If you are starting from scratch, it is worth getting more than one installer quote rather than defaulting to your energy supplier — the SEAI solar PV grant is the same whoever fits the panels, and comparing installers on price and system design usually saves more than any single supplier's export rate.
Who Qualifies for Pinergy's Microgeneration Payment
Pinergy can only pay its export rate to its own electricity customers. If you export to the grid but import from Electric Ireland, Energia or anyone else, you register for the Clean Export Guarantee with that supplier instead. Pinergy is the supplier; ESB Networks runs the physical grid and the metering — two separate organisations, even though both touch your export payment.
Beyond being a Pinergy electricity customer, you need:
- A registered microgeneration device — solar PV, micro-wind, micro-hydro or micro-CHP, up to 6 kVA for the domestic microgen category. Most homeowners have solar PV
- An NC6 form submitted to ESB Networks, normally done by your installer at the time of installation, so your system is registered in the Central Market Systems
- A smart meter where technically possible. ESB Networks should fit one within four months of you registering; if it does not, you are entitled to deemed export payments from the end of that four-month window until the meter is in
How and When Pinergy Pays You
Once your NC6 form is processed and your smart meter is installed, ESB Networks passes your export readings to Pinergy. You do not trigger this manually — registration flows through from the NC6. From there, a credit at 25c per kWh is applied to your account for the units you exported.
A few practical details:
- Monthly credit: Pinergy applies the export payment as a credit on your app or bill, generally every month. Because it relies on ESB Networks readings, the figure on your app can run slightly ahead of your bill and is reconciled the following month
- Viewing your export: You can check exported units through the Pinergy app and your ESB Networks online account, which holds the half-hourly export data your supplier is billed from
- Variable rate, 30 days' notice: The 25c rate can change, but Pinergy must give 30 days' notice first. If it drops, you can register your CEG with another supplier without moving your import account
- Switching: You can change electricity supplier at any time; your new supplier must also offer a CEG rate, so compare export rates as part of any switch
Tax on Pinergy Export Income
Microgeneration export income is taxable in Ireland, but the first €400 per year is exempt under a Revenue disregard that runs until 31 December 2028. Even on Pinergy's market-leading 25c rate, a typical 3–5 kWp system exporting 1,000–1,500 kWh a year earns roughly €250–€375, which sits inside the threshold — so no tax is due and there is nothing to declare for it.
A larger system, or one with a big battery and high summer surplus, can clear €400 on the 25c rate sooner than it would on a lower rate. Income above €400 is declared on your annual tax return and taxed at your marginal rate, with USC and PRSI potentially applying to the excess. The exemption is per individual, not per device. For the full breakdown, see our guide to tax on solar export income in Ireland.
How to Start Receiving CEG Payments from Pinergy
If you are already a Pinergy electricity customer with solar panels and a registered NC6 form, you may already be set up — check recent statements for a microgeneration or export credit line. If you have panels but no credit has appeared after a billing period, contact Pinergy to confirm your microgeneration registration is active.
If you are planning a new solar installation:
- Choose an SEAI-registered installer. They submit the NC6 form to ESB Networks as part of the job
- ESB Networks processes the form and arranges a smart meter where needed
- Register your microgeneration with your chosen electricity supplier (you will need your MPRN and NC6 confirmation), and credits begin once export data flows through
- Apply for the SEAI solar PV grant through your installer at the same time — it is separate from, and stacks with, your export payments
We connect you with SEAI-registered solar installers in your area. They handle the NC6 form, the grant paperwork, and the smart meter registration — so export payments begin as quickly as possible. Free, no obligation.
Get Free Solar Quotes →Frequently Asked Questions
Pinergy pays 25c per kWh for surplus solar electricity exported to the grid as of June 2026 — the highest standard Clean Export Guarantee rate openly available in Ireland. It is credited monthly, and Pinergy gives 30 days' notice before the rate changes.
It is the best open standard rate — any Pinergy electricity customer with solar and a smart meter can access it, with no installer conditions. Two higher rates exist but are restricted: Yuno Energy's 29c is limited to homes installed through its partner PV Generation, and SSE Airtricity's Active8 premium is limited to qualifying Active8 install customers. Among rates you can simply switch in to, Pinergy's 25c is the top of the market.
Pinergy credits export payments monthly, shown on your app or bill. That is more frequent than most suppliers — Bord Gáis Energy and SSE Airtricity pay quarterly, Flogas every two months, and Yuno and PrePayPower twice a year. Because payments rely on ESB Networks readings, the app figure can run slightly ahead of the bill and is reconciled the following month.
For a typical 4 kWp system exporting roughly 1,500 kWh a year, Pinergy's 25c rate works out at about €375 per year — around €100 more than an 18.5c supplier and close to €137 more than a 15.89c one. A smaller 3 kWp system exporting about 1,000 kWh would earn roughly €250. Both sit within the €400 tax-free threshold.
Yes. Pinergy is both an electricity supplier and an SEAI-registered solar installer, carrying out the full job through Pinergy Solar — site survey, panels, inverter and optional battery — and registered with Safe Electric. You are not obliged to use it, though: the 25c export rate is open to any Pinergy electricity customer regardless of who installed the system, so it is worth comparing installer quotes before deciding.
Yes. Pinergy can only pay its export rate to its own electricity customers, so you need to import your electricity from Pinergy as well as export to it. If your import supplier is someone else, you register for the Clean Export Guarantee with that supplier instead. Compare the whole plan — import rate, standing charge and export rate — not just the headline export number.
The first €400 of microgeneration export income per year is exempt from income tax until 31 December 2028. On a typical home system almost all homeowners earn less than this even on Pinergy's 25c rate, so no tax is due. Income above €400 is taxable at your marginal rate and must be declared on your annual return. See our solar export income tax guide.
Sources: Pinergy — Clean Export Guarantee / MicroGen (25c per kWh domestic export rate, monthly credit, 30 days' notice, 6 kVA microgen category, smart-meter and deemed-export rules); Pinergy — Solar Residential (Pinergy Solar installation, SEAI-registered and Safe Electric registered); SolarQuotes Ireland — CEG Rate Comparison and Switcher.ie feed-in tariff table (competitor standard rates as of May–June 2026); Revenue.ie — Solar panels (€400 tax disregard to 31 December 2028). Rates verified against supplier pages on 19 June 2026.
Published: 19 June 2026. Author: Neil Russell.