Selling Electricity Back to the Grid in Ireland

In Ireland, homeowners and businesses with eligible, registered solar PV, wind or hydro systems can export surplus electricity to the grid under the microgeneration supports. With the right set-up in place, we can help you access Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) export payments through your electricity supplier for every unit you send back. Because export rates are set by suppliers and can change, we always recommend checking what your current tariff pays before you rely on any headline figure.

For the most accurate, unit-by-unit export payments (rather than estimated or “deemed” export), you’ll typically need a smart meter as part of the overall set-up.

What The Clean Export Guarantee Is

The Clean Export Guarantee is an irish government scheme for small renewable generators. If you export surplus electricity, your supplier applies a payment or credit based on the export units recorded for your account.

A few practical points:

• There isn’t one national export rate. Each supplier sets its own export price.
• Credits usually land on your electricity bill, rather than a separate bank transfer.
• You can still export physically even if you are not yet being credited for it.

If you’re comparing suppliers, look at the export rate and the import unit rate together.

Who Can Sell Electricity Back To The Grid

Most Irish homes with grid-connected solar PV fall under microgeneration and can access supplier export payments once the system is installed and registered correctly. If you’re still planning, Going Solar’s article on selling electricity back to the grid explains what you might see on bills.

The Set-Up Checklist For Getting Paid

Here are five steps to start getting paid for exporting electricity back to the grid in Ireland:

Step 1: Commission The System For Export

Your installer sets the inverter and protection so the system can export safely. You should also have monitoring so you can see generation patterns.

Step 2: Get The ESB Networks Notification Done

For many homes, this is the NC6 process. The Going Solar NC6 form explainer covers what’s submitted. Keep your MPRN and install date handy.

Step 3: Confirm Export Is Being Recorded

Export payments rely on export being captured in meter data for billing. With a smart meter, export can usually be viewed on the ESB Networks portal once it’s active. In the first month, compare your inverter generation on bright days against meter export. You won’t see a match (you’ll self-consume some), but export should not stay at zero if you have surplus.

Step 4: Activate The Export Tariff With Your Supplier

Ask your supplier a direct question: “Is my export tariff active, and from what date will export credits show on my bill?” If the answer is vague, ask them to confirm it on the account while you’re on the call.

Step 5: Check Your Next Bill Or Two

Once credits begin, they can appear as a line item, a credit, or a separate export section depending on the supplier. If you’ve had a couple of bills with no export credits, use the checks below.

Export Or Use The Electricity At Home?

For many households, using your own solar electricity in the home is worth more than exporting it, because the unit price you avoid paying for imported electricity is often higher than the export unit price.

Easy ways to lift self-use:

• run appliances mid-day when it suits your routine,
• time the immersion for peak solar hours, and
• think about a battery if your usage is heavier in the evening.

If you’re weighing storage, Going Solar’s piece on solar battery costs in Ireland helps you think about habits and load shifting, not only hardware.

Grants, Tax, And Consumer Info

You don’t need a grant to export electricity. Grants reduce installation cost; export payments depend on the system being eligible and recorded for billing. If you’re early in planning, Going Solar’s guide to SEAI solar grant eligibility covers the usual conditions and paperwork.

On tax, many households fall under a Revenue exemption for certain profits from microgeneration up to a set limit, but personal circumstances matter. For consumer information on microgeneration and export in Ireland, the CRU microgeneration page is a handy reference while you’re dealing with suppliers and paperwork.

Why Export Credits Aren’t Showing

If you think you’re exporting but the bill shows nothing, check these first:

• NC6 not processed yet: The network record can lag, or details may not match.
• Export tariff not active: You might be exporting physically, but the supplier account isn’t set to credit export.
• Meter data not showing export: This can be a data or account linkage issue.
• Lower export than expected: Daytime loads can soak up generation, leaving little to export.

Pick a bright day, check inverter generation, then check meter export. If export stays at zero over several clear days, ring your supplier.

Conclusion

Firstly, selling electricity back to the grid in Ireland is a practical way to make the most of your renewable energy system. Secondly, by ensuring your installation is properly registered, your NC6 notification is processed, and your export tariff is active, you can start receiving credits for surplus electricity sent to the grid.

However, whilst export payments are a helpful bonus, maximising self-consumption usually delivers the greatest savings. Therefore, regularly checking your meter data and bills helps ensure everything is working as expected.

Ultimately, with the right set-up and a little monitoring, Irish households can turn excess renewable generation into a steady, small return whilst supporting a cleaner, more resilient energy system.