SEAI Solar Grant Paperwork: What Your Installer Handles vs. What You Have to Do

The SEAI Solar Electricity Grant has 12 distinct tasks from application to payment. Some land on your installer. Most land on you. The table below shows who does what and when — so you know exactly what to expect before you sign anything.

The 12-Task Responsibility Split

The most common source of confusion for homeowners going through the SEAI grant process is not the grant itself — it is not knowing which tasks are theirs to complete and which the installer handles. The short version: the installer manages the technical paperwork at ESB Networks; you manage the grant portal and everything that requires your personal bank and MPRN details.

Source: SEAI Solar Electricity Grant scheme guide; ESB Networks NC6 microgen notification.

What the Homeowner Handles

You carry more of the administrative load than many homeowners expect. The grant application at mgen.seai.ie must be filed by you, in your name, linked to your MPRN. Your installer cannot apply on your behalf. The application requires:

• Your MPRN (on your electricity bill)
• Your home's current BER rating (pre-works)
• At least one installer quote from an SEAI-registered installer
• Your bank account details for grant payment

Once SEAI issues your Letter of Offer, you must review and accept it — this cannot be delegated to the installer. The LoO typically arrives 2–4 weeks after application. Works cannot legally begin until you have accepted the LoO.

After installation, you upload the invoice, the installer-signed Declaration of Works, and the post-works BER certificate to the portal. Each of those uploads is your action, not the installer's.

What the Installer Handles

Your installer's paperwork responsibilities fall primarily on the ESB Networks side, not the SEAI portal side. Specifically:

• NC6 form — the microgen connection notification to ESB Networks. This is filed by the installer within days of completing your system. It notifies ESB Networks that a microgeneration system has been connected to the grid. ESB Networks microgenerators page.
• NC11 form — required where the system's export capacity exceeds 6 kW on a single-phase connection (NC11 covers 6 kW–11 kW; above 11 kW, NC7 applies). Virtually all residential solar installs — including 3–6 kWp systems — fall well under the 6 kW threshold and use NC6 only. NC11 would only arise for an unusually large single-phase residential or small commercial system.
• Safe Electric / RECI completion certificate — your installer provides this to you at install completion. It is mandatory documentation. Store it; you will need it for the SEAI portal and for future property sales.
• Declaration of Works (installer section) — the installer signs their portion first. You then upload the completed document to the SEAI portal.

The Grant is Paid to You, Not the Installer

The SEAI grant is paid directly to the bank account you nominated during your application. It is not paid to the installer at any stage.

The SEAI grant rules prohibit the payment being assigned to or redirected to a third party. You pay the full invoiced amount to the installer when works are complete, then receive the grant from SEAI into your own account, typically 4–6 weeks after submitting the post-works documentation.

If an installer asks for the grant to be paid directly to them, or structures their quote on the assumption that SEAI pays them, this is not how the scheme works. The full cost of the system is your upfront responsibility; the grant is a reimbursement, not a deposit.

Can the Installer Handle the Portal on My Behalf?

Some installers offer an admin service to guide you through the mgen.seai.ie portal, or to complete sections of the application alongside you. This is permitted. You remain the applicant and the responsible party, and you must review and accept the Letter of Offer yourself. An installer cannot accept the LoO on your behalf.

If an installer offers this service, clarify upfront whether it is included in the quote price or charged separately. It should be minor additional admin, not a significant fee. The portal itself, once you have used it once, is straightforward to navigate.

The BER Assessment After Installation

A post-works BER assessment is required to complete the SEAI grant claim. This is typically arranged and paid for by the homeowner, not the installer.

Cost: a post-works BER assessment from an SEAI-registered BER assessor runs €150–€250 depending on the assessor and your location. The assessor must be registered with SEAI; the BER must be issued post-installation.

Some solar installers bundle a BER assessment as part of their package. If your quote includes one, confirm in writing whether it is included in the listed price or billed as a separate line item after installation.

The post-works BER certificate is then uploaded by you to the SEAI portal as part of the grant claim. See the full process in the SEAI solar grant application guide.

One Page Summary: Before, During, and After

If the full table above is more detail than you need right now, here is the three-phase version:

• Before install: You apply for the grant, upload quotes, and accept the Letter of Offer. Your installer provides the quote and confirms SEAI registration.
• At install: The installer completes the physical work, signs the Declaration of Works, files the NC6 with ESB Networks, and hands you the Safe Electric / RECI completion cert.
• After install: You book and pay for the BER assessment, then upload the invoice, completion cert, signed Declaration of Works, and BER cert to the SEAI portal. SEAI pays the grant to your bank account 4–6 weeks later.

For the full step-by-step process with timing and portal screenshots described, see the SEAI solar grant application guide. For the grant value, eligibility rules, and what systems qualify, see the SEAI solar grant overview.

Frequently Asked Questions