Around 20,000 electricity customers, including farmers, with installed micro-generation, such as solar panels and wind turbines, will be able to sell excess electricity to the grid from early next year.

This week, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities published a framework which will allow micro-generators to sell surplus electricity back to the grid and receive the market value for that electricity.

This will be known as the Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) tariff.

These are interim measures and are separate to the impending micro-generation and small scale generation scheme, which are expected to provide a premium tariff for electricity sold to the grid.

All those who generate less than 400kW in electricity, meet the criteria and have an appropriate connection will be eligible.

The system is expected to be in place at the end of the second quarter of 2022

It is expected that up to 35% of a system’s installed capacity can be exported to the grid, but smart meters will have to be installed.

The system is expected to be in place at the end of the second quarter of 2022, with payments to issue shortly thereafter.

The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications said ESB Networks has developed a more efficient and simplified connection process for export grid connections for installations ranging from 6kW to 50kW in capacity (both single and three phase).

This new connection process is expected to be in place by the end of 2021.

A similar trial for a simplified connection process for projects ranging from 51-200kW (possibly increasing to 500kW) is expected to follow next year.

The existing connection policy will then apply for installations larger than this.