Support to generate your own electricity
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 wind, sun and water to make 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.
The Northern Ireland Renewables Obligation (NIRO) closed to new large scale onshore wind on 31 March 2016. It closed to new small scale onshore wind on 30 June 2016 and to all other technologies on 31 March 2017. There are exceptions to those projects that met the criteria for grace periods.
Northern Ireland Renewables Obligation (NIRO)
If you generate electricity from a renewable source, the NIRO allows you to claim Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) for every megawatt hour of electricity you generate.
ROCs can then be sold to electricity supply companies.
As a generator, you can make an agreement with an electricity supplier to sell any electricity to them that you do not use.
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.