Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment Denis Naughten has launched new grants for domestic solar photovoltaic installations and battery storage systems. Homeowners installing solar panels from this Tuesday can claim €700/kWp, up to a limit of 2kWp or 4kWp if the panels are connected to eligible battery storage.

The battery itself attracts a €1,000 grant. This makes the maximum total grant for 4kWp solar panels with battery storage worth €3,800.

The scheme is limited to one new installation per home and will start accepting claims from October. Only domestic buildings built before 2011 are currently eligible, which excludes farm buildings.

"Initially, it's going to be focused on domestic self-consumers, those people who are going to use that electricity within their own home," Minister Naughten told the Irish Farmers Journal. "But we're designing the scheme in such a way that it can be expanded both in terms of output on to the grid, but also, for example, farmers putting it up on their sheds."

There is no indication yet as to when such an extension of the scheme to farm buildings may take place.

Homeowners can check individual eligibility through the SEAI website.