What is Microgeneration & the Clean Export Guarantee Scheme?
Microgeneration refers to the generation of electricity from renewable technology such as solar PV panels. This type of renewable energy generation allows domestic customers to produce their own electricity.
Energia will help customers on their green journey to reduce their carbon footprint with the Microgeneration Scheme and the Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) payment.
By generating electricity through microgeneration, customers may be able to generate much of their home’s electricity needs themselves. The Microgeneration Scheme was introduced for microgenerators and as part of this the Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) payment was also introduced.
Microgeneration customers will have the option to export any surplus electricity to the grid and receive payment for it. Not only will microgeneration customers be contributing to a greener Ireland by exporting surplus green energy, but they will also be reducing their own electricity expenses.
Energia currently offers a 24 cent microgeneration export rate, and this can be taken advantage alongside our Smart Solar bundle which provides a saving of €750 on solar panel installation.
As long as you have a smart meter, there is no cap on the amount you can export – the actual quantity of electricity exported is measured and recorded by ESB Networks (ESBN) and you’ll be paid for each unit exported.
A smart meter records meter readings at 30-minute intervals and automatically sends the reading to ESBN. So, there’s no need to submit meter readings to ESBN and you’ll no longer receive estimated electricity bills, like with a standard meter.
Microgeneration, or Microgen, is the generation of green electricity from renewable technologies, such as solar (PV) panels, wind, hydro and other renewable technologies.
Microgenerators generate renewable energy using some or all of the above methods to meet the electricity demands of a household.
The microgeneration scheme will allow customers with registered microgeneration installations to sell any excess electricity back to Ireland’s electricity grid in return for the Clean Export Guarantee (CEG) payment.
To be eligible for the scheme you must own a microgenerator such as solar PV and have an export grid connection. You need to complete an NC6 form, this may have been completed by your technician at the time of installation of the microgenerator.
Once your NC6 form is submitted to ESBN they need to notify Energia and we will set up your export account. ESBN will send us your export usage details when available and payment will show on your electricity bill.
If you refuse or have previously refused the installation of a smart meter, then you will not be eligible for a deemed export profile.
If you previously refused the installation of a smart meter and now want to avail of the scheme, you must request the installation of a smart meter, this can be done through your supplier or ESBN.
The calculation of the deemed export is based on the following factors and has been set by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU).
The following formula determines the Deemed Export Quantity:
Deemed Export Quantity= MEC x Capacity Factor x Export Factor x Provision Interval
MEC – This will come from the NC6 form which the customer has to submit to ESBN.
Capacity Factor – This is based on a calculation from the CRU and is set at 9.7%
Export Factor – This is based on a calculation from the CRU and is set at 35%
Provisional interval – This is a calculation used for solar installations that takes account of how Microgeneration works in practice during the day and from season to season.
It is important to note that you will need a smart meter to be eligible for actual metered exports.
Metered export uses the actual usage from a Smart meter.
Deemed export is an estimate of export meter when there is no actual data received.
The deemed calculation has been decided by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) with government oversight. There is no mechanism to change this amount except for the installation of a smart meter to record actual consumption and therefore the surplus generated.
Your energy provider has no role in determining this export value. Some Smart meters with poor connectivity may also receive deemed usage.
Energia currently offer our residential customers a rate of 24c per kWh exported to the grid (rates correct as of Jan 2024 and subject to change).
You will receive your payment on your bi-monthly electricity bill. Your export and import periods may differ, this could be due to the timing of when we receive your units frorm ESB.
Any export days not shown in line with the import period will be included in your next bill.
No, your export account will be linked to your electricity acount.
The number of units that you have exported will be shown on your bill. You can also check this any time by pressing the left blue button on your smart meter 7 times until you see A- in the top right-hand side of the screen. This will display the quantity of units of electricity you have exported to the national grid. If you do not have a smart meter, please refer to the FAQ 'How is a deemed export calculated.’
Your CEG payment will be based on the quantity of kWh you export to the grid at the rate offered by Energia. There is no published guidance for customers in relation to the VAT treatment of electricity exported to the grid by customers.
