Government slammed as new-build homes locked out of solar panel subsidies

Homes built after 2021 are excluded from SEAI solar panel grants, which Green Party spokesperson for Housing Oliver Moran states means higher bills and more reliance on electricity for new home owners

News Stephen Holland Local Democracy Reporter 12:26, 27 Aug 2026 View Image Solar panels (Image: PA)

The Government us “missing a trick” as new-builds are losing out on grants for the installation of solar panels .

Green Party spokesperson for Housing Oliver Moran has highlighted the wide gap in solar installation between new-build homes and those qualifying for SEAI solar grants. For homes built since 2025, figures from the Central Statistics Office shows just 3,918 out of 37,524 (10%) have solar installed.

These figures are even lower for apartments, where just 1,152 out of 15,413 (7%) have solar installed. In contrast, a majority (56%, 34,543 out of 62,038) of BER-rated homes built in the period 2015-2019 have solar panels installed.

This is largely due to only properties built before 2021 being eligible for SEAI grants for solar panel installations. “A stand-out for me is the low level of new homes being built with solar panels installed off the bat,” Mr Moran said.

“It's an incredible turnaround that 95% of new builds are now being heated using electricity, but we're missing a trick if those new homes are not using their own solar by default. The SEAI grants are only for homes built before 2021.

“That means that new homeowners are locked out of the subsidies that are there. If builders aren’t providing panels by default, then another gap will open in the solar revolution, not just between homeowners and renters, but between new and existing homeowners.”

He is calling on the government to help people who are currently excluded from solar panel grants with support to reduce their bills. “Whether that's renters or homeowners, it's not right they're left out in the cold, in a cost of living crisis, because Minister Darragh O'Brien's attention is somewhere else.”

Energy efficiency is a major ambition of Dublin City Council’s development plan with a goal of a 40% reduction in GHG emissions by 2030. They are also attempting to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 , with Ballymun and Ringsend/Poolbeg identified as decarbonising zones .

This classification means that these areas can act as demonstration sites of what is possible when it comes to climate action at a local level and include the provision of solar panels. A major focus of this goal is to make homes more energy efficient, with Ballymun and Ringsend/Poolbeg set to have thousands of homes retrofitted. Over 3,600 in Ballymun and 2,400 in Ringsend/Poolbeg will receive works in order to reach a high energy B2 rating.

The cost of retrofitting each home is estimated at an average of €56,000 per household. That’s €205 million for 3,652 houses in Ballymun and around €135 million for 2,408 houses in Ringsend/Poolbeg. This includes the installation of solar panels on home and business rooftops will help create clean, local electricity and reduce emissions. Other upgrades include wall insulation, new windows, and air-tightness to keep heat in and lower bills.

For private home owners, the SEAI Solar Panel Grant for Dublin provides up to €1,800 towards installing solar PV panels. The grant is calculated on a sliding scale, €700 per kWp for the first 2kWp installed, then €200 for each additional kWp up to a maximum of 4kWp, at which point the full €1,800 cap is reached.

Applicants must own the property where the panels will be installed and the homes need to have been completed and lived in before 2021. The rationale behind excluding newer homes is that properties built after this point are already required to meet higher energy performance standards under building regulations, but this does not necessarily mean they will have solar panels.

Private landlords can also apply, even if the home is not owner-occupied. There are also other SEAI grants available for those trying to up their properties' energy efficiency, such as One Stop Shop grants or attic insulation grants.

This content is funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme

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