Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 September 2026
424. Deputy William Aird asked the Minister for Education and Youth if she will review the Solar for Schools Programme specifications to facilitate the installation of battery storage in schools, thereby allowing them to retain and use more of the electricity they generate. [68211/26]
View answerThe Schools PV Programme provides eligible schools with up to 6 kilowatts peak of roof-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) installations on their roofs, which equates to approximately 14 solar panels.
The Schools PV Programme is funded by the Government’s Climate Action Fund in line with the Government’s recognition that taking action on climate change is central to Ireland’s social and economic development. It is assisting schools in reducing their energy costs and carbon footprint as part of the response to meeting the 2030 and 2050 Climate Action Plan targets for the schools’ sector.
The overall programme will see up to 24 megawatts of installed renewable energy provision on schools with associated savings in the region of €5.5 million per year across 4,000 schools.
The installation of solar PV panels schools directly assists schools to reduce their carbon emissions and energy costs, while also educating pupils and the wider school community about the benefits of solar technology.
Battery storage is a complex way of storing electric energy. While a battery can utilise night rate electricity tariffs in a domestic situation, they are not viewed as suitable for schools at this time due to their low operating hours and other issues such as siting concerns. The school should consider opting into office of government procurement (OGP) utility frameworks, at www.spu.ie/electricity-gas and buyerzone.gov.ie for competitive rates and or visiting www.energyineducation.ie/ for ways to save energy.
