TAMS grant for solar panels on farms

https://www.farmersjournal.ie/tams-grant-for-solar-panels-on-farms-527009

Solar panels on dairy, beef and tillage farms can now receive grant aid under the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS), according to the Micro-Renewable Energy Federation (MREF).

The group said it had received confirmation from the Department of Agriculture that the size of solar PV systems that will qualify has been increased.

Chair of MREF Pat Smith said: “With the changes now outlined on the Department’s TAMS web pages, dairy, beef and tillage farmers will get full grant support for up to 11kWp of solar PV and 6kWp of battery storage. In addition, with the reference pricing in place, most farmers can secure a 40% grant on their solar PV investment with young qualified farmers getting up to 60%,” he said.

More work to do

He added that more work needs to be done to ensure that all farmers, regardless of whether they have already claimed their full TAMS, can qualify for these enhanced solar PV supports.

Smith called on the Department to review this restriction as a matter of urgency and ensure that all farmers can availed of these enhanced grant supports.

“These enhanced supports make micro-renewable generation a very good investment on most Irish farms,” he said.