The SEAI Solar Electricity Grant for 2026 is unchanged from 2025: a maximum of €1,800 off a home solar PV install. The widely-signalled €300 annual reduction did not land for 2026 — in November 2025 the Minister confirmed the grant would stay at the 2025 level. So if you were holding off because you thought the grant was about to be cut, that's the one thing you no longer need to factor in this year.
- Grant amount: still €1,800 max — no change.
- Per-kWp tiers: still €700/kWp on the first 2 kWp, €200/kWp on the next 2 kWp — no change.
- The €300 step-down: signalled, but not applied for 2026. It remains a future plan, not a 2026 cut.
- Battery grant: new from 6 October 2026 — a flat €600 for a home battery of 5 kWh or more.
- Building age rule: widened on 6 October 2026 from homes built and occupied before 2021 to before 2025.
- Enhanced grant: from 6 October 2026, €8,400 towards solar for households on one of seven qualifying social welfare payments.
- 0% VAT on supply-and-install: still in place — no change.
What actually changed for 2026
On the headline amount, nothing — and that's the story. The Government had signalled it would taper the domestic solar grant by up to €300 a year as panel prices fall. Going into 2026, the working assumption across the trade was that the €1,800 cap would drop to around €1,500. It didn't. The grant was held at €1,800 for 2026, the same maximum as 2025 (SEAI).
For homeowners, the upshot is simple: there is no 2026-specific penalty for waiting a few months that wasn't already there in 2025. The urgency case for installing now rests on the future step-down and on rising electricity prices — not on a cut that has already happened this year. We cover the timing decision in detail in our step-down: install now or wait? guide.
The 2026 grant amount and tiers
The grant is paid in two kWp bands, exactly as it was in 2025:
| Tier | kWp band | Rate | Grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | First 2 kWp | €700/kWp | €1,400 |
| 2 | Next 2 kWp (2–4 kWp) | €200/kWp | €400 |
| Maximum total at 4 kWp | €1,800 | ||
The €1,800 cap lands once your system reaches 4 kWp. Anything above 4 kWp attracts no extra grant — the maximum is hard-capped. A typical 4 kWp system is around 9–11 panels and, on a south-facing Irish roof, generates roughly 3,200–3,800 kWh a year. For the full breakdown and worked examples, see our SEAI solar grant guide.
Who qualifies in 2026
One eligibility rule changed in 2026. On 6 October the building age cut-off moved from homes built and occupied before 2021 to before 2025 (building age rule explained). The rest carries over from 2025:
- You own a home (your own, or one you let) that was built and occupied before 2025.
- The property has its own MPRN (the meter point reference on your electricity bill).
- No previous solar PV grant has been paid on that MPRN.
- The work is carried out by an SEAI-registered company — there is no homeowner self-install route to the grant (see our registered-installer requirement and DIY solar guide).
- You apply before the work starts, yourself, on mgen.seai.ie, naming your chosen company, and wait for the Letter of Offer.
- A post-works BER assessment is completed after the install; the grant is then paid to the account you nominated, yours or the solar company’s.
A battery grant returned in October 2026
From 6 October 2026 SEAI pays a flat €600 towards a home battery of 5 kWh or more, on top of the €1,800 solar grant. It has the same building age rule (built and occupied before 2025), needs approval before installation and an SEAI-registered solar PV company, and can go on the same application as the panels. Smaller batteries get nothing. Whether a battery is worth adding depends on your usage pattern and export rate — we work through that on our home battery storage page and the €600 battery grant guide.
A higher grant for some welfare recipients
Also from 6 October 2026, households receiving one of seven Department of Social Protection payments (Fuel Allowance among them) can claim €8,400 towards solar panels up to 4 kWp instead of €1,800, plus the €600 battery grant. Details on our enhanced solar grant page.
VAT and export income are unchanged too
Two other supports that materially affect the real cost are also the same in 2026:
- 0% VAT applies to a supply-and-install solar contract (it has since May 2023). A supply-only kit you buy yourself is charged at the standard 23% (revenue.ie).
- The Clean Export Guarantee still requires your electricity supplier to pay you for surplus solar you export to the grid. Rates vary by supplier — compare them on our CEG rates page.
What about 2027?
The €300/year taper remains Government policy on paper, so a reduction in a future year is still on the cards — but nothing is confirmed beyond 2026. We track the outlook on our 2027 solar grant page. The honest read for now: don't let a step-down that hasn't been scheduled drive a rushed decision, but don't assume €1,800 lasts forever either.
Solar Quotes Ireland matches you with SEAI-registered, Safe Electric / RECI-certified installers in your county — the companies you can actually name on your grant application, and who unlock the 0% VAT and export payments. Get quotes with no obligation.
Get a solar quote →Frequently Asked Questions
The SEAI Solar Electricity Grant pays up to €1,800 in 2026 — the same maximum as 2025. It works out as €700 per kWp on the first 2 kWp (€1,400) plus €200 per kWp on the next 2 kWp (€400), reaching the €1,800 cap at a 4 kWp system. Anything above 4 kWp gets no extra grant.
No. The Government had signalled a possible €300 reduction, but in November 2025 the Minister confirmed the grant would stay at the 2025 level of €1,800 for 2026. The planned annual step-down remains policy for future years, but it did not apply in 2026.
You qualify if you own a home built and occupied before 2025 (the cut-off moved from 2021 on 6 October 2026), the property has its own MPRN, and no solar PV grant has previously been paid on that MPRN. You apply yourself before the install begins, naming an SEAI-registered company, which does the work. A post-works BER assessment is required, after which the grant is paid to the account you nominated.
Yes, since 6 October 2026. SEAI pays a flat €600 towards a home battery of 5 kWh or more, on top of the solar grant, for homes built and occupied before 2025. You need approval before it is installed and an SEAI-registered solar PV company to fit it. Batteries under 5 kWh are not eligible.
It might. The Government's stated policy is to taper the grant by up to €300 a year as panel costs fall, so a reduction in a future year is possible — but nothing has been confirmed beyond the €1,800 set for 2026. Treat 2027 as undecided rather than a scheduled cut.
Published: 8 June 2026. Author: Neil Russell. 2026 grant level (€1,800, unchanged from 2025) confirmed by the Minister's November 2025 announcement and the SEAI Solar Electricity Grant page; eligibility cross-checked against citizensinformation.ie. VAT treatment (0% supply-and-install; 23% supply-only) per revenue.ie. All figures verified 8 June 2026. Battery grant, enhanced grant and the pre-2025 building age rule added 7 October 2026 from SEAI’s battery grant and solar grant pages, verified that day.