Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 June 2024
91. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications for an update on the funding streams that are available for geothermal heating schemes, including the amount that has been drawn down to date in 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27705/24]
View answerThe Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) manage a number of residential and community energy upgrade grant support schemes on behalf of my Department.
Grant support of up to €6,500 is available to install heat pumps under the Better Energy Home Scheme, and up to €10,500 under the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme or the Community Energy Grant Scheme.
SEAI has advised, to end of May 2024, grant support was provided for 1,469 heat pump installations. Of the heat pump installations supported by SEAI to date this year, €208,000 in grant support was provided to homeowners in respect of 28 ground-source-to-water heat pump systems and 4 water-to-water systems.
An installation grant of up to 40% for investment in renewable heating systems using ground source heat pumps is also available through the SEAI’s Support Scheme for Renewable Heat, which provides financial support to help businesses move to renewable heating.
While the SEAI doesn’t provide dedicated funding for geothermal heating schemes, it does fund related research, including an assessment of the viability of retrofitting an existing communal heating system at Carlinn Hall, Dundalk, County Louth, with a shallow geothermal heat pump system. The report on the research, which was published in November 2023, contains recommendations in relation to heat network efficiency and options for low-carbon heat alternatives, including costs of installation and operation. The scheme in question is privately owned and managed, and implementation of any of the recommendations would be a matter for the relevant parties to decide upon.
