From Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications
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The terms and conditions of the export phase of the Small-scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (SRESS) have now been published. The tariffs and other key aspects of the scheme were announced in May 2024. The SRESS terms and conditions have been designed with the aim of providing a simpler route to market for community and small-scale projects and they have been designed to align more closely to the experience and capacity of this sector. The scheme is due to open for applications on 27 January 2025.
The SRESS terms and conditions, together with a non-technical summary, and the SRESS Application Pack are now available on the department's website.
Welcoming the publication of the SRESS terms and conditions, Eamon Ryan, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications said:
"Approval of the SRESS terms and conditions is an important milestone for communities, SMEs [Small and Medium Sized Enterprises], farmers and others to maximise their participation in the energy transition. SRESS will help to deliver on Ireland’s renewable energy targets. These include a target of 80% renewable electricity by 2030, including 8GW of solar PV and 500MW of community energy over the same period.
"SRESS is a key building block of the government’s strategy to increase the generation of renewable energy – by Renewable Energy Communities, SMEs, farmers and others. This phase of SRESS will support export-focussed, small-scale and community renewable projects above 50kW and up to 6MW. It will offer a more straightforward route to market for these projects, that don’t fall within the categories of the smaller MSS (Micro-generation Support Scheme) and the larger grid-scale RESS (Renewable Electricity Support Scheme). SRESS will essentially fill the gap between those two schemes."
This phase of the electricity support scheme will be a significant improvement in the market supports for Renewable Energy Communities and Small and SMEs, with fixed tariffs for these groups for solar and wind projects above 50kW and up to 6MW. To meet the EU definition of an SME, enterprises and farmers must have fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover less than or equal to €50 million or a balance sheet total less than or equal to €43 million.
Furthermore, all export projects up to 1MW are welcome to avail of the SRESS SME tariff support. These projects, up to 1MW, do not have to be from Renewable Energy Communities, SMEs or farmers.
SRESS completes a wide range of options that enable the public to participate in the delivery of renewable electricity generation. These include the utility-scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme and, at the other end of the scale, the Microgeneration Support Scheme (MSS).
ENDS