With only a handful of modifications, Ireland’s existing planning exemptions have remained largely unchanged for over 20 years. While you still need to notify your local county council, a planning exemption allows you to build or install a system without having to go through the full planning process.

A lot has changed in the past two decades and in recognition of this, the Government now plans to update what qualifies as exempted development. This is particularly important for farm renewables, where certain systems are already exempt.

However, as new technologies and schemes emerge, and given how easily a planning application can be delayed or stalled, the Government intends to review and modernise the regulations.

This includes proposed changes to exemptions for wind and solar projects, and for the first time, consideration of exemptions for anaerobic digestion (AD) plants. A public consultation on the changes is currently open.

Two key renewable heat policies, which either require modification or introduction, remain stalled.

What is already exempt?

The existing planning exemption for renewable technologies on Irish farms cover a lot, but some elements are quite restrictive and outdated:

  • Wind turbines: current planning exemptions for wind turbines are among the most outdated. They permit only single turbines with a maximum height of 20m, an 8m rotor diameter and a minimum ground clearance of 3m, too restrictive for most small-scale commercial use.

    • Setback requirements include 1.5 times the total height plus 1m from site boundaries, 20m from 38kV distribution lines and 30m from 110kV or higher transmission lines.

    Turbines must be at least 100m from another turbine and 5km from airports or aerodromes unless aviation approval is granted. Noise levels must not exceed 43 dB(A) at the nearest dwelling. Only one turbine is allowed per farm, and all turbines must have a matt, non-reflective finish with no advertising.

  • Solar PV: solar PV and thermal panels can be roof-, wall- or ground-mounted. Roof-mounted panels are generally already exempt, except in airport safeguarding zones, where they’re limited to 300 m².

    • Ground-mounted systems are limited to 75m², must not exceed 2.5m in height and cannot be placed in front of the nearest farm building facing a public road.

  • Biomass boilers: boiler houses must not exceed 20m², with fuel storage limited to 75m³. The full structure must stay under 3m in height. Flues can rise to 20m, with a maximum of two allowed, each no wider than 1m.

    • Only one biomass unit is permitted per farm. It must be at least 10m from public roads and 100m from nearby homes or public buildings.

  • Heat pumps: heat pumps are allowed as long as ground levels are not altered by more than 1m. Air source pumps must be set back 50cm from the edge of walls or roofs, and must comply with Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) guidelines.
  • Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems: CHP units are allowed, but the housing must not exceed 300m² in floor area, 8m in height or 40m in length. It must be set at least 10m from a public road and 100m from the nearest house or public building.

    • Only one unit is permitted per farm. Flues are limited to two, each no taller than 16m and no wider than 1m.

    Proposed changes

    The current consultation seeks public input on proposed changes to existing planning exemptions and the introduction of new ones, and asks the following questions:

  • Wind turbines: should the current exemption limit of 20m in height under Class 18 be increased to better support on-farm power generation?
  • Anaerobic digestion units: should their size and location be reconsidered for exemption? No specific details are provided in the document.
  • Biomass boiler units: should current exemption conditions, particularly regarding size and siting, be revised?
  • Solar panels: the consultation also asks if they should consider solar panels on the roofs of farm buildings to support the running of the farm with supporting battery storage to assist in promoting resilience. However, this is largely already exempt. It doesn’t ask any questions about ground-mounted systems though, which face significant restrictions.
  • Slurry storage: should exemptions be allowed for additional slurry storage on farms, up to a total capacity of 1,500m³, to support compliance with the nitrates directive?
  • Cables and wires: should exemptions be extended to include certain overground infrastructure (cables and wires)?
  • Transformers: should the exemption for overhead power lines be expanded to include ancillary infrastructure such as transformers?
  • Substations: should the size limit for electricity substations be increased to future-proof the grid and ensure supply security? The proposal would only apply to existing substations, not to the development of new, larger ones.

    • The author Stephen Robb is currently involved in a family/community proposal for an anaerobic digestion facility in Co Donegal.

    Small scale solar farms are not proposed to be exempt.

    Comment: simple and complex

    There is a strong case to exempt a farm-scale AD plant, particularly small single- or double-tank systems.

    Commenting, Seán Finan, CEO of the Irish Bioenergy Association, agrees that “the development of biogas production facilities on farms where the main inputs are feedstuffs available on the farm only (specifically meeting the Animal By-Products Type 9 plant requirements) should be exempted for planning altogether as part of these proposals.

    “These plants are relatively small biogas units, where the sizing is based on the volume of feedstock available on the farm only and the energy generated is primarily used on the farm.”

    If the biogas is then used to make electricity via a CHP to power the farm, then this system is relatively straight forward.

    However, if the gas is upgraded and sold as biomethane, the system becomes more complex.

    Upgrading requires additional technology, involves venting CO2 after processing and typically includes gas compression, so that biomethane can be transported off-site by trailer, HGV or tractor. A blanket exemption to biogas upgrade technology may be difficult, but certainly an exemption for the AD plant itself is warranted.

    On storage, Finan also said “Any new slurry storage exemptions must also include for facilities for the storage on farms of digestate from AD processes”.

    “There is also a contradiction in the current exemptions which has caused issue on pig and poultry farms for SEAI supported biomass projects. Class 8 currently exempts the installation of animal feed silos by farmers for storage of animal feed up to a height of 8m subject to conditions.

    “Whereas Class 18E (renewable technologies on farms) states that the maximum height for an identical silo to be used as a store for wood pellets or wood chip, for fuelling a biomass heating system on the same farm should not exceed 3m. The current 3m height restriction for biomass silos reduces the capacity of the biomass storage silo resulting in more deliveries and potentially more silos” he said.

    As for wind and solar PV, exemptions for larger wind turbines and ground-mounted solar systems are badly needed.

    The new Small-Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (SRESS) is meant to let farmers install wind and solar projects and earn 15 years of guaranteed income. But with a minimum system size of 50kW required to qualify for SRESS, no system that size (except rooftop solar PV) fits under current planning exemptions.

    If farmers are to invest in renewable systems, make it easy for them.

    Take part

    To participate in the consultation, you’ll need to log in or register on the official consultation portal. The deadline for submissions is 26 August 2025. Scan the QR code below: