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SEAI Funding Opportunities for Large Businesses in Ireland

  • Mihai
  • Nov 9
  • 4 min read

Ireland’s push toward renewable energy is accelerating, and the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) offers a range of funding schemes to help businesses transition away from fossil fuels.

Large commercial and industrial sites — from hotels and leisure centres to manufacturers, universities, and offices — can access substantial grants and long-term financial supports through the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH) and complementary SEAI programmes.

Let’s look at each available funding measure in more detail.


🔋 1. Investment Aid Scheme – Up to 40% Grant for Renewable Heat Systems


The Investment Aid scheme is designed to help large non-domestic energy users install renewable heating systems to replace existing fossil fuel systems (oil, gas, or LPG).

✅ Eligible Technologies

  • Air-to-Water (ATW) Heat PumpsIdeal for heating buildings with underfloor systems or radiators. Uses outdoor air to produce heating water.

  • Water-to-Water (WTW) Heat PumpsExtracts heat from water sources such as rivers, lakes, or aquifers. High efficiency for large buildings.

  • Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHP)Uses heat from the ground via vertical or horizontal collector loops. Ideal for high heat loads and stable year-round performance.

Ineligible systems: Air-to-air heat pumps (e.g. VRF systems) are excluded because they don’t deliver heating water.

💰 Grant Details

  • Grant range: 10%–40% of eligible costs, depending on system efficiency (Seasonal COP / SCOP).

  • Maximum funding: €1,000,000 per project.

  • Related energy measures: Additional 30% grant (see below).

  • Eligible costs include:

    • Equipment and labour (heat pumps, pipework, emitters, controls, buffer tanks, etc.)

    • External project management (up to 7% of total project value).

Engineer reviewing SEAI funding guidelines for renewable heating project.

🏗️ Project Example

A pharmaceutical facility replaces its oil boilers with a 500 kW ground source heat pump.

  • SCOP of 4.0 → eligible for 35% grant

  • Total project cost: €800,000 → €280,000 grant from SEAI

Energy-efficient building upgraded with SEAI funding through the SSRH scheme

🧱 2. Related Energy Measures – 30% Flat Grant


These measures support the efficiency of your renewable heating system. They ensure your investment performs optimally by reducing building heat loss and improving control.

Eligible Measures

  1. Building Fabric Upgrades

    • Wall, floor, roof, and window insulation improvements.

    • Glazing replacement to reduce heat loss (U-value improvement).

    • Improves the building’s energy balance and reduces the heating load.

  2. Ventilation Systems (MVHR)

    • Installation of Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery.

    • Recovers waste heat from exhaust air, reducing the heating demand for fresh air.

  3. Airtightness Works

    • Sealing air leaks around doors, windows, and junctions.

    • Reduces infiltration and uncontrolled heat losses.

  4. Heat Recovery from Processes

    • Capturing waste heat from production or refrigeration processes for reuse in space or water heating.

These upgrades are eligible for a flat 30% grant and must be directly linked to optimising the renewable heating system.

Example: Installing heat recovery ventilation to improve the performance of a new heat pump system.

🔄 3. Operational Aid Tariff Scheme – Long-Term Payments for Biomass & Biogas


The Operational Aid Tariff provides ongoing payments for up to 15 years to encourage the switch to renewable fuels like biomass (wood chips, pellets) or biogas (from anaerobic digestion).

💶 Tariff Overview

The scheme pays a tiered tariff per kWh of renewable heat produced, reducing as total heat output increases:

Tier

Annual Heat Output (MWh)

Biomass Tariff (c/kWh)

Biogas Tariff (c/kWh)

1

0 – 300

5.66

2.95

2

300 – 1,000

3.02

2.95

3

1,000 – 2,400

0.50

0.50

4

2,400 – 10,000

0.50

0.00

5

10,000 – 50,000

0.37

0.00

  • Maximum total support: €3.5 million over 15 years.

  • Payment frequency: Quarterly, based on verified metered heat use.

  • Heat types supported: Space heating, hot water, and process heating.

  • Ineligible: Open-space heating, wood drying, or power generation.

📉 Example

A 400 kW biomass system in a large hotel producing 900 MWh/year renewable heat could receive:

Approx. €30,000 per year in tariff payments → €450,000 over 15 years.

⚙️ 4. Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme (EEOS)


This complementary SEAI mechanism allows businesses to secure additional financial or technical support from participating energy suppliers (ESB, Energia, Bord Gáis, etc.) for verified energy savings.

Key Points

  • Support is in addition to SSRH grants.

  • Can include:

    • Monetary contributions per kWh saved.

    • Project monitoring and verification (M&V).

    • Technical assistance for project design and validation.

  • Must have a support agreement before work begins.

You can find a list of participating suppliers and guidelines here:👉 EEOS for Businesses | SEAI


📈 Example Sectors That Have Benefited


  • Hotels and Leisure Centres: Biomass boilers replacing LPG or oil → significant savings.

  • Manufacturing & Pharma: Heat pumps and process heat recovery.

  • Universities and Campuses: Hybrid renewable systems for hot water and heating.

  • Retail & Office Buildings: Air-to-water heat pumps and energy envelope upgrades.


📑 Application Process Overview


  1. Preliminary Consultation: Contact SEAI at ssrh@seai.ie to confirm eligibility.

  2. Design Stage: Engage a qualified design engineer to prepare technical documentation.

  3. Application Submission: Complete the online application and attach required documents (design report, fuel bills, declarations).

  4. Letter of Offer: Wait for official SEAI approval before purchasing or installing equipment.

  5. Completion Stage: Submit evidence of installation, commissioning, and compliance for grant payment or tariff activation.


🌍 Benefits of SEAI Renewable Heat Funding


  • Reduce dependency on fossil fuels

  • Lower operating costs through renewable energy

  • Access long-term financial stability with tariffs

  • Improve corporate sustainability credentials

  • Align with Ireland’s 2030 climate targets


📢 Need Help with Your BER Assessment?

At MTS DNC Energy Consultants Limited, we provide accurate and up-to-date BER assessments based on the latest SEAI standards. Whether you're renovating, building, or just curious about how your current building ranks, we’re here to help.

📞 Contact us today for expert advice and a tailored assessment.


 
 
 

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