Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 February 2026
174. Deputy Catherine Callaghan asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment the measures being taken to increase applications for the SEAI solar PV grant in counties where there has been a notably lower uptake, such as Carlow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14630/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Domestic Solar PV Grant Scheme has gone from strength to strength since its launch and has successfully supported over 100,000 homes since 2018.
Since 2021, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) has led annual marketing and communications campaigns for home energy upgrade grants comprising a combination of broad-based national awareness promoting the benefits of home energy upgrades and more focussed tactical campaigns targeting either specific audiences or technologies/grants, in particular heat pumps but including solar PV. A new, more substantial campaign began in September 2025 and this campaign is ongoing and will continue through 2026. The purpose is to:
• increase homeowners' awareness of home energy upgrade benefits, including solar, and their willingness to upgrade;
• increase demand to all home retrofitting programmes – One Stop Shops and individual measures through the Better Energy Homes; and
• explain retrofitting process for homeowners.
The campaign included:
• national and regional advertising across TV, radio, print, cinema, out-door, social and digital;
• new and revised home energy upgrade content on the SEAI website;
• a mix of static, animated and video always-on content across Facebook, Instagram and TikTok;
• brochures, video case studies, and infographics to explain technologies, highlight benefits, and tackle misconceptions;
• national and regional events, including at the Ideal Homes and National Ploughing Championships;
• launch of a new 10-part podcast called House Warming featuring numerous influencers;
• sponsorship of Heat My Home, a new 6-part RTE home energy upgrade series which aired last Autumn; and
• co-ordination of supply chain marketing and mobilisation of contractors to get qualified and register.
The early headline indicators relative to key metrics for campaign include:
• awareness of home energy grants from the SEAI rose from 68% to 75% among homeowners according to the SEAI’s annual benchmark omnibus survey (respondents surveyed in December); and
• several One Stop Shops have reported a marked increase in interest in home energy upgrades since the commencement of the campaign.
In 2025, over 33,000 homes benefitted from solar PV representing a 16% increase on 2024 figures with a capital spend of €65m in 2025.
The percentage of total applications received since 2024 to the end of 2025, which relate to County Carlow, is in line with the expected proportion, based on the percentage of national population for County Carlow [Census 2022].
The SEAI have undertaken to examine if there is additional data on uptake in solar PV in areas with a lower historic uptake rate.
