Plug-in solar, the NC6 microgeneration notification and export payments in Ireland, where the plug-in rules are still being worked out.
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Is plug-in (balcony) solar allowed in Ireland?
Not yet as a plug-in-and-register product. In the latest reporting we found, on 15 July 2026, an Irish Department of Energy official said a working group chaired by ESB Networks would report to the Minister in September, with a simple registration process envisaged. Until the rules change, the official route for grid-connected solar is the microgeneration process, in which a registered installer notifies ESB Networks. A retailer's claim that a kit is legal to plug in does not change that, so check with ESB Networks before connecting.
NC6 is the notification form for microgeneration of up to 6 kW on a single-phase supply or 11 kW on three-phase. Your registered installer completes it and submits it to ESB Networks, which then tells your electricity supplier. Larger systems, up to 50 kW, use the NC7 form.
Will an Irish supplier pay me for exported solar electricity?
Yes, for eligible microgeneration. The CRU says your supplier pays you directly for every metered unit of electricity you export over the billing cycle, and if you have a smart meter and your NC6 has been processed, your supplier will already know you have microgeneration. Check your supplier's rate, because rates differ.
