Solar panel grants and support in Northern Ireland

Support at a glance

Be sceptical of grant advertising

A great deal of online advertising implies that Northern Ireland households can access a substantial solar grant. In the main, they cannot. Schemes such as ECO4 and the Great British Insulation Scheme are Great Britain programmes and do not operate here, and the Northern Ireland Renewables Obligation closed to new solar installations years ago.

Any installer leading with a large headline grant should be asked to name the scheme, the administering body and the eligibility criteria in writing. The support that genuinely exists is listed below.

0% VAT — the biggest single saving

Solar panels, battery storage and their installation are zero-rated for VAT on residential property in Northern Ireland until 31 March 2027. From 1 April 2027 the rate reverts to 5%, not the standard 20%. On a £6,000 installation that makes the 0% rate worth around £300 (5% of £6,000), so the saving is real but modest, and it ends if work is not completed in time.

Since February 2024 the relief extends to batteries retrofitted on their own, so you no longer need to be installing panels at the same time to qualify.

NI Sustainable Energy Programme (NISEP)

NISEP is funded through a levy on electricity customers and delivered by scheme managers on behalf of the Utility Regulator. It targets energy efficiency measures for households, with a substantial portion ring-fenced for priority customers on qualifying benefits.

Its focus is predominantly insulation and heating rather than solar, but it is worth checking eligibility, because reducing demand before generating is almost always better value than generating to cover waste. The NISEP year for 2026/27 runs from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, or until funds run out, and demand for some schemes means waiting lists.

Two schemes on the 2026/27 list include solar. The Priority PV Scheme is for Northern Ireland Housing Executive tenants in single-storey homes outside the natural gas area with oil or electric heating: NISEP gives a 50% grant on a PV system, hybrid inverter and battery, and the Housing Executive funds the rest. Toasty Homes Heat Pump and Solar Technologies lists PV and battery storage among its measures for households under set income limits. Applications go to the named scheme manager, not to an installer.

NISEP says renewable technologies installed under it require installers registered with MCS, so check that any installer you are offered through a NISEP scheme is on the MCS register.

OZEV chargepoint grants

• EV chargepoint grant — up to £500 towards a home chargepoint for people living in flats and for anyone in rented accommodation. The scheme for owner-occupied houses has closed.
• Workplace Charging Scheme — up to £500 per socket, for up to 40 sockets across a business's sites.
• Both require installation by an OZEV-approved installer.

Business and agricultural support

• Annual Investment Allowance — commercial solar generally qualifies, allowing the full cost to be set against taxable profits in the year of expenditure, subject to your accountant's advice.
• Farm diversification and rural development funding — periodically available through DAERA; timing and criteria vary by call.
• Invest NI Energy Efficiency Capital Grant — covers onsite renewable generation among its eligible equipment for registered Northern Ireland businesses, but Invest NI currently shows it as closed to applications while it reviews the scheme, so check for a reopening.
• NISEP Commercial Energy Saving Scheme — managed by Power NI, and lists solar PV among its eligible measures for commercial and non-domestic properties. Installers of NISEP-funded renewables need to be MCS registered.
• Reduced business rates treatment is available in some circumstances for renewable generation; take professional advice on your specific case.