Grants to generate your own energy
Finding out what grants and discounts are available is easy. Your community may even be able to get a grant to generate its own energy. This is known as microgeneration.
Microgeneration
Microgeneration is when individuals, businesses and communities generate heat and power to meet their own needs. Microgeneration systems use renewable resources, like the wind, the sun and water, to create energy.
There may be grants available in your area for communities wanting to install microgeneration technologies. You can find out what is available from NI Energy Advice.
Your community can also earn cash-back for selling any renewable energy it produces to energy suppliers, under the Northern Ireland Renewables Obligation (NIRO).
Northern Ireland Renewables Obligation (NIRO)
If you generate electricity from a renewable source, the NIRO entitles you to claim Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) for every megawatt hour of electricity you generate.
- ROCs can then be sold to electricity supply companies
- also, as a generator you can enter into an agreement with an electricity supplier to sell any electricity to them that you do not use
- Renewable electricity - Department for the Economy
- Action Renewables website - ROC Trading
- Power NI
NI Energy Advice
NI Energy Advice offers independent and impartial energy advice to domestic householders in Northern Ireland - plus referrals to energy grants and other sources of help.