Updated 4 November 2026. The rates below are the higher ones in place for applications made between 6 October 2026 and 6 July 2027. Check the SEAI Non-Domestic Microgen page before you commit, or ask us.
If your business, farm, school or club has a roof and pays for electricity during the day, the Non-Domestic Microgen Scheme (NDMG) is the grant that applies. SEAI runs it, it covers systems up to 1,000 kWp, and for the next few months it’s worth twice what it was.
The short version
On 6 October 2026 SEAI doubled the grant for new applications, for nine months, as part of the government’s energy affordability package. If you’ve been thinking about solar for a business premises, applications made by 6 July 2027 get the higher rate. After that it’s due to go back to the standard table.
Who can apply
- Businesses of any size, from a shop to an industrial site
- Farms (TAMS is the other option for farms; you pick one or the other for a given job, see below)
- Schools, colleges and public bodies
- Community groups, sports clubs and charities
You need a non-domestic premises in Ireland with its own MPRN, and the installer has to be on SEAI’s register.
How much it’s worth
The grant is a fixed amount for each kWp you install, and the amount per kWp drops as the system gets bigger:
| System size | Grant |
|---|---|
| 1 kWp | €1,800 |
| 2 kWp | €3,600 |
| 3 kWp | €4,200 |
| 4–6 kWp | €4,800 |
| 7–20 kWp | +€600 for each extra kWp |
| 21–200 kWp | +€400 for each extra kWp |
| 201–1,000 kWp | +€300 for each extra kWp |
Some worked examples:
- 20 kWp (a small workshop or shop roof): €13,200
- 50 kWp (a bigger unit or a farmyard): €25,200
- 200 kWp (a factory or warehouse): €85,200
- 1,000 kWp: €325,200, the maximum
Under the standard rates, which apply outside the window, every one of those figures is halved.
The 45% cap
There’s a second limit under the higher rates. SEAI pays the figure from the table or 45% of the invoiced cost, whichever is lower. The government’s own figures put the standard table at roughly 23% of a typical installation cost, so the doubled table lands close to 45%. In practice the two figures come out near each other, and on a keenly priced job the 45% cap is often the one that applies. Your quote should show both, worked out for your system. If it doesn’t, ask.
What isn’t covered
Batteries. The NDMG grant-aids the solar PV only. And applications made before 6 October 2026 aren’t topped up to the new rates; SEAI says state aid rules don’t allow it.
Farms: NDMG or TAMS?
A farm can use the NDMG or TAMS 3, but not both on the same investment. TAMS pays 60% of the cost against a €90,000 ceiling (so €54,000 at most), covers a battery, and is decided in tranches. The NDMG pays the fixed amounts above, doesn’t cover a battery, and isn’t tied to tranche dates.
Before October we’d have said TAMS was the better option for most farm projects. With the NDMG doubled, it’s closer, and for some yards the SEAI route now comes out ahead. We work it out both ways for your job before anything is lodged.
The grant is only part of the sum
For a trading company, two other things often matter as much as the grant:
- Accelerated Capital Allowances. Solar counts as energy-efficient equipment, so a profitable company can write off the net cost (after the grant) against tax in the first year instead of over eight. It brings the tax relief forward but doesn’t reduce the cost. Our commercial page explains it, and your accountant should run the numbers.
- The electricity you stop buying. Commercial electricity in Ireland typically costs 25–35c/kWh once all the charges are in. Every unit you generate and use on site comes off that bill for 25 years or more. Businesses that work during daylight, like manufacturing, retail, cold storage and offices, use most of what a well-sized system makes, because their demand peaks when the panels do.
Where applications go wrong
None of this is hard if it’s done in the right order:
- Apply first, install second. Nothing can start before SEAI issues your letter of offer. Start early and you lose the grant entirely.
- ESB Networks is a separate step. The grid notification (NC6 or NC7 for smaller systems, a full application for bigger ones) has to be sorted before installation. Allow four weeks or more.
- The paperwork releases the money. Commissioning certificates, compliance documents and photos are what get the grant paid. Missing paperwork is the most common reason for delay.
We handle all three for you. It’s the dull part of the job, but it’s what gets the grant paid.
How long it takes
From a standing start, a commercial job usually needs six to ten weeks before installation can begin, for the grant offer and the grid approval. The install itself takes a few days for most roof systems. Planning permission rarely comes into it: since October 2022, rooftop solar on commercial, industrial and farm buildings has been exempt with no size limit, except in the safeguarding zones around airports.
With the higher rates closing on 6 July 2027, don’t leave it until June. The application has to be made inside the window, and SEAI says demand for its grants this year has been unprecedented.
Where to start
Two numbers from your electricity bill get the conversation going: your annual usage in kWh and your unit rate. With those and a look at the roof, we can tell you the right system size, the grant it gets and a realistic payback, before you commit to anything.
Ask for a commercial assessment or ring us on (090) 640 0180.